Skill checks, branching narratives, deep character customization, an isometric view, and, of course, turn-based combat. Those are some hallmarks of CRPGs (the Baldur’s Gate type of RPG). Here’s my list of 10 of the most interesting ones coming out in 2027.
This is the sort of RPG where you can spend the first few hours just sitting around creating your character. Some people will go for the classic big strong brute who can smash just about anything but is utterly useless at actually talking to an NPC. Others will go for the complete opposite, a character who is a complete pro at talking and can talk their way out of just about any situation, or indeed just talk their way right past an enemy in combat altogether. There are also those who want a little bit of both. Of course you can’t forget the purely cosmetic aspect of character creation either as we all know there are a whole load of people who take their character’s looks extremely seriously.
Well, almost all the games on the list have that level of customization; the others have their place through branching narrative, player-driven choices, or combat. So if you’re looking for some decent upcoming isometric RPGs, I think I’ve got a few that are worth your attention.
A quick note on the calendar: these are games to follow through 2027 and beyond. Some have announced 2027 launches, others are working toward Early Access or version 1.0, and several have yet to receive a release window. Each entry includes its current status.
UnderRail 2: Infusion
Back underground for the sequel to one of the most acclaimed indie CRPGs.
It’s at the top of the list because it’s also very high on my personal wishlist. Stygian Software is taking us back down under again this time as a scavenger searching for useful tech and ending up in the hidden city of Solidon. UnderRail 2: Infusion is very much about interacting with the world beneath the surface: the NPCs have schedules, the creatures can move between areas and there are computer networks that you can use to access information and to manipulate machinery and security systems.
Weapon stances and special attacks, of course, and you can go into all sorts of detail with crafting to build your weapons, tweak your armor and play with various materials. It’s due for a PC release in early access, though no date has been confirmed at this stage.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy
A new chapter in the Warhammer universe, with a strong emphasis on investigation.
Owlcat is back with a Warhammer 40k CRPG which is very much investigation at its heart. You start off as an acolyte, and you’re out in the Calixis sector investigating, interrogating suspects, and putting together the pieces of the conspiracy, all the while having to deal with the various internal wrangles of the Inquisition itself.
Your warband is a mix of different folk, with a Catachan Guardsman and a Kroot mercenary among the ranks. In turn-based battles, you’ll be looking at the vulnerabilities of the various characters and morale as key factors, while the investigative systems are what will give the campaign its pace as you work out what the evidence means and how far you’re going to go with a suspected threat. A very attractive setup for a CRPG really, but no confirmed release date as well.
Solasta II
An RPG with one of the strongest character-building systems out there.
For the person who enjoys the character-building aspect of tabletop RPGs, the one I mention in the intro, Solasta II is very much on the cards. Tactical Adventures have a custom party of four adventurers in the middle of a campaign using the SRD 5.2 ruleset (so all the familiar class abilities, prepared spells, dice rolls etc). They’re off to Neokos as a family connection is the reason they’re involved in the Shadwyn situation.
Exploration is another aspect of the sequel’s pitch, with the option of either staying in the well-trodden paths or going off the beaten track. The full version will finish the main story, take the level cap all the way up to 10, and expand the range of classes, ancestries, quests, and locations.
This is the one for the player who is happy to spend an evening just thinking about their party before they actually do anything on the map, and it’s already out on PC Early Access from 12th March 2026, with the dev aiming for around a year in Early Access, so a 1.0 in 2027 is the plan.
Gods With Badges
A badge, a bodycam, and difficult decisions on the streets of Scarhelm.
One of the most recent games I’ve covered on TBL is Gods With Badges, which I talked about just a few days ago and, of course, it’s also one of the titles I’m most looking forward to. Strange Scaffold is working on this narrative tactics game with its mix of dialogue choices, character consequences, and isometric battles. You play Harrow McClellan, a disgraced officer returning to an earlier posting in the dystopian city of Scarhelm.
You can decide how to deal with a suspect, but when diplomacy is useless, you engage in grid-based tactical battles where you have cover, you have equipment, you have hostage rescues, and you have the use of lethal force. But the coolest mechanic is the possibility to disable the body camera of our main hero, which opens up a whole new set of dialogue and tactical options.
The project is taking material from Artificer’s canceled Hard Justice and giving it a new narrative steer through Strange Scaffold; 2027 should be the release year.
Starfinder: Afterlight
Magic, technology, and a crew of misfits facing a galactic crisis.
Nezt stop is Starfinder: Afterlight which is a very different take on sci-fi, blending advanced technology with magic and a cast of companions from the Paizo tabletop world. You’re sent out into the Pact Worlds after your captain goes missing, with an even bigger threat to the galaxy at play, making it a rather inconvenient scenario.
Combat uses a three-action system featuring a flexible framework for movement, attacks, and class abilities. The planned roster will include Soldiers, Mystics, Solarians and a range of other tabletop classes, with your relationships and faction choices feeding into the branching narrative.
The full campaign is intended to be three acts long with six recruitable companions. Early Access will initially be focused on Act 1 with a smaller selection of character options. Definitely one to keep an eye on, with a PC release planned for Q1 2027.
Glasshouse
A triple murder turns an apartment lockdown into a political pressure cooker.
This might be the most unusual game on the list, both in terms of its combat system and its setting. An apartment building under lockdown is the setting for Glasshouse, FLAT28’s politically charged CRPG about a triple murder, a war on the horizon and the residents caught in between. You play Wealdmaer, the deputy for Dorm 73B, attempting to investigate the murders whilst having to deal with the people in the building.
Character development is based on the Political Compass, with the five ideologies having an effect on your dialogue and the way you go about things with other residents. Combat is a mix of using improvised weapons and the opportunity to talk opponents into giving in. Alongside physical damage there’s a Threat Bar which is affected by conversation, giving the ability to persuade a very tangible mechanical role in the course of a fight.
Books are a source of knowledge for crafting and the story employs a theatrical narrator and internal monologue. The whole thing has the feel of a very particular premise with its tight space, political identities and personal conflict. There’s a demo available that I highly recommend checking out while we wait for the Kickstarter campaign, which is set to launch in 2027. As for the full game, there’s a slim chance we might get to play it that same year.
Shadow of the Road
Ronin and yokai in a feudal, steam-powered Japan.
Speaking of original settings, Shadow of the Road certainly doesn’t disappoint, taking us to 1868 Japan, where civil war is fought not only between rival factions but also against supernatural creatures and steam-powered machines. Two ronin, Satoru and Akira, are given a mission to protect a boy whose powers are both very dangerous and completely out of control. As the story unfolds, more people join the group.
Party relationships are a huge part of the experience. Your personal motivations and the bonds you have with your party will have a direct impact on your encounters. Your story choices can see relationships strengthened, friendships broken and the trajectory of a character’s life completely altered.
Turn-based combat sees the abilities of your party members combined against a variety of enemies (yokai and mechanical in particular). There’s a playable demo available here, too, and it gives you a pretty good idea of what Another Angle Games has put together. The game already has a confirmed release date, with its PC launch scheduled for March 10, 2027.
Revenge of the Firstborn
Classic tabletop rules, mounted combat, and the secrets of imprisoned immortals.
The last three isometric RPGs on my list are lesser-known projects that have probably flown under your radar until now. But hey, that’s what TBL and I are here for. Revenge of the Firstborn is likely to be of interest to those players who like to get into the nitty-gritty of a tabletop ruleset.
Sawtooth Games are taking the classic 3.5 SRD and adapting it for a party adventure, with mounted combat being one of the more unusual features with lots of spells and monster types.
The story is about the immortal beings who were imprisoned after defying the gods by creating life. You go in to investigate their history and determine whether their power is something to be used or something to be feared. Exploration can lead you to things you simply can’t do at the moment, and there’s an Endless Dungeon mode which gives you procedurally generated floors and a survival run all the way to level 20. Either in the main campaign or in that additional mode there’s definitely a hook for the player who wants to see just what their characters can do. The game is expected for PC, probably in 2027 with a demo already available.
Crux Diaries RPG
The search for a missing brother leads through a country on the brink of civil war.
A search for a missing brother brings you back to a homeland on the brink of civil war in Crux Diaries RPG. Kravtology’s setting is very much rooted in Eastern European history and the demise of the authoritarian state. You’ve got criminal gangs, you’ve got political factions, you’ve got the general population all trying to build a future in the face of that instability.
The game promises branching stories driven by dialogue, your skills and your decisions. You can go down the diplomatic route, you can go in with force, you can support one faction or another or indeed you can just try and get the hell out of there. This one definitely gives off some classic Fallout vibes, although I haven’t heard any news about the game in quite a while. I’m hoping for a 2027 release, but in the meantime, you know what to do: hit that wishlist button. Thanks!
Last Solace
One final mercenary contract in an empire coming apart.
I’ll finish off with Last Solace, another one of the projects I’ve recently been featuring on these pages. Just looking at the screenshots, it immediately brings to mind Divinity, or at least that’s the impression I get. You have a classless progression system, so you can mix and match abilities and weapons as you like, and another mechanic involves maintaining your armor.
You’re leading a mercenary party to one final contract, traversing battle-scarred battlefields and wilderness, exploring the ruins and infiltrating various settlements en route. The choices you make as to who you ally with and how you deal with the various encounters are designed to yield different outcomes.
There are also plans for a very small number of very long, multi-phase boss fights. I think all the right ingredients are here for a genuinely interesting project that’s definitely worth keeping an eye on. And that wraps up my top 10 most promising upcoming turn-based isometric RPGs for 2027. Let me know which of these has your attention, and which upcoming CRPG deserves a place on the next list. Wish you the best. Ciao
