Summary
Turn-based RPGs are one of gaming’s largest genres, yet they’re also one of the most divisive. Many players struggle to see the appeal of the genre’s strategic gameplay and stat-heavy systems. However, turn-based RPGs are more varied than most people realize, which is why at least one of these games will likely appeal to you.
Turn-Based RPGs Vary in Complexity
Whether you are new to the genre or have been playing turn-based RPGs for years, there are enough games to satisfy every type of player. Some turn-based series likePokémonandDragon Questare designed for both beginners and longtime RPG fans, offering plenty of party-building freedom and a light challenge. These games place a focus on exploration, with worlds that are full of exciting discoveries and optional side content.
At the opposite end of the genre are tough-as-nails series likeShin Megami TenseiandDarkest Dungeon. These games are notoriously difficult, demanding you to master the full extent of their mechanics. Whereas other turn-based games allow you to overcome most battles with only a basic understanding of their combat, the genre’s toughest games will force you to adapt to their brutal design and learn to use all the mechanics at your disposal.
Then there are games likeSaGa: Emerald BeyondandResonance of Fate, wherein most of the challenge comes from trying to understand the game rather than the experience of actually playing it. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but these games are notable for their unorthodox mechanics and convoluted combat.
There’s an intimidating degree of depth to these games, with battles demanding that you learn to plan multiple turns ahead and spend time fine-tuning your party for advanced strategies. These games and similarly complex titles deliver some of the most entertaining and rewarding experiences in the turn-based RPG genre.
Most turn-based RPGs fall somewhere in the middle of all these extremes. Games likeMetaphor: ReFantazio,Baldur’s Gate 3, andSea of Starsare excellent starting points for newcomers to the genre. Each of these games provides enough challenge and depth to make battles feel complex and exciting, but they never resort to overwhelming you with a laundry list of confusing features and convoluted systems.
Apart from standard RPGs, there are plenty of fantastic games that feature their own creative twists onturn-based combat.UndertaleandDeltarunefeature conventional turn-based battles interspersed withchallenging bullet hell sections.Slay the Spiresimilarly blends rogue-like RPGs with a deck-building card-based combat system. Even more traditional RPGs can deliver equally unconventional ideas, such asResonance of Fate’s turn-based gunplay andParasite Eve’s blend of turn-based combat and real-timesurvival horror.
Turn-Based RPGs Aren’t Always Slow
Turn-based RPGs are often assumed to have slow-paced combat andabsurdly-long campaigns. Games likePersona 5 RoyalandMetaphor ReFantazioare infamously long, taking over 100 hours to complete a single playthrough. Many older RPGs also suffer from severe pacing issues due to their prolonged attack animations and excessive grinding. However, these problems don’t apply to every turn-based RPG, and there are plenty of games in the genre that deliver tightly crafted experiences.
Numerous turn-based RPGs can be completed within 20 to 30 hours or even less, with some of the best examples beingUndertale,South Park: The Stick of Truth, andChild of Light. That doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to see everything these games have to offer within a single sitting. With nearly any turn-based RPG, you can greatly extend your playtime by pursuing optional content or starting another playthrough to earn an alternate ending.
Turn-based combat can also feel fast and exciting when handled properly. Games likePersona 5andLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthallow you to take your time to strategize, but also provide the means to wrap up battles within a matter of seconds.
Persona 5allows you to deliver attacks in quick succession with fast and fluid animations, whileInfinite Wealthis balanced so that party members and enemy combatants can be knocked out in just a few hits. Both games reward fast and aggressive playstyles, making every turn feel meaningful while avoiding frustrating RPG tropes like damage sponges and drawn-out attack animations.
Even recent ports of older RPGs have addressed the genre’s pacing issues. The remasteredFinal Fantasygames andChrono Cross: Radical Dreamers Editioninclude cheat toggles that allow you to enable stat boosts, disable random encounters, or increase the game’s speed.
Similarly, some ports of notoriously difficult games, likeShin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HDandEtrian Odyssey HD, introducednew difficulty optionsand quality of life features that make them more accessible (and less grind-heavy) than their original releases.
The Best Turn-Based RPGs Have Compelling Stories
The real draw of the turn-based RPG genre has always been its storytelling. Role-playing games have delivered some of the best stories in video games, whether it’s through ambitious character-driven adventures or your ownnarrative-altering choices. Even if you’re not interested in the party building and strategizing of turn-based combat, the genre is full of memorable characters and unforgettable stories that are worth experiencing.
Many games claim to have immersive worlds that dynamically react to your choices, but few other genres deliver on this idea with as much depth as turn-basedCRPGs.
Many players were recently introduced to the genre with Larian Studios’sBaldur’s Gate 3, but CRPGs had already garnered a reputation for fantastic writing and immense player freedom from its renowned history. Fans ofBaldur’s Gate 3will find a lot to love in the stories and lore of classic CRPGs likePlanescape: Torment,Fallout 2, and (obviously)Baldur’s Gate 1and2. The genre continues to thrive thanks to more recent series likeWasteland,Pillars of Eternity, and Larian’s ownDivinity: Original Sin.
There are other notable turn-based RPGs with a heavy emphasis on player choices. The mainlineShin Megami Tenseigames revolve around ideological conflicts waged between multiple factions, with players able to align themselves with one of these groups or reject all of them by pursuing a neutral path.
Your choices will determine your alliances and the ending you reach, with each branching path providing insight into the personalities and beliefs of the major characters. AlthoughShin Megami Tenseinever provides the same degree of narrative freedom as some CRPGs, its imaginatively bleak worlds and multiple different routes make each gameworth replayingat least once.
However, the best stories in turn-based RPGs are much more linear. While that may sound like a complaint, it’s actually one ofthe genre’s best traits. Linear stories are able to deliver ambitious narratives that follow numerous characters across massive worlds. The scope of these games can range from small-town mysteries to globe-spanning adventures, often interspersed with intricate plots and intimate moments between characters. Even without branching story paths or plot-altering decisions, watching major events unfold and characters develop throughout your adventure can be just as gripping as any CRPG.
Games likeFinal Fantasy VIIandPersona 4are still fondly remembered for their gripping, twist-filled narratives and iconic characters. Lesser-known gems likeXenogears,Lost Odyssey, andMother 3use complex characters and imaginative worlds to tackle heavy themes and dark subject matter. There are also plenty ofamazing storiesto be found in newer turn-based RPGs, such asYakuza: Like A Dragon,Metaphor: ReFantazio, andThe Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak.
Don’t Just Stick to the Popular Games
Although recent hits likeMetaphor: ReFantazioandBaldur’s Gate 3have garnered massive critical and commercial success, turn-based RPGs are still a relatively niche genre. Turn-based RPGs that aren’t attached to recognizable franchises likePokémonorPersonatend to fall by the wayside, only receiving attention from the most die-hard RPG fans. That’s not to say that every turn-based RPG is a masterpiece, but many of the genre’s most original games are also its most obscure.
Some of the longest-running turn-based series have somehow evaded the attention of mainstream audiences, yet they’ve maintained a dedicated fanbase over the course of multiple decades for good reasons. TheSaGaandLegend of Heroesseries have both been around since the late 80s, but never reached the same level of success asFinal FantasyorDragon Quest. Despite their niche popularity, both series are still receiving new entries and have only continued to improve over time.
SaGais notable for its experimental approach to turn-based combat and storytelling. Most games in the series follow a diverse cast of characters, each of which stars in their own distinctive campaign. Along with the collection of loosely connected stories in each game, eachSaGagame features a unique combat system that rewards experimentation and mastery over its mechanics. You can start theSaGaseries with any entry, including the recentRomancing SaGa 2remake.
The Legend of Heroesand its ongoingTrailssubseries are similarly renowned for their complex stories that span multiple games. Much like theSaGaseries,The Legend of Heroeshas undergone numerous changes to its turn-based combat—including an option to use real-time combat in the latest entries—but it remains consistently challenging and enjoyable throughout each new installment.
However, the series' greatest strength is its ever-growing political-fantasy narrative and expansively fleshed-out world. Unlike most other long-running RPG franchises, most games in theTrailsseries expect you to have played previous entries. The best places to start the series areThe Legend of Heroes:Trails Through DaybreakorTrails in the Sky 1st Chapter—an upcoming remake of the firstTrailsgame.
Indie studioshave also produced incredible experiences and brought one-of-a-kind concepts to the genre.The ThaumaturgeblendsPersona-inspired combat with a detective mystery set in early 20th-century Poland, and its creative premise is elevated by the game’s excellent writing and challenging gameplay.
TheShadowruntrilogy—based on thetabletop RPGof the same name—is a CRPG set in a world that blends the cyberpunk and fantasy genres, providing a unique basis for stories in which spell-casting and corporate espionage are equally common occurrences.
Finally,Shujinkouis a turn-based dungeon crawler designed to teach players how to speak Japanese through menus, minigames, and battles against mythological creatures.
Most importantly, the turn-based genre has an extensive history stretching back to the early days of PC gaming. Thanks to the abundance ofmodern ports,remasters, andemulations of older turn-based RPGs, it’s easy to revisit the classics. Additionally, if you have access to the original hardware, you can try finding copies of the many fantastic RPGs released for the PS1 and PS2—assuming you can afford them.
There’s no shortage of unique turn-based RPGs to enjoy. Although many games in the genre follow similar formulas, most of them offer their own unique innovations or forgo common tropes entirely in favor of their own experimental ideas. Even if you’ve already tried turn-based RPGs but didn’t enjoy them, it’s worth giving the genre a second chance with a completely different game.
