I already know which name will jump out at many of you this month: Final Fantasy Resonance. A new turn-based Final Fantasy with HD-2D visuals and a return to a turn-based combat system is enough to get my attention, but I wouldn’t want the rest of October’s lineup to get lost behind it.
We also have Frosthaven reaching its full release and the first two Octopath Traveler games arriving on Nintendo Switch 2 in the West. Those are some substantial adventures competing for our time before we even get to the smaller projects.
For this month’s selection, I’ve included new games, console ports, and an Early Access graduation, with the dates referring specifically to the versions listed below. Let’s go through them in release order.
Octopath Traveler & Octopath Traveler II
- Release date: October 1, 2026
- Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 – Western release
- Developers: Square Enix and Acquire
- Official website: Octopath Traveler
Two big names start off this month, but in a specific form for the Nintendo Switch 2. If you missed them, both Octopath Traveler games let you pick one of the main protagonists at the start of the game, then add the remaining travelers to your party and follow each of their unique storylines.
Each character’s development also involves choosing which job they will have (as well as what skills they can use), while the Path Action allows your party members to express themselves individually when interacting with the environment outside battle.
The fights are where most of the fun happens. The Break/Boost system encourages you to identify the weak points of your enemies’ weapons and elements, break down their defenses, and determine when to utilize the points that you’ve been collecting throughout the fight.
As native Switch 2 titles, they offer higher resolution and frame rates; however, for returning fans, there are some major caveats. There is no update from the original Switch version to the Switch 2 edition, so your current saved progress won’t transfer.
Havoc Heirs
- Release date: October 1, 2026
- Platform: PC – Steam
- Developer: Jay Sugarman
- Steam page: Havoc Heirs
Havoc Heirs allows players to explore the Lands of Marana, a dark fantasy world comprising four geographically connected continents.
Players may select from six classes for their characters and develop them using weapons, rings, and blessings. The game has a unique aspect to its gameplay: a supernatural corruption system called “Psychosis” that affects all creatures in the world and will eventually affect the player’s character.
As long as you stay in the wilderness, you’ll remain exposed to the risk of corruption. When you light campfires to recover your character’s health, they will also restore your sanity and remove your psychosis, so you have a constant factor to weigh whether or not to proceed with continuing exploration or returning to a safer location. This is what I find myself most interested in.
You can also make decisions throughout the game that impact the fate of Marana and its inhabitants. The soundtrack takes a different route as well, offering over 50 tracks ranging from acoustic music to heavy metal. I think this one should be considered.
Ward Off Evil
- Release date: October 12, 2026
- Platform: PC – Steam
- Developer: Terminal Zero
- Steam page: Ward Off Evil
The apocalypse is approaching in Ward Off Evil, and saving the world is only one possible response. This open-world strategy RPG casts you as a Guide, leading an army through a sword-and-sorcery setting as the current Cycle nears its end. Your decisions can help avert that catastrophe or contribute to bringing it about.
You choose a tribal background and develop your character through skills, passive perks, and otherworldly powers. Army recruitment draws from several factions, with creatures and summoned beings adding further options. Battles use tactical, turn-based combat, and Relics can alter the rules, giving you something else to consider alongside the composition of your forces.
There is plenty happening outside those encounters, too. You can take mercenary contracts, trade as a caravaneer, explore dungeons, and develop relationships with different factions. The freedom to decide what kind of expedition you are leading is what interests me here, especially with reputation and multiple endings giving those choices a longer-term direction. A Steam demo is already available.
Frosthaven
- Release date: October 15, 2026
- Platforms: PC – Steam and Epic Games Store
- Developer: Snapshot Games
- Release type: Version 1.0 – Leaving Early Access
- Steam page: Frosthaven
If you’ve been waiting until after the campaign has ended to start playing Frosthaven on PC, now’s your time. This will mark the end of Early Access for Snapshot Game‘s digital conversion of the popular tabletop strategy board game. The new version (version 1.0) will conclude the overall storyline and increase the total number of playable characters to 17.
Although the campaign can be played solo, it can also be played cooperatively with up to three other players online. Therefore, you have multiple ways to make decisions either alone or through input from others.
You’re also responsible for managing the development of your base settlement at Frosthaven. Building and improving structures at Frosthaven will unlock additional items/features, while seasonal changes throughout the campaign add a secondary layer to your adventure’s overall progress. In addition to progressing your characters and completing each scenario individually, you’ll advance your base at Frosthaven.
Additional features in the full release include customizable house rules, a lore codex, and enhancements to both the introductory experience and cooperative networking. At the same time as the full release, a free “Road to Frosthaven” demo will also be released.
Final Fantasy Resonance
- Release date: October 22, 2026
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2
- Developers: Square Enix and Lancarse
- Steam page: Final Fantasy Resonance
Final Fantasy Resonance revisits the opening story of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, bringing Rain, Lasswell, and Fina into an HD-2D RPG for PC and consoles.
Combat focuses on exploiting weaknesses, staggering enemies, and using the resulting opportunities to gain additional turns and unleash Resonance attacks.
Party customization also involves Visions, echoes of familiar Final Fantasy heroes that can be equipped to grant abilities. These provide another way to adjust what a character can do in battle, with recognizable faces serving a mechanical purpose beyond their appearance. Outside the main story, activities include the Colosseum and Chamber of Arms, along with optional challenges involving figures such as Gilgamesh.
A free demo is already available, covering the first chapter, with progress that carries over to the full game. That is a useful amount of time to get acquainted with the cast and battle system before the October release, especially for anyone whose curiosity begins with the Final Fantasy name but who knows little about Brave Exvius.
Back to the Dawn
- Release date: October 22, 2026
- Platform: PlayStation 5 – New console port
- Developer: Metal Head Games
- PS5 publisher: Clouded Leopard Entertainment
- Store page: Back to the Dawn on PlayStation Store
BACK TO THE DAWN arrives on PS5 and takes you into the world of roleplaying in a prison through prisoner relationships and an escape plan. The two main characters are both prisoners, but each has their own reason for ending up in jail.
Thomas was a Fox reporter who ended up in jail for digging too deep into a conspiracy. Bob (a Panther) is a police officer undercover in jail. These two stories create two very different views of the jail, the other prisoners, and how one escapes.
You can create your character as a fighter, thief, or talker. Your character may need to make friends with the other prisoners. They may have to deal with gang violence. Your character may also want to gather information to help them escape. As well, there are many things your character can do to create tools needed for the escape. Your escape plan may require knowledge of what areas of the prison are safe for you, where you might find ways to escape based on your skills, and whether you have enough inmate support.
Back to the Dawn now has a demo that allows you to play the first part of Thomas’s story (through day two).
MMA Tactics – Martial Arts
- Release date: October 28, 2026
- Platforms: PC and macOS – Steam
- Developer: The Slanted Room
- Steam page: MMA Tactics – Martial Arts
We are leaving the fantasy settings behind for this one. MMA Tactics – Martial Arts puts you in charge of a fight gym, recruiting athletes, developing their attributes, and preparing them for turn-based bouts.
Fighters have different strengths, weaknesses, personalities, and potential, while more than 125 perks give you options for shaping their individual styles.
You can manage fights turn by turn or use automatic battles, with additional strategies unlocked through quests and changes possible between rounds. Outside the cage, earnings can improve your training facilities as you work toward taking fighters from underground competition to championship success.
There are longer-term complications to account for, including aging, injuries, and even permanent death. Those details make me curious about how the game handles roster development over time. There is also a demo available.
Into the Crypt
- Release date: October 29, 2026
- Platform: PC – Steam
- Developer: Megaglope Studios
- Steam page: Into the Crypt
Into the Crypt is a roguelite deck builder with a first-person perspective. Cards are used for things other than fighting. In addition to hitting your enemy, cards let you manipulate the world around you (e.g., opening doors). It was the combination of the deck and the dungeon that I liked most about this game.
Each class adds unique mechanics. The berserker uses his fury resources as a limit; some cards require you to be at a certain resource threshold. The alchemist has to collect resources (ingredients) and then brew potions during battles. Each class adds another layer of management to the cards drawn into its hand.
There is procedural generation for both the map and the items within it, along with many possible encounters. There are over 200 cards and items that contribute to what happens from one run to the next. In addition to playing alone, you can play online with someone else in cooperative mode.
This allows coordination with other players to work together with your class’s abilities. A demo is currently available on Steam, so you can try out how the first-person dungeon exploration, combined with a turn-based deck-builder experience, will feel before purchasing the full version.
What Are You Playing This October?
That is my selection of new releases for October 2026. Final Fantasy Resonance has my attention, but I’m also curious about some of the less familiar names here. Let me know which of these you are planning to play, and whether there is another release that deserves a place on our radar.
