The RPG is one of the longest-lasting genres in video games history, with dozens of early console games being adapted from or inspired by tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons. The genre hit its stride in the 1980s, when Japanese companies like Square and Sega started developing turn-based RPGs for video game home consoles.
These games were party-focused and used turns similar to their tabletop ancestors, and the genre almost immediately became popular both within Japan and beyond. With 40 years of history behind it, the turn-based RPG genre has become one of the most diverse and interesting spaces in gaming. Here are some of the best turn-based RPG video games available for PCs, consoles, and mobile platforms today.
Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 Royal is the pinnacle of the Persona series. Like other games in the series, Persona 5 Royal follows a group of teens who are up against a supernatural threat.
Players have to split their time between dungeon-crawling RPG goodness and a calendar-based social life, making the most of the latter to get perks and bonuses in the former. It's an extremely clever system that forces players to think in both the short and long term. Throw in a very slick UI, a combat system with a huge amount of depth, dozens of creatures to collect, and an involved story, and you've got a game that's well worth playing.
Persona 5 Royal is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Pokémon has long been the gold standard of turn-based RPGs, with the 25-year-old series now the highest grossing media franchise in the world. Every game in the series is fantastic, but Legends Arceus took the series in a bold, fresh new direction.
Set far in the Sinnoh region's past, Arceus has the player compiling Sinnoh's first Pokédex, which means catching a lot of Pokémon. It's a new twist on the classic formula, with players given unprecedented freedom. It's also home to some of the most exciting battles in the series, with the final boss in particular widely regarded as the best boss battle in Pokémon history.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is available on Nintendo Switch.
Dragon Quest XI S
The Dragon Quest series has been wildly popular in Japan for decades, but Dragon Quest XI S really brought it to the international stage.
Gorgeous visuals, a classic, well-rounded combat system, and one of the best stories in any game on this list make this game one of the premiere RPG experiences no matter where you play it. In terms of the classic RPG series, you can't get much better than this.
Dragon Quest XI S is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
Final Fantasy X was the last of the traditional turn-based games in the Final Fantasy series, and easily one of the best. It's an epic journey through a strange land -- one of most rounded worlds in the series -- with a phenomenal battle system that refines the series' best features into the best combat to date. It and its sequel got an exceptional remaster that's available almost everywhere, and with two great games for the price of one, it's hard to pass up.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Sea of Stars
Sea of Stars is a wonderful little indie game that is heavily inspired by some of the best RPGs of all time -- Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy, and more. It's a game with gorgeous pixel art, a charming story, and modern design sensibilities that make it an absolute breeze to play. Not bad for a team of under 30 people.
Sea of Stars is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Golden Sun
The Game Boy Advance was a lovely little handheld console, with a wide variety of games on offer. One of those was Golden Sun, the first of a trilogy of wonderful games that never really got the recognition they deserved. Golden Sun does some really fascinating stuff both in and out of combat, with skills that cross over between both aspects of the game, and it has lovely, expressive pixel art that holds up to this day.
Golden Sun is available on Nintendo Switch via Nintendo Switch Online.
Octopath Traveler 2
Octopath Traveler was great, but its sequel was better in every way. This HD-2D game -- a specific art style from Square Enix where 2D pixel art is overlaid against gorgeous 3D backgrounds -- has players taking on the stories of eight well-rounded characters, each of which could be its own game. The way these characters intersect both in gameplay and story is sublime, but the killer feature of Octopath 2 is its utterly masterful battle system, which sees players banking and spending points earned through each turn. It's hard to explain, but once it clicks, you'll be left wondering why any turn-based game goes without it.
Octopath Traveler 2 is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Honkai: Star Rail
If you want a lot of RPG for very little money, Honkai: Star Rail is for you. From the developers responsible for Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail is a free-to-play sci-fi RPG with some excellent character design, smart, snappy, turn-based combat, and progression that feels natural without forcing you to spend a cent. There's hundreds of hours of gameplay and all of it is fantastic, so at the low price of free, there's no reason not to jump in and give it a go.
Honkai Star Rail is available on PC, iOS, Android, and PS5.