26 Best Tactical RPGs You Should Be Playing In 2022

As we all know, there are many different kinds of RPGs out there. Turn-based, free-flow, and of course, tactics RPGs. Ones that force you to think in multiple ways and directions in order to come out on top and have a good ending. Let’s show you 20 of the best of them.

#26 Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date : December 02, 2022
Platfrom: PC PS5 XSX|S

While there are many superhero games, not too many focus on tactics. Sure, there are some where you have a lot of gadgets to use, and you have to select them in battle, or you have various characters to use, and you must select the best ones. But with Marvel’s Midnight Suns, they take tactical gameplay for superhero titles to the next level.

Specifically, the team at Firaxis worked hard to deliver a tactical experience that would still deliver on the superhero powers you know and love. Using a card system, you’ll have to pick and choose what to do with each move you make. So choose wisely, and win the day!

#25 Solasta: Crown of the Magister

Let’s start out with a game that is a true tribute to Dungeons & Dragons because they actually got the license to make a game about it!

In Solasta: Crown of the Magister, you’ll create a team of four warriors and then send them out on an adventure in the Solasta that’ll feature intense battles, dark dungeons, and a compelling story.

Everything you love about D&D will be featured in this game, not the least of which is the DEEP character creation sheet to let you make the characters the way you want, and then use them how you want in battle. See D&D come alive in this game! What are you waiting for?

#24 Adventure Academia: The Fractured Continent

In the realm that Adventure Academia: The Fractured Continent is set in, the areas of land are slowly being turned into that of a dungeon. So much so that monsters are roaming about at will and none can seem to find out why. You will play as a young human who is on the search for his father when he realizes he’s able to lead a squad of people into battle.

Now, with your best friend and advisor at your side, you’ll need to pick your squad and go into battles across the land in order to figure out the truth about the monsters, the mazes, your father, and more.

#23 Wolfstride

If you’re wanting an RPG with deep stories and characters while also having epic mecha action…then you’ll want to give Wolfstride a look.

This game focuses on a trio of criminals who come together after they get something unexpected…a massive robot named Cowboy. Seeing an opportunity, they enter their robot into a fighting tournament to try and make the most money possible.

But as they go about this new path, they start to look back at the lives that they’ve had, and they start to reconcile with all that they’ve done, and try and see if their fates are truly sealed…

#22 The Hand of Merlin

Don’t let the name fully fool you, while this is a world inspired by the legend of King Arthur, it’s also a very alternative take on the stories, including being mixed with horror elements.

In the title, you’ll recruit a set of warriors and travel across the medieval land to find the fragments of your soul…which just so happen to be scattered across the literal multiverse. So good luck with that.

Also though, you’ll try and save the worlds you end up on, trade with merchants to improve your squad, find holy relics to get better in battle, and more. A deep story and RPG combat system await you, so don’t miss out.

#21 Home Behind 2

Home Behind 2 is a very unique takes on both RPGs and war games. Here, you’ll be part of a nation that has been embroiled in war for a decade due to an authoritarian regime. Now, after being away from your homeland for so long, you seek to return and try and help the rebellion overthrow the ruler.

This will lead you to ally with three key people and attempt to foil various things that the regime is doing. You’ll occupy their lands, fight their forces, and try to claim multiple victories for the revolution. It won’t be easy, and the roguelike elements will keep you on your toes. But if you press forward you might just make it through.

#20 Black Geyser: Couriers of Darkness

If you’re looking for a grand-scale RPG where you can choose who you want to be and how you get things done, then give Black Geyser: Couriers of Darkness a try.

The game is set in a world where dark gods wrecked havoc upon the land and its denizens for countless years. Now that they’re gone, peace should have been had, but another war is now brewing. You’ll create your own character from various races and classes and then go on a journey that’ll lead to you making allies, getting missions done in a variety of ways, and learning the truth about who you really are…

#19 TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children

In the place known as Valhalla (no, not that one), the threats of war don’t exist as the army isn’t allowed within this place. But, that means crime is left unchecked. So, the civilians of the city are able to look into crime and arrest people based on what they find. These are the Troubleshooters.

TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children focuses on one group of said “agents” as a young man opens his own company to do this task, and then finds more and more people to join him in his work.

With each new character comes new cases, new storylines, new content, new cutscenes, and new ways to play. You’ll want to get everyone you can and see where they all go in the end.

#18 Battle Brothers

In most RPGs, the true “battle” lies in the combat, and trying to obtain victory, but in Battle Brothers, it goes much, MUCH deeper than that. Because in this game, you’ll be the head of a group of mercenaries, and everything that happens with them will be your decision.

We mean that literally as you’ll decide whom to hire into your company, what jobs to take, where to go in the fantasy world you reside in, what tactics to do on the battlefield, what contracts to accept to get good money, what places to help and hinder, and so on.

It’s YOUR JOB to see your company to the best of times, do you think you can do that?

#17 Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous

In Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, the world has been consumed by darkness for a very long time. The demon lords of the Abyss were let loose and for decades the people have been trying to fight back…but they never can secure a victory.

But now, YOU have the chance to take the world back to the way it was, you will need to build your character, and go on a quest both harrowing and treacherous, but if you succeed, salvation will be at hand.

You get to decide what you are from top to bottom, then you’ll see what your choices do as the game adapts to how you play. Add to that deep combat and this is something you should very much enjoy.

#16 Wildermyth

Many video games try and recreate the tabletop experience, and Wildermyth is one example of that. Because in this title, you’ll get to see the rise and fall of legendary heroes. As they’ll start out from basic and humble beginnings, and then as you play as the group that forms, they will go into battle, make bold choices, grow older with time, and have a life…until it ends.

Every decision in the game results in things happening to the characters as a whole, and not all of them will make it. But, in the next playthrough, they can return in a new way, and you’ll get to see a new myth born. Giving you nearly limitless replayability.

#15 Gloomhaven

Only the boldest, or most foolish, dare to go to a place like Gloomhaven, but surely you will be fine if you try, right…?

Control one of 17 different mercenary characters, play alone or with friends, and then head into Gloomhaven itself in order to try and make your name by overcoming many of the great darkness within.

You’ll have a deck of ability cards to use, and with over 1000 different abilities to master, if you fail with one group of mercenaries, you’ll be able to try harder with the next! Explore every dungeon, every dark forest, and make your name as you overcome them all!

#14 Expeditions: Rome

A very different kind of tactics game than we’ve shown you so far, Expeditions: Rome will feature you as a young Legatus, who after fleeing Rome after the death of your father, must now rise up through the ranks in order to lead legions and secure glory for Rome.

But how you do this is very much up to you. Will you be an overwhelming and dominant commander who will march their armies from Greece to Gaul to secure total domination for Rome? Or, will you be a more passive person and try to negotiate with these people so that peace can be had and Rome can prosper in different ways?

All your decisions affect Rome. So rise up and make your name in history.

#13 Banner of the Maid

Now here’s a game that is truly something unique. Banner of the Maid puts you in an alternate version of the 1790s when France is being torn apart by revolution.

You are Pauline Bonaparte, the sister of a certain someone, who is trying to withstand it all by protecting those close to her, and rising up through the ranks so she and her house can be on top. But to do so, you’ll not only have to fight, but make connections with some of the most dominant houses of France in order to survive.

With over 30 different unique characters to have in your party, and unique powers on the part of Pauline, weave your way through combat and conversation to change history for the better!

#12 The Last Spell

In a world besieged by war, a desperate attempt was made to wipe out all evil, but it backfired, and now, every night, hordes of monsters try and take out the people who remain in the world.

In The Last Spell, you will have to manage your home city and prepare it for both life and for war. During the days, you’ll use what time and resources you have to rebuild what has been lost, and then prepare defenses for battle.

Then, at night, use your soldiers and weapons to fight back against the hordes of monsters, and do your best to not get overwhelmed.

Continue this cycle until the end…if you last that long that is…

#11 Wartales

In the realm of Wartales, you are not a special person. You’re not a hero destined to save the land. Rather, you’re a person who is a scoundrel, a barbarian of sorts, you’re a person who does what it takes to survive, and revels in the notoriety of it all.

You’ll command a group of such bandits and miscreants, and then set off on a journey to become wealthy, acknowledged, and feared. Go and explore this untamed and unruly land, take on jobs to earn money and fame/notoriety, and see just how grand your own nasty legend can be in a land where the “good ones” are all gone.

#10 Shadowrun Returns

The Shadowrun Returns game features a truly unique kind of setting and visual that has grown a following for over 25 years. It blends cyberpunk style with fantasy characters to make a world unlike any other.

In the game, elves, dwarves, trolls and more fantasy creatures live amongst humans in a futuristic world where corporations bleed the planet dry (sounds familiar…). You are a mercenary known as a Shadowrunner, who gets put on a job to find a killer, and it becomes much greater than you could’ve ever imagined.

Build your character from the ground up, and then set them into a deep tactical battle to overcome the challenges put in front of you and find the truth that could rock the entire world.

#9 XCOM: Chimera Squad

You’re going to see the XCOM franchise here on this list twice, but we’ll start out with XCOM: Chimera Squad.

In this version of the game, humanity has driven the alien menace off of Earth, but in a twist, some of the aliens were left behind by the leaders. Five years after this event, a new squad of humans and aliens have come together to make interspecies relations possible. But when some of humanity rise up against it, the human/alien team known as Chimera Squad must stop them.

You’ll get whole new levels of depth and options in the game due to your new alien teammates, and the natural abilities of the squad. So check out XCOM: Chimera Squad and see what it’s all about!

#8 Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance

The Disgaea series is a tactics RPG, but it’s one with a very big anime style, and a flair for having some of the biggest numbers ever put into gaming as a “key part” of its battle system. No, really, you’ll see some absolutely insane amounts of damage in this title.

But regardless of that, you play as a young demon named Killia, who is on a mission of revenge to take down the new Overloard that has come in the form of Void Dark.

You’ll have a large array of customization options and classes to pick for Killia and your allies, and the game boasts hundreds of hours of content…so that should keep you occupied.

#7 Valkyria Chronicles 4

For fans of the Valkyria Chronicles franchise, Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a must-play. Not the least of which is because the fourth main game actually takes place in the same world and timeline as the original title! But this time, you’ll be playing as Squad E of the Federation, and have all sorts of threats and challenges to overcome in the desperate war you fight in.

The game brings in a new “BLITZ” battle system for you to master, as well as enjoy the updated graphics that makes the visuals pop even more.

Don’t miss out on the tactics, triumph, and tragedy within Valkyria Chronicles 4!

#6 Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition

Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition is just that, a definitive version of one of the best tactics RPGs out there by a wide margin. In the title, you’ll get to fully and freely choose who your character is. You can be a basic human warrior, or a walking skeleton, it’s entirely your call.

Then, you’ll get to travel across the land, making relationships and carving your own path through the world in your quest to become “the new Divinity”, and to fight off the Void…if you even want to do that.

Explore wherever you want, become the character you think is the best, all are options here in Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition.

#5 Fire Emblem Awakening

At one point in time, the Fire Emblem series was a “Japan-only” series, then it tried to come over to the West with mixed results. The franchise almost died, then Fire Emblem Awakening came out.

The game puts you in the role of a strategist known as Robin (or whatever you want to call them) and alongside the prince known as Chrom and his Shepherds, step out on a quest to defend their homeland of Ylisse, and defy the future visions that Robin has.

The game is a true tactics-RPG with many characters you can choose to fight, allies to pick up along the way, and many different methods of battle. Don’t miss out on this classic adventure!

#4 Wasteland 3

The Wasteland series is what the Fallout franchise was built upon, but it grew its own legs over time and made some of the best tactical RPGs out there.

Wasteland 3 focuses on a group of Desert Rangers who have been trying to keep their home of Arizona alive…but it’s been a hard struggle. Then a message comes from Colorado with an opportunity. If you kill the “Patriarch’s” three evil children…you’ll get all the aid you need.

Too good of an opportunity to pass up, you head to the state and begin a trek that’ll lead you to frozen mountain areas, have you fighting vicious foes, and all the while, making you choose who to trust, how to build up your squad, and more.

#3 The Banner Saga Series

We’re going to include a whole series in this entry…because it’s worth it.

The Banner Saga came out of nowhere to highlight a grand Viking-style trek to a new land for a group of people just trying to survive. A tale of adventure, woe, loss, and perseverance followed and it was very special indeed. You’re not just going on a journey, you’re guiding a whole people to try and take them to a new home. If you’re not careful, you’ll lose key members of your party, and everyone will be affected.

With a deep story, gameplay mechanics, and true feeling of loss, The Banner Saga is the kind of tactics RPG that you should absolutely play at least once.

#2 XCOM 2

XCOM 2 is easily one of the best tactics RPGs out there, and more than deserving of its No.2 ranking. In the game, 20 years have passed since the previous title. The alien menace has taken over the Earth and “built upon it” to try and showcase their “benevolence”, even though they’re hiding a dark secret.

You and the remainder of XCOM are all that’s left to fight back. You’ll need to do hit and run attacks, find new allies to help you, and then slowly take the fight back to the enemy. It won’t be easy, and the challenge will be great, and if you’re not careful, you’ll lose your squad.

So think hard, strike true, and take back the planet!

#1 Fire Emblem Three Houses

Call us a little bias, but if you’ve played Fire Emblem Three Houses you’ll know just how deep a title this is from both the story, character, and tactics standpoint.

Fire Emblem as a whole has made a name for itself due to its grand scale and tactics gameplay and Three Houses is no different. Not the least of which is because of its not one, not two, not three, but FOUR major story paths that you can choose from, each one being very different from the others. And each of the three houses have different characters with different abilities to use, so battles play very differently with each class.

So for a game that WILL take you dozens of hours to beat, and yet leave you satisfied every time you complete a path? Get Fire Emblem Three Houses.