In most RPGs, characters level up normally with EXP. They gain levels, which can increase stats or perhaps give characters a new skill or spell. Final Fantasy 7 is a classic RPG that will increase stats upon leveling up. When Pokemon level up in the Pokemon games, they can sometimes gain new moves or even evolve.
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This linear progression through a game is important as it can help players tackle greater challenges. The problem is that linear leveling systems don’t give players as much agency over their experience. For anyone looking for more diverse leveling-up systems, here are some RPGs to keep in mind.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Building A Better RPG
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Released
- April 24, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has an innovative turn-based battle system wherein players can attack, use skills, dodge, and counter enemies to give combat a more active feel. Leveling up with EXP will give players two things: one skill point and three attribute points.
Skill points can buy each character a skill within their individual trees, but some cost more than one skill point. Attributes are basic stats in RPGs, and raising them can affect attack power and HP, for example. Both skills and attributes can easily be reset, too.
Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars
The Best Level Up Music Ever?
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
- Released
- May 13, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars also has an active turn-based battle system where the right timing can affect attacks and defenses. Characters will level up with EXP, gain an increase in stats like normal, and sometimes a skill.
Characters can also pick one of three attributes to increase for an extra boost: HP, magic power, or physical power. This leveling system was unchanged in the 2023 Switch remake, and while not incredibly deep, it was different at the time of SNES RPGs, along with the battle system.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Every Level By Your Command
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim’s leveling system can be a bit confusing because there are two types of leveling up going on. Most actions in the game are tied to skills, and when players use them, they will increase, which will then give players EXP for their character.
Using a healing spell or sneaking past guards can increase those associated skills, for example. Once a character gains a new level, they can go into a wide assortment of skill trees to decide what kind of character they want to build. Also, Health, Stamina, or Magicka can be increased when leveling up, as they are the core three stats that affect everything.
Raidou Remastered: The Mystery Of The Soulless Army
Demon Mastery 101
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army
- Released
- June 19, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Atlus
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army changes up the gameplay in this remaster, making combat feel more fluid than it was in the PS2 original game. Players, and their demons, will gain EXP and level up like a normal RPG.
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Demons can learn skills at certain thresholds, and during the fusion process, players can decide what techniques carry over, which gives them more customization for their party. As for Raidou, the protagonist, when he levels up, players can increase all of his stats manually.
Elden Ring
Make Some Noise For Poise
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
Elden Ring does not use EXP to level up the hero upon defeating enemies, which is true for most of FromSoftware’s games. Instead, players will gain Runes when they defeat enemies, which can be used to level up stats or purchase things from merchants, as it’s also the in-game currency.
Players can customize their character and choose a starting class, but they are not locked in, unlike other RPG class systems. How they level up stats determines how good they will be with certain tasks, from using magic to drawing a bow, so they need to pay attention to equipment requirements.
Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels Of The Starry Sky
Vocations For Days
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
- Released
- July 15, 2009
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Level 5, Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo DS
Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Sky is a turn-based RPG that utilizes a class system known as Vocations. When players equip a Vocation, and they level it up, they will gain skill points to dump into one of five skills, most of which will be weapon-related.
Increasing these levels can earn permanent stat boosts for the overall character, along with an affinity toward that weapon. For example, reaching level thirteen with a sword can earn players Metal Slash, which is super effective against all Metal Slime monsters.
Fallout: New Vegas
Come Get Your Perks
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Leveling up in Fallout: New Vegas is one of the hardest, and not because EXP comes slowly. It’s because the Perks players can gain are so varied and appealing that it can be hard to decide what to choose.
When creating a character, players can dump points into the core stats, like Strength, which can affect melee attacks and how much players can carry. The core stats can be leveled with rare books, while Perks can be gained every two levels. One Perk example is the Bloody Mess, which can cause critical hits to make enemies explode, which can be quite funny to see.
Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends Of The Titan
Dungeon Divers
Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan
- Released
- February 26, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Atlus
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Dungeon Crawler
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS
Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan was the first entry to hit the 3DS, and it’s still considered to be one of the best entries in the series. At the start, players have full customizability when it comes to their party as they can fill it up with characters from a wide assortment of classes and then dive into dungeons.
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When characters level up with EXP, they will gain skill points, and each class has a different set of attributes to increase. The more they put into one group, the better skills or spells they can acquire at different tiers. These attributes can also affect skills, like how effective a fire or healing spell will be. It’s a lot to process, and Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan isn’t the easiest turn-based dungeon-crawling RPG around, but it is a rewarding one for patient players.
The Outer Worlds 2
An Open-Ended Gameplay System
The Outer Worlds 2
- Released
- October 29, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
The Outer Worlds 2 has a bevy of stats and skills to set up at the start, and the great thing about progression in the game is how open-ended it is. There is no right way through a quest or environmental problem. Players could increase stats to be efficient engineers to open doors, or they could be strong brutes to force their way open instead.
When leveling up, skill points can increase basic functionality from weapon specialties to engineering, while Perks are more interesting, specific boosts, just like in Fallout: New Vegas. The two games share a lot in common since Obsidian Entertainment developed them both.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories
Heart Of The Cards
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
- Released
- December 7, 2004
- ESRB
- Everyone // Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix, Jupiter
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Digital Card Game
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories has a similar leveling-up system to Super Mario RPG’s. When Sora levels up, by defeating enemies and gaining EXP in battle, players can choose one of three things. HP is self-explanatory, and CP will let players equip more cards in battle.
In the original GBA version, combat is still action-based, but players need to slot cards into their decks beforehand. The more cards they carry, the better combos they can perform. The last thing players can choose on the leveling-up screen is gaining an ability, which usually relates to card combos.
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