Turn-basedVideo Games

RPG 15 May 2019

Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest is an RPG developed by Ctrl Alt Ninja, studio established by the ex-employees of Almost Human, creators of the Legend of Grimrock series. The game is a classic turn-based RPG with elements of roguelike games - every time we die, we have to start the game all over again. Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest takes place in a Menhir Forest that brings back to life every person that was buried there. It happened to our protagonist, an amnesiac druid. He feels that the forest needs his help. Like in many RPGs, gameplay in Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest is presented from an isometric point of view. We will explore the game's world, gradually learn the plot (which will allow us to uncover the truth about our hero's past), and fight with the encountered enemies. In combat, we rely on our hero's combat abilities and spells, which we will unlock during our adventures. We will also have to make a good use of the resources we gather as we play. The game has well-made, eye-pleasing visuals.

Strategy Thursday, 23 May 2019

The twelfth main entry in the Total War series of strategy games. For the first time in history, it takes the players to the ancient China, to the times when the country was split into three rival kingdoms. The title combines traits of classic RTS and turn-based strategy game.

Strategy 13 May 2019

Thea 2: The Shattering is a sequel to the 4X strategy with RPG and card game elements developed by MuHa Games. Thea 2 takes us to the same fantasy land as the previous game, where we will find many inspirations from the Slavic mythology. We play as one of the gods who, with the help of his or her chosen heroes, tries to survive in the land of Thea. In terms of gameplay, Thea 2 is an evolution of the mechanics from the first game in the series. We can play in the style of a nomad, focusing only on expeditions and adventures, or have a more strategic approach and build many villages and join the conquered territories to our kingdom. Gathering resources is crucial in Thea 2: The Shattering. We use them in the game's complex crafting system. The lists of ingredients required for crafting items are, like the game's world, generated procedurally.

RPG 14 September 2017

A direct sequel to Divinity: Original Sin and another installment in the popular RPG series launched in 2002 by the Belgian developer, Larian Studios. The story takes place once more in the fantasy land of Rivellon and presents events that occur between the first and second game in the franchise. This time around, we assume the role of a sorcerer, who uses the forbidden powers of the Source and is constantly pursued by the Order. We can determine the race and origin of our character, both of which influence the attitude of the encountered NPCs towards him or her to a large extent. The gameplay mechanics do not deviate significantly from the previous game in the series, although the developers did introduce a few novelties, such as a modified combat system, new element combinations as well as Source Powers. Contrary to its predecessor and other titles of the franchise, the production has a clearly darker atmosphere.

Strategy 31 March 2014

The fourth installment of the fantasy strategy game series created and expanded by Dutch studio Triumph Software. Age of Wonders III takes place in a fantasy world in which various races and factions are fighting for power. The story campaign of the game focuses on rivalry between two of the factions – the Commonwealth Empire and the Elven Court. Gameplay of Age of Wonders III mixes strategy and cRPG features. Players are managing their kingdom, exploring the map, discovering new locations, encountering NPCs and participating in battles. The game offers a few single- and multiplayer modes. In contrast to the previous installments of the series, Age of Wonders III features three-dimensional graphics.

RPG 08 May 2018

A sequel to the successful RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment. The story told in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire follows the threads started in the first installment of the series. Eothas, the god of renewal and light, comes back to life and takes the form of a statue buried under the protagonist’s keep. Although the stronghold gets destroyed, the main hero survives. From now on, he or she has to pursue a new goal, which is to hunt down Eothas as well as find answers to questions that can bring chaos to the world of gods and mortals. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire takes the player to the eponymous Deadfire archipelago in the far east. In this new region you can travel not only on foot, but also by ship. While controlling your party of characters, in the classic isometric view, you get to explore different locations, complete missions of varying importance and fight with opponents met on the way. Note that the world of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire lives a life of its own, and the choices you made in the first game have consequences here too. Some changes and improvements were made to the User Interface and dialogue system as well as the visuals, which now feature dynamic weather.

RPG 19 January 2016

A dark fantasy cRPG developed by debuting studio Red Hook. The story is set in a dark, medieval-like universe. While exploring ruins of an old castle and its dungeons, you face off against forces of darkness that overwhelmed the land because of the reckless actions of its previous sovereign. As you delve into the depths, you discover the dark history of a family who brought the evil upon the world. The gameplay focuses on dungeon crawling - dungeons filled with traps and crawling with monsters that need to be dealt with during turn-based combat sequences. An original idea is the sanity indicator of your heroes. Each team member has different personality and reacts differently to what is happening around him/her. Therefore, while playing you should keep an eye on their well being and fear levels, alleviating their stress by drinking alcohol or brawling, if needed.

Strategy 28 September 2017

Another installment in a popular series of strategy games created by Creative Assembly. Unlike the first part of the subseries, which was set in the Old World, this time the players travel to the west, where they wage a war across four continents: Ulthuan, Naggaroth, Southern Realms, and Lustria. Four races take part in the conflict, i.e. the High Elves, the Dark Elves, the Lizardmen, and the Skaven. Each of these factions fights for control over the Great Vortex, which they can heal or disperse using various rituals. Once more, gameplay in Total War: Warhammer II is based on two pillars. In a strategy map view you move your armies, manage economy and expand cities (all this in turns), while battles are waged in real time on 3D battlefields. Each race has its unique mechanics, units and heroes. Besides, owners of the first and second game can download a huge map that combines both game worlds. This way you can play a campaign of truly epic scale while controlling any of the factions available in Total War: Warhammer and its sequel.

RPG 13 July 2018

A Japanese role-playing game by Square Enix and Silicon, the creators of i.e. the well-received Bravely Default: Flying Fairy and Bravely Second. Project Octopath Traveler features a unique style, which blends 16-bit sprites with 3D pixel-art surroundings. During the game, you visit various locations and complete many quests given by the NPCs. The game also features turn-based fights, in which to defeat your opponents you have to make proper use of your characters' abilities.

Strategy 21 October 2016

The sixth installment of the legendary series of turn-based strategy games that allow us to control a selected civilization throughout several thousand years of its history. It was traditionally developed by Firaxis Games led by Sid Meier, the franchise’s creator, himself. Gameplay-wise, Civilization VI combines together the well-proven solutions of its predecessors but also introduces several revolutionary changes. The most important one is the city development. Metropolises can now span across more than one field and consist of four kinds of districts: industrial, scientific, trading, and military. The technology development system was also modified, so that every invention offers an additional mini-quest that provides a useful bonus. Significant changes were also introduced in diplomacy, and the combat mechanics now somewhat mitigate the restrictions introduced by the fifth installment of the series. The game traditionally features an extensive and fully configurable multiplayer mode.

Strategy 03 September 2013

A grand-scale strategy game developed by British studio Creative Assembly. Total War: Rome II lets players become leaders of the nations of antiquity from the Roman Empire period and struggle for dominance over new territories. Like the past Total War games (e.g. Total War: Shogun 2 and Empire: Total War) gameplay combines turn-based and real-time activities. Your task is to manage you provinces and command armies. The game’s highlight are the spectacular battles of armies fielding thousands of units. The developers of Total War: Rome II carefully kept to historical truth when it comes to battle formations, weaponry, and tactics. High-quality graphics was achieved thanks to a modified version of the Warscape Engine.

RPG 30 June 2014

Divinity: Original Sin is a sequel to the cRPG series developed by Larian Studios. The game is set before the events presented in Divine Divinity (2002). The story focuses on the adventures of young Source Hunters, who have to delve into the arcanes of forbidden magic and prevent its effects. Gameplay is based on classic RPG mechanics. You lead a team of up to four heroes and together you complete quests, explore locations, and fight enemies. As they gain experience, the characters' stats will increase and they can master new skills. Apart from single player mode, Divinity: Original Sin offers a co-op mode with a second player via LAN or Internet.

Strategy 24 May 2016

Next installment in the epic strategy game series, introduced by Creative Assembly in 2000. After a series of titles set in different historical periods, the developers decided to take players into one of the most famous fantasy universes, created by the Games Workshop company. In the dark universe of Warhammer, different races constantly fight for power and world domination, unaware of the fact that the real threat comes from a mighty force from the north. The game lets become the leader of one of several races, including humans, orcs, goblins, dwarves, vampires, and others. Disregarding the fantasy elements, the gameplay does not differ significantly from the previous games in the series, with epic real-time battles lying at its core. Between the battles the gameplay switches to a turn-based mode, where on a world map you develop your country, its economy, and establish diplomatic relations with other nations.

Strategy 19 April 2018

For the King is an interesting hybrid that blends the elements of JRPGs, roguelikes, and strategy games, developed by the independent studio IronOak Games. The game takes place in a fantasy land engulfed by chaos. Heroes, led by the player, decide to defeat the evil forces. Both the world and the adventures within it are generated procedurally. Each time we start, we will feel as if we were playing a different, new game. Gameplay in For the King focuses on exploration (our party moves in turns through a map divided into hexagonal tiles, traveling not only on foot, but also by boat) and fighting with the encountered enemies. Our victory in battle depends on how, and when, we use our party members' abilities and on how good their equipment is. For the King offers a wide range of game modes, both single player and multiplayer. The game has good looking, colorful, and cartoonish visuals.

Strategy 17 February 2015

Another chapter in the Total War large-scale strategy game series, created and developed by the Creative Assembly studio. After a couple of sequels to the earlier installments in the series (e.g. Medieval, Shogun, and Rome), the developers took on a new great historical figure. The game is set in the late 4th and the early 5th century CE. The Roman Empire is on the brink of collapse, at war with numerous barbaric tribes of the Huns and the Visigoths. Playing as Rome, you lead an army weakened by continuous skirmishes. This makes gameplay much more demanding, challenging even for the veterans of the series. The game realistically presents various military, social, and religious tendencies of the period, e.g. you have to counteract diseases and epidemics and deal with climate changes that affect farming and economy. Additionally, both the UI and the game engine were improved, resulting in better visual quality.

Strategy 04 December 2018

A 3D tactical adventure game with stealth elements and turn-based combat. During the game, we control a group of mutants searching for the mythical Eden in a post-apocalyptic world.

RPG 19 September 2014

A post-apocalyptic cRPG game that serves as a sequel to a hit title from 1988. Wasteland 2 was developed by Brian Fargo’s (the creator of the original Wasteland) inXile Entertainment Studio with financial support from the community via Kickstarter crowdfunding. The story is set 15 years after the events of the first game. You play as a member of the Desert Rangers and traverse the titular Wasteland - what is left of the United States after a nuclear war. Gameplay is based on classic RPG elements, including turn-based combat, free character progression, and player's choices that shape the way the story unfolds. The game is powered by the popular Unity engine, making full use of its ability to generate isometric 3D graphics.

RPG 11 April 2019

A tactical turn-based RPG developed by the creators of Halfway. The story in Pathway is set in the 1930s and revolves around powerful ancient artifacts. The Nazis search for them, trying to beat the private collectors’ associations to it. The player takes control of a group of independent collectors – Lankford & Co – and attempts to find the ancient relics before they fall in someone else’s hands. The group controlled by the player comprises some eccentric characters, who carry out a number of dangerous missions taking place in the ruins of ancient civilizations, tombs filled with traps and monsters, and even Wehrmacht strongholds. Most of these missions offer players much freedom in the exploration of large locations; however, they also require them to fight many battles using the turn-based combat system. In between the missions, the player gets to the base in which he can manage his team, talk to NPCs and make story-related decisions. The creators of Pathway decided to implement the pixel art style enriched by modern visual effects, such as dynamic lighting.

Strategy 29 September 2015

The seventh installment of one of the most popular turn-based fantasy strategy series dating back to 1995. It was created by the German studio Limbic Entertainment, whose portfolio includes the previous installment in the Heroes of Might & Magic series and Might & Magic X: Legacy. The story takes us to an empire torn by a civil war, in which young Prince Ivan created the Shadow Council composed of representatives from six different factions. The mechanics of the game are reminiscent of the earliest installments of the series and use a variety of solutions which were not implemented in the sixth part. The previously simplified economic model was improved, and the town screen was restored, together with all the characteristic features of individual factions. The maps are much larger and put greater emphasis on exploration; furthermore, the typical turn-based combat system has been slightly modified. During the battle we can use numerous machines and support units, including catapults, ballistas, and medical tents, and the battle arenas are filled with a larger number of various objects and obstacles.

RPG 19 December 2018

ATOM RPG is a classic feature game produced by Atom Team studio. The player takes on the role of a resident of the postnuklean Soviet Union.

Strategy 21 September 2010

An extensive turn-based strategy game that came out as the fifth installment in the Civilization series, a popular franchise created by Sid Meier. Sid Meier's Civilization V was developed by Firaxis Games Studios supported by the publishing company Take Two Interactive. In accordance with the tradition of the series, player becomes the leader of a selected nation and leads it throughout a period of several thousand years. Gameplay mechanics underwent no major changes, and the new solutions (such as implementation of neutral city-states, hexagonal map grid, and the limit of one unit per field) are mostly results of evolution of previously employed ideas. Some visible changes were made to the visuals, which are now powered by a brand new graphic engine.

Strategy 03 March 2009

The fifth installment in the popular strategy game series created by Creative Assembly in 2000. This new game is set in the 18th century, focusing on key events of the period, such as the American Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, and the rivalry over the Eastern trade routes. Although the core concept of the gameplay remains the same, the mechanics went through some major alterations, mainly due to the introduction of sea warfare. The game lets you command entire fleets as well as individual ships. Moreover, external factors, e.g. weather conditions, can affect sea battles. Additionally, the game offers improved advisers, as well as new options of trade, diplomacy, and espionage. Due to the widespread use of firearms in the period, new combat tactics have to be used. However, the key elements of the series, the turn-based strategic layer and large-scale battles, remained unchanged.

Strategy 13 October 2011

The sixth main entry in one of the most popular turn-based strategy fantasy games, started by the legendary developer New World Computing in 1995. To refresh the series, the development has been entrusted to the team at Black Hole Games, known from highly-rated RTS games Armies of Exigo and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos. The game takes place 400 years before the events depicted in the previous entry and revolves around an intrigue of Angels trying to re-instill a long-forgotten war. The only ones able to stop its outbreak are the members of the House Griffin, who went separate ways a long time ago, all of them now leading their own factions. Gameplay is a classic combination of turn-based strategy with RPG features, supplemented with some new solutions, like the reputation system, lack of separate screens for each town or the option to convert enemy cities into our own type of stronghold. As per new trends, the game offers astounding, three-dimensional visuals and social options.

Strategy 05 February 2016

A turn-based tactical strategy game set in a futuristic, science fiction universe and a sequel to XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012). Both games were produced by the experienced developer, studio Firaxis Games, founded by Sid Meier, a legend of the video game industry. The story is set 20 years after the events of the last game. Despite their heroic efforts, human forces proved themselves helpless against the alien invaders, and the Blue Planet fell into their hands. However, the remnants of the XCOM organization are still active in the underground, and pick up guerilla tactics against the enemy in order to reclaim the planet. Gameplay mechanics reprises the solutions known from the previous game, featuring both the strategic layer – where you manage your mobile base and develop new technologies – and tactical, turn-based combat. The game features randomly generated maps, as well as improved combat and command system.

Strategy 21 November 2018

The second part of the series of turn-based strategy games, developed by the Polish developer Lukasz Jakowski. In Age of Civilizations II, the players take control of one of the eponymous civilizations and lead it to world domination.

Strategy 10 November 2006

The next installment in a strategy game franchise from Creative Assembly. The game is set in the period of years 1080-1503, once again taking the players into the Medieval period. The developers did their best to faithfully recreate the epoch, including economy, trade, and political relations. Players can choose from 21 playable nations that differ in more than appearance, but also preferring various combat tactics. The story campaign lets you expand across Europe, Middle East, as well as South and Latin America. As always, gameplay consists of two layers – turn-based, in which you manage your kingdom, and real-time, where the battles are fought. As compared with the previous games in the series, this one offers extended tactical options, including e.g. new siege weapons and heavy artillery. Furthermore, the visuals, as well as animations and the destruction model, were significantly improved.