A New Generation of Isometric RPGs to Watch
There might be some who say that Baldur’s Gate 3 brought back the isometric RPG, but here at Turn Based Lovers, we know that the classic genre never went anywhere. They might not get as much attention as the bigger titles out there, but there’s always an epic quest to go on if you know where to look.
The isometric role-playing game genre holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers, especially those who, like me, have been around for a while. Classics like Baldur’s Gate, Fallout, Planescape: Torment, and many others laid down the foundations that, even after all these years, continue to inspire today’s developers.
In this article, I’ve handpicked 20 promising upcoming RPGs, projects well worth adding to your wishlist. These titles demonstrate that while the genre looks back fondly on its roots, it remains capable of surprising and innovating.
In fact, there are dozens more CRPGs in development right now, many of which we’re likely to see in the next year or so. If deep storytelling, quests to take, tactical battles, and assembling a ragtag band of companions against impossible odds are for you, be sure to wishlist these upcoming turn-based games.
Critical Shift
- Developer: Rhinotales
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
- Release Date: TBA
If you’re looking for tough-but-fair tactical battles against creepy mutants in ominous environments, Rhinotales’ Critical Shift has you covered. When a research blacksite at the South Pole suddenly goes dark, it’s up to you to lead a squad into the depths below the ice and clean up the mess… and make sure whatever is down there doesn’t get out.
Critical Shift‘s release date has yet to be announced, but you can sign up for the playtest via its Steam page.
Scourge of the Reptiles
- Developer: Kyoti Games
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: Q1 2026
Fantasy worlds usually have a medieval feel to them, but their history had to start somewhere. Scourge Of The Reptiles imagines a world of humans and elves at the dawn of time, still fighting for survival against dinosaurs.
The impact of a strange meteor bestows the gift of magic on the planet’s species… including the dinosaurs. The resulting shift in the balance of power drives your character to venture beyond their village and undertake a dangerous quest. Scourge Of The Reptiles is expected to launch sometime later this year.
Solasta 2
- Developer: Tactical Adventures
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
2021’s Solasta: Crown Of The Magister is one of the best ways to bring the experience of a tabletop RPG to a video game, and Solasta 2 looks to improve on the formula further. This time, you’ll be traveling to the continent of Neokos, decades after the events of the first game, to face new threats with a new party of adventurers.
The original Solasta has plenty to offer RPG fans, but if you’re hoping for a glimpse of the future, the Solasta 2 demo shows what you can expect in the upcoming grand adventure. No release date has been announced just yet, however.
Legends of Awen: Rise of The Fianna
- Developer: Hawkswell Studios
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
The upcoming debut title from Hawkswell Studios is inspired by Celtic mythology, and is designed to offer a freeform roleplaying experience. Roleplaying is front-and-center, allowing you to avoid combat through stealth, guile, or diplomacy… or just draw your sword and start fighting.
Legends Of Awen has all the hallmarks of a modern CRPG, with choices that matter, fully fleshed-out companions, and, yes, romance options. Be sure to follow its page for updates, as there is no official release date yet.
Archaelund
- Developer: 4 Dimension Games
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: Available in Early Access
Archaelund is an exciting blend of old-school exploration and modern tactical battles. Its vast open world is presented in first-person, but when battle is joined, you’ll shift to an overhead grid to fight for your life.
Archaelund‘s battle system is designed to focus on strategy over stats, so leveling up gives you more options, rather than strictly better ones. That means that every battle is theoretically surmountable if you’re well-equipped and well-prepared, but you’ll need to be smart to make it happen. You can give it a try right now, as the game is currently in early access.
Prometheus Wept
- Developer: Timeslip Softworks
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: Available in Early Access
Prometheus Wept offers an exciting, high-concept cyberpunk setting that sets it apart from the usual neon and wristblades. After the world’s smart technology is corrupted overnight by a virus, the global order collapses; as a Classical Technologist, your character wanders the world, hoping to restore lost tech.
You’ll have to manage encounters in both the physical and digital worlds, sometimes simultaneously, and even small choices can have large impacts later on. Prometheus Wept is an ambitious title, and it’s available in early access now.
Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy
- Developer: AtomTeam
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: Available in Early Access
AtomTeam, the studio behind 2018’s post-apocalyptic Atom RPG, is bringing their trademark take on classic gameplay to good old fantasy with Swordhaven. If you fondly remember the original Baldur’s Gate, you won’t want to miss this ode to the RPGs of yesteryear.
Like Atom RPG, Swordhaven is classless, letting you create and customize characters exactly how you want them, discovering new builds and options with each playthrough. You can start experimenting with the early access version right away!
Rue Valley
- Developer: Emotion Spark Studio
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
Imagine Groundhog Day in the middle of nowhere, and you’ve got the core premise behind Rue Valley. In this strange and quirky RPG, you’re trapped in a time loop at the Rue Valley Motel, learning the stories and secrets of the staff and guests.
Rue Valley has a cool comic-book aesthetic, an exciting concept, and plenty of dialogue to explore. If you’re looking for something a little different, give the demo a try.
Shrouded Aspect
- Developer: Gilligames
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: Sometimes in 2025
Shrouded Aspect uses 32 branching scenarios to tell the tale of Betha and her companions, on a quest to defeat the god of death and stop the plague consuming the land. There are tough choices to make on and off the battlefield, so there’s plenty of reason to play the game multiple times and see where all paths lead.
There’s no resurrection in Shrouded Aspect, so if a party member dies, then they’re gone for good. The game has a demo available now and is expected to release later this year.
Underrail 2
- Developer: Stygian Software
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
The original Underrail, released almost ten years ago, was a fascinating exploration of a post-apocalyptic world connected by old metro tunnels inspired by classic Fallout. At last, Stygian Software has announced a sequel.
There’s no Steam page or anything for Underrail 2: Infusion yet, but you can follow the dev logs on Stygian’s website to see how they’re building on the original.
Sector Unknown
- Developer: Creative Storm Entertainment
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
This exciting and ambitious project from Creative Storm Entertainment draws inspiration from modern and classic CRPGs, and looks like it could have the depth to build a cult following of its own. In Sector Unknown, you play as an escaped prisoner on a desolate planet, and along the way, you’ll gather allies and unite the sector’s factions against a tyrannical corporation, and ultimately, your decisions will tip the scales of power across the galaxy.
Between exploration, crafting, and managing your alliances across multiple planets, you’ll have your hands full with this game – and that’s just the early access version, which is scheduled to launch on 15 July.
The Necromancer’s Tale
- Developer: Psychic Software
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: July 2025
Admit it, everyone loves raising hordes of skeletons to do their bidding in RPGs. The Necromancer’s Tale puts that ghoulish delight front and center as you explore a fictional kingdom near Venice in the 1700s.
Of course, raising the dead could be construed as witchcraft, so if you’re not careful with who you trust you may find yourself burning at the stake. If you’re looking for an exciting tale of dark secrets and skulduggery, there’s not long to wait; The Necromancer’s Tale is expected to release in July 2025.
Shadow of the Road
- Developer: Another Angle Games
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
This steampunk retelling of the Meiji Restoration, which saw the rule of Japan return from the Shogun back to the Emperor, is full of samurai, magic, and big clanking robots. This story has been told many times, but never quite like this.
Like any good CRPG, Shadow Of The Road offers a diverse cast of characters with unique skills and personalities, challenging you to manage their relationships and find the best use for them on the battlefield. There’s no release date yet, but this is definitely one for RPG fans to watch.
Glasshouse
- Developer: FLAT28
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: aTBA
Inspired by Disco Elysium, Glasshouse is heavy on the roleplay, even working dialogue and ideology into its combat and glass system. Stuck in a locked-down apartment, you’ll have to investigate the murders happening inside the building with no help from the outside world.
Dialogue can lead way to clever puzzles, which can unlock clues and new pathways, and there are eight endings to discover. All this makes Glasshouse a compelling, intriguing title to look forward to, though a release date hasn’t been announced.
Quasis: The Last Eclipse
- Developer: Last Time Studio
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: Q1 2026
One of the longest games on this list, Quasis offers 100 or more hours of post-apocalyptic gameplay, in a world that’s more than just the standard nuclear wasteland. Generations after a war between humanity’s AI-driven civilization and the forces of Gaia, the planet Earth itself, you get to explore what remains and possibly determine the future.
Quasis includes exploring the real world with Augmented Reality, as well as interacting with a Matrix-style synthetic world and battling the beasts of Gaia. It’s a big, exciting dystopia coming sometime in early 2026.
Wishlist Quasis: The Last Eclipse on Steam
Revenge of the Firstborn
- Developer: Sawtooth Games, LLC
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
Solasta famously uses the Fifth Edition ruleset to drive its gameplay; Revenge Of The Firstborn calls out to an older generation of D&D fans by using 3.5. Classic spells, monsters, and feats from the tabletops of the early 2000s will guide your journey in this epic adventure.
If you’re looking for an exciting challenge, Revenge Of The Firstborn also includes a roguelike mode, with fully-randomized dungeons… including monsters and loot. It’s the perfect way to keep adventuring once you’ve finished the campaign. A release date, however, is yet to be announced.
Ironmarked
- Developer: Flaming Fowl Studios
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
This title, developed by Flaming Fowl Studios, the team behind Gloomhaven, has unfortunately gone quiet for several months with no news or updates. Still, I’m including it on this list both as encouragement and in hopes that we’ll see some developments soon.
Part roguelike deckbuilder, part mercenary sim, Ironmarked lets you and up to two friends take on dangerous quests in a fantasy world reminiscent of Renaissance Italy. Not only will you need to keep track of each character’s deck and gear, but also their personalities and how they get along with the other party members.
Ironmarked is designed with optimization and replayability in mind, challenging you to perfect your approach to each scenario or take on daily challenges to prove that you’re the top mercenary in the land. There’s no release date yet, but a demo is available.
The Tainted Lands
- Developer: Arete Games
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
This dark fantasy RPG has a classic feel, both in gameplay and appearance. Nobody travels to the Tainted Lands because of the dangerous secrets hidden there, but faced with a dangerous disease, your only cure may lie in going there with a band of adventurers brave enough to follow you.
The Tainted Lands‘ hand-drawn art sets it apart from most other CRPGs, and we’re fascinated to see what dangers lie hidden when it comes to early access. No date has been given, so this is one to follow if you want updates.
Esoteric Ebb
- Developer: Christoffer Bodegård
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
Esoteric Ebb blends d20-based CRPGs with silliness at every turn; a Discworld Elysium, if you will. The concept is simple enough, putting you in the shoes of an incompetent cleric and their goblin sidekick, but it turns out there’s a lot more to this game than meets the eye.
Your stats are characters themselves, speaking up to push your toward their own agendas, and you can even argue with them before making a decision and rolling the dice. It’s a strange game, and one to watch when it eventually gets a release date.
New Arc Line
- Developer: Dreamate
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: Available in Early Access
Currently in early access, New Arc Line drops you in the middle of a conflict between magic and steampunk technology in a sprawling city. Even in its early state, the game has decisions to make, factions to appease or oppose, and enough character options to keep you coming back to see what other mischief you can get up to.
There’s a lot more of the game yet to come, so the early access version only scratches the surface of what could be a truly unique adventure. The full version is expected sometime in late 2025, but as is often the case with these things, it could be delayed. Only time will tell.
We’ve reached the end of my list with these 20 promising isometric RPG titles. Let me know what you think and if I missed anything important. Have a great week. Ciao
