I’m keenly anticipating a myriad of titles, particularly this year. However, today, I’ve chosen to spotlight those that may have been somewhat overlooked yet are undeniably worthy and deserve a place on your wishlist, too.
We delve broadly into the realm of RPGs, covering a spectrum from JRPGs and isometric CRPGs to strategy RPGs and beyond within this selection. The majority of these gems are slated for a tentative release around 2024, promising a year rich in diversity and depth within the RPG genre.
Bloomtown: a Different Story
Let’s start this pure indie top 10 RPGs list with a unique JRPG. As you know, I love JRPGs, and that’s why I can’t wait for Bloomtown: A Different Story by Lazy Bear Games and Different Sense Games. It intricately blends the elements of a narrative-driven JRPG with the dynamic features of turn-based combat, monster taming, and social RPG mechanics, all set against the backdrop of a 1960s Americana-inspired world.
The game stands out by marrying the charm of a bygone era with the depth of role-playing and strategic combat. Players step into the shoes of Emily and her younger brother Chester, who are on their summer holiday in their grandfather’s tranquil town, which harbors a dark secret beneath its idyllic surface.
The game’s unique appeal lies in its ability to blend a seemingly serene world with the intrigue of an underlying demon realm, challenging players to navigate through the game world’s light and dark facets. Bloomtown A Different Story will be released in Q2 2024 on PC and Consoles.
Sandwalkers
Sandwalkers is a turn-based roguelite exploration game set to release in Q2 2024. Developed by one of the most turn-based studios out there (Goblinz Studio), the game invites players to build a team and venture through hostile environments. The goal is to revive the Mother Tree Umama by facing dangers, gathering knowledge, and overcoming the meteorological chaos that isolates the Uwando tribes.
Players will recruit specialists for their caravan, explore various regions, survive extreme weather conditions, and strive to ensure the posterity of their people by expanding shelters and planting new tree cities.
Interregnum Chronicles
I introduced it with an overview last week, Interregnum Chronicles: False Prophet is a strategic, turn-based survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world covered in snow. Developed and published by Spacewalkers, this game places players in the midst of a new ice age following an extraterrestrial virus that decimated humanity.
Players must lead a group of survivors, pretending to be a prophesied leader to save a lost child. The game emphasizes tactical combat, resource management, and exploration in a frozen California, challenging players to navigate the hardships of an eternal winter while grappling with moral dilemmas.
Plague Lords
Plague Lords is a turn-based tactical RPG that blends settlement management, strategic combat, and survival elements in a sandbox environment set during the Black Death. Players are tasked with investigating disappearances, managing resources, and building a settlement to fend off a mysterious threat.
Plague Lords emphasizes character development, with soldiers gaining skills through experience, and features a dynamic open world regenerated with each playthrough, offering diverse buildings, professions, and a day-night cycle that influences gameplay. I’m very curious to see this mix where leads when it launches in Q3 2024.
Fretless – The Wrath of Riffson
If, like me, you love JRPG-style combat and pixel graphics, you can’t help but be excited for Fretless—The Wrath of Riffson. This upcoming turn-based RPG revolves around the theme of music. Set to release in 2024, the game lets players embark on an adventure in a whimsical musical world corrupted by the villainous Rick Riffson.
Players will play as Rob, a friendly musician, fighting against Riffson’s goons and monster-instrument hybrids with legendary instruments and powerful musical attacks. The game promises a blend of exploration, strategic combat using musical riffs, and a storyline enriched with musical puns and characters passionate about rock music.
New Arc Line
Up to now, we have been able to see very little gameplay (just what can be glimpsed in the final part of the trailer), but the premises seem really interesting. New Arc Line is a story-rich RPG set in a world where Arcane Magic clashes with the Steampunk Revolution. Players embark on a journey to a new world, making choices that affect their story as they navigate through a society riddled with corruption, inequality, and segregation.
The game offers deep character customization, a choice between mastering technology or magic, and turn-based tactical battles. It emphasizes player agency in shaping the narrative and the world around them. The new arc line must arrive on PC sometime in 2024.
My Familiar
My Familiar is an upcoming turn-based RPG developed and published by Chintzy Ink. It is slated for release in Q4 2025 and features a unique buddy-cop Isekai setting with a mix of noir, comedy, and fantasy elements.
The game stands out for its vibrant pixel graphics and a story-rich experience set in the dystopian city of Wish City. Players can expect a linear adventure (and this is what’s holding me back a bit) filled with quirky characters and turn-based combat.
The Necromancer’s Tale
The Necromancer’s Tale is an upcoming story-rich gothic RPG set to release in Q4 2024. Players delve into dark necromantic arts in an 18th-century setting, using ancient spells to raise undead armies for their cause.
The game emphasizes choices in diplomacy, strategy, and combat, set against a backdrop of a kingdom filled with intrigue and the supernatural. It promises a deep narrative experience with over 150 NPC characters to interact with, all while managing the protagonist’s descent into madness.
Twilight Wars
Twilight Wars is set in a dystopian future where mega-corporations have taken control, making it a cyberpunk-themed dungeon crawler with tactical turn-based combat. As players, you are tasked with reviving the Anonymous Arbitration Agency to fight against corporate dominance.
The game features a unique art style and deep narrative choices that affect gameplay. Players must manage a team of agents, each with unique abilities, to tackle missions that impact the game’s world
Quartet
Quartet is an upcoming turn-based RPG developed and published by Something Classic Games LLC, set to release in 2024. The game weaves together four distinct stories involving train robberies, a mysterious deck of cards, deadly airships, and an accidental mage, which intertwine to reveal a centuries-old conflict that reshaped the world.
Players will control eight characters, deploying four at a time with the ability to swap in reserves, allowing for dynamic combat strategies as characters regenerate AP while in reserve. The game’s pixel graphics and retro style are highlighted among its features.
These are some of my most anticipated turn-based RPGs of 2024; now, let me know yours by joining the Discord server. See you in the next article.
