10 Best RPGs Right Now of 2026

Baldur's Gate 3 takes first place because it gives you more ways to build a character and solve a fight than any other game here. Larian's Steam page lists 12 classes with 46 subclasses, 11 races with 31 subraces, and over 600 spells and actions, all inside a story with over 174 hours of cinematics. Combat follows the D&D 5e ruleset, and you can tune the challenge with three difficulty settings, weighted dice or the hardcore Tactician mode. Up to four people can play online, and the party can split up to chase separate quests. Steam lists a modest 8 GB of RAM as the minimum, though it asks for 150 GB of storage. The trade-offs are a rules system that takes time to learn and a $59.99 price. With a Metascore of 96 in Steam's data and more than 761,000 Steam reviews, it is the safest single answer to which RPG to play now.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the runner-up because it takes classic turn-based battles and adds an active layer on top. Sandfall's Steam page says you dodge, parry and counter in real time, chain combos by learning attack rhythms, and use a free aim system to target weak points. Outside combat you shape each Expeditioner through gear, stats, skills and character synergies, and recruited companions open new ways to travel the World Map. The story follows Gustave, Maelle and the rest of Expedition 33 on a mission to destroy the Paintress. It has the smallest install on the list, with 8 GB of RAM and 55 GB of storage as the Steam minimum, and it was discounted to $39.99 from $49.99 when we checked. Players who dislike timing inputs should note that parrying is part of the design. Its Metascore in Steam's data is 91.

Elden Ring ranks third on the strength of its world and combat. The Steam page describes open fields and huge three-dimensional dungeons connected into one continent, and combat that is simple to learn with hidden depth: you balance attacking and avoiding damage, draw on weapons, spells and summons, and time your moves to exploit weaknesses. You can shape a character for physical fights, spellcasting or stealth by combining weapons, armor, items and magic. The founding mythology was written by George R. R. Martin. Steam lists online co-op and PvP, so friends can join for difficult bosses. Its score for ease of setup is the lowest of the top five because the game expects patience and repeated attempts. The base game costs $59.99, and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is sold separately. Its Metascore in Steam's data is 94.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is the pick for players who want history instead of magic. Steam describes it as a story-driven action RPG with an open world set in 15th century Medieval Europe, seen through the eyes of young Henry. The official site describes realistic real-time combat where skill matters more than luck, and adds crossbows and early firearms to swords and bows. Seven languages have full audio, including English, Czech and Japanese, and three story DLC are out: Brushes with Death, Legacy of the Forge and Mysteria Ecclesiae. It lists 83 Steam achievements and a Metascore of 89. The trade-offs are hardware and patience: the minimum spec is 16 GB of RAM and 100 GB of storage, and the combat takes practice. At $59.99 it sits in the middle of the price range here.

Cyberpunk 2077 is the only sci-fi pick on the list. You play V, a mercenary chasing an implant that holds the key to immortality in Night City. CD PROJEKT RED's site describes skills and perks, upgradeable weapons, hacking and body-enhancing implants, with combat you can play guns blazing, from a distance or by stealth. The Phantom Liberty expansion adds the Dogtown district and a Relic skill tree, and the free Edgerunners 2 Update (2.5) added a Dual Wielding playstyle, cyberware customization and the start of Mod.io support. Steam lists Windows and macOS builds, and the official site promotes a Nintendo Switch 2 version, giving it the widest platform spread here. Its Metascore in Steam's data is 86, lower than the picks above it, and the expansion costs extra on top of $59.99.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is the most structured RPG on the list. It comes from the team behind Persona 3, 4 and 5, and the Steam page describes a royal tournament for the throne after the king's assassination. Combat is turn-based with a blend of real-time action, and Archetype powers let you customize the party. A time management system splits your days: quests, dungeons and treasure hunting by day, and relationships and virtues by night. You ride a gauntlet runner between distant dungeons and towns. ATLUS says it has won 50+ awards, and a free demo carries save data into the full game, which makes it the easiest pick here to try before buying. The minimum RAM is just 6 GB. The downside is price: $69.99 is the top of the range on this list.

The Witcher 3 is the oldest game here, but it is still one of the strongest RPGs you can buy today. CD PROJEKT RED's site says the Remastered edition includes the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions, and recent updates added an overhauled skill tree, revamped combat animations with new finishers and an adaptive camera, Cross Platform Mod Support, transmogrification and an expanded photo mode. You play as Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer for hire, searching for his adopted daughter Ciri. The studio has also announced Songs of the Past, a new expansion with a new region, quests and characters. At $49.99 with two expansions included it is good value, and it lists 12 GB of RAM and 60 GB of SSD storage as the minimum. It ranks below newer games mainly because its systems date from 2015.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth continues the remake trilogy after Cloud and his companions escape Midgar. Square Enix's Steam page calls it a standalone entry, so new players can start here, and it describes a vibrant, expansive world you cross on chocobo. The PC version supports up to 4K resolution and 120 FPS, variable refresh rate and NVIDIA DLSS. Players with Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade save data on the same PC can claim Leviathan and Ramuh summon materia. It costs $49.99, less than most new releases here. The main barriers are hardware and story: it lists 16 GB of RAM and 155 GB of storage as the minimum, the largest install on the list, and its plot is the middle chapter of three. Steam shows no Metascore for it, so we scored it on documented features only.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is the cheapest game on this list at $39.99. Capcom describes a single-player, narrative-driven action RPG in which you choose your Arisen's appearance, vocation and party. Vocations decide whether you fight with swords, bows or magick. The signature system is Pawns: you customize a main Pawn who always travels with you and can recruit up to 2 more Pawns created by other players over the network, so the game feels social without co-op. Monsters can be fought or avoided depending on terrain and party, and townsfolk bring you quests on their own. The Dark Arisen expansion adds the snowy northern region of Norgan and 12 dungeon challenges. It ranks ninth because its feature set is narrower than the picks above, and it lists 16 GB of RAM as the minimum.

The Blood of Dawnwalker is the most recent game here, released on Steam on September 2, 2026. Rebel Wolves sets it in 14th century Europe during the Black Death, as vampires step out of the shadows. You play Coen, human by day and vampire by night, and each form has its own abilities: supernatural vampire skills after dark, sword and magic in daylight. The Steam page says every quest moves time forward, so you must choose whom to help before your family runs out of days. The open world is hand-crafted, with forests, plains, swamps, mountains and medieval settlements, and it is built in Unreal Engine 5. It ranks last because it is new, has no Metascore in Steam's data yet and costs $69.99. Players who want the newest release should still look here first.