What to Play If You Love Mercenary Simulator RPGs and What’s on the Horizon
Without a doubt, Battle Brothers is one of my all-time favorite games. I’ve poured countless hours into it, though I can’t say my results were anywhere near good. But honestly, the more I got my party wiped, the more hooked I became.
My love for Overhype Studios‘ masterpiece (now they’re working on MENACE) pushed me to look around for alternatives—games that capture a similar core idea and mechanics while still offering something fresh. There’s just something about the brutal tactical combat and the high-stakes decision-making in Battle Brothers that keeps me searching for more of that same experience.
In this article, I’ll offer some recommendations on what to play among the many titles already available that closely capture the essence of Battle Brothers. Plus, I’ll give a quick rundown of a few interesting projects currently in development.
What is Battle Brothers?
Before diving in, it’s only right to give a quick intro to Battle Brothers for anyone who hasn’t played or heard of it yet. It’s a strategy RPG where you take control of a mercenary company, trying to build fame and fortune in a cold, unforgiving medieval world. You start by choosing the origin of your company from several options, and from there, you’re thrown into a procedurally generated world. Your tasks range from taking on contracts, trading, and boosting your reputation to venturing out in search of epic loot and gear.
Throughout your journey, you’ll face a slew of dangers—bandits, werewolves, orcs, goblins, and even rival mercenary companies. Combat plays out on grid-based maps with varying elevation levels, adding layers of tactical depth. But the game’s real challenge lies in its relentless and unforgiving nature—what I’d call “Brutal, unforgiving, and sometimes unfair.” strange as it may sound, that’s a compliment here. Even though the game keeps knocking you down, you’ll find yourself craving more, determined to land that knockout blow yourself finally.
You’ll grow attached to every single mercenary in your company. These recruits start as simple peasants but can evolve into battle-hardened killing machines—assuming they don’t get decapitated by an orc along the way. Managing their stats and traits is key, as you’ll need to tailor their development to their individual strengths and weaknesses. In short, if you haven’t played Battle Brothers yet, it’s an absolute must-try for anyone who loves turn-based tactical combat with high stakes.
Top Strategy RPG Games Like Battle Brothers
Now, if you’re one of those who have played (and are still playing) what can best be described as one of the best Mercenary Simulator RPGs ever, and you’re looking for something new, here are a few alternatives that, in my opinion, come closest to capturing that same spirit. These games share similar mechanics, tactical depth, and that same brutal charm that makes Battle Brothers so addictive.
Urtuk: The Desolation
One of the older titles worth checking out is Urtuk: The Desolation. Developed by David Kaleta, this RPG shares a lot of similarities with Battle Brothers, putting you in control of Urtuk as he leads his desperate escape. Along the way, you’ll need to recruit new companions and complete quests to survive in this harsh world.
The combat system takes place on hexagonal grid maps, filled with environmental elements that can either be used to your advantage or turned against you. Beyond gaining experience in battle, your units can learn new abilities by extracting them from defeated enemies or by executing specific maneuvers during fights.
The game’s dark, survivalist tone aligns perfectly with its brutal, unforgiving combat, creating a world full of moral ambiguity and constant danger. If you enjoy high-stakes tactical battles, Urtuk is definitely one to try.
Vagrus: The Riven Realms
Let’s move on to Vagrus: The Riven Realms. While it differs slightly in terms of pure combat mechanics—in Battle Brothers, combat is tactical and takes place on grid-based maps—in this RPG from Lost Pilgrims Studio, battles are more linear and feature a classic turn-based system reminiscent of Darkest Dungeon.
However, Vagrus excels in other areas. It offers a massive, lore-rich world where, as a vagrus (the leader of a caravan), you’ll explore an open world, trade goods, accept quests, and encounter a wide variety of events. Its world-building is deeply immersive, and the art style is both gorgeous and highly inspired.
If you’re looking for something to scratch that same itch Battle Brothers does, while offering a unique twist, I highly recommend giving Vagrus a shot—either as your next game or even as a perfect lead-up to BB.
Wartales
Released in 2023, Wartales is probably one of the closest games to Battle Brothers in terms of core concept, even though it’s slightly less sandbox-focused. Developed by Shiro Games (known for Dune: Spice Wars, Evoland, and Northgard), this strategy RPG lets you freely roam the map, but most of the quests tie into the main storyline. That said, you’ll still be managing a mercenary band—keeping them fed, alive, and thriving.
The game features a robust progression system, not only for individual mercenaries but for the entire company. As you gather points, you can improve your company’s overall capabilities, which adds depth to how you develop your group over time. The combat system is also a standout—tactically rich and highly satisfying. And the graphical style? Easily one of the best on this list.
What sets Wartales apart is that there’s less procedural generation, meaning that in many cases, you have the freedom to tackle quests in different ways, affecting future outcomes. This design choice makes it one of the best alternatives to BB today, offering a slightly more structured but still deeply rewarding mercenary experience.
The Iron Oath
One of my personal favorites is definitely The Iron Oath. This fantasy RPG, developed by Curious Panda Games, may suffer a bit from repetitiveness, but it still delivers some intriguing mechanics. You’ve got free exploration of the world, dungeon crawling, and a tactical combat system on grid-based maps where you can leverage the environment to your advantage.
In The Iron Oath, you’ll manage a mercenary company that, after recovering from a devastating betrayal, sets out to seek revenge and survive in a world filled with fantasy creatures. Procedural generation plays a big role here, affecting everything from cities— which can grow or collapse—to random encounters and the outcomes of your choices, which influence how various factions perceive you.
A unique aspect of this strategy game is the passage of time, which directly impacts your mercenaries. As they age, their performance on the battlefield declines, and if they’re not permanently killed before, they will eventually retire. This forces you to regularly recruit fresh blood, who can be trained under the guidance of your seasoned veterans, maintaining a balanced roster.
And when it comes to visuals, The Iron Oath truly shines. The pixel art is magnificent, in my opinion, with beautifully designed monsters and game elements that really bring the dark, gritty fantasy world to life. If you’re into tactical RPGs with a mercenary theme, this one’s definitely worth playing!
Gobs And Gods
One of the latest titles to embrace the “go where you want, do what you want to survive” formula is Gobs and Gods. As you can see from the screenshot, the art style feels straight out of South Park, which is a deliberate choice to set the tone of this strategy RPG. It never takes itself too seriously but manages to offer surprising depth.
In the game, you play as a kind of deity who descends to the world to guide a group of goblins across the game’s map. You’ll embark on quests that often border on the absurd, and the combat takes place on grid-based maps. A standout feature is the ability to switch between real-time and turn-based combat.
This flexibility is especially useful when you need to cover long distances to engage enemies or when you’re trying to retreat from a tough fight.
Glorious Companions
Let’s wrap things up with a game still in Early Access but making significant strides: Glorious Companions. A few days ago, it launched a new demo showcasing its progress.
Much like Battle Brothers, it follows a similar structure but adds a twist with two factions to choose from and a variety of soldier classes to develop. Procedurally generated quests and points of interest keep the experience fresh.
Glorious Companions is steadily improving, with consistent updates and new content being added to prep for its full release, which is expected around December 2024.
Most Promising Upcoming Games Inspired By Battle Brothers
Here’s a brief look at some upcoming titles that could be a perfect follow-up to the path paved by Battle Brothers. Many of these games have been announced only recently, so no release dates are available yet. Add them to your wishlist and patiently wait for updates!
The first game to highlight is Sand Nomads. As the name suggests, you’ll lead a group of nomads across the planet Eldo, battling alien creatures and uncovering ancient artifacts. Expect procedurally generated maps and events, permadeath, survival elements, trading, and tactical combat on grid-based maps—all wrapped in a visually pleasing art style. Since the game’s announcement in April 2024, there have been no further updates.
Another exciting title in development is Fangs & Forges, set in a medieval fantasy world filled with points of interest, cities, and plenty of activities. The game boasts an elegant, well-crafted art style, and the characters are represented by cards that engage in battles on hexagonal grid maps. With a wide variety of items and weapons to discover, character progression, and factions to interact with, this is another solid title to watch for. While an Early Access release is planned, no details have been shared about the timing yet.
One strategy game I’ve been keeping a close eye on in this niche genre is Band of Crusaders. While it’s technically an RTwP (real-time with pause), it shares many of the core mechanics seen in Battle Brothers but is set in a dark medieval fantasy world steeped in European folklore and biblical demons.
Demonic forces will slowly overrun the game world, and you, along with your band of crusaders, must survive while also carving out a reputation among the various factions. No release date has been announced yet, but it’s definitely one to watch if you enjoy tactical combat and grim settings.
Lastly, we have the most recent announcement from the developers of Fell Seal (a tactical RPG inspired by Final Fantasy Tactics). Their new project, Pathbreakers: Roaming Blades, is set in a fantasy world but incorporates mercenary simulation mechanics.
You’ll choose an “origin” for your company, which influences how you’ll grow your band, which factions are more likely to ally with you, and what types of activities will be most profitable. It’s shaping up to be a fascinating blend of strategy and role-playing, perfect for fans of mercenary management with a tactical edge.
Exploration, trading, a robust dungeon system, and grid-based hexagonal combat—there’s a lot to look forward to. I’m planning to have a chat with the developers soon to dig into more details, so stay tuned for updates.
And with that, I wrap up this article dedicated to all the Strategy RPGs that channel the Battle Brothers spirit in one way or another. Let me know your thoughts by reaching out on X, subscribing to the YouTube channel, or joining our awesome Discord community filled with fellow turn-based games enthusiasts and developers. Ciao
