Summary
- Turn-based deck-builders like Slay The Spire and Darkest Dungeon 2 lack sequels but offer engaging gameplay.
- Tactical Breach Wizards excels with witty dialogue, offering strategic gameplay and engaging narrative.
- Cobalt Core combines roguelike deck-building with a cozy atmosphere, deserving expansion into other genres.
There are many great turn-based games, both new and old, that cover a broad variety of genres. From turn-based RPGs to tactical roguelikes, these games offer a diverse selection of experiences that often leave players wanting more.
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Turn-based deck-builders such as Slay The Spire and Monster Train are expecting sequels, and Darkest Dungeon 2 proved that it could adapt a tried-and-true formula. However, these turn-based games are unfortunately yet to receive a sequel.
8 Tactical Breach Wizards
A Finely-Tuned Combat System & Witty Dialogue
Tactical Breach Wizards
- Released
- August 22, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Tactical Breach Wizards is a slick and stylish turn-based strategy game that excels with its witty writing and cinematic presentation. This charming title offers substance in equal measure, however, with neatly packed level designs that provide crunchy combat puzzles.
With such a finely tuned and elegant design, Tactical Breach Wizards is able to offer strategic gameplay and an engaging narrative simultaneously. The lack of flaws in the game's design makes it the perfect fit for further expansion and adaptation, and it's more than deserving of the treatment.
7 Tinyfolks
An Accessible Loop That Could Easily Be Expanded
Tinyfolks
- Released
- June 1, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
Tinyfolks is a unique strategy game for its minimalist approach to both visuals and design, offering an accessible experience via stripped-back mechanics. However, there's still a great deal of tactical depth to Tinyfolks, simply offering accessibility with a shorter run-time and an almost pure focus on turn-based combat.
There are obvious similarities to Darkest Dungeon, but Tinyfolks excels with the limitations it sets for itself, succeeding with every mechanic, every system it manages to strip away. This leaves players with a purely tactical, bite-sized experience. However, a more ambitious sequel that maintains a minimalist design could prove engaging, perhaps offering players a lengthier experience.
6 Battle Brothers
An Often Repetitive But Addictive Sandbox RPG
Battle Brothers
- Released
- April 27, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Overhype Studios
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
- Genre(s)
- Indie Games, Tactical, RPG, Strategy, Adventure
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Battle Brothers is an open-world sandbox RPG with a focus on brutal, tactical combat encounters. Revolving around the management of a mercenary company in a harsh, hostile world, players are tasked with completing contracts and managing resources in order to keep afloat.
Despite featuring a detailed character progression and combat system, it could be argued that Battle Brothers is somewhat let down by its repetitive structure. As a result, Battle Brothers would no doubt benefit from a more ambitious sequel, perhaps one that elaborates on the game's world.
5 Caves Of Qud
A Truly Intriguing Open World
Caves Of Qud
- Released
- July 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Caves Of Qud is an open-world roguelike RPG with an old-school look and feel. The game hosts many strengths, from its in-depth character and methodical combat, to its evocative writing and alien atmosphere. All of this is in support of a unique and immensely detailed science-fantasy world that combines procedural and hand-crafted content.
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The sheer diversity of the game's world and the freedom players are given to explore it facilitates a wonderful sense of discovery. To see more of the game's world, perhaps in greater detail, or within a different structure, could prove worthwhile. There's a certain charm to Caves Of Qud and its retro aesthetic that sure sparks the imagination, but a more detailed art-style or perhaps a new perspective could open up the world of Qud to a wider audience.
4 Cobalt Core
A Cozy Atmosphere & Quirky Characters
Cobalt Core
- Released
- November 8, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rocket Rat Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Digital Card Game
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Combining the gameplay of typical roguelike deck-builders with a tactical twist, Cobalt Core is able to offer an exciting combat system that's immediately fresh and yet familiar enough to be accessible. Among Cobalt Core's greatest strengths, however, is its cozy atmosphere.
This atmosphere is facilitated by colorful visuals and a soothing soundtrack of euphonious chimes and synths, supported by a cast of quirky, charming characters. The synergistic design and presentation of the game's world and the characters within are unfortunately limited by the roguelike structure, and a sequel that could expand on these strengths would most certainly be worthwhile. Furthermore, Cobalt Core's combat system would also be perfectly suited to other genres, such as a fully-fledged RPG.
3 Into The Breach
A Satisfying Tactics Game With A Simplistic Structure
Into the Breach
- Released
- February 27, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Into The Breach is a grid-based tactics game that emphasizes methodical and experimental play with its generosity of open information. Supporting this is the addition of an undo button and even the ability to reset turns, providing players with one of the fairest tactical experiences on the market. This puzzle-game approach to design results in truly rewarding combat encounters that are rarely frustrating.
Complete with an intuitive user-interface and rewarding RPG character progression, Into The Breach offers a consistent and satisfying gameplay loop. However, it could be argued that Into The Breach is somewhat let down by its roguelite structure, which limits the ambition of the game and somewhat contradicts the design of its combat system. There's something to be said for the bite-sized nature of the game's tactics, but a sequel wouldn't go amiss.
2 Wildfrost
Satisfying Tactics With A Few Glaring Flaws
Wildfrost
- Released
- April 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Deadpan Games, Gaziter
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Digital Card Game, Strategy, Roguelike
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Wildfrost is a charming roguelike deck-builder with plenty going for it, notwithstanding its enchanting cartoon art-style. The game's unique and tactical gameplay blends well with the otherwise straightforward deck-building mechanics, but Wildfrost does suffer from a few flaws.
Most notably, Wildfrost struggles somewhat with its readability. More specifically, the game's battlefields can become particularly messy later in the game. While Wildfrost is a game of open information, this creates occasional issues with readability that aren't helped by the game's lack of consistency when it comes to interactions. Fixing this readability would no doubt improve the game, but Wildfrost deserves a sequel just to see its charming world expanded.
1 Dicey Dungeons
Diverse & Accessible Gameplay
Dicey Dungeons
- Released
- August 13, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Tactical, Roguelike, Deckbuilding
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Dicey Dungeons is a distinctive roguelike dungeon-crawler that tasks players with engaging in a Yahtzee-esque combat system. However, the game is spiced up in a myriad of ways, including a variety of unique playable characters, elemental damage, and a distinctive equipment system.
The node-based exploration of the game's dungeon is at first strategic, but the small scale of each floor results in a loop that often leaves players with clear priorities. As a result, the game can get somewhat repetitive in its structure, which itself is fairly standard to begin with. As a result, a sequel that expanded on the dungeon-crawling mechanics of the game could prove promising. Furthermore, the elegant design of Dicey Dungeons lends itself to further expansion as-is, ripe for the addition of new dice, characters, enemies, and bosses.
