For decades, turn based RPG games were the baseline for what a roleplaying title is, but the 3D era has introduced a new method of combatting your foes. Now, turn based RPGs are largely dismissed as relics of a bygone era, what with them being slow and methodical, rather than arcadey and fast-paced. They just seemed too retro for modern audiences, and yet, in 2025, the genre is thriving yet again.
Massive RPG hits like game of the year contender Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, or smaller titles such as Sabotage Studio’s Chained Echoes or even Sea of Stars, are yet again pulling huge numbers and prove inadvertently that turn based systems that deliberate combat and a more strategic approach are anything but dead yet. It’s a renaissance that literally nobody saw coming, but the more choices we have as die-hard RPG fans, the better, right?
Best Turn Based RPG Games
The biggest reason for this resurgence is the innovation of the genre. Having spoken of Clair Obscur, it’s the best example. The added real-time inputs might not be revolutionary, since even the Mario RPG did it before, but it’s a criminally underused feature that just works in this instance.
Sea of Stars integrated exploration and puzzle-solving into its combat flow, effectively blurring the lines between dungeon navigation and getting into it with your enemies. That’s innovation that cannot be denied, and the blending of old and new is what makes these games stand out. Sure, some games have flashier combat, but that’s not really what you want if you like to spend hours crafting your perfect build.
This is proof that good pacing doesn’t equal boredom when the systems underneath are deep enough.
Storytelling in RPGs is Important Again
We all know it, action RPGs often lean into cinematic flair and rarely have any substance – which is a shame. Why not combine the two?
Turn based RPG games still excel where it matters most, however; storytelling. The slower pace naturally gives room for dialogue, world-building, and character development to breathe. Games like Octopath Traveler II and Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes are packed with sprawling narratives, emotional arcs, and layered party dynamics that pull players in over dozens of hours, which inevitably makes you connect to your band of misfits even more.
It’s this focus on writing that’s helped the genre reclaim its identity. Players aren’t just fighting monsters for the sake of it; they’re unpacking moral dilemmas, political intrigue, and interpersonal drama. There’s a sense of connection that’s often lost in the fast-cut storytelling of real-time action titles – and that’s why this resurgence of great turn-based RPGs is so refreshing.
