The weekend is here, and you need something new to try? Don’t worry, you’re spoiled for choice.
It’s the end of the week, which means the weekend is finally here. While a lot of folks will unfortunately still be working, some even more than during the week, there’s a chunk of us, myself included, who can carve out extra time for video games on Saturday and Sunday.
So, now’s the perfect moment to recommend something new in the turn-based RPG space, whether it’s a fresh release or just a newly dropped demo.
First up is a demo that just went live for a very intriguing roguelite slated to launch at the end of the month. It’s called Day of the Shell, a traditional roguelike where you guide a young woman through dungeons using nothing but your mouse and its single button for both movement and attacks.
The art style is an absolute treat, and, true to the genre, it looks packed with unlockables. The full release is set for the 29th, but the free prologue is already available on Steam.
Another title I mentioned recently, and that now has a playable demo, is Curse of Dominion. This indie SRPG immediately evokes Lost Eidolons: on top of the genre-standard tactical combat, it adds a strategic layer where you must conquer territories and then defend them.
Give the demo a shot and add the game to your wishlist to support the developer. Speaking of demos worth trying (and supporting), check out Dice Gambit, a tactical RPG that mixes dice-based battles with a light dynasty-management system.
Besides fighting in colorful, grid-free arenas, you’ll arrange marriages and bring new heroes into the world, offspring who inherit traits and perks from their ancestors. It’s stylish, original, and slated for release sometime in 2025 (no exact date yet), but the demo already gives a clear sense of what to expect from the final product.
Another recommendation goes to Stones Keeper II: Chaos Lord. There’s no release date yet, but the demo lets you get a feel for this strategy-RPG, which puts you in command of a flying fortress as you roam the world, capturing points of interest and battling on tactical grid maps. I enjoyed the first game, and this sequel looks set to refine the formula even further.
Next up is Isekai Adventurer Guild, where you recruit heroes and send them on expeditions that play out on square grids straight out of Final Fantasy Tactics. Your job is to run the guild, boost its reputation, and unlock increasingly dangerous, yet better-paid missions. The art style is what grabbed me first, and I’m looking forward to diving into the demo this weekend.
The next game is part of July 2025’s lineup and oozes style with its dark, pixel-art flair. It’s called DarkRanger, a roguelite RPG featuring a 2-D, grid-based combat system that lets you move square by square and issue multiple commands to your hero.
It’s slated to launch on July 17, but the demo’s up now, give it a whirl and let me know what you think.
Another eye-catching title is Noon Stone, a minimalist yet stylish RPG. You traverse a map that you have to chart yourself; every step advances the in-game calendar and unveils new points of interest.
As days pass, the world grows more dangerous, so you’ll need to level up your hero’s stats and gear. Quick to learn and perfect for tight schedules, a typical run lasts just 10–15 minutes. The full release is due in September, but the demo is already available.
Another minimalist gem is Azmar Quest. This text-based RPG, originally built for mobile, is heading to PC in August. You pick your hero’s class and dive into an adventure where plenty of reading and meaningful choices send you down ever-changing narrative paths—and there’s even a PvP mode. I’m definitely giving it a spin, and you should too.
Same thing for the free Dispatch Demo, which offers a punchy, two-to-three-hour taste of AdHoc Studio’s upcoming superhero workplace comedy/strategy hybrid, casting you as fallen mech-pilot Robert “Mecha Man” Robertson, now stuck routing a ragtag crew of ex-villains to emergencies across Los Angeles while juggling break-room drama and rebuilding his suit.
The slice pairs Telltale-style branching dialogue (AdHoc’s founders wrote The Wolf Among Us and Tales from the Borderlands) with a tactical city map where every deployment decision can boost or blow up team morale, public opinion, and future story branches.
Early response has been stellar: more than 2,600 Steam users tag the demo “Overwhelmingly Positive,” and I want to join the party as well.
Rest assured, my roundups always include at least one JRPG or JRPG-inspired pick, and this time it’s Quartet flying the flag. I’ve written about it on TBL plenty of times, and come August, this intriguing project, whose narrative structure clearly channels Octopath Traveler, will finally arrive, telling the intertwined stories of 8 protagonists. The demo’s been out for a while, but with release day looming, now’s the perfect moment to give it a whirl.
Seriously, folks, there’s a mountain of fresh RPGs to sample, and I’m doing my best to spotlight the projects that grab me most, bit by bit. Let me know whether you’ll be gaming this weekend, or sitting it out. Ciao
- Day of the Shell
Release date: 29 Jul, 2025 - Curse of Dominion
Release date: 2027 - Dice Gambit
Release date: Sometimes in 2025 - Stones Keeper II: Chaos Lord
Release date: TBA - Isekai Adventurer Guild
Release date: Q4 2025 - DarkRanger
Release date: 17 Jul, 2025 - Noon Stone
Release date: September 2025 - Azmar Quest
Release date: 8 Aug, 2025 - Dispatch
Release date: Sometimes in 2025 - Quartet
Release date: 26 Aug, 2025
