The 62nd installment of my personal indie spotlight returns with 20 more turn-based games worth watching.
Drumroll, sound the trumpets: KEEP AN EYE ON IT is finally back, the column dedicated to the most interesting indie RPGs and strategy games that cross TBL’s radar and that I think are well worth following.
The last article in this series dates all the way back to 2023, episode 61, to be precise, before it was briefly replaced by the Indie Showcase. But since I like this format more than the latter, I’m bringing the series back, making this officially episode 62.
I usually split these lists into subcategories; sometimes I feature more games, sometimes fewer; basically, I do whatever I feel like. The one constant is that you’ll always find plenty of extremely promising indie projects here.
With that said, for this big comeback I decided to round up 20 RPGs, roguelites, and strategy games I’ve covered over the past few days. Many of these titles still don’t have a release date, which is true for the vast majority of games featured in this column. And that’s exactly because, at this stage, every project can benefit from your support, whether it’s simply by adding the game to your wishlist or backing it through a crowdfunding campaign.
With that said, let’s get started.
Cloudsphere
Developer: Laki Studios · Platform: PC · Release: TBA
The 62nd Keep an Eye On It, KAEOI, among friends, opens with a project so stylish that simply calling it stylish barely does it justice.
The studio behind Oaken is taking deck construction in a very literal direction. In Cloudsphere, the airship you assemble is also your deck: every weapon, defensive system, or utility module installed on the vessel adds a corresponding Captain’s Order card to the combat pool.
Altering the physical structure of the ship consequently changes which actions can be drawn and used during battle. Runs also involve exploring a partially concealed map, spending resources to reveal or reshape routes, and deciding how aggressively to push overclocked modules.
Shops, upgrades, cargo stops, and dangerous encounters, while persistent unlocks, gradually expand future building options. No release window has been announced, but Steam playtest registrations are already open. A title I recommend to every roguelite fan, because it packs in all the defining elements of the genre while giving them a truly distinctive visual polish.
Lie of Caelum: Spirit
Developer: Classi5ed · Platform: PC · Release: TBA
I can crank up the hype in an instant by telling you that this project draws inspiration from one game in particular: Xenogears.
Classi5ed has launched a $34,000 Kickstarter campaign for Lie of Caelum: Spirit, a science-fiction JRPG modeled after the 32-bit era of PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Although it continues the world of the original Lie of Caelum, no prior knowledge is required.
Its turn-based combat incorporates timed Just Attacks and Just Guards, asking for execution during both offensive and defensive actions. The planned roster contains 14 characters, each associated with a personal Frame mech and a distinct fighting style. The campaign moves between on-foot exploration, larger mech battles, and high-speed shoot-’em-up sequences.
The initial release is planned for PC with English and Japanese support. Nintendo Switch and Xbox editions are tied to a stretch goal, while veteran composer Motoi Sakuraba is expected to contribute as a guest if the campaign reaches the required funding condition. If you grew up with the epic JRPGs of the PS1 era too, this one absolutely belongs on your wishlist.
Save the Forest
Developer: Jens Arvidsson · Platforms: PC, macOS, Linux · Release: Q4 2026 target
Visible enemy intentions turn each Save the Forest encounter into a compact tactical puzzle as it happens in Into the Breach, from which the game takes clear inspiration. Opponents reveal their upcoming actions, giving the village militia an opportunity to interrupt those plans through careful movement, pushing, stunning, Fear effects, and attacks influenced by unit facing.
Solo developer Jens Arvidsson is building the roguelite around more than 25 recruitable unit types and over 150 skills.
Coins earned after battles can expand the squad or strengthen existing villagers, creating a recurring choice between a broad roster and a smaller group of highly developed specialists. The deliberately absurd story involves corrupted woodland creatures, gnome knights, questionable merchants, and an evil circus director named Morgathrax.
A Steam demo is scheduled for September 10, followed by an appearance in October’s Steam Next Fest. One to follow for sure.
Deck of Memories
Developer: Sentiment Games · Platform: PC · Release: 2027
A journey that promises to be, first and foremost, beautiful to look at, but above all, deeply emotional.
Deck of Memories uses card mechanics to reconstruct a family history. Mina returns to the lighthouse where her grandfather once worked and discovers a handmade deck capable of transforming his memories into miniature dioramas.
Each chapter contains carefully designed card encounters. Tides, machinery, and environmental rules can change the available space or alter how a particular board functions, requiring the deck to adapt to each recollection. Cards can also be modified at a crafting table by attaching trinkets recovered from the grandfather’s belongings.
The hand-painted presentation supports the more intimate premise: the deck is simultaneously Mina’s collection of strategic tools and a physical record of the person she is attempting to understand. Sentiment Games plans to release the complete adventure in 2027, with a playable demo also in development.
Wishseeker
Developer: MelonCat · Publisher: Soft Source · Platform: PC · Release: TBA
No, you’re not looking at a screenshot from Wakfu; this is a brand-new RPG currently in development, and there was no way I could leave it out of this episode.
Four adventurers descend into the shifting Hollow Vault in Wishseeker, a tactical roguelite supporting both solo play and online co-op. Solo commanders control the full squad, while a multiplayer group can assign one character to each participant.
The unusual element is that all four co-op partners can take their turns simultaneously. That could remove much of the waiting normally associated with multiplayer tactical games, although MelonCat has not yet explained how conflicting movements or ability timing are resolved.
Eight playable Wishseekers are planned, supported by more than 20 character-specific skills and artifacts that modify attributes or influence how statistics scale during an expedition. Changing biomes, enemy groups, bosses, and rewards provide the run-based structure. A release window remains unconfirmed, but registration is open for a future playtest.
Amphibian
Developer: JARCORP Interactive · Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S · Release: 2028
My love for old-school JRPGs drew me in like a frog snapping up an insect with its tongue, a carefully chosen comparison, of course, to introduce the protagonists of Amphibian.
A drought has pushed The Pond toward starvation and war, forcing Sapo and his frog companions to search for a solution while resisting an invading toad army. Beneath its unusual cast, Amphibian is being presented as a somber story about family, sacrifice, and generational violence.
JARCORP Interactive is designing the campaign as a concise, forward-moving RPG with four-character turn-based battles, branching classes, and individually placed encounters.
Exploration introduces light platforming and puzzles influenced by older survival horror games, while the studio’s Super2D presentation places traditional pixel art inside environments supported by modern lighting and visual effects. Amphibian is currently scheduled for 2028, and if you like Japanese RPGs, you won’t want to miss this one.
Wildmagic Frontier
Developer: Sky Castle Studios · Platforms: PC and browsers · Release: TBA
Sky Castle Studios is extending its Hero Forge character-creation ecosystem into a complete tactical RPG. Owners of Hero Forge 3D Digital Miniatures can import their existing creations into Wildmagic Frontier and use them as playable heroes, while newcomers can select from premade archetypes.
Combat takes place on grid-based battlefields modeled after elaborate tabletop dioramas. Characters use crafted cards organized into decks, with party composition and card interactions shaping the available tactics. Outside battle, the group can recruit companions, develop relationships, complete quests, and expand a Frontier settlement that unlocks additional heroes.
The adventure supports solo play and online browser co-op for as many as three participants. A Kickstarter campaign is scheduled to begin on September 10, 2026.
Frost Protocol
Developer: Stonewake Studios · Platform: PC · Release: 2027
Here’s a title I have high hopes for. The short pitch is simple: an XCOM-like where you send robots out on tactical missions. And whenever I say XCOM-like, I’m always referring to games that don’t just feature tactical combat, but also have a proper strategy layer, with plenty to manage between one mission and the next.
That’s exactly the case with Frost Protocol, an indie strategy RPG that takes us to the frozen world of Terminus to face combat missions in order to recover supplies, repair infrastructure, search for survivors, and locate deposits of a resource called Veyrite.
Back at the station, human survivors must be assigned to farming, research, manufacturing, power generation, and repairs while hunger, fatigue, injuries, and personal traits complicate the schedule. The first Steam playtest opened on August 24, and the complete game is targeting 2027. I think the vast majority of TBL readers will want to add Frost Protocol to their wishlist.
Precinct IX
Developer: ZataForge Studio · Platforms: PC, macOS, Linux · Release: 2027
The premise of Precinct IX alone is enough to build some hype. That’s because in the new management RPG from ZataForge Studio, we’re put in charge of a cyberpunk police station.
It revolves around deciding which cases deserve attention, determining how many resources can be committed, and dealing with the people attempting to influence those decisions.
Complainants, informants, black-market dealers, and government representatives can all arrive at the station with competing requests. Cases may continue through dialogue, field orders, consequential choices, or turn-based combat, with outcomes affecting both the investigation and the officers involved.
Each squad member carries her own equipment, capabilities, history, stress, and personal problems. Developing trust unlocks further character stories, while failed operations or questionable decisions may damage those relationships.
A broader mystery involving institutional corruption gradually emerges beneath the nightly struggle to keep an underfunded precinct functional. The kind of game that might not appeal to everyone, but fans of RPGs packed with tough decisions are going to love it.
Helcast
Developer: Ricpau Studios · Platform: PC · Release: Q1 2027 Early Access
Previously known as From Hel to Asgard, Helcast has returned with a new title and publishing support from HYPER REAL and 2P Games.
Combat merges deckbuilding with a physics-driven puzzle arena. Weapons are fired into a pile where their velocity, mass, placement, and collisions influence the result. Matching equipment can merge into stronger forms, while chain reactions determine how much damage reaches the enemy.
Spells and totems occupy the same physical space. A well-placed totem can repeatedly activate when struck by other objects, while a shockwave may free a trapped weapon at the cost of disrupting the rest of the board.
The protagonist, Modgunn, must travel from the Underworld toward Asgard and stop the war between Helheim and Odin. Steam Early Access is planned for the first quarter of 2027.
Salt and Soil: A Frontier Family Sim
Developer: DelosX · Platform: PC · Release: Coming soon
Here’s one of those games that, admittedly, doesn’t grab me with its visuals, but take a closer look and you’ll discover that Salt and Soil is an incredibly deep survival strategy game.
Individual turns represent complete years in Salt and Soil. Each one requires the family to divide its limited workforce between agriculture, construction, education, trade, and preparations for the next winter.
Death does not automatically end the campaign. Leadership passes to an heir who inherits the homestead alongside its debts, relationships, promises, reputation, and unresolved disputes. Annual Family Council scenes transform broader management problems into personal decisions involving specific relatives, while the consequences can remain relevant across several generations.
Historical events continue regardless of the family’s priorities. The recent playtest used Jamestown between 1607 and 1637, introducing developments such as the Starving Time and the arrival of new settlers. A Steam demo is currently planned for October 2026, with DelosX aiming to launch the complete game afterward.
Ashes of Resolve
Developer: Tactica Studios · Platform: PC and Steam Deck · Release: Late 2027 target
GBA-era strategy RPG animations meet three-dimensional battlefields in Ashes of Resolve. Its campaign is expected to contain more than 20 handcrafted chapters and over 20 playable characters, with political conflict and a failed diplomatic marriage driving the story.
Time passes during combat, with every turn representing an hour. Daylight, darkness, and changing weather can affect abilities, transformations, and tactical opportunities. Mounted units may lose their steeds, oversized opponents can occupy several tiles, and adjacent allies can contribute assist attacks.
Defeated enemies do not always need to be killed. Criminals and hostile soldiers can be captured, ransomed, bribed, or recruited between missions. A hub area supports army preparation and mercenary hiring, while character relationships strengthen coordinated attacks. A Kickstarter campaign is also planned, with possible console editions discussed as stretch goals.
Fantasy to Kill
Developer: Toffeinium · Platform: PC · Release: TBA
Allow me to draw a comparison to Clair Obscur, because the next game, Fantasy to Kill, features a combat system very similar to the now-famous RPG released last year. The comparison comes down to how interactive the combat system is, especially during the enemy turn.
Although commands, skills, statistics, and initiative follow a recognizable turn-based structure, incoming attacks create real-time opportunities to parry, counter, and reduce damage.
The party contains three separately developed characters, with speed determining when each member acts. Surviving consequently depends on more than maximizing damage during the command phase. Attack animations must be studied, openings recognized, and defensive inputs timed correctly.
The adventure begins deep inside the Abyss, where even the earliest creatures are intentionally overleveled. A short downloadable demo is already available through itch.io, while the Steam release remains listed as coming soon.
Ad Iterum
Developer: Gabriel Maldonado · Publisher: Krapao · Platform: PC · Release: 2026
Character building becomes body modification in Ad Iterum, a traditional roguelike centered on procedural exploration, turn-based movement, hunger, resource management, and permadeath.
Defeated creatures can be consumed to obtain mutations. Claws, quills, additional eyes, photosynthesis, and other anatomical changes grant new capabilities, but many introduce weaknesses or unwanted side effects. Genetic grafts and crafted mutagens provide greater control, though each run still develops according to what can be discovered and survived.
The environment is equally dangerous. Fire spreads through oil, gas contaminates surrounding spaces, floors collapse, and alarms attract additional enemies. Creatures may also appear with modifiers such as Berserk, Infested, Immortal, or Explosive. A substantial Steam demo is available now, with the complete release planned for 2026.
.curator
Developer: STRTL Games · Platforms: PC, macOS, Linux · Release: TBA
Written by Altered Carbon author Richard K. Morgan, .curator is an episodic science-fiction detective RPG about an organization attempting to stop humanity from destroying itself across multiple versions of Earth.
The opening episode takes place in an altered post-Victorian society. As a Curator, the protagonist must investigate political corruption, study the remains of an ancient alien civilization, and confront crimes committed during earlier assignments.
An onboard AI called C.R.I.S.S.I. can analyze situations and provide advice, though its recommendations do not have to be followed. Quantum Sleet modeling also allows possible futures to be examined before important actions are taken. Problems can be approached through combat, stealth, distraction, or persuasion, while irreversible choices determine who survives and which future takes shape. Later episodes are planned as individual DLC releases.
Hound Riders
Developer: Morganic Games · Platform: PC · Release: 2027
Bullets are cards, ammunition is finite, and the order of the revolver matters in Hound Riders. Each round loaded into a weapon carries its own properties, while firing consecutive chambers creates blood-magic combinations.
This makes every bullet both an attack and part of a larger sequence. Using a powerful round immediately may solve the current problem but break a stronger combination or leave the chamber empty at the wrong moment. Sigils attached to particular slots introduce another layer of passive effects and weapon specialization.
Shots can also target individual enemy body parts, potentially disabling attacks or exposing weaknesses. Between duels, the Half-Cursed and his hound Banjo cross a nonlinear dark Western wasteland where every additional day increases the difficulty.
Detours can produce ammunition and valuable upgrades, but the advancing calendar punishes excessive caution. Playtest registration is open ahead of the planned 2027 release.
The Tainted Lands
Developer: Arete Games · Platform: PC · Release: TBA in Early Access
A cursed wanderer leads an expedition into a forbidden frontier in The Tainted Lands, an eldritch tactical RPG built around party recruitment, hex-based combat, and decisions with lasting consequences.
The complete round order is visible during battle, making it possible to anticipate when companions and enemies are due to act. Objectives can extend beyond eliminating every opponent; one revealed scenario requires the party to stop bandits while also preventing the death of a hostage.
Recruitable adventurers arrive with personal flaws and scars, while limited permadeath may give injuries and casualties consequences beyond the current encounter. The initial Early Access version is intended to contain the prologue, first chapter, 15 recruitable classes, and more than 36 enemy types. Six chapters are planned for the finished campaign.
Canvas City
Developer: Disc 2 Games · Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch · Release: TBA
Roller skating is not simply part of the presentation in Canvas City. Rails, ramps, tricks, and aerial movements determine how characters cross its tactical arenas.
Stylish routes generate points that can power stronger abilities, rewarding commanders who use the environment instead of taking the shortest path. Contested Tag Spots add a secondary objective: controlling one produces Style Points for the entire crew, but opposing skaters can reclaim it.
The free Steam demo is already available and covers the tutorial plus the first four levels. It introduces six members of the Fire Starters, all three character classes, unlockable skating tricks, and replayable bonus objectives. The full version is expected to expand the roster to 12 characters and include more than 80 abilities and movement tricks.
Arcane Rift
Developer: Pixell Games · Platforms: PC, macOS, Linux · Release: TBA
Party building happens during the run in Arcane Rift. Victories, events, and exploration produce randomized characters, equipment, and skills, requiring the group to adapt to the tools discovered during that particular adventure.
Pixell Games currently lists more than 50 pieces of equipment and over 50 unlockable skills. Encounters emphasize weaknesses, buffs, debuffs, and ability interactions, so collecting individually powerful rewards may be less effective than identifying combinations that support the full party.
Procedurally generated maps change the available routes, encounters, and recruitable allies. The central question is therefore not whether a perfect predefined build can be followed, but how quickly a functional team can be assembled from an unpredictable collection of resources. No release window has been announced.
Nightbound
Developer: Crooked Cats Studio · Platform: PC and Steam Deck · Release: Q1 2027
Two strangers are trapped inside the last house on Earth in Nightbound, a tactical survival RPG divided between daytime preparation and nighttime defense, which is also the last game in this indie showcase.
During the day, Loren and Jun can repair their van, reinforce the house, cook, play arcade games, and spend time together. Those choices affect their relationship and determine which cooperative abilities become available once the Bloom attacks.
The campaign contains 12 handcrafted nights rather than a procedurally generated survival loop. Both protagonists draw from a shared pool of command points, encouraging coordinated actions such as covering fire, interceptions, healing, and protective positioning. Their developing bond unlocks additional “Potentials” that change how effectively they operate as a pair.
A playable demo is scheduled for October 2026, ahead of the planned first-quarter 2027 release.
Now let me know if you’re familiar with any of these titles and what you think of them. You can join the conversation on the TBL Reddit community or through my social channels. See you in the next Keep an Eye On It. Ciao
