Choosing among more than 400 participants was an impossible task.
How is anyone supposed to keep track of all the new announcements, playable demos, and everything else coming out right now? It’s an overwhelming flood, especially with the limited time I can dedicate to the blog.
June 2nd marked the start of #TurnBasedThursdayFest 2025, featuring a massive lineup of more than 400 participants. I’m doing my best here to spotlight some of the standout titles, either the ones I personally find most exciting or the ones I’ve been eagerly waiting for.
For those unfamiliar, this event is organized by the TurnBasedThursday team, which originally started on Twitter and has since expanded to Bluesky and a shared Discord channel that I proudly help run. It’s a team fully dedicated to all things turn-based and unapologetically indie. This year’s event looks like it’s shattered participation records, and I’ll quickly run through the most noteworthy “upcoming” games listed on the event page, at least the ones that stood out most to me. Don’t forget the event will end on the 9th of June.
Let’s kick things off with a tactical strategy game I’ve been eagerly following since it was first announced: Paraside: Duality Unbound. It features charming visuals and grid-based combat reminiscent of Into the Breach. What really sets it apart, though, is a unique mechanic that lets you switch the battlefield mid-fight, changing both the map’s layout and your characters’ abilities. It’s a bold and original idea. For the event, the developers have opened up requests for access to a playable build, and in my opinion, this is one opportunity you don’t want to miss.
Another standout participant with a playable demo is The Necromancer’s Tale. In this RPG, you play as a minor noble in an 18th-century kingdom who turns to necromancy for power and revenge. Using an ancient spellbook, you learn forbidden rituals, raise the dead, and try to stay ahead of suspicious townsfolk. It’s all about secrecy, manipulation, and making hard choices that shape your fate.
In a time when everything seems to be a Roguelite, finding a true CRPG experience is a rare pleasure, so I think that projects like The Necromancer’s Tale deserve all the support they can get. This game offers a deep RPG system: a fully voiced backstory defines your character’s path, military, diplomatic, or academic, while the Trust system tracks your actions and how others perceive you. Combat is tactical, letting you command undead allies. A game to try and wishlist for sure.
Next stop is Glasshouse, a turn-based CRPG that doesn’t play it safe. Developed by FLAT28, this isometric title throws players into the claustrophobic chaos of a lockdown-era apartment complex at the brink of world war. As Wealdmaer, a morally conflicted deputy head of the building, you are trapped in Dormitory 73B with three corpses, unstable neighbors, and a deep political conspiracy unfolding behind locked doors.
What makes Glasshouse stand out is its layered approach to role-playing. Every encounter feels deliberate; there are no filler enemies, just tense, dialogue-rich confrontations where you can either fight with jury-rigged weapons or outtalk opponents by leveraging your character’s evolving Political Compass. No demo for now, but be sure to wishlist it.
You can bet that wherever there’s pixel art, that’s exactly where you’ll find me, I’m absolutely obsessed with it. So, of course, I have to highlight Lair of the Leviathan, a project I’m proud to say I was among the first to cover. The latest screenshots and, more importantly, the way the game map is structured make me want to dive in immediately.
Developed by Nostalgic Realms and Whiskeybarrel Studios, this open-world RPG takes clear inspiration from classic CRPGs, handcrafted maps, deep party customization, and challenging turn-based combat that reminds a little of The Iron Oath. Everything in the world is manually designed, with no procedural generation, which to me is a promising sign of intent: this is a game built with care, not just content for content’s sake.
Exploration seems to be a major focus, too, with multi-layered dungeons, evolving towns, and a story that unfolds based on how players choose to progress. Wishlist it if you love pixel graphics and passionate indie projects.
Another title that definitely shouldn’t be overlooked is Dice Gambit, a tactical RPG developed by Chromatic Ink. Slated for release sometime in 2025, it puts you in control of a debt-ridden noble family tasked with leading an order of Inquisitors in the monster-infested city of Neo-Talis. The setup alone is compelling, blending tactical combat, legacy-building, and social maneuvering in a highly stylized world.
Every battle involves rolling and strategically combining dice to activate powerful abilities, with options to reroll or manipulate outcomes depending on how players build the characters. Outside combat, there’s an almost Crusader Kings-like depth to character progression, players can shape their family’s visual identity, manage marriages to pass down skills and powers, and customize classes.
It’s holding a firm spot on my wishlist, but you should absolutely check out the newly updated demo, which gives you access to around six hours of gameplay, covering the entire first act. Not bad at all.
JRPGs, like turn-based games in general, were written off as “obsolete” not too long ago. Now, the tide has clearly turned. This festival alone is proof of that, not to mention the wave of new titles drawing heavy inspiration from classic Japanese Role-Playing Games. One that definitely deserves a shoutout is Forge of the Fae, which will no doubt bring to mind Sea of Stars or the earlier Chained Echoes.
Players will enter Forge of the Fae as Fiora, a sharp inventor caught in a conflict that blends Celtic folklore with industrial unrest. Combat uses a solid turn-based system built around crystals that let you channel different types of magic. There’s a demo to try, I’ve already had the chance to do it, and I highly recommend you do the same, then let me know what you think.
Another JRPG with standout pixel art and a truly unique style is My Familiar. Developed by Chintzy Ink, it throws you into an underground world riddled with corruption and crime, putting you in control of a cast of bizarre and irreverent anthropomorphic characters. I’ve been following it for a while, and the playable demo was updated back in April. No release date yet, but it’s definitely one to keep an eye on.
Now, shifting gears to an RPG I had previously overlooked—after spending a few hours with a build sent to me, I can confidently say Every Day We Fight is shaping up to be something seriously impressive. It throws you straight into a war humanity has already lost, except time isn’t moving, and you’re the only ones still fighting.
Caught in a time loop, your squad of three resistance fighters has to take on an overwhelming alien force, the Rifters, while growing stronger with each death. Missions are tough, decisions matter, and every loop forces you to rethink your strategy. You’ll sneak through real-time exploration, gear up, then face off in turn-based combat with roguelite progression that sticks between runs.
Combat is tactical but fast; cover, angles, and reflex actions play a major role. It’s not just about choosing the right weapon; it’s about knowing when to intercept, when to flank, and when to retreat. Accuracy depends on your aim and position, not RNG. Each loop lets you carry forward skills and weapons, making your squad sharper and more capable. There’s no playable demo available, but the good news is that Every Day We Fight is gearing up for launch on July 10, 2025, on PC.
And let’s close with Lost In The Open. Tactical RPG that doesn’t waste time pretending you’re a hero, you play as a tyrant king on the run, bleeding and hunted after a failed assassination. It’s a brutal, low-fantasy roguelite tactical RPG where survival depends on how you manage your retreat, command your bodyguards, and decide who, if anyone, is worth trusting. The king is your strongest unit, but also your biggest vulnerability. If he dies, it’s game over. Every fight, every movement on the map is a risk you have to weigh.
Combat is unforgiving and smart: enemies flank, trap, and punish poor positioning. Between fights, you’ll navigate branching paths full of narrative choices and random events, each a gamble. A clever mix of Battle Brothers and Pathway. Demo available and reforged.
Before signing off, don’t forget to check out the “Promising Unknowns” section, it’s packed with lesser-known titles that show a ton of potential. Many of them have already been featured on Turn Based Lovers, like Scourge of the Reptiles, Graphite, Slaves of Magic, or The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles. And plenty of others are brand new discoveries even for me; I’ve already picked out several to highlight in the coming days.
Let me know what you think of this festival and if there’s anything you’d recommend I try out. I would’ve loved to spotlight every single one, but time is always short. Wish you the best. Ciao.
