Long time since the last KAEOI – video and written article where I point out exciting indie & and not Turn-Based Games in the making for you to wishlist them. Below I’ve collected ten interesting projects that came out of news and announcements lately.
If you want to see these games in action, at the end of the article, you will find the video version.
A Bit of Tactics
If you liked Tinyfolks but would have preferred grid-based battles, A Bit Of Tactics will be right up your alley. This pixelated charmer sends players into the depths of roguelike dungeons, battling monsters to unlock better gear in hopes of defeating the powerful boss at the bottom.
A Bit Of Tactics includes unique rulesets for each dungeon type, ensuring a different challenge each time you descend into the depths. Top it off with hundreds of items to collect and more than a dozen unique bosses, and this could be the game that sees you through the winter. Check it out when it launches on 19 January!
Wishlist A Bit Of Tactics on Steam
Howl
Howl describes itself as a turn-based tactical folktale, which is honestly the best phrasing for a game I’ve heard in a long time. Your task in Howl is to save your village from a werewolf curse, defeating monsters while protecting townsfolk.
This game has sixty missions, including some branching paths on the world map. You’ll learn new abilities as you progress, which you need to handle the tougher werewolves. Howl has a heavily stylized ink-on-parchment look, giving it an ethereal quality. The release date hasn’t yet been announced, but we should see this haunting adventure sometime in 2023.
Born of Bread
This all-ages adventure follows the journey of Loaf, a hero made of bread dough. The 2.5D environments and combat system immediately bring Paper Mario to mind, so expect lots of quirky dialogue and QTE-based battles.
Born Of Bread has a humorous story and fully-developed characters who learn from the consequences of their actions throughout the game. It’s the debut title from WildArts Studio and is published by Dear Villagers, who have brought us a ton of quality turn-based games in the past.
Wishlist Born Of Bread on Steam
Theseus Protocol
Theseus Protocol is the first game from Starseeker Studio, and it looks like an anime sci-fi Slay The Spire. It’s got some impressive visuals, from the combat right down to the menus, with three playable characters and tons of cards to unlock through each run.
Not only does Theseus Protocol have exciting card-based combat, but it also has a story to unravel via subsequent playthroughs. The events you find may not be in chronological order, so you’ll have to fight your way through Mark City several times to piece it all together! Theseus Protocol is expected to enter early access in Q1 of 2023.
Wishlist Theseus Protocol on Steam
Redemption Reapers
This tactical RPG has some stunning visuals, on the level of last year’s King Arthur: Knight’s Tale. In Redemption Reapers, you’ll command a small band of five heroes in a desperate battle against an otherworldly threat.
Each of the five characters brings unique skills to the battlefield, and mastering all of them will be essential to victory. You’ll also be able to unleash combo attacks and deepen the bonds between the team between fights. This dark fantasy epic is definitely one to watch out for when it arrives in February!
Wishlist Redemption Reapers on Steam
Death Drive: A Deck-Building Open-World Survival RPG
Death Drive is what you get when you mix the exploration of Battle Brothers with deck-building combat in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies! Armed with only the gear loaded into your trusty van, you’ll set out to rebuild the world, with unknown dangers around every turn.
Not only will you need to manage your team’s health and equipment, but also their sanity as the horrors of the new world weigh on them. We get the feeling this won’t be the sort of game that you can finish on your first try. We’ll find out when it launches – the release date is still TBA, but hopefully we’ll start our Death Drive sometime this year.
Captain Velvet Meteor
Whether or not you’re a fan of manga, Captain Velvet Meteor promises an onslaught of engaging, over-the-top tactical battles. Ostensibly a crossover platform for popular Shonen Jump+ properties, this game quickly proves to have way too much heart and soul to be just another cash grab.
Taking the role of Damien, a young boy who’s moved to Japan, you’ll follow his journey to adapt to his new surroundings as his imaginary alter-ego, Captain Velvet Meteor. He teams up with his favorite manga characters and ultimately learns to face his fears in the real world as well. This is certainly a game worth looking into when it releases, although no date has yet been announced.
Wishlist Captain Velvet Meteor on Steam
Wishlist Captain Velvet Meteoer on Switch
Breachway
There’s no adventure quite like blasting off into space to see what’s out there. Breachway turns exploring the final frontier into a roguelike deckbuilder, but not in any way that’s been done before. Instead of building a deck directly, your capabilities are determined by the parts and crew that you install on your ship.
Breachway has a larger story, with several factions at play. As you complete more runs, you’ll be able to experience the narrative from different perspectives, ultimately putting together the full tale of a galactic conflict. It’s listed as coming soon, and frankly we can’t wait.
Light Fairytale Episode 3
JRPGs, as a rule, are very long. While that’s part of the draw for most players, there are plenty of gamers who would otherwise enjoy these epic tales but can’t justify the time commitment. Light Fairytale aims to make itself accessible by releasing in episodes! Shorter, lower-cost parts of the overall narrative are released over time, giving players with busy schedules a chance to dive in.
The third episode of Light Fairytale is coming in Q3 of this year, continuing the story of Haru and his companions. That means there’s plenty of time to try the prologue and the first two chapters!
Wishlist Light Fairytale Episode 3 on Steam
The Simple Balance
This tactical RPG could be just the thing for players who have finished Tactics Ogre Reborn. It features grid-based battles where range, cover, and elevation are all of critical importance. The Simple Balance also has a deep narrative with a developed fantasy world.
Like any good tactical JRPG, The Simple Balance also features an expansive job system, letting you train your troops to the exact specifications you need. There’s no release date yet, but that just gives you all the more reason to… keep an eye on it!
Wishlist The Simple Balance on Steam
