There’s a chance you might find the hidden gem you’ve been looking for
With so many indie games releasing on the Steam storefront every year, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of new releases. Despite Steam’s front page consistently offering players exciting new indie games to try out, there are plenty of fantastic turn-based indie games that get buried in the depths of Steam.
While this list does feature some tremendously underrated games, some are more well known than others. Games such as Poker Quest, for example, are not quite as hidden as games such as Approaching Infinity. Regardless, this list aims to shine a light on the less appreciated turn-based indie games available today.
Solitairica
This turn-based rogue-like card-game features a unique combat system based around Solitaire. Although it was released all the way back in 2016, Solitairica has barely over three-hundred reviews on Steam. Solitairica is very similar to Solitaire, but twists the basic mechanics of the classic solo card game to better fit the game’s fantasy theme and rogue-like structure.
What makes Solitairica more strategic, however, is its variety of Spells. These Spells allow players to deal direct damage, heal, gain armour, or perform more complex actions such as looking at the top card of the deck. Throughout a run, players can mix and match a variety of Spells to create unique builds. Carefully using these spells and crafting a good build is massively important to success in this underrated card game. For fans of Solitaire and fantasy-themed rogue-likes, Solitairica is worth a look.
Bingle Bingle
A combination of strategic rogue-like and the classic casino game. Roulette, is a unique rogue-like where players customize their own roulette wheel, changing the colours and numbers as they see fit. Players make bets, add balls with unique special abilities, and use customisable Tokens to rig the game in their favour.
Fans of Balatro looking for a similar casino-style rogue-like experience should tread carefully, though; Bingle Bingle is arguably more complex than the recent smash-hit Poker rogue-like, and to go in expecting the elegantly simple design of Balatro to be present here is a recipe for confusion and disappointment. However, for those that stick it out past its lengthy tutorial, Bingle Bingle is an addictive, highly overlooked casino rogue-like.
Luckitown
Developed by the Sokpop Collective, the team behind games such as the equally underrated Souls-like, White Lavender, and the unique card game, Stacklands, Luckitown is a turn-based combination of Yahztee and tower-defence.
Like many of Sokpop’s titles, Luckitown features a visually distinct art-style packed with cartoon charm. The game’s user-interface is extremely friendly, which helps in making the on-boarding process a painless experience.
Luckitown is all about placing buildings strategically, managing resources, and carefully investing in economy. Thanks to its Yahztee influences, Luckitown is easy to learn, but for existing fans of Yahztee and tower-defence games alike, this is an underrated indie worth checking out.
Rogue Fable IV
A traditional rogue-like features classic turn-based combat and exploration, with a focus on threat-assessment and tactical positioning. Rogue Fable IV also features charming pixel art and a design that’s built around short runs, a refreshing change of pace from the majority of traditional rogue-likes.
Although this is the fourth game in the series, there’s no need to have played the previous games. In fact, Rogue Fable IV is simply an expanded and upgraded version of the games that came before it, making it the best place to jump in. Despite being in Early Access at the time of writing, Rogue Fable IV is already shaping up to be one of the most underrated traditional rogue-likes on Steam.
Poker Quest
While Balatro may be the Poker-themed rogue-like that’s currently storming the indie game scene, Poker Quest has been out of its Early Access state since 2022. Poker Quest combines rogue-likes and fantasy RPGs to create a truly distinct experience with a unique combat mechanic that uses traditional Poker hands.
In Poker Quest, players take on the role of one of several classes, each with their own unique benefits and starting items. In combat, players play Poker hands to activate their equipment cards, which is not entirely dissimilar to how players use their dice in Dicey Dungeons.
Poker Quest is packed with intricate mechanics and strategies, thanks to its unique combat system, offering a heap of potential content for players to engage with. Although Poker Quest may not have much in the way of visual style, primarily due to its inconsistent artwork and UI, fans of card games and rogue-likes (especially Balatro) would be doing themselves a disservice to judge this book by its cover.
Floppy Knights
Part deck-building card game and part turn-based tactics that features strategic gameplay, a light-hearted story, and charming artwork from Marlowe Dobbe of Dicey Dungeons fame. Floppy Knights is packed with charm, both in its visuals and its writing, with a tactical yet accessible combat system that’s easy to learn and great for newcomers.
In Floppy Knights, players battle through a linear story campaign in tactical turn-based combat. Players play units onto the board and activate them using a variety of cards. The gameplay may be somewhat simple for veterans of turn-based tactics and card-games alike, especially as the deck-building aspects of the game are relatively simplistic.
However, for those looking for a straightforward, light-hearted adventure with turn-based combat, Floppy Knights is an underrated choice. Furthermore, the unique and charming theme helps it to stand out amongst the crowd.
Stellar Tactics
This open-world, science-fiction sandbox RPG takes place in a far-future post-apocalypse. Despite being in Early Access at the time of writing, Stellar Tactics is extremely replayable and packed with content. The game’s 3D visuals are fairly low-budget, but if players can look past its lacklustre aesthetic, they’ll find plenty of things to do in Stellar Tactics.
In the game, players gather a crew of mercenaries and explore space in an open-world environment. The game features a classic RPG story, but players are free to explore outside of it. The game’s ground combat is turn-based and strategic, requiring tactical positioning and careful planning in order to succeed. Furthermore, much like games such as Battle Brothers, Stellar Tactics features deep character customisation.
Outside of the game’s story missions, players can expect to mine asteroids, hunt pirates, claim bounties, and trade materials to progress. The game’s unique world, well-crafted plot, and tactical turn-based combat make Stellar Tactics an underrated RPG that players can really sink their teeth into.
Approaching Infinity
An ambitious, old-school indie game features a 90s space theme and an overall tone and atmosphere similar to classic science-fiction such as Star Trek. The game features old-school graphics that won’t be for everyone, but for those that can look past (or even enjoy) its retro aesthetic, Approaching Infinity is a truly underrated gem.
In Approaching Infinity, players take on the role of a ship’s Captain, commanding both their ship and its crew through an infinite universe and engaging in emergent gameplay facilitated by the game’s variety of systems and equipment.
Approaching Infinity can also be played like a turn-based RPG (similarly to Caves Of Qud) thanks to its optional permanent-death mechanic, though it could be argued that it’s a little more intense when played in the rogue-like mode.
Overland
This low-poly, highly stylised rogue-like features tactical turn-based combat and a gameplay structure that’s reminiscent of classics such as The Oregon Trail. In the game, players set out on a post-apocalyptic road trip across the US, looting a variety of locations in unique environments and battling vicious creatures.
Overland’s gameplay loop is relatively straightforward, and can get repetitive at times. However, the game’s dense atmosphere and visual style more than makes up for this. Furthermore, the juxtaposition between the relaxed, turn-based looting of areas to the chaotic, intense rush as players try to escape before being overrun by monsters makes for some intense gameplay.
Cyber Knights: Flashpoint
Developed by the Trese Brothers, developers of the open-world sandbox RPG, Star Traders: Frontiers, this turn-based cyberpunk heist game is ridiculously underrated, having barely crossed two-hundred reviews on Steam.
In Cyber Knights: Flashpoint, players take control of a squad of hackers and mercenaries, plotting and engaging in various heists in a cyberpunk world. Cyber Knights features a classic combination of stealth and action gameplay in turn-based squad tactics.
The game’s pre-mission planning is particularly thematic, and there are plenty of RPG mechanics to engage with, but the missions themselves are deeply tactical puzzles. Cyber Knights also features a focus on procedural narrative, with a unique story engine that mixes and matches squad-members and NPCs throughout the various story events of each playthrough.
For fans of classic RPGs, cyberpunk themes, and heist games, Cyber Knights: Flashpoint is definitely worth a look. Furthermore, despite being in Early Access, the Trese Brothers have proved to be trustworthy developers with their previous games, with Star Traders: Frontiers being the best and most recent example of what they’re capable of.
Conclusion
There are simply too many indie games releasing every year on Steam to catch all of them, and these are just a few examples of underrated indie games that are worth a look. If there’s an underrated turn-based indie game that didn’t make it to this list, be sure to let us know on Discord, Twitter, and on our YouTube channel.
