Best Turn Based

Baldur's Gate 3 is a landmark CRPG from Larian Studios, offering an unparalleled Dungeons & Dragons 5e experience. Its deep, reactive narrative branches based on player choices, companion relationships, and dice rolls. Key features include turn-based tactical combat, a vast world to explore, and int...

NetHack is a classic turn-based dungeon crawler developed by the NetHack DevTeam. Released in 1987, it’s renowned for its complex systems of interaction and emergent gameplay, offering unparalleled depth within the roguelike genre. The game challenges players with intricate environments, monsters, a...

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is a real-time strategy game released in 1999. It features 13 medieval civilizations competing for resources and control through town building and army creation. The game includes five historical campaigns alongside various single-player modes and multiplayer supp...

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup is an open source turn-based roguelike game built around tactical tile movement and combat. It’s notable for its deep gameplay mechanics and extensive character customization options within a traditional dungeon crawling experience. The game appeals to players who enjoy stra...

Final Fantasy VII revolutionized the JRPG genre with its groundbreaking 3D graphics (for its time) and a deeply emotional story centered around Cloud Strife and the fight against Shinra Corporation. The games materia system allows for extensive character customization, while its pre-rendered backgro...

Final Fantasy Tactics is a 1997 tactical role-playing game developed for PlayStation. It introduces Ramza Beoulve, a cadet embroiled in “The Lion War,” a conflict between rival noble factions vying for control of a kingdom. The game’s narrative unfolds within the fictional world of Ivalice, marking...

Brogue Community Edition is a turn-based dungeon crawler presented in ASCII graphics. It’s a maintained version of the original Brogue roguelike game, benefiting from ongoing community updates and improvements. The game offers a traditional roguelike experience with strategic combat and exploration...

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a critically acclaimed CRPG from Larian Studios that emphasizes tactical turn-based combat and immense player creativity. Its combat system is built around environmental interaction and elemental synergies, allowing for countless strategic combinations. The game features...

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth continues the acclaimed remake project, expanding the world and deepening the narrative. With stunning visuals, a refined combat system, and a vast open world to explore, Rebirth offers a truly immersive JRPG experience. The game retains the core elements of the original...

Cogmind is a turn-based roguelike game where players control combat robots exploring procedurally generated sci-fi dungeons. Its unique gameplay centers around meticulously collecting and modifying robot parts to create diverse builds. The dense terminal interface provides detailed information about...

UFO: Enemy Unknown is a strategy game developed in 1994 by Mythos Games. Players manage an international organization, X-COM, tasked with defending Earth against an alien invasion through turn-based tactical missions and strategic base management. The game combines real-time simulation elements with...

Often cited as one of the best orchéstral JRPGs ever made, Final Fantasy X features a linear but deeply emotional journey. Its Active Time Battle system provides a perfect balance between strategy and pace. The game's focus on character growth and its iconic soundtrack continue to make it a must-pla...

Brogue is a turn-based roguelike game developed by Brian Walker. It presents a challenging dungeon experience through strictly single-character graphics utilizing refined ASCII art. The game’s minimalist design and traditional roguelike mechanics appeal to players who appreciate strategic depth and...

Widely regarded as the pinnacle of the series, Dragon Quest XI S combines breathtaking visuals with a sprawling, emotional narrative. It features a refined turn-based combat system and massive exploration areas. The 'S' edition adds essential quality-of-life features like fast travel and auto-battle...

Angband Vanilla represents a foundational turn-based roguelike experience rooted in J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium. Players navigate a complex dungeon environment, battling monsters and accumulating power to ultimately confront Morgoth across one hundred levels. This classic variant is favored by thos...

Advance Wars: Dual Strike is a turn-based strategy game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. Released in 2005 across various regions including Japan, North America, Europe, and Australia, it serves as the third title within the Advance Wars series. The game...

Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM) is a classic turn-based roguelike developed in 1994 by Thomas Biskup. It’s recognized as a foundational title within the genre and notable for its richly detailed Ancardia world. The game offers deep strategic gameplay, challenging players to explore dungeons, battl...

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness was a 1995 real-time strategy game developed by Blizzard Entertainment for PC platforms. It followed Warcraft: Orcs & Humans and received positive reviews, leading to an expansion pack, Beyond the Dark Portal, released in 1996. A later edition integrated online gaming...

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is a 1992 role-playing game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix for the Super Famicom. It serves as the fifth main entry within the Dragon Quest series, notable for being the first without initial localization in North America. The game’s developmen...

EarthBound is a 1994 role-playing game developed by Ape Inc. and HAL Laboratory for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game centers on Ness and his companions as they journey across a world to gather melodies and confront the antagonist, Giygas. It’s the second installment in the Mother se...

A love letter to the orignal Final Fantasy games, IX blends traditional fantasy tropes with a unique, whimsical orchéstral atmosphere. It features a deep turn-based system and a cast of characters that feel like they stepped out of a fairy tale. It remains one of the most charming and complete exper...

Slice & Dice is a turn-based strategy roguelike where players manage a party of heroes using dice rolls. Each hero’s unique abilities are linked to specific die faces, creating dynamic combat scenarios. The game's notable complexity comes from strategically assigning these abilities and adapting to...

Shiren the Wanderer is a challenging turn-based roguelike game developed by Chunsoft. This 1995 title established the core Mystery Dungeon series with its intricate dungeon exploration and permadeath mechanics. Players control Shiren as he navigates dangerous fantasy environments, battling monsters...

The game that defined the roguelike deckbuilding genre. Players choose one of four unique characters, each with their own card pool, and ascend a spire of procedurally generated combats, events, and merchants. The strategic depth comes from building a synergistic deck on the fly, managing resources,...

Invisible, Inc. is a challenging turn-based strategy game where players control a covert operative infiltrating hostile corporations. The game’s procedural generation creates unique mission layouts and enemy encounters ensuring high replayability. It's designed for tactical thinkers who enjoy strate...

Monster Train is a strategy roguelike where players build and deploy decks of cards to defend a moving locomotive against waves of enemies. The game’s unique structure – battling across stacked train levels – creates a challenging turn-based experience. It's designed for players who enjoy deckbuildi...

Sil-Q is a turn-based roguelike inspired by the classic Sil, a Tolkien-themed dungeon crawler. It’s notable for substantial revisions to the original game's mechanics including skill systems and late-game design improvements. The project caters to players who appreciate traditional roguelike gamepla...

Rise of Nations is a 2003 real-time strategy video game created by Big Huge Games. It combines elements of turn-based strategy with real-time gameplay, spanning from ancient times to the modern era across eighteen civilizations. The game incorporates features like territory control and attrition inf...

Fallout 2 is a 1998 role-playing game set in 2241, eighty years after the initial Fallout. The player controls the grandchild of the original protagonist, embarking on a mission to protect a settlement along the American West Coast. Gameplay mechanics and graphics are similar to its predecessor, fol...