Ever wondered what makes the best turn-based RPGs truly stand out? These aren’t just games; they’re intricate journeys of character evolution, where every decision shapes your destiny and abilities. With each playthrough, your adventure can feel entirely unique. Beyond deep progression, these titles boast robust combat systems that challenge you to master squad-based tactics and leverage your team’s strengths to achieve common goals.
While many entries here might share common ground with other top RPGs, our focus is specifically on turn-based experiences. These games emphasize strategic, squad-based combat, drawing inspiration from classic tabletop RPGs. They often resemble turn-based strategy titles, but for this list, we’re highlighting those with distinct and rich role-playing elements. Join us as we explore the cream of the crop in PC turn-based RPGs.
Here are the best turn-based RPGs:
- Honkai Star Rail
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Metaphor ReFantazio
- Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance
- Persona 3 Reload
- Sea of Stars
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Expeditions: Rome
- Star Renegades
- Wasteland 3
- Persona 5 Royal
- Disgaea 5 Complete
- Valkyria Chronicles 4
- Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark
- Banner Saga 3
- Gears of War Tactics
Honkai Star Rail
The latest anime game from the creators of Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail brings back its signature sci-fi setting, now with engaging turn-based combat. As the chosen Trailblazer, you embark on an interstellar journey aboard the Astral Train, visiting various planets to quell disasters caused by mysterious Stellarons. This captivating free-to-play title offers a rich narrative and stylish presentation.
While this is a gacha game with its familiar mechanics, the combat is praised for being lightweight and remarkably fast-paced, perfect for those with limited gaming time. The customization options are vast, allowing you to fine-tune your team with various characters, light cones, relics, planar ornaments, and eidolons. To get a head start, explore the best characters and available free items for your adventure.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Sandfall Interactive’s breathtaking debut has quickly emerged as a strong contender for Game of the Year. It innovates traditional turn-based RPGs by integrating dynamic dodge and parry mechanics, offering a challenging yet deeply satisfying experience. Character builds in Clair Obscur are diverse and intricate, enabling players to customize their team of fighters with various weapons, pictos, and skills.
The game presents an incredibly rich world populated by well-developed characters, where every battle adds weight to the ongoing expedition. A poignant and mysterious story unfolds, masterfully portraying themes of desperation and grief, yet interspersed with moments of unexpected humor. It’s an unmissable turn-based RPG that tells a wonderful story of a journey to save loved ones.
Metaphor ReFantazio
From the talented team behind Persona 5, Atlus’s Studio Zero division delivers a fantasy turn-based RPG that retains the beloved elements of the Persona series while venturing into a darker narrative. Set in the United Kingdom of Euchronia, a nation teetering on the brink of conflict, your quest is to restore peace by lifting a curse from the kingdom’s lost prince.
Expect an expansive adventure with over 100 hours of gameplay and a memorable cast of characters to recruit, bond with, and deepen relationships. While the core turn-based combat draws from Persona, it introduces unique Archetypes, and players can strategically sacrifice turns for powerful combo attacks, adding a fresh tactical layer.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance
Before Persona captured widespread attention, there was Shin Megami Tensei (SMT). This series earned cult status in the early 2000s and has since found mainstream popularity through its acclaimed sister series. Loosely based on Aya Nishitani’s Digital Devil Story, SMT plunges players into a dark occult world where demigods clash with infernal forces amidst the ruins of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo. Its roster of recruitable demons is comparable to popular creature-collecting games, but its strategic depth and mature themes appeal to a distinct audience.
Vengeance is the fifth main installment, yet it serves as one of the most accessible entry points for newcomers. This version is lauded as “the best of both worlds” for both new players and devoted fans. Its extended campaign offers a fresh experience for those who completed the original SMT 5, and numerous improvements to performance, visuals, and quality of life make it the definitive edition of the game.
Persona 3 Reload
Persona 3 Reload chronicles the adventures of a high school transfer student who discovers the mysterious Dark Hour, a hidden segment of time between one day and the next. By day, you navigate school life, build relationships with peers, and engage in activities across Port Island. However, the core turn-based RPG action unfolds during the Dark Hour, as you and your party ascend Tartarus – a sprawling, semi-randomized labyrinthine tower – battling hostile Shadow creatures using your unique Personas.
Billed as a complete reimagining of the original Persona 3, Reload boasts a stunning visual overhaul, significant quality-of-life enhancements, and refined combat and exploration mechanics. It’s hailed as “the most feature-rich version of one of the best JRPGs ever made.” However, it’s worth noting that the omission of alternative scenarios and epilogues from prior versions (FES and Portable) might leave long-term fans with a sense of something missing.
Sea of Stars
Drawing deep inspiration from the revered Chrono Trigger, this turn-based fantasy RPG offers a refreshing take on the genre without being merely derivative. Sea of Stars follows Valere, Zale, and Garl, a trio of adventurers on a quest to thwart the Fleshmancer and his destructive creations. Their epic journey leads them through ghost ships, encounters with dragons, and a vibrant cast of allies, exploring diverse landscapes from windswept caverns to the legendary Golden Pelican. Yet, not every face they meet is a friendly one.
Combat encounters in Sea of Stars are far from static, incorporating timed button presses for blocking or buffing damage. More powerful enemy attacks can even be interrupted by striking them with the correct damage type. This system encourages strategic foresight, offering surprising depth while remaining highly approachable. And that’s before you consider the impact of various relics! As one critic put it: “If anyone tells you that turn-based battles are dead or archaic, smack them with a boxed copy of Sea of Stars.”
Baldur’s Gate 3
It may have been decades since the last main Baldur’s Gate entry, but the extensive years in early access have undoubtedly paid off for Baldur’s Gate 3. This DnD-inspired masterpiece has achieved near-universal acclaim from fans and critics alike. The adventure kicks off not just with selecting your ideal class and race, but quickly introduces you to a memorable cast of companions whom you’ll bond with on a crucial quest to rid yourselves of Mind Flayer parasites. Your journey takes you through scorched villages, into the mysterious Underdark, and eventually to the magnificent titular city itself. While not strictly adhering to DnD 5th Edition rules, the similarities are abundant for those familiar with the tabletop RPG system.
Larian Studios truly excels in crafting a world where every character and encounter feels meaningful. We all have our favorites; some might appreciate Astarion’s sharp wit, while many adore Karlach’s warmhearted nature. No matter who you choose to accompany you, your adventure through Baldur’s Gate 3 will be an unforgettable saga.
Octopath Traveler 2
The acclaimed follow-up to Square Enix’s beloved turn-based RPG leaves its predecessor’s characters and setting behind. Instead, Octopath Traveler 2 invites players to a fresh adventure in Solistia, an industrial fantasy world divided by sea into two distinct continents. You’ll embody one of eight playable protagonists, each boasting a unique background, special abilities, and compelling storyline.
Octopath Traveler 2 delivers the same classic high-fantasy turn-based RPG experience, enhanced with notable updates. A dynamic day-night cycle adds a welcome layer of strategy, forcing you to contend with more formidable enemies under the cloak of darkness. Your travels between bustling towns and across vast oceans will involve all sorts of maritime vessels. Despite these ambitious gameplay changes, the sequel remains true to its Octopath Traveler roots, featuring that signature HD-2D visual style that beautifully pays homage to the 16-bit JRPGs of yesteryear.
Expeditions: Rome
Over the past decade, Logic Artists has masterfully refined its distinctive blend of turn-based strategy RPGs, emphasizing deep exploration and mechanics intrinsically tied to each game’s central theme. Following their successful ventures with Expeditions: Conquistadors and the Viking saga, Expeditions: Vikings, the studio now transports us to the hallowed antiquity and the zenith of the Roman Republic.
Arguably the finest entry in the series to date, Expeditions: Rome casts you as a character fleeing the capital’s political intrigues and the Senate’s machinations, seeking to forge a reputation in one of Rome’s numerous theaters of war. You’ll lead a small, elite band of companions—the Speculatores—while also commanding an entire army that feels like a character in itself.
The series’ strong legacy for exploration persists here, as you guide your specialized unit across the map on various quests, all integrated into the broader military campaign. From establishing alliances and scouting ahead to removing key obstacles, you’ll be at the forefront of every critical task. In the background, you can strategically direct your legion across the campaign map to set up bases and secure vital resources. Pitched battles demand a separate, engaging mini-game that functions surprisingly well.
Star Renegades
Fighting against an evil, all-powerful, dimension-hopping empire might sound like a perpetually losing battle, but in this roguelike/tactical RPG hybrid, you’ll relish every defeat. As one reality falls, you seamlessly transition to the next, carrying over your earned experience and gear to continue the relentless fight.
Star Renegades offers a complete package: profoundly deep combat mechanics, a stunning pixel-art world, and RPG elements that, despite occasional cumbersomeness, significantly enrich the overarching narrative. The game’s only minor drawback is that it can sometimes feel repetitive after several reruns – a delicate balancing act inherent to this genre. Nonetheless, it’s a game well worth your attention.
Wasteland 3
As the sequel to 2014’s Wasteland 2, this series has been a quiet but formidable competitor to titles like Fallout in delivering post-apocalyptic RPG experiences. While Bethesda’s series embraced a first-person perspective, Wasteland remains true to the original Fallout game’s isometric roots, featuring tactical battles reminiscent of XCOM. Wasteland 3 builds upon its predecessor, offering a bigger and generally better experience, though it did launch with a few technical quirks that have since been ironed out.
From its sharp writing and compelling setting to its unwavering commitment to making you feel the full weight of your choices, it’s hard to find a more satisfying role-playing experience. This game is a must-play for anyone looking to satisfy that XCOM or Fallout craving, offering a masterful blend of both worlds in an apocalypse setting.
Persona 5 Royal
If you’re seeking a turn-based RPG that promises over 80 hours of gameplay alongside some of the most polished writing and thematic depth in recent years, Persona 5 Royal is an outstanding choice. As the charismatic leader of the Phantom Thieves, you and your allies delve into the distorted psyches of corrupted individuals, exploring labyrinthine dungeons teeming with monsters. Your team harnesses the power of Personas in battle, expertly exploiting enemy weaknesses and building up to devastating all-out attacks to eliminate foes.
Royal is the definitive, upgraded version of this acclaimed JRPG. It introduces a brand-new member to the Phantom Thieves, an additional minigame-rich region in Tokyo, an extra dungeon, two new endings, and more. In combat, the exciting ‘Showtime’ attack allows party members to team up for massive damage. With numerous differences and enhancements, Persona 5 Royal offers the ultimate experience of this stylish and impactful game.
Disgaea 5 Complete
Imagine an RPG where the entire main plot serves merely as an elaborate prologue to an even grander post-game adventure. Picture a world where individual items contain entire randomly generated universes, and the game mechanics actively encourage creative “cheating”! Disgaea 5 flawlessly blends over-the-top, ridiculous anime aesthetics with genuinely clever and deeply engaging gameplay.
Missions unfold on a tile-based grid, populated with various enemies. During your turn, you strategically deploy units from your “base” panel, directing their movement and choosing their abilities. The sheer array of unit types and skill options available to players fosters unique strategies for every scenario, fueling endless online discussions about optimal setups. The story is entirely self-contained, meaning you don’t need to have played previous entries to fully enjoy Disgaea 5. This Complete edition also includes an extensive list of DLC characters from other Nippon Ichi Software games, additional class options, and more, all freely accessible. While the PC version currently lacks online network play features, this lost functionality is a minor chip off an otherwise incredible title.
Valkyria Chronicles 4
This entry marks a triumphant return to form for a series that has been greatly missed in the West. Valkyria Chronicles 4 expertly combines turn-based tactical gameplay with real-time unit control, creating a unique mechanical integration that appeals to both strategy aficionados and RPG enthusiasts. RPG fans will particularly appreciate the character growth and compelling story, as they level up their favorite classes and equip soldiers with distinctive gear.
The game features charming side novellas where units develop their relationships, often leading into battle scenarios with unexpected twists. The introduction of the Grenadier class makes terrain elevation and strategic positioning absolutely critical, while classic classes like the Sniper and Shocktrooper continue to form a simple yet versatile roster. Add in an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and your dependable tank, and you’re all set to master the art of command. For those familiar with the series, Valkyria Chronicles 4 refines existing elements rather than overhauling them. Given that each story is a standalone experience, newcomers can easily jump into this excellent game that truly understands and leverages its strategic strengths.
Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark
There’s a strong likelihood that your love for tactical RPGs stems from playing Final Fantasy Tactics at some point. And if so, you’ve probably been chasing that elusive thrill ever since. Well, Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is here to fill that void in your strategy-loving heart. Don’t let its occasionally understated story or modern touches mislead you – this is the spiritual successor to FFT you’ve been yearning for all these years. It’s visually appealing, incredibly nuanced, and even features secret classes to discover; Arbiter’s Mark is truly the real deal.
The classic battle system, customizable characters with various job options, and even intricate terrain height considerations are all faithfully present and beautifully updated in this modern homage to the PlayStation classic. Arbiter’s Mark strikes all the right chords and makes almost no missteps, a rare and commendable achievement for any game paying tribute to such a beloved title.
Banner Saga 3
Banner Saga 3 triumphantly concludes Stoic’s acclaimed turn-based strategy series with a powerful, Ragnarök-infused finale. While it continues to unveil unique story beats and introduce both new and familiar characters, it also shines as an RPG thanks to its clever combat design, compelling risk-vs-reward mechanics, and the depth of its hero equipment and promotion systems. Players manage a small caravan featuring the revered Varl hero Ivar, the formidable mage duo Juno and Eyvind, and the Raven mercenaries. Simultaneously, they must protect Aberrang, the last human city, led by the primary character Rook (or Alette), from an relentless siege.
While resource management within the convoy plays a somewhat less central role in Banner Saga 3 compared to its predecessors, it remains an integral part of the experience. Equipable relics offer unique bonuses or abilities to characters, and promotions demand careful consideration of how best to reinforce your units to withstand the impending apocalypse – especially given that many units, and people, will inevitably perish.
The constant strategic dilemma of whether to target an opponent’s armor or strength will keep your mind engaged, making you ponder every decision, but it never feels overwhelming. Banner Saga 3 expertly treads the line of intense pressure, pushing you to the brink of exhaustion without ever quite crossing it.
Gears of War Tactics
The Gears of War series is renowned for its gory, violent, and intimate combat, a formula that excels in third-person shooters. Remarkably, this essence translates incredibly well even when transformed into a strategy game. Equipped with the series’ iconic staples—the Lancer assault rifle with its chainsaw attachment, bulky armor, and a variety of grenades—you’ll need to strategize meticulously to dismantle the relentless Locust Horde.
Splash Damage and The Coalition have done an impressive job making the turn-based combat feel both impactful and calculated. As enemies cautiously emerge from cover, the raw power of each weapon is palpable, tearing soldiers apart in visceral battles. Beyond dealing with endless waves of Locusts emerging from underground, you’ll also confront iconic bosses like the Brumak at the culmination of missions. The developers truly cooked up a winner here, delivering a unique and satisfying tactical experience.
We hope you enjoyed this list of the best tactical RPGs! How about exploring some of the best free MMORPGs on PC, or perhaps our list of excellent strategy games if you’re looking for tactical depth without the roleplaying?
Additional entries by Joe Robinson