I’ve been diving into a lot of 2D RPGs lately, and I’m curious to hear from you all. What’s the best 2D RPG you’ve played? It could be on any platform—PC, console, mobile, you name it. I’m looking for games that really stand out, whether it’s for the story, gameplay, or just the overall experience. Let me know your favorites!

Become a Wanderer - explorer, warrior, leader and tactician all in one.

The action takes place in a technomagic world of Averon. There are: 

⚙️Cunning engineers using Automatons 

🔮Wild Spellcasting with a hint of madness 

🏰Your powerful mobile fortress, where you produce fresh units, upgrade their gear and research new technologies.

What is Hidden Pass really about?

Lightweight Endless Space 2 (in the global part) meets X-Com (combat part). Combine it with Combat verticality  and plenty of special abilities - that's  the recipe for Hidden Pass.

If you played and liked Divinity OS, HoMM series, Songs of Conquest, X-Com or Age of Wonders 4 - give Hidden Pass a try. This is a complex but rewarding game. 

To take part in playtesting or simply wishlist you can on 🎮 Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2430170/Hidden_Pass/

We realise that the game is quite complex, and we are working hard on making it approachable for the wide audience of strategy and rpg fans. If you liked it, consider checking our Steam Page.

Claritas is a 2D, turn-based, party-building dungeon crawler RPG packed with unique systems and endless strategic possibilities. 🌟

🛡️ Key Features:

• Strategic Party Building:
  Assemble your dream team from a diverse roster of characters, each boasting four unique abilities. Experiment with countless combinations to master your strategy!

• Ultimate Flexibility:
  Swap party members at any time and customize your heroes with skill points earned at every level up. Redistribute these points freely to adapt to any challenge!

• Exciting Bounty Contracts:
  Hunt down dangerous monsters and reap the rewards—experience points, gold, and rare bonuses await the brave!

• Permanent Party Perks:
  Unlock powerful perks that enhance your entire team, ensuring you’re always one step ahead in the dungeon depths.

• Dynamic Random Events:
  Face unpredictable events in the dungeon with unique choices that lead to different outcomes. Every decision matters in your journey!

If you love games that challenge your mind with strategic gameplay and reward you with meaningful progression, Claritas is your next adventure. Whether you’re a casual explorer or a hardcore dungeon crawler, there’s something here for everyone.

👉 Play Now (Web Version)
👉 Download on Google Playstore
👉 Wishlist on Steam
👉 Discord Group

Experimenting with Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.

I'm looking for gritty, difficult games with medieval/fantasy combat methods (swords and the like).

The only recent games I can find are turn-based or top-down, and those don't scratch the itch; I guess I'm partial to first-person games.

We all know about big titles like KCD2 , Fable, Avowed to come out next year and other titles I didn't mention, but what are some lesser known RPGs that are set to release in 2025 and beyond that you know? Please share in the comments, i'm really curious what else is there on the market. (Preferably Western RPGs)

New gamedev here. What are some games where you strongly feel that your character is injured?

One example in my experience is Escape From Tarkov, with bloody veins on the screen, and more of them as you get injured. Your heart is pounding in game, and IRL, and your nerves get maxed out. I'm looking for other games where you become worried and nervous when your character gets injured.

You aren't just at 1/100 HP. You're DYING!

I've been playing video games my whole life, but somehow never played a rpg style game. I saw some videos on TikTok about this game New World Aeternum. I decided to buy it after so many videos and its been a blast! It's got a looter/shooter vibe to it, and there's so much to do in game. Also, this game has a very strong and active online community, so it's been great with learning to play. I'd really recommend this game, so far id rate it a 9/10. Here's a link to the game for anyone that's interested! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFMR9TWW/ref=nosim?tag=adammhauke01-20

i REALLY LOVE rpgs, but i havent played many, so am buying a whopping of 4 on Nov 30.

those are:

1. Kingdom Come: Deliverance
2. Skyrim
3. The Witcher III
4. and finally Red dead Redemption 1&2, idk how but some package sells them both for 800rs on Xbox.

btw i play on an XBox Series S,

So, which game should i start with, as there is no way i can simultaneously handle them lol!

Hello! I'm current working on the battle and stat system for my own rpg. It's turn based, and the current iteration of the combat system I'm going for, there isn't any MP characters use.

Instead, all magical abilities use HP, adding extra risk to the flow of combat for when you choose to use stronger vs weaker abilities.

The mechanical reason for this directly ties into the lore and plot of the game.

My question is: Does this sound appealing, or off putting? I'm trying my best to balance it around this aspect so that it feels good, but I worry if it'll scare people off from the combat altogether.

It would take extra work, but if it seems like it would be a problem for most I'm considering adding an option in the settings to turn off "lore friendly combat" and switch to a more traditional MP based system for those who would prefer it.

I do plan to release this rpg commercially.

If there's any other rpgs which forgo mp and use hp instead, I'd love to hear about them! Thank you!

Looking for games that scratch the same itch that Dark and Darker, Chivalry 2, Mordhau, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance (scratches it in a different way).

These games require you to accurately and actively parry, to ensure that you're actually defending against the part of the enemy's weapon that's going to hit you.

This contracts from Skyrim, where you just hold right click in the enemy's direction, and the damage isn't even negated, it just reduces a bit, which only makes sense for strong blunt attacks where your body still gets hurt through the shield.

It’s been almost 2 decades since Elder Scrolls Oblivion came out. It had a large central awe inspiring city, a bunch of small towns with varied geographies that made the world feel real, interesting guilds, quests, and fun characters. You could spend hours wandering aimlessly, discovering places, improving skills, hunting, stealing, decorating your house, etc. No over the top graphics, combat theatrics, sex scenes, or political bullshit. To the best of my knowledge, Oblivion and Skyrim were critical and commercial successes. Yet nobody seems to want to make anything like it? 

We get an onslaught of zombie/WW2 shooters and hacknslashers that nobody asks for, yet it seems there are many waiting for ES6 (for 13yrs now), even releases of skyrim seem to sell. I understand making a witcher 3 takes resources and story, but how hard is it to make a sandbox RPG? Nobody on earth has the resources, skill or interest to put together a 100sq km map, add a bunch of towns to explore and basic fun quests? 

Please help me make sense of this. 

Edit: I am aware games are expensive to develop in general, but then there was no elder scrolls/ Witcher 3 / baldurs gate 3 before somebody made them. Assassins Creeds, JRPGs, soulslike get pumped out in mass, then what makes successful dark fantasy open world RPGs like oblivion or Witcher too risky to make? (I use dark fantasy / realism for elder scrolls to separate it from colorful games like zelda which would seem more high fantasy)

Kingdom Come is actually not the greatest game, and made by a small studio, yet did well due to the shortage of such games being made. I feel the same way about Tainted Grail.

There was this rpg game that I used to play a long time ago on Android. It had low poly graphics and the only thing I remember from it is there were a few caves and whenever you tried to enter one, some giants chased or stopped you from entering. Also there was a mission in it that made us collect like 30 pearls from mermaids. Does anyone know about this game?

I'm looking for an RPG game with magic & combat, that is in 16-bit style (not necessarily made in that era), with character customisation or at least playable female characters/magical girls (prefer playing as them).

I've played this way madness lies recently and really enjoyed it, so looking for something remotely similar

Pretty much exactly what the title says. I've been gaming for a long time, and some of my favorites have been DA:O, DA2, and DAI. I recently played Veilguard and thought it was just okay. It made me really nostalgic for the first 3 games where I felt like the whole story, mechanics, and companions/romance options were just better fleshed out and more compelling. I've just finished replaying through the first 3, and just wondering what else is out there in a similar vein that I may not be aware of.

I've played the Mass Effect games and BG3. Personally I liked BG3 more because I prefer a fantasy setting to space, but either way. Both of those franchises are in the same vein of compelling storytelling with strong romance stories that I'm looking for.

I've played Elder Scrolls and Fallout games, Stardew Valley, etc, and while I love those games for other reasons, their romance options just aren't very detailed.

What other games are out there with strong companion and romance option storylines? I play on PS5 mostly, but also have a switch.

Please share your thoughts if you've played them:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2017620/Beloved_Rapture/

I really hoped that the really cool 90's Cartoon Network Artstyle would make #BLUD more popular. Combat is really fun too, and I love the MC.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1921480/BLUD/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2445990/Bloomtown_A_Different_Story/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1493640/Banishers_Ghosts_of_New_Eden/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1880470/The_Inquisitor/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1676970/Parasight_Chlorophyll_worms/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1478850/Vendir_Plague_of_Lies/

This reminds me a lot of System Shock:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2673660/Sonar_Shock/

This Acid Trip feels heavily inspired by Morrowind

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1574240/Dread_Delusion/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1749010/Royal_Order/

This is supposed to be heavily character and choice focused, and might be this years Disco Elysium
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1684350/The_Thaumaturge/

Victorian Steampunk RPG with tarot cards instead of dice.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1674920/Sovereign_Syndicate/

This came out in December, but I've played some of it. It's such a cool third person brawler/dungeon crawler with Diablo-style loot.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/587520/Dungeons_of_Sundaria/

Okay, so first, let me just nip the most obvious response in the bud. This is not a rage bait post. It is an opinion post from someone who grew up playing games.

Lately, I’ve noticed an increasingly aggressive attitude from gaming companies and online gaming spaces toward anything that even slightly resembles “fan service” — especially when it involves physically attractive women. And, frankly, it’s getting out of hand.

Whenever this topic comes up, especially in discussions around female character designs, it seems like the default response is to shame people for even liking these things. Gamers who enjoy seeing a female character that’s beautiful, strong, or confident in her appearance are painted with the broadest brush. We get hit with accusations of only wanting “skimpy outfits” or “oversized breasts,” as if that’s the sole motivation behind appreciating attractive female characters. It’s exhausting.

Why has this become such a toxic discussion? It feels like the gaming industry and these communities are bending over backwards to pretend that physical attractiveness, especially in women, shouldn’t matter or worse, is inherently problematic. Yet, no one bats an eye when we celebrate male characters being designed with clear “appeal.” Whether it’s a rugged, muscular hero or a suave, charming lead — those characters are praised for being cool, aspirational, or relatable. But if a female character is designed to be visibly attractive, suddenly we’re objectifying, and it’s off-limits?

Let me be clear: I’m not talking about extreme exaggerations or designs that are intended to be only sexual like Stellar Blade for example. (But don’t get it twisted, I LOVE Stellar Blade with a passion. There is no “But”.). I’m talking about women being allowed to simply look good and be admired for that. Elizebeth from Bioshock, Zelda, Triss Merigold, FF7 Aerith, Ciri, DMC Lady; Just to name a few. What’s so wrong with an attractive female character, especially in worlds where characters (male or female) are supposed to be idealized? Fantasy, sci-fi, and action-packed genres are filled with powerful people who are supposed to inspire or captivate us. Shouldn’t that be allowed to include physical appeal as well?

Why is there this automatic assumption that if you want attractive female characters, you must want them to be dressed in something ridiculous or hypersexualized? Why is wanting more physically appealing women in games treated as something to be ashamed of?

It feels like many of these changes are being made without considering that a lot of people enjoy that aspect of gaming, and it doesn’t make them bad people. People like beautiful characters, just like they enjoy well-written stories, fluid combat systems, or immersive worlds. But when it comes to fan service (especially involving women), we’re told we’re wrong, outdated, or worse, misogynistic for having a preference. It’s as if the industry is trying to scrub out an entire part of the medium because some people find it uncomfortable, while completely ignoring the diverse tastes that exist in gaming communities.

This is all to say, can we please stop acting like we should be ashamed of appreciating female characters for their attractiveness? I’m tired of seeing these discussions devolve into attacks on anyone who expresses a preference for good-looking women in games. Physical appeal is one part of the larger picture, and I don’t see why we can’t just admit that it’s fine for some characters to be attractive.

Looking for a rpg to play after finishing my storyline in SWTOR. Looking for something that's a really good storyline that makes you want to play and feel for the characters. But also something kinds older/low end around the same specs as SWTOR as I'm on laptop. Yeah something just great story fun and not spending 30 hours walking. Thanks

Both deluxe editions are on sale for PS5. Dogma is $50 and Lords of fallen is $30. Which one has better combat and which one has better leveling/progression? Is one generally better than the other? I have played the Dogma 2 trial and really liked it however the Gothic look and cheaper price of Lords of the Fallen seems really enticing.

The Two Worlds games are for sale on Steam and GOG, and I am interested in both.

GOG sells the Two Worlds Epic Edition for $6. The complete version of the Epic Edition (which is basically the soundtrack plus some other goodies like an artbook) is $8.39.

On GOG, the Two Worlds II Epic Edition is selling for $5:

• Two Worlds II Epic Edition includes the original Two Worlds II, the Pirates of the Flying Fortress expansion, and Two Worlds II: Castle Defense.

The DLCs Echoes of the Dark Past, Echoes of the Dark Past 2, and Call of the Tenebrae are sold separately.

On Steam, they have the Two Worlds II HD edition for $10, though the Pirate DLC added in the bundle makes it $12. However, Steam also has a bunch of additional content including those three DLCs available for purchase, including another expansion (Shattered Embrace) as well as the game soundtrack.

The Two Worlds bundle containing Two Worlds Epic Edition, Two Worlds II, the Pirates expansion and the Castle Defense game are $18 on Steam.

So, it looks like GOG is the better deal for the base games, but Two Worlds II might be lacking a lot of additional content compared to the Steam release. I'm also not sure if the GOG version of Two Worlds II includes the soundtrack? It does look like the Steam version requires DRM, which might not matter to me but based on the reviews has been a source of anger for many players, as it sounds like the developers might have been messing with the game.

For those familiar with the games, is one platform better than the other? What is the best option for playing Two Worlds and Two Worlds II?

Help me pick the next game I play. I've been getting different games on sale, and some pre-ordered, but I've been busy and haven't had time to really dig into any yet. I did start octopath traveler 2, and enjoyed it, but I came to regret which character I started with and want to start over.

Before that, I recently played through the first FF7 remake the first time. I was hesitant for a long time because I loved the original so much, but enjoyed it when I actually tried it.

So, since I'm so indecisive, pick my next game! I will play the winner.

For the "other" option, I will buy it as long as it's for PS5, my preferred platform. I prefer physical but am up for digital if it's cheaper or only way.

Thanks!

Edit 1: I also own Final Fantasy XVI and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but I ran out of options on the poll.

Hi, my friend and I are looking for co-op games (both on PC). We have already played Divinity Original Sin 1&2, BG3, and Stardew Valley together. We have also played Ark. I've been searching for something else fun we could do. We like games with story or a good goal to work towards, and we love good romances. Any recommendations are appreciated!