10 Best Turn-Based RPGs of 2026

Baldur's Gate 3 ranks first because no other game here gives you as many tactical choices per turn. Larian's Steam page says combat is based on the D&D 5e ruleset, with team-based initiative, advantage and disadvantage, and roll modifiers, plus expanded environmental interactions that reward planning. You build a character from 12 classes and 46 subclasses across 11 races and 31 subraces, then draw on over 600 spells and actions. Seven Origin heroes can join your party or be played directly. Difficulty is flexible: three settings, an option for weighted dice, and Tactician mode for a hardcore run. Up to four people can play online, and Steam lists cross-platform multiplayer and a macOS build. The downsides are the learning curve of D&D rules, a $59.99 price and a very long campaign, with over 174 hours of cinematics. For tactical turn-based play, it sets the bar.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the strongest modern twist on classic turn-based combat on this list. The Steam page describes it as a turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics: you still pick actions in turns, but during enemy attacks you can dodge, parry and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms and aim freely at weak points. Each Expeditioner can be built through gear, stats, skills and character synergies, and recruitable companions open new ways to travel the world map. The setting, inspired by Belle Époque France, follows an expedition sent to stop the Paintress, who erases everyone past a certain age each year. Steam lists adjustable difficulty, which helps if the timing feels hard. It is single-player and Windows only on Steam. Its standard price is $49.99, but it was discounted when we checked, so we have marked the price as pending.

Persona 5 Royal ranks third because its turn-based fights sit inside one of the most complete RPG packages on the list. The Steam page calls it a stylish turn-based RPG with dungeon crawling, party customization, strategic combat and Persona fusion, where you combine collected Personas into stronger ones. You lead the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, a group of Tokyo students who infiltrate the minds of corrupt adults to change their ways. Between dungeons you explore Tokyo, build relationships and customize your own Thieves Den, and the Royal edition adds alternate endings. It also includes over 40 items of earlier DLC and lets you choose Japanese or English voices. The trade-offs: a lot of the game is spent on school life and story rather than fights, it is single-player only, and the Steam version runs on Windows. At $59.99 it is one of the pricier picks, but the content is large.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is the purest tactics game on this list, from the studio that later made Baldur's Gate 3. Larian's Steam page promises deep, tactical, turn-based combat where you use the environment as a weapon, take the high ground and combine elements, for example to electrify water or ignite oil. You draw on over 200 skills in 12 skill schools, and the page warns that the enemy AI is built to be devious. You can play one of six origin characters or create a Human, Lizard, Elf, Dwarf or Undead, and the world reacts to who you are. Up to four players can join online or in local split-screen, and PvP, Game Master mode, a level editor and Steam Workshop extend it further. It scores lower on ease because fights are demanding and the systems take time to learn. At $44.99 with a macOS build, it is excellent value.

Dragon Quest XI S is the friendliest entry point on the list. Square Enix describes classic turn-based battles with a modern twist, simple enough for beginners but with enough depth for hardcore fans, and Steam lists it as playable without timed input. The Definitive Edition adds character-specific scenarios, a choice of original or orchestral music, Japanese voices and a switch between 2D and 3D graphics. It is a standalone story, so you need no series knowledge: you play the Luminary, a reincarnated hero branded a demon by a king, and gather a party of companions drawn by Akira Toriyama. Square Enix says side quests and mini-games add up to well over 100 hours. For veterans, the Draconian Quest settings let you build a harder custom challenge. The trade-off is that battles are less tactical than the CRPG picks here. At $39.99 it is strong value.

Metaphor: ReFantazio takes the structure ATLUS built with Persona and moves it to a fantasy kingdom. The Steam page describes a turn-based combat system blended with real-time action, so you can deal with weak enemies directly before switching to turns for tougher fights. Party customization runs through Archetype powers, which set what each member can do and give you freedom to rebuild the team. The story follows a royal tournament to choose the next monarch after the king's assassination, and a time management system splits days between quests, dungeons and treasure hunting and nights spent building bonds and virtues. You reach distant dungeons in a gauntlet runner. ATLUS says the game has won 50+ awards, and a free demo carries its save data to the full game. The catches are the $69.99 price, the highest here, and calendar pressure that some players find stressful.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is the value pick for players who want classic Square Enix turn-based RPGs. One $29.99 purchase gets both games. In Final Fantasy X you follow Tidus, a star blitzball player, and the summoner Yuna as she tries to save the world of Spira from Sin; Final Fantasy X-2 returns two years later with Yuna as a Sphere Hunter alongside Rikku and Paine. The Steam page says characters, monsters and environments were updated to HD, the music was remastered and rearranged, and International Edition content is included. The PC version adds auto-save and five game boosters, among them high speed and no encounter modes, which make long stretches of exploring and leveling much quicker. Steam lists it as playable without timed input. The limits are its age, partial controller support according to Steam, and visuals that cannot match the newer games here.

Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG inspired by the classics, and Sabotage Studio's Steam page is clear about how it updates them. Pressing the action button in time with an animation raises your damage or reduces what you take, and fights add multi-character combos, boosting and a locks system that lets you interrupt enemies as they charge big attacks. Battles happen where you stand, with no random encounters, separate battle screens or grinding. Outside combat you swim, climb and vault through a pixel-art world, and you can sail, cook, fish or play the tabletop game Wheels. The full adventure can be played by up to three players who drop in and out, including through Steam Remote Play Together. The $34.99 Steam purchase includes the Throes of the Watchmaker add-on. It has less build depth than the bigger games here, but it is one of the easiest to enjoy.

Chrono Trigger is the cheapest way into a landmark RPG, and Square Enix's Steam page credits it to Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama and the creators of Final Fantasy. Combat uses Active Time Battle Version 2: time keeps running, you enter commands when a character's gauge is full, and enemies change position as you decide, so it is more time-sensitive than a pure turn-based game. The depth comes from Tech moves, which characters can combine into over 50 combos for two or three party members. The story sends Crono through the present, the middle ages, the future, prehistory and ancient times. The PC version updates graphics to higher resolution, refreshes the music under composer Yasunori Mitsuda, improves controls for gamepad or keyboard, adds autosave and includes the Dimensional Vortex and Lost Sanctum dungeons. Steam lists only partial controller support. At $14.99, it is hard to beat.

Octopath Traveler II suits players who want classic menu-based fights with a strong job system. You choose one of eight new travelers to start, each with their own origins, motivations and skills, and recruit the rest as you explore Solistia, a land of two continents split by the sea. Square Enix's Steam page says the Break and Boost system returns from the first game, along with the freedom to develop each traveler's jobs and skills, and adds a unique latent power for every traveler that can turn a fight. A new day and night toggle changes towns, characters and the Path Actions you can use, which affects how you gather items and recruit help outside battle. The HD-2D style blends pixel art with 3D. Steam lists it as playable without timed input. It ranks last because $59.99 is steep next to Dragon Quest XI S, and the eight stories can feel separate.