When it comes to looking for games that I know I can easily put 100 hours into, I always return to the best tactical RPGs. It’s a sub-genre that is always waiting to suck me in with detailed systems, fun strategic thinking, and grand stories that feel straight out of the best war movies or fantastical political dramas like Game of Thrones. It’s also a genre that’s packed with gems. However, I’ve found the 10 best RPGs out of the bunch for you to play today.
Below are my top tactical RPGs that primarily focus on battle strategy instead of the element of exploration seen in most of the best turn-based RPGs. While there are crossovers between these two sub-genres, tactical RPGs are centered around combat first and foremost, often involving the indirect control of multiple units and the management of limited resources. I’ve kept that front of mind with all my recommendations below and I’ve included the general vibe you can expect from each (you can learn more about that in our FAQ section).
The best tactical RPGs, starting with…
10. Marvel’s Midnight Suns
Release date: December 2, 2022
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Vibe: Story-driven
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a surprisingly deep turn-based tactical RPG that puts you in control of Earth’s mightiest heroes. Developed by Firaxis Games (aka the minds behind XCOM), the superhero game blew me away with its innovation. It isn’t just about watching MCU heroes in battle; the satisfying combat systems also feature deck-building and social-sim elements that play a big part in meaningful progression.
You play as the customizable hero known as The Hunter, and command a three-person squad of characters that all have their own cards and abilities. You’ll have to think on your feet to best deal with the cards you’re dealt on the battlefield. And, also keep in mind that your heroes don’t take cover, so every turn needs to be purposeful if you want to stay alive. On top of all that, the story is massive, and every character gets a chance to shine. For more information, you can read our Marvel’s Midnight Suns review.
9. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Release date: July 26, 2019
Platform(s): Switch
Vibe: Story-driven
While I could’ve put most of the Fire Emblem games on this list, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the most polished outing and is also a great title for beginners in the tactical RPG space. In this one, you take on the role of a professor for one of the game’s three main houses. It’s up to you to nurture and raise your army before taking them out for a spin during quest, auxiliary, and paralogue battles.
Battlefields are broken into a grid, like a chessboard, and each round will ask you to strategically think about your next move. Unlike other tactical RPGs, the difficulty never feels punishing, and the mechanic Divine Pulse also lets you undo unit actions on the battlefield. However, Fire Emblem: Three Houses can still be challenging, and you’ll often be faced with having to rethink your plans of attack. The depth and scope of this RPG are massive, and I still stand fully in agreement with our 5-star Fire Emblem: Three Houses review.
8. Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
Release date: September 30, 2025
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X
Vibe: Story-driven
This is the latest remaster of Square Enix’s iconic ’90s title, and as we point out in our Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles review, “this seminal tactical RPG has never been better.” Set in the world of Ivalice, the story is essentially a fantastical political drama with heavy themes around class issues during a war.
Fights occur on a grid field where your party attacks enemies within their range. However, you’ll often be outnumbered, so strategic thinking is a must if you want to survive. Status effects are also massive factors that you’ll need to plan for and manage. But what really makes combat shine is the game’s Job system. With every battle, you unlock job points, which you can then invest to unlock abilities from the classes in your party. Mix and matching jobs creates a delightful tactical playground for you to experiment with. All this customization along with a mature story, reminds us why Final Fantasy Tactics stands the test of time.
7. Wasteland 3
Release date: August 28, 2020
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
Vibe: Expect the Unexpected
Wasteland 3 is one of the best CRPGs around and will have you hooked on its tactical squad-based combat in no time at all. This is a post-apocalyptic RPG for any Fallout fans wanting to try out something new, where you lead a group of Desert Rangers on a quest to rebuild society post-nuclear war. Every choice can lead you down wildly different routes as you explore a ravaged Colorado filled with Ronald Reagan-worshipping cults, robot chicken allies, and more.
Combat revolves around six-person teams, and you’ll need to balance all their skills to really get the most out of the gameplay. The turn-based formula does resemble XCOM’s; however, you’ll need to think a bit harder as entire teams take turns instead of the typical initiative deciding attack order. You need to consider things like cover and that racing into battle can be a death sentence. It’s a perfect introduction to tactical combat, and if you need more convincing about playing it, you can read our Wasteland 3 review.
6. Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Release date: November 11, 2022
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Switch
Vibe: Chill Out
Tactics Ogre: Reborn isn’t just a tactical RPG staple; I’d also go so far as to call it one of the best strategy games of all time, too, thanks to all the options you have to consider, as well as some heart-wrenching decisions in your hands. You follow two siblings who are part of a resistance group. However, as political tensions and morally questionable decisions mount, you’ll have to form your own path through the conflict in Valeria.
The main gameplay is similar to other grid-based strategy RPGs; you’ll control your curated small army in battles. Things like movement and abilities are determined by stats, gear, and more. So to thrive, you’ll not only need smart plays but also to carefully manage all the recruits in your care as well. All the options and variables that you can control in Tactics Ogre: Reborn make each tactical encounter uber-satisfying and, in my opinion, even manage to just beat out Final Fantasy Tactics.
5. Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Release date: February 27, 2014
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Switch
Vibe: Chill Out
Shadowrun: Dragonfall gives us cyberpunk aesthetics meshed with some high fantasy elements thanks to the inclusion of the likes of Orcs, Elves, Dragons and more. Your character is a mercenary (aka a Shadowrunner), whose first mission goes very wrong, thrusting them into a team leader role as they pick up the pieces. Straight off the bat, it’s already a unique tactical RPG in the space thanks to its genre-melding, but it really shines in its clean gameplay.
Shadowrun: Dragonfall is an isometric RPG with turn-based combat that uses an action point system for attacks and spells. There’s also a cover system to keep in mind when positioning your team. Combat is intuitive and extremely fun, and thanks to the additional digital fights in the matrix system as well, it also never gets old. The difficulty does spike, so keep that in mind before picking it up, but trust me, Shadowrun: Dragonfall feels like a breath of fresh air.
4. Triangle Strategy
Release date: March 4, 2022
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X
Vibe: Story-driven
Triangle Strategy is a slow-burn tactical RPG that doesn’t shy away from telling a very detailed story. Sure, some people aren’t a fan of all the cutscenes, but personally, I love a good sprawling tale, especially one packed with moreish strategic combat. The game takes place on a fantasy continent called Norzelia, where a war is raging between three reigning territories. You play as the son of the leader of one and will have to navigate with diplomacy and, if necessary, force.
Voting and conviction systems in the game add an extra layer of political drama and thought behind your actions, which I personally love here. And, when it comes to fighting, the HD-2D graphics and classic turn-based formula tickles that JRPG itch that all of us Final Fantasy Tactics fans have. While character development can be better in this massive plot (as we point out in our Triangle Strategy review), Triangle Strategy is still a great strategic battler, and its story is a marvel.
3. Valkyria Chronicles 4
Release date: March 21, 2018
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Vibe: Story-driven
A lot of the tactical JRPGs on this list are classic fantasy affairs. However, Valkyria Chronicles 4 has guns and, most importantly, tanks. Tanks aside, what really makes this game stand out is that its gameplay feels like no other as it uses a mix of turn-based and real-time third-person shooter combat that demands deep thinking as well as aggressive, decisive action.
The story doesn’t require you to play previous games, and it feels straight out of an anime, giving a war tale filled with loss, love, and struggle. What really immerses you in the setting, though, is how the game really gives you an active role. Valkyria Chronicles 4 makes you feel like a commander and seasoned tactician as you survey maps before battles and think multiple turns ahead. And, if you don’t take your opponent seriously, the game isn’t afraid to punish you either. Everything about it works, and bonus points for being able to control tanks.
2. Unicorn Overlord
Release date: March 8, 2024
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X
Vibe: Chill Out
There is a lot of love for Unicorn Overlord on the GamesRadar+ team; in fact, it’s one senior writer’s favorite games of all time. It’s the kind of tactical RPG that keeps you coming back even after finishing its main campaign, thanks to its mechanics crafting the ultimate puzzle box. The more you play it, the more you see how your choices can change things completely, and soon you’ll feel immensely satisfied as you start to intuitively know what your units need in order to succeed.
The game has you following a prince, liberating nations with a rebel army. On your mission, you’ll focus on enlisting, customizing, and commanding units in real-time, 3D, free-roam battles. By grouping squads and assigning a squad leader, you’ll have to face competent enemies and have to manage priorities and skills to come out on top. There is a beautiful web of systems in this title that strategy game veterans will especially love.
1. Divinity: Original Sin 2
Release date: September 14, 2017
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Switch, Xbox Series X
Vibe: Better With Friends
For all you Baldur’s Gate 3 fans, I love that RPG as well, but let’s be honest: in terms of tactical gameplay, Divinity: Original Sin 2 still has it beat. Also developed by Larian Studios, this is an isometric turn-based RPG that employs rules from a proprietary system in its combat. You and your companions all have your own stats and abilities based on class, race and gear choices, which you can then use on the battlefield.
Paying attention to your class and the effects of attacks is important, but what makes Divinity: Original Sin 2 stand out is the elemental interactions in the game. Loot and leveling is also more up to us and chance, versus in BG3, and that makes you have to adapt and think more about your moves in Divinity: Original Sin 2. On top of all that, multiplayer is great in this game, and it’s still my go-to tactical RPG to play with friends. It’s a masterpiece.
Best Tactical RPGs FAQs
How do we decide on a ranking for the best tactical RPGs?
As a longtime player and fan of tactical role-playing, I’ve brought together a host of options that I think reflect the best tactical RPGs currently available right now. These include picks that I’d personally recommend, and as some games within the genre that fellow veteran fans on the team here at GamesRadar+ think are worth highlighting and deserve a spot in our ranking.
Our RPG “Vibes” explained
The RPG Vibes we include in our best list rankings are used as short descriptions of the kind of experience you can expect from any given game in the roundup. While more than one vibe can apply to an RPG, we’ve included the vibe that also best fits the list they’re in. A breakdown of the vibes can be found below:
- Story-driven: RPGs where the story propels your journey forward, with unforgettable companions and impactful choices and consequences.
- Better with Friends: RPGs that can be played solo but thrive with others. These offer the possibility for shared experiences, be that online or locally.
- Quick Play: RPGs that aren’t hard to pick up and play whenever you have the spare time. The perfect choice for busy folks after quick gaming sessions.
- Chill Out: RPGs that let you take things at your own pace, explore, and venture on side-quests if you choose. For those looking for a less demanding and more stress-free time.
- Expect the Unexpected: RPGs where you can get silly and find yourself in novel and very unusual situations. Things can go wrong quickly, but also in very funny directions.
Why do we update our best tactical RPGs ranking?
Here at GamesRadar+, we want to ensure we’re bringing the best games that fit within this genre. That means that we tend to update our rankings in order to take new games into consideration that may deserve a place in this list over an existing entry. We may also update a page if there’s an upcoming release that we think has the potential to change the ranking in the future and we want to highlight it to preface the list. Other times, a ranking may not need to change if there’s nothing new that earns a spot.
How frequently do we update the best tactical RPGs?
We tend to update our rankings on a monthly basis so we can take any recent releases into consideration. Should a game that fits within the genre launch that we think deserves to be included, we’ll carefully deliberate over which existing game it should replace. We may also update a page when a future release we’re excited about is on the way to highlight it to you ahead of time if it relates to the genre we’re ranking.
For more recommendations, head on over to ranking of the best turn-based RPGs.
RPGs,PC Gaming,Xbox Series X,PS5,Nintendo Switch,Nintendo Switch 2,Games,Platforms,Xbox,PlayStation,Nintendo#Tactical #RPGs #play1777219498
