In my weekend roundup, we’ll take a look at every single RPG and strategy game that made its debut in any playable form.
During the week straddling September and October 2025, several major, high-quality releases hit the scene, accompanied by a wave of new demos for equally noteworthy titles. The result is an article packed with fresh ideas and plenty of new games worth checking out.
Obviously, we have to open with Final Fantasy Tactics and its polished-up remake. Many players, including myself, are indeed dreaming of a completely new entry in the series, but for now, a modernized version with plenty of technical upgrades will suffice.
The remake is called The Ivalice Chronicles and launched on September 30 for PC via Steam, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox.
It offers two ways to dive into Ivalice: a classic mode that feels like playing the original PlayStation release, and a modernized mode. Needless to say, critics and players are all happy with what Square Enix delivered, except me, since I haven’t had the chance to play it yet.
On a similar hype level, this week also saw the release of the playable demo for the new strategy game from the Battle Brothers developers. I’m talking about MENACE, a sci-fi setting with plenty of intriguing ideas on the table.
The demo gives just a taste of the combat system, leaving the strategic management layer aside. I got to try it, and my first impression was positive.
It feels like it has the same ruthless edge as their previous title, where every bad move gets punished with the harshest consequences. In any case, a playable demo is available, allowing you to experience it firsthand. Additionally, Overhype Studios has announced an Early Access launch window for February 2026 on PC via Steam.
The other heavy hitter this week is the new entry in the Digimon series, titled Story Time Stranger.
This time, we’ll be hopping through time, altering events and consequences with a roster of potentially 450+ Digimon to deploy, manage, and evolve.
The combat system sticks fairly close to the classic template, but lets you field multiple monsters simultaneously and build team synergies.
It’s a series I’ve tended to overlook, but with Pokémon recently shifting toward real-time mechanics, it might be the right moment to give this chapter some attention. In any case, both players and the press have responded positively. The game is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Another demo that completely flew under my radar, and that I only just noticed while putting this article together, is Mechanicus II. The second entry in a well-loved Warhammer 40K strategy series dropped a demo out of nowhere, and I’m downloading it as we speak.
Looks like the demo lets you play the prologues for both the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Necrons, switching between cog-chanting tech-priests and their servitors to ancient metal legions in skirmishes that emphasize abilities, positioning, and deliberate target priority.
It still layers tactical combat over light strategic management, but the real hook is commanding two asymmetric factions within the same slice, an elegant way to set tone, stakes, and tools before the full campaign. There’s no release date yet, so this demo is absolutely worth checking out.
From the folks at Artificer, who previously worked on the intriguing Showgunners, comes a strategy roguelite that’s arguably more of a puzzler, but it’s ridiculously fun and super stylish, putting you in the role of the minotaur, and it’s called Minos.
The game was announced with a demo already available, where you can try a handful of scenarios and get a feel for the mechanics that give you control over the labyrinths. It’s up to you to decide how to structure them, influence adventurers’ paths, and drop them into your traps.
You’ll have a hefty arsenal to let your imagination run wild, and after trying it myself, I can’t help but recommend it. Here you’ll find a bit more info if you want to dig deeper.
I told you this week would be ruled by demos, and I also said they’d be worth it, since they’re tied to some very promising games. Case in point: NORSE: Oath of Blood, a title I’ve been following for a while that throws us straight into Viking life and its brutal era.
It’s a mix of strategy, survival management, and tactical combat, and it’s looking very promising so far. I can’t share many details yet since I only got my demo key last night, but I’ll be diving in over the next few hours.
The full release is expected sometime in 2025. In the meantime, please try the demo and let me know your thoughts.
The last one on the list is another intriguing RPG that I’ll be trying soon, and featuring on my YouTube channel for a first look: Aether & Iron.
The setting is absolutely fascinating. Thanks to some kind of anti-gravity technology, we find ourselves in a 1930s New York, floating among the clouds.
The game blends choice-driven storytelling with a combat system centered on car battles, and I’m really curious to see how it all comes together. The demo offers a good glimpse of what to expect.
That’s everything new to play this week. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments or on my social media pages; you know where to find me. See you next week. Ciao
