2024 isn’t even half over yet, and there are already tons of great turn-based games to play. Whether you’re looking for a brand-new title like Anomaly Collapse or have games like Rogue Trader or Shattered Heaven still waiting from last year, there’s no shortage of fun, adventure, and challenge to be had.
Today, I want to introduce fifteen of our favorite recent indie RPGs. Do you prefer to spend dozens of hours in a CRPG, or attempt several runs in a roguelite? Whatever your taste, one of these could be your new favorite for 2024. Let us know which ones you’ve played in the comments below!
The Thaumaturge
The early 20th century makes a fascinating setting for a game, with the world in the midst of enormous changes. Add creepy demonic spirits called salutors and mystical conspiracies into the mix, and you’ve got a fantastic RPG tale in the making.
As one of the few who can bind and command salutors, you’ll find yourself caught up in dangerous events that could decide the fate of Warsaw and beyond. The Thaumaturge is a great pick for RPG fans, especially if you like your games with a touch of the macabre.
Shattered Heaven
While we’re all waiting for Slay The Spire 2, Shattered Heaven is a great way to keep your deck-building skills sharp. Each of your three party members gets their own deck, focused on their unique mechanics, allowing for even more combo potential as you find the build that works best for you.
Beyond its gameplay, Shattered Heaven has a dark fantasy setting brought to life by beautiful character art and haunting backgrounds. There’s also a free demo to try, and the game is on sale until 22 April!
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is the full CRPG package. Exploring the planets of the Koronus Expanse, getting to know your party members, and forging your legacy as the heir to a dynasty blend with excellent tactical combat that makes the Warhammer franchise proud.
Rogue Trader puts you in charge of entire planets, with millions of workers, soldiers, and ships working unseen under you. It’s a level of personal power that few protagonists get to enjoy during their game, so if you liked ruling in Pathfinder: Kingmaker, you’ll want to have a seat on the Lord Captain’s throne.
Anomaly Collapse
The Few-days-ago released Post-apocalyptic RPG Anomaly Collapse is Darkest Dungeon meets Cult Of The Lamb, pitting cute anthropomorphic mercenaries against mutated supernatural horrors. The game’s single-lane, positional combat challenges you to push hazards, block important spaces, and corner your opponents.
Anomaly Collapse offers eight playable characters with whom to build your team and hundreds of monsters to face in battle. This game would make a great animated series – check it out and see what we mean!
Broken Roads
Broken Roads is a heartfelt RPG in the vein of classic Fallout, set in Western Australia after a nuclear war. Its gameplay is as simple as RPGs go, but that just lets you appreciate the setting and characters without getting bogged down in min-maxing minutiae.
Your choices place your character on the game’s unique Moral Compass, which not only defines their life philosophy and how others react, but also grants unique skills in combat. It’s also one of the only games we can think of where you get to fight giant mutated koalas. Check out our review.
Terra Memoria
With its blend of 3D backgrounds and character sprites, Terra Memoria evokes the golden age of PS1 RPGs. Not only will you get to explore a world of magic and robots, solving puzzles and winning battles, but you’ll also get to build a cozy camp for your party to return to after a day of adventuring.
If you’re looking for an RPG with plenty of heart that won’t break the bank, Terra Memoria is a great choice. The soundtrack and artbook are also available, either separately or as part of the deluxe edition bundle.
Goblin Stone
In this adorable roguelite by Orc Chop Games, you’ll lead a band of goblins seeking a new home after being nearly wiped out by adventurers. In between turn-based battles, get to slowly develop the goblins’ lair and breed your little green heroes to create a bloodline able to stand up to any threats.
Goblin Stone has fun, cartoony visuals but a sometimes harsh world. Goblins that fall in battle are gone for good, and you may need to sacrifice some for the good of the tribe. It has plenty of build options, enemies, and regions to keep you coming back.
Zoria: Age of Shattering
Zoria is a combat-focused tactical RPG that can scratch your fantasy itch, especially if you’re looking for a game that lets you play around with builds and combos. With base building, exploration, and even followers that you can send on missions of their own, Zoria offers plenty to do.
While Zoria might not have the deeply personal storytelling of Baldur’s Gate 3, its high-powered fantasy battles have lots to offer. Create and customize your team, then set out for adventure!
Pixel Noir
Pixel Noir is a hardboiled mystery in a dark and dreary near-future city. As a private eye with a haunted past, you’ll deal with ruthless criminals and crooked cops in your search for answers.
Pixel Noir is more than just a detective story, though; it offers combo-driven turn-based battles where you’ll need timing and help from your allies to fight off the many threats of Pinnacle City. Try it if you’re looking for a JRPG that’s different from the usual sci-fi/fantasy blend.
Archaelund
Imagine first-person exploration in the style of Skyrim, but when battle is joined the perspective switches to tactical battles like those in Baldur’s Gate. That’s what 4 Dimension Games is going for with their early-access title, Archaelund.
Combining elements from two of the most influential RPGs of all time is certainly ambitious, and the devs are rising to the challenge. The game’s career-based leveling system focuses on giving you more options than simply making your party stronger, so fighting smart is the way to go.
Legends of Amberland II: The Song of Trees
Of course, if you want some real old-school first-person exploration, it’s hard to find a more faithful recreation of this lost form of RPG than Legends Of Amberland. Like its predecessor, Legends Of Amberland 2 is a nostalgia trip for fans of Might & Magic or Ultima.
With a party of seven, you’ll venture forth into a large open world, assisted by modern quality-of-life improvements like quick combat and fast travel. It’s also designed to work on older machines, making it a great choice if you’re overdue for an upgrade.
Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game
Colony Ship offers a challenging, hardcore CRPG experience in a deliciously dangerous sci-fi setting. The titular vessel was launched to bring human colonists to Proxima Centauri at slower-than-light speeds; a journey measured in centuries. As one of the descendants of the original crew, your character and everyone else you meet was born and will die aboard the ship.
Exploring the vessel and getting to know the society that’s evolved within its hull lets you immerse yourself in the game’s setting, and the combat and character development are crunchy enough to satisfy fans who like to earn their victories. How will your actions shape the destiny of the Colony Ship?
Inkbound
If you played Monster Train, you probably don’t need any convincing to try Shiny Shoe’s new game, Inkbound. The devs have turned their expertise to turn-based tactical battles with free movement and an option for multiplayer co-op.
As the guardians of the Atheneum, a repository of every story ever written, you’ll enter the worlds within the library’s books to defeat monsters and restore balance. Whether you’re going in solo or with up to three other players, Inkbound has tons of classes to unlock, items to find, and abilities to draft, making it one of 2024’s standout roguelite experiences.
Felvidek
Felvidek is a solo project that’s already found its way to Overwhelmingly Positive review on Steam in just a few short weeks. Set in medieval Slovakia, it puts you in the role of Pavel, a drunken knight seeking to drive out invaders.
Felvidek‘s stylized look, simple but challenging battles, and storytelling position it as a cult classic in the making. While it’s not yet verified on Steam Deck, players are reporting that it works fine on the platform, making it a good choice for gaming on the go.
Subterrain: Mines of Titan
The sequel to 2016’s Subterrain takes players even further from Earth, increasing the stakes in another story of desperate sci-fi survival. Waking up from stasis in an abandoned mine filled with twisted mutants, you’ll have to craft and fight for your life as you try to find a way off the doomed moon.
Subterrain: Mines Of Titan uses time as an adversary just as deadly as the monsters – taking too long can cause you to miss opportunities or even pass a point of no return as the mines grow closer to collapse. This is a game that could certainly require a few tries to manage a win.
