As we enter 2024 for a fresh start, we’ve seen the popularity of RPGs gradually go up. This was super inflated after last year’s The Game Awards, where Baldur’s Gate 3 bagged an astounding six awards. This really puts the RPG, more specifically the tactical RPG or strategy RPG, genre above all else. But don’t worry if you’re not a fan of Baldur’s Gate 3 since today we’re showing you 10 of the best tactical RPG games you should play in 2024.
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10 Best Tactical RPG Games
1) Persona 5 Tactica
We’re going to start our list off strong with a game from one of the most popular anime-themed games out there, Persona 5. Persona 5 Tactica is the last game of the Persona 5 series and marks the end of a 6-game long video game series. It is a single-player tactical RPG developed by Sega and was released just two months prior, on November 17, 2023.
The plot follows a group of high school students known as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. The group teams up with a group of rebel fighters to stage a revolution against the oppressive rulers, Legionnaires.
2) Symphony Of War: The Nephilim Saga
Here we have another amazing tactical RPG, developed by Freedom Games and released on June 10, 2022. Being comparatively cheaper than most AAA studio games, this game is a great tactical RPG if you’re looking for something more casual and less hassle. Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga doesn’t have an intricate storyline, but players progress throughout the game using various quests.
Other than that, you’ll have access to a large variety of units in your collection, from which you’ll choose nine to send into battle. Deploy your battalions all over the battlefield, form new romances, and raise your flag higher than others.
3) The Last Spell
Coming down to The Last Spell, a tactical and strategy RPG that is a fan favourite for those who love games with dystopian settings. The Last Spell is a single-player, roguelike action game that keeps you engrossed for hours. The Last Spell is set in a post-apocalyptic world that has been tarnished and destroyed by war and magic. With the destructive capabilities to level entire cities with one spell, both words together could only spell disaster.
The game majorly consists of building up your chosen starter town with the aid of your fellow fighters. Players must quickly ready their defences and select their buffs before the night rolls around, as that is when you must defend yourself against hordes of the undead.
4) Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is another great tactical RPG you can check out if you’re more into the mythical RPG side of things. It was developed and published by Owlcat Games and is available on multiple platforms, including Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
The game is based around demons and humans with a giant portal, Worldwound, allowing demons to enter into the mortal plane. The player must venture forth, defeating all these demons and attempting to close the portal before it signals the end of humanity.
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5) Marvel’s Midnight Suns
This one’s for all the Marvel fans out there because we know how many of you are out there. Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a comparatively recent game, having come out in July 2022. Marvel games don’t need much introduction as almost everyone has played at least one of their games enough to know about the characters. Marvel’s Midnight Suns takes a different approach, though and gives players the autonomy to create their own hero called ‘The Hunter’.
You can choose from a wide range of 40 abilities to customise this hero and take on various enemies. Unlock new heroes, discover hidden secrets and create the most powerful deck anyone has seen to progress forward.
6) Fire Emblem Engage
As we near the end of our list, we move towards some of the most recent tactical RPGs that everyone needs to try at least once. People following The Game Awards might have seen Fire Emblem Engage as it was nominated for The Best Sim/Strategy Game.
Fire Emblem Engage is the 17th instalment in the Fire Emblem series and contains various characters from previous games. The premise is that you are a dragon in human form, Alear, who has just awoken after resting for a thousand years. Peace is short-lived as you immediately jump into battle against the forces of an evil dragon, Sombron.
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7) Unicorn Overlord
It’s now time to look at some promising upcoming titles in 2024. Unicorn Overlord has been a pretty hyped-up tactical RPG since its announcement. It is one of the few multiplayer TRPGs. When we talk about the game’s development and plot setting, the player is in control of an exiled prince, Alain, who is on a mission to reclaim his kingdom from the hands of a rogue general, Valmore.
Before Alain can face off against Valmore, though, he must gather allies from across the five kingdoms and build an army strong enough to defeat the general.
8) Wartales
Wartales is another popular tactical RPG released in 2023 by developer Shiro Games. It is a multiplayer, indie strategy RPG that includes an open-world map set, released on various platforms. In Wartales, you’re basically controlling a mercenary camp trying to survive in a world recently affected by a nasty plague. There’s looting and crime everywhere you go as people struggle to survive in their own ways.
Since the game has an open-world map, you can traverse the vast lands, looking for resources to survive and encountering different hostile and non-hostile NPCs. While the game has no main storyline, you can find different quests as you progress through towns and villages, meeting new people.
9) Jagged Alliance 3
Coming down to the second-last game on the list, we have Jagged Alliance 3. Developed by Haemimont Games and published by THQ Nordic, Jagged Alliance 3 is a tactical RPG that was released on July 14, 2023. The plot of this game is simple. The president of Grand Chien has been kidnapped by a rogue paramilitary force called ‘The Legion’. Now, the president’s daughter looks for people who can help retrieve her father from the hands of the evil paramilitary force and restore justice to their country.
Each mercenary has its own backstory and set of skills, and players can choose from a roster of 40 mercenaries. As you progress, you’ll learn new battle tactics as well as unlock advanced skills and abilities for your mercenaries.
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10) Baldur’s Gate 3
We thought of saving the best for last in this installation of the best tactical RPGs for 2024. Baldur’s Gate 3 needs no introduction since its rise in popularity the previous year. The game is based on the popular tabletop, fantasy role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. The game allows you to customise your character, set out on quests and gather allies to aid your journey. The game follows a main storyline that changes depending on the choices you make.
The Bottom Line
Tactical RPG might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we can assure you some of these games are fan favourites for a reason. You can check out the big titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Persona 5 Tactica or go for something on a smaller scale like Wartales or The Last Spell if you are a fan of the genre or looking to dip your toes in these games.