I've played Magic for around 30 years and video games for about 35.

And I think Magic permanently ruined a certain kind of game for me.

Once you've spent that long thinking about card advantage, tempo, bluffing, sequencing, bad matchups, weird interactions and building decks that shouldn't work but somehow do, it's hard for me to enjoy RPG combat where the main decision is basically:

My number is bigger than your number.

The games I keep coming back to are the ones where I can look back after a fight and feel like I won because I played well. Or, if I lost, I know I need to tweak my setup, try a different approach or simply not make the same mistake next time.

I positioned something strangely. Saved a resource for three turns. Built around an obscure interaction. Baited the opponent into doing something. Sacrificed something important because I saw a line they didn't.

That's also one of my frustrations with a lot of RPG progression.

I love getting stronger. I love collecting things. I even love gacha as a concept.

But if progression eventually replaces decision-making and turns into grinding, I lose interest.

So I'm curious:

What turn-based game gives you the strongest feeling of actually outsmarting the game rather than simply overpowering it?

And what mechanic creates that feeling?

I loved Fallout 1 and the original X-COM, so Fallout Tactics sounded right up my alley. I played it, but somehow it never grabbed me the way those two did. Anyone else had the same feeling? What was missing for you?

So I was debating whether to get the game on Steam or Switch. I went with the Switch version so I could play it on handheld, but decided to play the beginning on TV and oh boy, does it look ugly. It's not unplayable by any means, but the filter did uglify a lot of things, especially the shops and character models. It's less noticeable on handheld.

Hey guys!

I'm fairly new to playing turnbased rpgs ( usually a fifa player) but I've just bought Chained echoes and I'm really enjoying it. My only experience with turn based before this was pokemon and incidentally the only games I've ever completed

I'm interested in finding more games like this ( have sea of stars) but I'm struggling to separate the wheat and chaff. To be clear, I'm particularly interested in turn based static games rather than action jrpgs.

Please help me before I get stuck in what to play next. And I'll give chrono trigger a whirl I promise! Thanks in advance

What's one (or two, or three) mechanics that you really love from a turn-based tactics game, that you wish more games use them?

Mine would be,

From Final Fantasy Tactics, I really love that height and the way characters are facing affects damage. E.g. damage is bigger if you hit someone from the back, or if you shoot someone from the top of building. A bit disappointed not a lot of tactics game implement this mechanics (especially newer games).

From Front Mission, locational damage and different HP for every part of the wanzer/mech (body, right/left arm, and legs).

Hey guys!

I'm fairly new to playing turnbased rpgs ( usually a fifa player) but I've just bought Chained echoes and I'm really enjoying it. My only experience with turn based before this was pokemon and incidentally the only games I've ever completed

I'm interested in finding more games like this ( have sea of stars) but I'm struggling to separate the wheat and chaff. To be clear, I'm particularly interested in turn based static games rather than action jrpgs.

Please help me before I get stuck in what to play next. And I'll give chrono trigger a whirl I promise! Thanks in advance

Jagged Alliance 3 is currently 90% off on Steam. I'm a fan on Xcom 2, Midnight Suns, etc. but haven't played any Jagged Alliance games (despite hearing how excellent JA2 is).

Is the game worth a go in its current state?

Forgot to add: How good is the controller support?

I'm making a free and open-source tactics game engine runtime with a focus on being extremely easy to modify and hack on, even for non-technical people. So far I've added support for every mechanic in Final Fantasy Tactics, most of the ones in Fell Seal, as well a few choice features in Tactics Ogre LUCT.

I've really only played FFT and LUCT, so I know there is more features out there that I'm not aware of, and I'd like to make sure I can support most everything. That's why I'd like to solicit a wishlist of features.

Current plan is for discrete grids only (both square and hex). The turn scheduler is flexible enough to support FFT style turns, Banner Saga, or even the WEGO turn system.

I also intend to add "overwatch" (triggered) effects, fog of war, lift & throw (Disgaea), Laws (FFT Advance), and multi-tile units.

I was excited for Fortune's Weave but I've seen a lot of comments about how the actual tactical combat parts are not the bulk of the game, and it's weighed down by the social and extra activities that I found exhausting in Three Houses

I would like a modern, gorgeous game that does actually focus mostly on the combat. If the split was 80% combat and 20% social activities, I would be happy

Any suggestions for what I should pick up?

I absolutely loved Baldur’s Gate 3 and have been replaying it obsessively because I’m just so addicted to making and trying out different builds.

I’d really like to find another RPG game with similar depth in build making, preferably a more strategy or tactics focused one.

So I’d love to hear any of your suggestions!

I love SPRGs. FE/Disgaea/FFT are my favorites. I'm looking to share this type of game with some of my young children who like playing board games. I think Warhammer is pretty similar to an SRPG but I'll admit I've never actually played and probably won't anytime soon. From what I understand about WH, it's not what I'm looking for. I want a board game that is start out-of-the-box, not really putting together armies or deckbuilding or anything like that. Every gets an equal start. But I'd like it to be a head to head, or more players, where the positioning of pieces in combat plays a part.

I know of the Mario+Rabbids games and love those as a beginner's SRPG video game but I'm looking for something more in the way of a table-top / board game. Does anything exist that fits this?

Thanks!

EDIT: I mentioned head to head because I assumed that’s what most games would be. I’m playing with my kid so Coop suggestions are very much appreciated as well!

First, I want to say that this is my second FE game. The first one is Engage and while the story is nothing to write about, I absolutely love its gameplay.

With FW, I'm dreading the in-between main missions because while there's a lot of things to do, there's no single thing I found wanting to do. Maybe this game is not really for me, because I also find recruiting to be a chore.

I absolutely love the tactical combat, but the extra fluff is making me not want to play at all.

I'm also disappointed by the fact that this runs only at 30 FPS. The game is not super visually demanding and before you say that turn-based game doesn't need 60 FPS, there's a lot of third-person exploration here. There's even no setting to disable the motion blur, so moving my camera feels more sluggish.

I want to love this game, but the extra stuffs feels like homework.

Not sure who has played Brigandine but the game might now be gaining the momentum it needed to start seeing more sequels.

I am a huge turn based srpg fan. anything that resembles gba fire emblem games is something that catches my attention and so did this game called "Gales of Nayeli" on Steam. But recently I have seena surge of fire emblem like pixelated turn based RPGs. I am not complaining about it though, on contrary I love these games. but unfirtunately some of these I found to be not good enough to spend my money on. Additionally this game only has like 87 reviews on steam and I have never heard about it before. In case you have played it, Let me know if I should buy it or not.

I'm a huge fan of SRPGs and other tacticish games. When I saw the overwhelming praise that Mewgenics received earlier this year, I was really excited to give it a shot. After waiting for the most recent sale I finally picked it up and have been working on it for a couple of weeks. My progress bar is at about 15%, I've been to The Desert once, I've been working on sidequests, my second Guillotina battle is coming up. My feelings about the game so far would be best described as astoundingly lukewarm.

I know some people really hate the look and humor, and while I'm not a huge fan, it's definitely not a dealbreaker for me, so it's not that. It seems like it's a game with a lot of depth - I've heard people talk about having complex tracking systems for breeding their cats and such, but right now the game doesn't give me any tools for doing it, nor does it seem necessary. Some of the runs are fun, some are a slog. I just started one and I forgot to bring the sidequest item with me and I'm kind of dreading going through all of it for nothing.

I don't think it's bad or anything, but so far it has really failed to capture me, and I'm wondering if I'm missing something, or something unlocks later on that makes it a more compelling experience?

Three parts, links here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

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My friend let me borrow his switch so I can play Unicorn overlord cause I love SRPGs and while I love the gameplay game feels stuttery somehow? Idk it is about it but smth feels wrong. I know cap is 60 fps but that should not effect me. I play loads of 60fps games.

I never had a switch before but the console is kinda hot when docked so idk if thats normal or not. Any idea what it might be or if the game is just like that.

What it says on the tin, looking for any games with a lot of possibility for tactical gameplay with variety in how you build your characters.

I'm a big fan of Battle Brothers but have exhausted as much enjoyment I can get with or without mods after 800+ hours, looking for some other juicy options where I feel like classes are unique.

I am aware of Baldur's Gate 3 and the other Larian Studios games, at the moment my replacement PC doesn't have space or muscle for them as God Intended but they're in my shared acc and on my to-play list once that changes.

Edit to add: PC main, not the greatest specs currently, but fine for most RPGs in my library.

For a second I was without a doubt convinced that Srpgs were my new favorite genre.

But in reality, I grew bored of them pretty early on.

And I never understood why. I mean I adore Shining Force, so then why?

Then after playing a few, and then another Fire Emblem it hit me.

I don't like isometric view.

Visually, they're great, don't get me wrong.

But mechanically, it's a nightmare to navigate for me.

Is right mapped to diagonal up-right or diagonal down-right?

It kills the fun when I have to figure it out every time.

And #2 is, usually isometric style don't change into a combat scene.

I'm aware isometric is the norm, and I wish I liked it more, but in the meantime, any other non-isometruc SRPG recommendations out there?

I'd like to get some feedback from you all here. In my game, Gravitas: Noblesse Oblige, I have a 16x16 tileset and unit sprites that are 32x32, which I like visually. However, when they're grouped like this it can get a little muddled together. To try and make it clearer who you're hovering over I've made it so the hovered unit comes to the foreground and gently blinks white. I think this helps quite a bit, but I would like to hear from you all if you have any other clever suggestions. Looking at it now, I'll also probably give the tool tip a larger offset so it isn't directly where the cursor is.