The Best Turn-Based RPGs On The PS4

While PlayStation 5 consoles remain a hot commodity at this time, the PlayStation 4 continues to be used by millions of players around the globe who either haven't upgraded yet or don't plan on it. Because of this, the PS4 is some people's primary platform to play many of the great games in the PlayStation library.

Those who are interested in turn-based RPGs don't have to rush to next-generation just yet. That is because there are plenty of different games on the PlayStation 4 that are worth checking out if players haven't already. While some of the best turn-based RPGs on the platform are among the best ever released, there are a few gems here that some players may have missed.

Updated by Chris Birsner on September 8, 2023: While more games come out for the PlayStation 5 now that it is nearly four years into its life cycle, many of the best turn-based RPGs remain on the PlayStation 4. Luckily, the PS5's backwards compatibility allows those players to still experience those games, even if they are not optimized. On the flip side, as more turn-based RPGs are released on PlayStation 5, those with the last generation of PlayStation will be missing out on a lot of cool turn-based RPG experiences. Luckily, there are many turn-based RPGs on PlayStation 4, meaning players have plenty of options while waiting to save up for the PS5.

Related: The Best JRPGs You Can Play On The PS4 (According To Metacritic)

17 Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales

The Witcher 3 is considered one of the best open-world RPGs of the last decade, so it's no surprise that the series' branches have led to spin-offs in and beyond video games. One of the smaller spin-offs is a card-oriented turn-based RPG known as Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales.

A single-player campaign of Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, Thronebreaker takes place before the events of The Witcher trilogy and follows the story of Queen Meve as she seeks to build alliances and take down foes to recapture land. The battle system is a modified version of Gwent, as all the individuals in Meve's army are represented by cards.

16 SaGa Frontier

Plenty of classic turn-based RPGs have been remade for the PS4 and PS5. One of these is the remastered version of SaGa Frontier, which was originally released in 1997 but was re-released nearly a quarter of a century later.

The unique concept of SaGa Frontier is that players can choose from seven different characters that each have their own storyline and quest that they are looking to fulfill. Players are also free to explore the solar system that the game takes place in, called The Regions. The PS4 turn-based RPG remaster has a simple battle system where skills are learned the more they fight.

15 Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling

The Paper Mario franchise iconic one, but its days as a traditional turn-based RPG are long gone. To combat this, Moonsprout Games took matters into their own hands and made a new RPG available on all consoles, including PlayStation 4, called Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling.

This indie darling took many of the mechanics from its inspiration and put them into a game about bugs named Vi, Kabbu, and Leif. The trio embarks on a search for artifacts that could lead them to the Everlasting Sapling, a plant said to grant its owners eternal life.

14 Chained Echoes

The 16-bit era had many RPGs that people fell in love with. To this day, many games with the art style and gameplay hit a point of nostalgia for many turn-based RPG fans. One such game was Chained Echoes, a 30-40 hour story inspired by games on the SNES and original PlayStation.

Three kingdoms are at war with each other, and it's up to the player and their party to explore the world of Valandis to seek an end to the conflict. There are no random encounters while wandering the world, as players will see enemies wandering around the surface before they attack.

13 The Banner Saga

Some of the best turn-based RPGs on the PS4 involve tactical gameplay where every move made will have an impact on the game moving forward. The Banner Saga series was short-lived, but brought three solid entries to the table.

Related: Turn-Based Tactics Games That Are Perfect For Newcomers To The Genre

Players take on the stories of two individuals whose paths eventually cross. The gameplay revolves around strategic decision-making while facing enemies known as Dredge, and dealing with the consequences of winning or losing these battles. This is a little different from other RPGs, where players usually have to start from a save state if they lose.

12 South Park: The Fractured But Whole

Role-playing games tend to have rich stories that make players fall in love with authentic characters in a mystical world. Then there are games like South Park: The Fractured But Whole, which aims only to make players laugh out loud as they experience its very goofy world.

Set a day after the events of South Park: The Stick of Truth, this turn-based RPG follows the new kid and the usual cast of South Park characters as they start up a new role-playing adventure where they pretend to be superheroes. South Park: The Fractured But Whole strays from its predecessor, however, as the turn-based combat takes place on a grid.

11 Blue Reflection: Second Light

Koei Tecmo has worked on a handful of popular titles, including some of the best turn-based RPGs. One of their more under-the-radar titles was a recent one called Blue Reflection: Second Light. It was a sequel to a 2017 game that came out just four years later.

Players take control of Ao, a girl who wakes up in a school in the middle of water along with other students, none of whom have any memory of why or how they got there. Players will go through a series of episodes in Blue Reflection: Second Light growing closer to the students, which can help the player in the turn-based battles with monsters.

10 Wasteland 2

It took nearly 25 years for the hit 1988 game Wasteland to get a sequel, and it delivered one of the best turn-based RPGs on the PlayStation 4 and other platforms. Wasteland 2 takes place 15 years after the events of its predecessor and is set in Los Angeles and parts of Arizona.

Players can be in control of up to four different characters and joined by as many as three non-playable characters in a seven-member party. The game pulls from tabletop roleplaying and focuses on tactical combat scenarios. All characters serve as Rangers as part of a team called Echo-One as they investigate the death of Ace, a character from the original game.

9 Ruined King: A League Of Legends Story

One of the best PS5 turn-based RPGs is actually a PS4 release. Still, Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is such a fun game to dive into that the generation it was released on doesn't matter, especially for those who love games from the people at Riot.

Ruined King is based in the Shadow Isles, where a threat called the Black Mist looms over the region. Players can take on the role of six characters to help find the source of the force. The turn-based battles rely heavily on the game's Initiative Bar.

8 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel 4

Nihon Falcom is known for a handful of significant RPG franchises, but one of its bigger properties is The Legend of Heroes series. One of the more recent entries was a continuation of an ongoing series in the property, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4, which takes place almost immediately after the events of the third game.

Just like the other entries of the series, this turn-based RPG primarily uses menu-based combat. This is also the second game that uses the "Brave Order" system, which allows players to earn buffs and heals for their player by spending "Brave Points." The game also brings back the "Break Gauge" mechanic, which, after a certain number of attacks, weakens an enemy for one turn.