There are new games releasing every single day, and the fact of the matter is we can’t play them all. In a lot of cases, that’s okay; not every game is going to be a Baldur’s Gate 3 or a Metaphor: ReFantazio.
However, there are probably a lot of games that you’ve heard of, but maybe haven’t seen the full picture of just how good they really are – and in those cases, you’re missing out.
If you’ve given any of these 15 turn-based RPGs a once-over and thought, “maybe later,” consider taking another look. They’re not just good, they’re some of the best turn-based games of the last few years… and since they’re from smaller, independent developers, you can usually get them for a fraction of the price of a big triple-A game, especially if you can catch them on sale. How many of these have you played?
TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children
- Developer: Dandylion
- Release Date: 23 April, 2020
- Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
- Steam Page
Troubleshooter is the indie anime RPG you didn’t know you needed. With XCOM-like battles, depth of gameplay to rival any Atlus title, and an imaginative, dystopian setting, it combines the best of the genre into one ambitious package.
It’s not for the faint of heart; you can expect around 80 hours just to get through the main campaign, to say nothing of side quests and extras.
If you’re looking for something to really sink your teeth into, Steam Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children for 75% off until 9 July. That means you can get it for just $6.24 rather than its standard price of $24.99, or get the Story Collection and add the Crimson Crow DLC Pass for $1.62 more.
Wildermyth
- Developer: Worldwalker Games
- Release Date: 15 June, 2021
- Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
- Steam Page
Wildermyth was an absolute darling of indie fans when it launched in 2021, and it’s easy to see why.
Not only does it feel like a living storybook with a handcrafted quality, but it lets you create your own legends in a way few other games do; as your heroes age, change, and die, new generations will take up the call… but characters from previous runs may appear, now mythic legends that your current cast grew up hearing stories about!
Wildermyth is the kind of game that you can play over and over (and over!) again, so if you haven’t had a chance to try it yet, it’s well worth your time.
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga
- Developer: Dancing Dragon Games
- Release Date: 10 June, 2022
- Platform: Windows
- Steam Page
SRPGs like Fire Emblem are great, but sometimes they can feel more like an RPG than a tactical battle – at the end of the day, you just have a very large adventuring party!
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga takes a different approach to the familiar gameplay by giving each hero a fully customizable squad of troops to command, turning the grid-based map into a challenge not just in positioning and class matchups, but in pre-battle setup and choosing the right formations.
It’s a great way to shake up the established formula, and for the last few days of the Steam Summer Sale Symphony of War is 65% off, taking the price from $19.99 down to $6.99. The Deluxe Edition, which contains the Legends DLC, is 52% off at $13.03, letting you get the full experience for less than the regular price of the base game.
The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The amulet of Chaos
- Developer: Artefacts Studio
- Release Date: 17 September, 2020
- Platform: Windows, Mac, PlayStation, Switch
- Steam Page
Based on the Naheulbeuk audio series, The Amulet of Chaos is a very funny take on classic fantasy dungeon crawling, but don’t let the humor fool you; this game can be a real challenge!
With seven classic, archetypal characters to build your party from, there are plenty of options (even if the heroes are a bit clumsy), and you’ll need to master them all to stand a chance in Naheulbeuk‘s Nightmare Mode! Of course, if you’re just trying to have a bit of fun without too much stress, there’s a Story Mode as well with far less danger.
The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos is 85% off for the remainder of the Steam Summer Sale, ending 9 July. That takes the price from $34.99 down to $5.24, but if you decide to go for it then the best deal is the Ultimate Edition, which is down to $9.53 from $59.97 and contains all of the DLC.
King Arthur: Knight’s Tale
- Developer: NeocoreGames
- Release Date: 26 April, 2022
- Platform: Windows, PlayStation, Xbox
- Steam Page
Neocore is a master of grimdark RPGs, and their recent foray back to the days of King Arthur is no exception.
Arthur has transformed into a deadly monstrosity, and as his nemesis Mordred you’re called upon to reunite the Knights of the Round Table and destroy him for the good of the world. Your decisions will ingratiate some knights while alienating others, so each playthrough can lead to a very different style with a very different party by the end.
King Arthur: Knight’s Tale has some rock-solid tactical combat, and it’s 70% off on Steam until 9 July. Down to $13.49 from $44.99, it’s a great deal, and the Roman-themed spinoff Legion IX is 70% off as well!
Tactical Breach Wizards
- Developer: Suspicious Developments
- Release Date: 22 August, 2024
- Platform: Windows
- Steam Page
Tactical Breach Wizards could have just been a one-off gimmick: give fantasy wizards a modern, military-grade arsenal, crack a few jokes, and call it a day.
Suspicious Developments are clearly the kind of devs that fully commit, though, and gave us one of the cleverest, well-designed tactical RPGs of the 2020s so far. Combining spells with guns as you clear rooms of enemies SWAT-style, you’ll quickly find yourself enchanted by this action-packed game.
Now is a great time to dive into Tactical Breach Wizards, as it’s 45% off for the Steam Summer Sale. It’s down to $10.99 from its regular price of $19.99, and it’s also offered as part of several bundles, including with the excellent Into The Breach.
Wandering Sword
- Developer: The Swordman Studio
- Release Date: 14 September, 2023
- Platform: Windows
- Steam Page
If you liked the Ancient China section of Live A Live, then Wandering Sword brings that style of martial-arts epic to a full game. With a vibrant 2.5-D world and tactical grid battles, this is one of the best RPGs in recent years for bringing the wuxia genre to life.
Normally $24.99, Wandering Sword isn’t going to break the bank, but it’s got a nice 25% discount on Steam until 9 July, letting you get it for $16.87 instead.
The Deluxe Edition includes all the DLC, but if you’re not interested in things like cosmetics or the soundtrack you can get the Side Tale Bundle, which is just the base game and the Secrets of the Eastern Sea story expansion, for $22.22 until the end of the Steam Summer Sale.
Battle Brothers
- Developer: Overhype Studios
- Release Date: 24 March, 2017
- Platform: Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
- Steam Page
If you follow indie RPGs at all, Battle Brothers is bound to come up eventually. It’s an endlessly replayable sandbox in a dangerous low-fantasy world, and it’s notorious for its difficulty.
Permadeath means your troops – all individuals with their own traits and gear – can be grievously wounded or killed by a single strike. How long will you survive?
If you’re up for a challenge, Battle Brothers is 70% off on Steam for the Summer Sale, taking it from $29.99 down to just $8.99. The three DLC packs – all of which add cool new layers of depth and challenging foes to overcome – are each 20% off, so you can customize your experience to its fullest potential for a fraction of the price.
The Last Spell
- Developer: Ishtar Games
- Release Date: 9 March, 2023
- Platform: Windows, PlayStation, Switch
- Steam Page
Speaking of challenges, how about a desperate last stand? In The Last Spell, your small band of heroes and the rickety fortifications you’ve built are all that stand between your city and total destruction at the hands of a horde of corrupted monsters.
Every move counts, and you’ll probably have to make some tough sacrifices if you want to survive another night… and that’s before the bosses even show up.
Between its evocative pixelated world and stellar soundtrack, The Last Spell is one of our favorites in terms of pure dark vibes. The Steam Summer Sale has it listed at 75% off until 9 July, letting you pick up the base game for just $6.24 as opposed to $24.99. The various DLCs add new playable races and monsters to overcome, and you can get all of them plus the soundtrack (which, again, rules) in the Legendary Edition.
Cyber Knights: Flashpoint
- Developer: Trese Brothers
- Release Date: 2 June, 2025
- Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, Switch
- Steam Page
Lots of the best indie games come from passionate fans making the kind of game that they’d like to play, and Cyber Knights: Flashpoint feels like exactly that kind of labor of love.
You’ll command a squad of skilled cyberpunk operatives in dangerous heists, staying stealthy or going loud; the gridless tactical combat alone is enough to make this game stand out, but between missions you’ll also find that your teammates’ pasts can catch up with them or lead to unexpected opportunities.
If you liked the Shadowrun Returns series, then you’ll definitely want to play Cyber Knights: Flashpoint.
Like most of the other games on this list, it’s part of the Steam Summer Sale, so you can save 40% until 9 July, getting it for $17.99 instead of $29.99. It’s also available in a lot of different bundles, including one with Colony Ship and another with Shardpunk, both favorites here at Turn-Based Lovers.
The Iron Oath
- Developer: Curious Panda Games
- Release Date: 2 November, 2023
- Platform: Windows, Mac
- Steam Page
If you like Battle Brothers, you’ll have a blast with The Iron Oath. It’s got the same open-ended, permadeath mercenary gameplay, but with stunning pixel graphics to immerse you in its deadly, high-magic fantasy world.
Where magic is rare and poorly understood in Battle Brothers, it’s frighteningly common in The Iron Oath, creating a very different setting that’s just as compelling and just as dangerous.
As of right now no DLC besides the soundtrack for The Iron Oath, so this is one RPG you can buy without fear of FOMO. Better yet, Steam has it at 50% off until 9 July, knocking the price down from the already-reasonable $24.99 to just $12.49.
Stolen Realm
- Developer: Burst2Flame Entertainment
- Release Date: 8 March, 2024
- Platform: Windows, Mac, Xbox, Switch
- Steam Page
There’s nothing like a frantic co-op RPG with piles of loot to divide between your friends, and Stolen Realm‘s approach makes sure that the fun never stops and nothing ever quite goes according to plan.
Every party member (and their foes) enters their actions for the turn simultaneously, then everything plays out in real time. Effect interactions are abundant, and having two AoEs a bit too close to one another or mistiming a combo by half a second can lead to some explosive, ridiculous results… which is, of course, exactly how Stolen Realm is meant to be played!
If you’re looking to bring some chaos to your multiplayer nights, Stolen Realm has plenty to offer. It even has a DLC dedicated to injecting even more havoc into an already unpredictable game! The base game is $19.99, though you can get it on Steam for $5.99 until 9 July and save 70%, but I’d recommend getting the Complete Bundle for a total of $8.98 during the Steam Sale, as it includes the Chaos Pack.
Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark
- Developer: 6 Eyes Studio
- Release Date: 30 April, 2019
- Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
- Steam Page
It’s clear to see that Fell Seal is carrying on the tradition of classics like Final Fantasy Tactics; the isometric battlegrounds, class system, and even the format of the menus feel very familiar.
That said, the team at 6 Eyes has done a wonderful job of making the game their own, with a distinct art style, hand-crafted scenarios, and deep customization options. It won’t take long before you start seeing Fell Seal as a great game in its own right.
Best of all, the Steam Summer Sale has Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark deeply discounted until 9 July. At 85% off, you can get it for just $4.49, rather than the $29.99 that it usually sells for. The Missions & Monsters DLC is also 85% off, letting you add even more content for just $1.94 more.
Pit People
- Developer: The Behemoth
- Release Date: 2 March, 2018
- Platform: Windows, Xbox
- Steam Page
The Behemoth is better known for arcade-style action titles like Castle Crashers or Alien Hominid, but Pit People proved that they can bring their signature style to turn-based strategy games and have it be just as much of a blast.
Whether you’re playing in solo or co-op, there’s plenty of fast-paced tactical adventure to be had, and you can turn on Permadeath for a truly devious challenge!
Pit People is at a 70% discount on Steam through the end of the Summer Sale, taking its price from $19.99 down to $5.99. With no DLC, this is a great option if you’re looking for a one-and-done purchase.
Our Adventurer Guild
- Developer: GreenGuy
- Release Date: 12 April, 2024
- Platform: Windows
- Steam Page
Our Adventurer Guild blends smart tactical RPG gameplay with management and visual novel elements, putting you in charge of a guild of heroes. You’ll decide who to hire, how to train them, and which adventures to send them on, and their success will determine whether you can pay the bills!
Steam has a free demo for Our Adventurer Guild, and the full game is 50% off until 9 July. It’s not particularly expensive anyway at just $14.99, but getting it for $7.49 is a great deal, and leaves room for more games… or the Tower of the Wizard King DLC, which is currently 25% off, dropping from $4.99 to $3.74.
