Up until last year, there was a question if turn-based RPGs would ever be as popular as they once were. Final Fantasy has moved to real-time combat for its mainline games, as did the Tales of series. While turn-based was being used in the indie scene to great effect, its presence in the triple-A scene was waning.

Thanks to a couple of the games on this list, that trend seems to have done a hard 180. Turn-based games are hot, and it doesn't look like that momentum is slowing. In fact, the last decade has played host to some of the best turn-based RPGs we've ever seen, and this list is going to celebrate them. These games are virtually flawless, and they're modern enough to welcome any new turn-based players into the fold.

For this article, anything released in 2016 or later is considered "from the last 10 years," even if some were released 10 years and one month ago.

Persona 5 Royal

The Pinnacle Of A Legendary JRPG Franchise

Persona 5 Royal Tag Page Cover Art
Persona 5 Royal
10 /10
Released
March 31, 2020

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

ESRB
M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Atlus, P-Studio
Genre(s)
JRPG

Right from the first trailer, Persona 5 was an eye-catching game. It had style and attitude that few games dared to try, and while the Persona series was already pretty popular, the fifth entry gained a ton of attention from newcomers to the series and to JRPGs as a whole. The flashy menus, the jazz fusion soundtrack, and the quaint life-sim elements were all enticing.

Persona 5 Royal Introduces Fancy Alcoholic Drinks
Persona 5 Royal Introduces Fancy Alcoholic Drinks

Persona 5 Royal is getting its own line of fancy alcoholic drinks with designs based on four of the game's most popular thieves.

Today, the best version of the game is Persona 5 Royal, a complete edition of the original that comes with an extra companion character, a new Palace, and greater narrative depth. However, the original release is still a fantastic game, loaded with memorable characters, gripping combat, and a story that you'll remember forever.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

The Underdog That Shocked The Gaming World

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Tag Page Cover Art
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Released
April 24, 2025

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL

ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Sandfall Interactive
Genre(s)
Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy

No one saw Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 coming . Even previews for the game, which were pretty unanimously glowing, didn't register the impact it was going to have on the industry as a whole. The record-setting GOTY winner took everyone by surprise, critics and gamers alike. However, the true testament to its quality is that now people are going into the game with sky-high expectations, and Clair Obscur is still meeting them.

Combat is a brilliant innovation on the standard turn-based RPG system. Each character has its own combat mechanics to manage, from elemental effects to different stances, but they synergize in cool and often unexpected ways. Then there are Pictos, which act as buffs or combat modifiers, further deepening the gameplay. However, what everyone talks about is the parry system, which is more akin to Sekiro than Final Fantasy. It makes the turn-based combat feel more present and consistently engaging, ensuring you're never stuck sitting around and waiting for your turn.

Baldur's Gate 3

A Modern Classic, And One Of The Greatest RPGs Ever Made

Baldur's Gate 3 Tag Page Cover Art
Baldur's Gate 3
9 /10
Released
August 3, 2023

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Larian Studios
Genre(s)
RPG

After a lengthy stint in Early Access, Baldur's Gate 3 hit 1.0 status and quickly earned a reputation as one of the best RPGs in years. Then, as it made its way to consoles, that reputation grew, and it's now regarded as one of the greatest RPGs of all time. That's not hyperbole either. Larian's fantastic sequel to a decades-old franchise is one of the most astoundingly reactive video games ever created.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character? Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

That reactivity isn't restricted to the narrative either. Combat is about more than just choosing an attack or spell and targeting an enemy. Positioning, move distance, and environmental dangers (or opportunities) are all factors that need to be considered. Once classes, companions, and spell effects are factored in, the same battle can play out in dozens of different ways, making Baldur's Gate 3 a constantly impressive RPG that never grows stale.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

An Absurdist Adventure In Hawaii

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Tag Page Cover Art
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
9 /10
Released
January 26, 2024

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL

ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Simulated Gambling, Strong Language
Developer(s)
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Genre(s)
RPG

Many balked at the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series' move to turn-based combat — officially called "Live Command RPG" Battle System — and away from its traditional brawler gameplay, which is how the series made its name. Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon dispelled most of those fears, while Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth alleviated them entirely, becoming one of the best games in the series and one of the best JRPGs of the past decade in the process.

While combat is turn-based, each character has a ring around them that denotes how far they can move, freeing up movement and allowing you to reposition on every turn. This then affects your attacks, such as by striking an enemy from behind or attacking while next to a teammate, which triggers a Tag Team attack. The series' trademark absurdity makes its way into this combat system as well, with unhinged attacks like opening a giant champagne bottle to hit an opponent with its devastating spray. It's really just giving you more of what makes all the Yakuza/Like a Dragon games so great, and who could complain about that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Eight Interconnected Stories Culminating In A Spectacular Finale

Octopath Traveler 2 Tag Page Cover Art
Octopath Traveler 2
8 /10
Released
February 24, 2023

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL

ESRB
Rated T for Teen for Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, and Use of Alcohol and Tobacco.
Developer(s)
Square Enix, Acquire
Genre(s)
RPG

Octopath Traveler 2 immediately differentiates itself from the first game by moving away from medieval fantasy and instead exploring a setting reminiscent of 19th-century England. Once again, you play through the stories of eight different protagonists, all of which overlap and eventually converge as you progress towards a gloriously satisfying conclusion. It's a game that knows you're going to be playing it for a while, and unless you're grinding to fight the "true" final boss, it consistently respects your time and intelligence.

Combat is challenging but incredibly satisfying once you get the hang of it. You have your standard attacks, spells, and items. Then there is Boost, which can empower your attacks if you have enough BP, either increasing their damage or improving probabilities for chance-based moves. The most important aspect is Latent Powers, new abilities that are unique to each character, and you can synergize your party to take advantage of each member's Latent Power to deal with almost any threat. It quickly becomes a lot of layers to keep track of, but rewarding you for developing a deep understanding of its many systems is what Octopath Traveler 2 is all about.

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Reinvigorating Turn-Based Combat By Introducing Real-Time Combat

Metaphor ReFantazio Tag Page Cover Art
Metaphor: ReFantazio
10 /10
Released
October 11, 2024

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL

ESRB
T For Teen // Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
Developer(s)
Studio Zero
Genre(s)
RPG, JRPG, Action, Adventure

Instead of jumping right into Persona 6, Atlus took a right turn and developed an original IP called Metaphor: ReFantazio. It has the same style, in that it's part social sim and part JRPG, fusing the two into an addictive loop of narrative progression and character progression, but this time you're not in high school; you're in a medieval fantasy kingdom, and you're trying to get elected. The King has been assassinated, and the Prince (your best bud) is in a coma, so Euchronia is holding a tournament to decide the throne's successor. The story alone is worth the price of admission here, and the characters are some of the best the genre has ever seen.

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The majority of combat in Metaphor is turn-based, and it's fantastic. Much like in Persona and SMT, each character has an Archetype that assigns skills that suit a particular Job. However, unlike Persona, every character can use multiple Archetypes, and finding ideal pairings results in stronger abilities. The real star, though, is the brilliant, but entirely optional, real-time combat. It gives you a turn-based advantage if you attack enemies in the world beforehand and lets you plow right through low-level fights if you're grinding and don't want to waste MP. It removes nearly all the pacing issues that come with lengthy dungeon sequences and makes late-game grinding a breeze.

Darkest Dungeon

A Devastatingly Difficult Lovecraftian Horror RPG

Darkest Dungeon Tag Page Cover Art
Darkest Dungeon
9 /10
Released
January 19, 2016

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

ESRB
T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Red Hook Studios
Genre(s)
RPG

Sometimes you just want a game to throw you down in the mud and kick you around for a bit. Forget gradual progression. How about a game that constantly makes you feel like you may never beat it, but you're still having fun somehow? That's Darkest Dungeon. You play as a group of four mercenary wanderers shacked up in a dilapidated town who venture into neighboring dungeons to find supplies, gold, and the occasional cursed artifact. This will help you restore the town to its former glory, and maybe stem the tide of horrors pouring out of the nearby mountain. Those horrors are brutal, and they will beat you down repeatedly, but you won't be able to stop playing.

Exploration takes place in 2D, so while combat is still turn-based, your party and the enemies are aligned in a column, and their positions are critical to which abilities they can use. Then there's the Stress meter. Each character gets stressed when bad things happen, such as when a party member dies. When this stress meter fills up once, that character has a mental break that gives them an affliction, negative effects that limit their ability to fight, and even your ability to control them. If their Stress meter fills up again, they have a heart attack and die. They also have health bars, and if those deplete, they die. These character deaths are permanent, and you can absolutely hard-lock yourself out of beating the game with enough failed expeditions. Yet Darkest Dungeon is just approachable enough to give you a glimmer of hope that maybe, with a bit of luck, you can make it through, and that is enough to alleviate hours of misery.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Classic Fire Emblem Gameplay With A More Personal Story At Its Heart

FIRE EMBLEM THREE HOUSES
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Released
July 26, 2019

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL

ESRB
T for Teen: Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Intelligent Systems
Genre(s)
Strategy, RPG

Fire Emblem: Three Houses takes the tactical mastery of the Fire Emblem series and fuses it with the social sim aspects of Persona games, resulting in one of the best games in the series and one of the best tactical JRPGs of all time. You start by creating a character and then choosing a House. That House is the class you will teach at Garreg Mach Monastery. You'll complete tactical battles to advance the story, and in between, you have several days to do things like teach classes, tend to a garden, and interact with students.

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These moments of quiet narrative progression are the perfect balm for the often mentally taxing tactical combat. Battles take place on a grid. You move units from an overhead view, then engage in turn-based combat from a third-person perspective. Each character has a class and a set of starting abilities, but you can upgrade and customize them as you progress, and you're going to have to. Unlike other Fire Emblem games, Three Houses has a point halfway through where you stop recruiting new characters, and progression relies on the work you've done building your current roster. It might be jarring for Fire Emblem fans, but it rewards you for investing effort into these characters by paying it off when the tactical challenge ramps up.

Chained Echoes

A Homage To Classic Turn-Based RPGs That Supersedes Many Of Them

Chained Echoes Tag Page Cover Art
Chained Echoes
9 /10
Released
December 8, 2022

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

ESRB
M17+ For Mature 17+ Due To Sexual Themes, Strong Language
Developer(s)
Matthias Linda
Genre(s)
RPG

Developed by one person over seven years, Chained Echoes is a love letter to classic JRPGs. Its top-down perspective and 16-bit visuals immediately evoke classic games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 6, both of which were huge inspirations for the game. Its combat is similarly evocative, but it elevates old-school designs by implementing an Overdrive meter. This meter is affected by every attack made in combat. Keeping the meter in the green is the most effective, but it can overheat, requiring you to use other abilities to reduce it back to stability.

Everything in Chained Echoes, from the narrative to the music, is best-in-class stuff. The story is engaging and closes on a fantastic note, and every character goes through their own perfectly-paced arc and ends in a satisfying place. Combat constantly evolves as you unlock new abilities, and getting stronger is instantly noticeable. Plus, the game's final "level" is a wild time, complete with enemies that exploit tendencies you've developed throughout the campaign. Oh, and every character gets their own mech around the halfway mark. Chained Echoes nails everything it needs to and adds a few more things to the pile for good measure. It's an homage to the classics of the genre, and it manages to soar right alongside them.

Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader

One Of the Finest Video Game Representations Of The 40k Universe

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Tag Page Cover Art
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
Released
December 7, 2023

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL

ESRB
T Due To Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, Violence
Developer(s)
Owlcat Games
Genre(s)
Strategy, RPG

We've seen an upswing in Warhammer 40k games in recent years, which is great. Stories once confined to the limits of tabletop are now in the hands of gamers around the world. Chief among these is Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader, an isometric RPG where you play the titular Rogue Trader, a dynastic heir who is given free rein to travel the galaxy, trade, colonize, and conquer. The goal is to build yourself an empire, but how you do so and who you wipe out to do it are your decisions. These choices have major effects on the exceptional narrative and even the gear you gain access to later in the story.

Combat itself is incredibly deep. Think XCOM meets Fire Emblem, but vastly more complex than either one. Each character has an array of abilities that look like algebra at first glance, but as you master them, their role becomes crucial and perfectly attuned to their unique playstyle. It's a great feeling to become familiar with a companion character — or even your own character — and watch them gradually become devastating death dealers. Rogue Trader is no walk in the park — we're talking a 120+ hour game here — but the combat remains engaging throughout thanks to some genius encounters that constantly make you think in new ways, and the narrative is on par with the best in the genre.

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