Battle System:
Excalistia is more focused on exploration and puzzles than actual battles, and there aren't any random or normal battles in dungeons. Instead, every dungeon has a main boss or two, and some optional bosses as well. The idea is to make each boss battle unique and challenging, and to add more focus on minigame and puzzles in dungeons. With that said, boss battles employ tactical elements and don't involve HP or MP. Instead, you must evade and block enemy attacks to stay alive.

Leveling up:
Experience is earned depending on your action. A character that attacks often can increase his or her attack power, but would also decrease his or her magic potency. You can customize your characters by either having them specialize in a certain role or balance the different aspects of their stats.

Magic Leveling up:
Each elemental magic has 3 levels. When you use a spell of certain elemental, you get elemental points (Fire Points for example), you can use these points to upgrade the skill to its next level. It's like buying magic, but you'll need to keep using that spell to be able to buy its next level.

Abilities:
Abilities are passive skills that are learned by using specific items. Each character has a number of skill slots that increase when using specific items as well. You just assign these abilities to slots and they'll be effective as long as they're equipped. The abilities vary from "HP + 10%" to "Cast Magic on All Enemies".

Mini-games:
Hotmog Battles - Fight crazy Hotmogs in Kianara's Arena using a simple action battle system.
Shop Management - Design and build your own shop in Vanalia,; advertise and manage it as well.
Movies - Watch short movies and make your own simple ones in Lunands cinema house.

Original Graphics and Music:
All game resources are 100% original. Expect beautiful 2D graphics and an OST of 50 great compositions by two talented musicians. Check the media section for samples!

Missions and Events:
There are two types of events, Major and Minor Events. Major events are ones that must be viewed for the story to advance, while Minor ones are like side events that can optionally be viewed by doing certain things. Minor events add to the story and tell you more about characters, but without making the game too boring or linear.
As for missions, the mission system is a side-quest system that allows you to explore the world more and get some nice items. People would ask you to do different things for different awards; some missions unlock minor events as well.

Troys' Diary:
Troys' Diary is a section of the menu where information about what the main character knows is recorded. Whenever you learn something from an NPC or a personal experience it'd be written in the diary, and this information might later effect your character's actions or even enable you to get special quests. For example, if an NPC tells you Trimok people are bad, Troys might seem nervous when he meets a Trimok. You can also go to school to learn more, which, for example, enables you to learn the Notiah language and understand people who speak it.