Great Turn-based tactics games

[Akumala]

I dont mean to be respectless, i bought the game twice (GOG and Steam), love it and will support Larian Studios with everything they'll release in future, but now that i have finished D:OS, im looking for something new, something long-lasting (not a game that ends with the campaign), with focus on demanding battles, that is well developed and turn based.

So... Does anybody know a great TB tactics game with strong AI and replayability?

[Qiox]

I think Underrail is one of the best turn based rpgs available. It's a modern day Fallount 1. It's still in early access with about 90% of the game available. The silly low price makes it a must buy for anyone who likes turn based tactical combat.

It is significantly different from DOS. It is a single character, not party based. It is mostly a 1 man job, who hired some help late in development.

The game has very extensive crafting, stealth combat, traps, and more skills than you can level on a single character before reaching cap. That forces you to pick a build, and consequently allows for many replays with very different play styles.

But most importantly it is very fun, challenging and well made.

[Ulaxes]

XCOM would be an optimal choice. Fantastic gameplay, dynamic and precedural generated maps, nice graphics and a cool setting. Highly replayable and totally fun :)

You can also level up your soldiers and manage/build your base.

[Akumala]

Thank you for the great answers so far :)

Underrail is already bought, it seems really awesome!

About Xcom: Which version would you recommend?
There are so many of them out there ^^

[xmd1997]

Is underrail really worth buying? I heard good things about the game but the only thing thats barring me from buying it is the fact that most likely when the game comes out your old saves wont be compatible anymore(dont know if this is true). I would hate to put like 50hrs into the game only for it to release 2 months down the road and not being able to continue -_-.

[Lacter]

Elven Legacy with all its addons is one of my favorite turn-based strategy games.
King’s Bounty (Gold Edition) is like Heroes of Might and Magic.
And did you ever play Master of Orion 2?

[Akumala]

Thanks for the great suggestions, lacter!
I did forget about Elven Legacy indeed... The game is insanely good, and i do own it on some platform. Maybe its time for a new playthrough :)

About Kings Bounty...
I own all parts, but for some reason, cant put my finger on it, it doesnt appeal to me...
Maybe because the world map is real-time (i LOVED the original KB, even finished it on possible? difficulty)...

And Master of Orion 2...
Another great memory... Played that one to death as well, and beat it on impossible difficulty...
Good times...

[Mathalis]

The Age of Decadence is an early access game that is a post apocolyptic roman empire style RPG. You can play as a merchant and buy and sell your way through the game, you can play an assassin, mercenary, diplomat. In fact, if you try to build a mercenary with social skills, your going to loose every fight. The encounters are BRUTAL, but fun. You can literally go through the entire game without fighting once or you can be a brutal mercenary that only fights. Hybrids are possible, but really, really tough to play. It will release in October, they are considering leaving all saves after the last major update as well. If you buy it, do yourself and read the forums first. The combat is crazy hard core.

[Akumala]

Oh, that one sounds great as well-
Turn-based, isometric and brutal fits my taste perfectly! Will try the demo immediately!

[Mathalis]

Originally posted by Blue_Lotus:

Oh, that one sounds great as well-
Turn-based, isometric and brutal fits my taste perfectly! Will try the demo immediately!

Like I said, combat is insanely brutal. Most people post on the forums within the first hour of playing with a "WTF" post. If you want fun combat, play as a Mercenary. Choose axe as the bonus of that weapon is a chance for 30% extra damage. Use either block or dodge, never both.

I would go 8 str, 8con, 8 dex, 8 perc, 4/4 charisma and intel for a melee in your face mercenary. Perception is accuracy, so do not limit yourself. There is nothing that will change your stats later.

I went axe/block/crit and crafting for my social skill. Axe/dodge/crit woudl be just as effective. With crafting, you can make heavier armor that still can give you access to 10 action points with the right bonuses. Crit can be used in encounters to kill people up front before the fight even begins. If you use block, use a cavalry shield until your axe skill is over 6 so you can make up for the penalty then use a tower shield. If you go dodge, then use a big 2hand axe. I always used Mineb style axe for the increased accuracy. Get crit to 4 right away in Teron, which is the first city. It will help a lot.

Good luck, I bet the assassin in the first fight will kill you! LoL.

[Qiox]

Originally posted by xmd1997:

Is underrail really worth buying? I heard good things about the game but the only thing thats barring me from buying it is the fact that most likely when the game comes out your old saves wont be compatible anymore(dont know if this is true). I would hate to put like 50hrs into the game only for it to release 2 months down the road and not being able to continue -_-.

Actually a recent comment by the dev said current saves will be compatible. The only thing left to add is the final zone and ending of the game. Then they will be making a pass to pollish the earliest areas since they were design a couple years ago.

The dev said the final release will certainly be this year.

I have played almost every pc rpg ever released. I have no hesitation putting Underrail in the top 5 all time. That assesssment is of course partly due to turn-based and strategic being my favorite type of rpg.

At the very low price I can't see any reason not to buy it.

[Xerxes Aragon]

Another to add to the list is Shadowrun. I've only played Shadowrun Returns so far, but enjoyed it.

[Xzylvador]

Originally posted by xmd1997:

Is underrail really worth buying? I heard good things about the game but the only thing thats barring me from buying it is the fact that most likely when the game comes out your old saves wont be compatible anymore(dont know if this is true). I would hate to put like 50hrs into the game only for it to release 2 months down the road and not being able to continue -_-.

Without a doubt Underrail is worth buying! I'd even go as far as saying it's among the best cRPG's ever made.

Also, the game offers plenty of replayability because of the vast amount of charbuilding options and the many different approaches to tackle quests. Even if you have to restart, it could be a valuable lesson to learn how to make the character your want for your complete playthrough.

[Syrris]

Shadowrun Returns/Dragonfall/Hong Kong - different genre, similar style.


These ones are all single storyline-based but generally have long storylines (some can easily go to 100-200 hours each) and/or are replayable with different character/party configurations.


King's Bounty series - There are only very minor RPG elements here, though. It's a strategy series first.

Wizardry 8 (and 6/7 if you're okay with very old graphics/interfaces) - these are party-based with a first-person perspective rather than overhead, but the combat is turn-based tactical.

The Geneforge/Avernum/Avadon series (three different ones) by Spiderweb - Don't expect any fancy graphics out of these, and do be prepared for long play times, but they certainly fit the bill.

Expeditions: Conquistador - Alternate historical, RPG/tactical, entirely turn-based. (The 'normal' world only moves as you do.)

[Wazat1]

I posed a long list of games that scratch a similar itch as D:OS in a similar thread. I won't re-post the list here because I don't want to spam your thread with bulk text. :)

Let me know if any of the suggestions are helpful, or if you have questions about any of the games I've played. I'm happy to assist! I love talking about the games I love.

[SpawnCap]

For an indie title you might try Aarklash: Legacy.