Top 20 Underrated Turn-Based RPGs To Play In 2026

Hidden gems and overlooked RPGs that deserve a spot in your 2026 backlog

Here’s a list of turn-based RPGs that, for one reason or another, may have never received the attention they truly deserve.

We live in a world where new video games launch every day. Literally. It’s not possible to play every single game, and that’s okay. However, the sheer volume of games that enter the media landscape at such a constant rate means that genuinely good games get missed.

Maybe they don’t show up in your queue, maybe you just happen to be offline for the two days or so before the almighty algorithm moves on to the next thing, or maybe a game is just way better than it looks. In any case, if you like turn-based RPGs and missed out on these titles from the last decade or so, be sure to give them a second look, they all deserve it.

Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children

• Developer: Dandylion
• Release Date: 23 April, 2020
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
• Steam Page

This Korean tactical RPG checks all the boxes for deep, squad-based gameplay. Imagine the worldbuilding and characters of Fire Emblem and Persona with the synergies and tactical combat of XCOM and Final Fantasy Tactics, with quality to match, and you’ve got an idea of what to expect from this dystopian tale.

Despite being able to stand alongside the greats of the genre, Troubleshooter got almost zero mainstream coverage.

Admittedly, it’s far from casual, so you need to be committed if you want to see it all the way to the end, but if you’re the type to pour 100+ hours into a single RPG and get lost in optimization or theorycrafting, you don’t want to miss this one.

Urtuk: The Desolation

• Developer: David Kaleta
• Release Date: 27 February, 2021
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
• Steam Page

This grim, low-fantasy tactics game is a bit like Battle Brothers in a creepy, ruined world. Positioning is key as you’ll have to manage height and knockbacks to seize the advantage in Urtuk’spunishing combat… and when your party takes damage, you’ll likely have individual body part injuries to contend with.

Urtuk‘s hand-drawn visuals will pull you in right away, but the difficulty has probably scared off its fair share of players.

Take the time to learn the ropes, though, and you’ll find a great survival campaign that most people never even saw, made all the more impressive by the fact that it the whole thing was made by one person.

Wildermyth

• Developer: Worldwalker Games
• Release Date: 15 June, 2021
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
• Steam Page

If you’ve been around Turn Based Lovers for a while, you’ve probably heard about Wildermyth; we love this narrative-driven tactical game around these parts.

On each run, your characters can age, retire, and become legends in their own right, inspiring the would-be heroes of your next run, weaving together the overall mythos of the world you create.

Despite being beloved by critics, Wildermyth came and went, flying under the radar for many strategy fans. All you need to do is look at the Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam, though, to know that just about everybody who plays this living bit of folklore falls head-over-heels in love with it.

Star Renegades

• Developer: Massive Damage, Inc.
• Release Date: 8 September, 2020
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
• Steam Page

You haven’t seen pixel art until you’ve seen the gorgeous dimension-hopping world of Star Renegades.

This roguelite uses interrupts and combos to drive its timeline-based combat, all gloriously depicted in some of the most jaw-dropping pixel graphics we’ve ever seen, with an eye-catching color palette to boot!

Star Renegades has a small cult audience, but let’s face it – there are a lot of roguelikes out there. This one didn’t get the long-term visibility it deserved, but there’s nothing stopping you from trying it now!

Tenderfoot Tactics

• Developer: Kevin Maxon, Michael Bell, Isa Hutchinson, Taylor Thomas, Zoe Vartanian, Madison Pathe
• Release Date: 21 October, 2020
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, Xbox, Switch
• Steam Page

Tenderfoot Tactics puts you in command of a party of goblins in a mystical archipelago, seeking to fight back a deadly Fog while surviving against the dangers of the world. Your goblin magic lets you alter the terrain, creating chasms, mountains, and fires, but it’s very easy for your manipulation of nature to spiral out of control

With its minimalist UI and weird, atmospheric tone, Tenderfoot Tactics might have scared off some players looking for something a bit more familiar. Its systems are very clever, though, and its open-ended exploration lets you immerse yourself in its strange world between thoughtful tactical battles.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar

• Developer: Airship Syndicate
• Release Date: 3 October, 2017
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Android, iOS
• Steam Page

If the name Battle Chasers sounds familiar but you can’t place where you know it from, it was a comic that started back in 1998. Nightwar isn’t just any spinoff, either – developer Airship Syndicate was founded by series creator Joe Madureira, making it about as authentic to the source material as it’s possible to get.

Even if you never read the comic, Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a gem of a dungeon crawler, with six unique heroes to build your party from. It’s also gorgeous, as befitting of a game made by a comic book artist. Battle Chasers might be a cult series, but it’s never too late to join.

Blackguards 1 & 2

• Developer: Daedalic Entertainment
• Release Date: 22 January, 2014
• Platform: Windows, Mac
• Steam Page

Believe it or not, fantasy wasn’t always grim and gritty. When the first Blackguards game launched, a band of criminal misfits saving the world was a unique twist on genre conventions, rather than the norm. Not only where they ahead of the curve but Daedalic also delivered enough tactical punch to merit a sequel, which launched the following year.

The games aren’t perfect, and they can be a bit clunky; they are over a decade old, after all. They’re more interesting, mechanically speaking, than their reputation gives them credit for. They are also, as it happens, on sale for 99 cents each until 30 January on Steam, a price that makes it easy to overlook any flaws you might find.

Telepath Tactics

• Developer: Sinister Design
• Release Date: 16 April, 2015
• Platform: Windows
• Steam Page

Inspired by Fire Emblem, Telepath Tactics infuses the classic SRPG gameplay with the power to push, pull, and throw units around the battlefield, along with important environmental factors like rocks, water, and lava. Perhaps more importantly, the scenario design uses those elements brilliantly, making each battle just as much about the terrain as it is about the soldiers.

Almost nobody talks about this game, but if you’re a fan of grid-based combat and are looking for a chance to really flex your tactical muscles, Telepath Tactics is a real winner. There’s also a 2022 remake, Telepath Tactics Liberated, which not only includes a lot of improvements but also has a built-in campaign creator.

Ash Of Gods: Redemption

• Developer: AurumDust
• Release Date: 23 March, 2018
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Android, iOS
• Steam Page

With its hand-drawn arty style and isometric tactical battles, Ash of Gods clearly draws inspiration from The Banner Saga. With its roguelite story driven by moral choices, it offers a tailored experience where the tale can carry on even if the protagonist dies.

In other words, Ash of Gods has a lot going for it, but it never got the same foothold as The Banner Saga. Its dice-free combat is tough but fair, so if you’re looking for a challenge (and a good-looking one at that), this could be a solid pick you may not have noticed before.

The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos

• Developer: Artefacts Studio
• Release Date: 17 September, 2020
• Platform: Windows, Mac, PlayStation, Switch
• Steam Page

Naheulbeuk started as a French audio comedy series – think Shrek meets Critical Role – and The Amulet of Chaos brings the madcap parody world to life. The game and its expansions don’t just lampoon classic fantasy tropes, but rather execute them surprisingly well, offering challenges and laughs in equal measure.

The comedy wrapper of The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos may have caused more serious gamers to give it a miss, but you aren’t doing yourself any favors if you ignore this one at a glance.

The turn-based combat and buildcraft are both quite sharp, and the game’s Nightmare Mode has enough difficulty to give even the most hardened tactician a run for their money.

Horizon’s Gate, Voidspire Tactics, Kingsvein

• Developer: Rad Codex
• Release Date: 2 November, 2015
• Platform: Windows
• Steam Page

Rad Codex has established its own brand of open-ended, retro-inspired RPGs over the last decade or so, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Imagine a classic SNES RPG with the freedom of a Bethesda title, both in terms of exploration and character customization; that’s the kind of work you can expect from this ambitious indie developer. Their deep tactical combat is the icing on the cake.

Old-school retro nostalgia isn’t for everyone, but if you like an immersive world or rock-solid grid fights, Rad Codex is a team worth checking out. Their most recent title, Kingsvein, has a neat dark aesthetic that’s different from their previous fare too, making it a great jumping-on point if you’ve seen their games around but haven’t quite been convinced to take the plunge just yet.

Colony Ship

• Developer: Iron Tower Studio
• Release Date: 9 November, 2023
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
• Steam Page

Speaking of immersion, this post-Earth roleplaying game is a great way for fans of dark sci-fi to pass the time between Rogue Trader and Dark Heresy.

Humanity has sent a voyage to another world, and you’re on board… but you’ll never see the destination. The game takes place entirely on board the titular Colony Ship, where generations of humans will be born, live, and die as it travels through deep space at slower-than-light speeds.

Not only does Colony Ship offer a fascinating (if perhaps pessimistic) look at the society that’s evolved within the confines of the ship, but it lets you explore, interact with, and possibly even decide the fate of the only home the denizens will ever know. If you loved the aforementioned Warhammer RPGs or the older Shadowrun Returns titles, don’t let Colony Ship pass out of your orbit.

• Developer: White Pond Games
• Release Date: 10 December, 2024
• Platform: Windows
• Steam Page

A grittier Project Zomboid with old-school bonafides and solid visuals, Urban Strife tests your ability to survive a zombie apocalypse. This tactical post-apocalyptic sim includes combat, stealth, and base building, all just in early access.

Obviously, we’d need to see the finished product before rendering judgment, but with its attention to detail (including simulated ballistics in combat), Urban Strife could end up rivaling Zomboid… if people hear about it. Otherwise, 1.0 could go unnoticed and underrated when the time comes.

Crown Trick

• Developer: NEXT Studios
• Release Date: 16 October, 2020
• Platform: Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
• Steam Page

Slick, stylish, and often ignored, Crown Trick blends real-time and turn-based elements. Time only moves when you act; if you’re standing still, so does everything else, but once you start to take action, the environment changes around you, and enemies continue their maneuvers.

Planning ahead and learning the rules of the world are both essential in this clever game, making it as much a puzzler as it is a tactical challenge. It gets overlooked far too often, but Steam has it on sale for just $4.99 until 2 February, so now is a great time to see what you’ve been missing.

Encased: a sCI-fI pOST-aPOCALYPTIC rpg

• Developer: Dark Crystal Games
• Release Date: 7 September, 2021
• Platform: Windows
• Steam Page

A good CRPG is one of the most immersive narrative experiences available in gaming, but unless there’s a major name attached to it, it often finds itself launched into complete silence.

So it was with Encased, a title reminiscent of the classic Fallout games with a ’70s retro-futurist vibe and a mysterious corporate-controlled dome in the middle of the desert.

Your class in this dome-locked sci-fi world is determined by your role within the CRONUS Corporation, but as you might expect from a game like this, you’ll go from an ordinary corporate drone to the center of the world’s events. Between turn-based combat, crafting, and, of course, plenty of roleplaying, you’ll have your hands full with this adventure.

Stygian: Reign Of The Old Ones

• Developer: Cultic Games
• Release Date: 26 September, 2019
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
• Steam Page

Stygian isn’t just inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft; it’s set directly in the world of the Cthulhu Mythos. It’s got everything you’d expect from a trip to the fictional town of Arkham: sanity loss for your party members, bleak outcomes for you, and crunchy combat for the cosmic horrors you’ll be facing.

Despite recognizable settings and characters, solid gameplay, and a good grasp of the source material, Stygian never found a wide audience. It does serve as a great intro to Lovecraft’s work, though, without the more problematic elements of his writing.

Hard West 1 & 2

• Developer: CreativeForge Games, Ice Code Games
• Release Date: 18 November, 2015
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Switch
• Steam Page

The Hard West games are best described as “Weird West XCOM,” and that particular combination works even better than it sounds. With your posse of gunslingers, spellcasters, undead, and other desperadoes, you’ll beat the odds in shootouts across a frontier full of dark magic and folklore.

Between its push-your-luck mechanics and poker-themed character progression, not to mention stellar gameplay, the series has a lot going for it. It’s far from mainstream, especially compared to its overall quality, so if you’re looking for an underground winner, the Hard West games are the fastest gun this side of the Mississippi.

Expeditions: Viking, Expeditions: Rome

• Developer: Logic Artists
• Release Date: 27 April, 2017
• Platform: Windows
• Steam Page

If you’re a history buff, you definitely don’t want to miss out on the Expeditions games. These CRPGs put you in charge of a Viking clan and a Roman legion, respectively, and send you across the known world in campaigns of intrigue and warfare full of important decisions to be made.

Not only have the developers done a wonderful job of bringing the historical settings to life, but the combat and encounter design are very smart as well.

They’ll have you thinking like an iron-age general by the end of the story. It’s honestly a surprise how modest a footprint the Expeditions games have left compared to how good they are.

Reverie Knights Tactics

• Developer: 40 Giants Entertainment
• Release Date: 25 January, 2022
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
• Steam Page

This Brazilian title features some lovely comic book-style art, and everything is hand-drawn right down to the tactical encounters.

The grid-based battles can get puzzly at times, but the progression for your small squad of four heroes lets you get to know their abilities and personalities in such a way that by the later chapters, you can set up some very cool combos.

As often happens with smaller titles, Reverie Knights Tactics was quietly buried under bigger releases. If you’re looking for a short-but-not-too-short tactical game, it’s well worth circling back to give this one a go.

Miasma Chronicles

• Developer: The Bearded Ladies
• Release Date: 23 May, 2023
• Platform: Windows, PlayStation, Xbox
• Steam Page

If you like strategy RPGs, you’ve probably heard of Mutant Year Zero. If you haven’t heard of the developers’ follow-up title, Miasma Chronicles… well, now you have! Like its predecessor, Miasma Chronicles has engrossing exploration and combat, all tied together with the kind of high-end visuals you don’t often see in tactical games.

This post-apocalyptic tale puts you in the shoes of a young man and his robotic companion, journeying across the wasteland to unlock the secret of the Miasma that tore the world apart. It’s the kind of game that you’ll play and wonder, “how did I miss this?”