Summary
- Turn-based games prioritize strategy over speed, offering a pure tactical experience.
- Complex indie games add depth through interconnected systems and intricate mechanics.
- Characteristics like abilities and cooldowns make turn-based combat rich and engaging.
Turn-based games inherently offer a certain accessibility, taking time pressure and speed of play out of the equation. This allows the difficulty of turn-based games to come down to pure strategy and tactical play. As a result, complexity tends to add more tactical depth than it does pure difficulty.
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Indie games in particular are abundant with intricate combat systems and complex game mechanics. While complexity doesn't always result in a better experience, interconnected systems can often add depth and skill expression that more typical titles aren't necessarily able to offer.
7 Morphblade
Minimalist Tactics With A Great Deal Of Depth
- Platform(s): PC
- Released: 2017
- Developer(s): Suspicious Developments
- Genre: Tactics
Morphblade is a minimalist turn-based tactics game about taking out bugs on a hexagonal grid. While this sounds and looks tremendously simple, Morphblade is elevated by its variety of distinctive abilities and the unique way in which they're acquired.
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The game's hexagonal grid is built from a variety of tiles, each of which provides players with a unique ability when stepped on. This makes positioning and movement incredibly tactile, and each decision can have an immediate impact on the state of the game. This results in a remarkably complex combat puzzle that's easy to learn and hard to master.
6 Griftlands
An Intricate Combination Of Combat Systems
Griftlands
- Released
- July 11, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Klei Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Indie Games, Adventure, Strategy
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Griftlands is a roguelike deck-builder with an RPG twist, giving players a passive approach through the addition of a negotiation system. This system runs parallel to the game's combat and deck-building elements, offering tremendous variety and unique complexity that requires strategic thinking.
In the game, players explore an overworld map, manipulating NPCs and overcoming challenges in turn-based combat. The RPG elements, dual combat system, and small variety of playable characters all work in tandem, offering players a complex experience that stands out on its own.
5 Battle Brothers
Detailed RPG Character Progression & Unforgiving Tactics
Battle Brothers
- Released
- April 27, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Overhype Studios
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
- Genre(s)
- Indie Games, Tactical, RPG, Strategy, Adventure
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Battle Brothers is a sandbox RPG that excels with its brutal turn-based combat and detailed character progression. In the game, players must manage a company of mercenaries in a low-fantasy world, juggling their finances, morale, and reputation simultaneously.
The myriad of elements to manage already add a great deal of complexity, but Battle Brothers adds further depth with its detailed RPG progression; each character is able to acquire a variety of perks, and many of these can have an immediate and effective impact. Furthermore, the combat encounters themselves are truly dynamic, made complex through tough AI opponents, terrain, and a morale system.
4 Wildfrost
A Deeply Tactical Deck-Builder
Wildfrost
- Released
- April 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Deadpan Games, Gaziter
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Digital Card Game, Strategy, Roguelike
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Wildfrost is a roguelike deck-builder that excels with its charming cartoon art-style, but its distinctive gameplay is what gives this colorful title staying power. In the game, players control a limited number of companions in turn-based battles, supporting them with spell cards and various buffs.
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What makes Wildfrost so complex is the abundance of variables to keep track of during each combat encounter; every character, friend or foe, has a cooldown that must be paid close attention to, and the ability to tactically maneuver companions around the board adds a great deal of strategy to the gameplay. Furthermore, the diverse ensemble of enemies offers unique challenges at every turn, and the abundance of cards, passive upgrades, and unique charms adds depth and variety to every run.
3 Into The Breach
Nuanced Grid-Based Tactics
Into the Breach
- Released
- February 27, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Into The Breach is a turn-based tactics game that manages to be immediately accessible thanks to its simple controls and focus on clearly telegraphed threats. In the game, players control a squad of mechs, battling against alien bugs while attempting to keep as many civilians alive as possible.
Despite the game's accessibility, Into The Breach features a complex design built from interlocking systems, providing a unique combat puzzle; the variety of enemies and player abilities, the number of unique scenarios, and the limited range and AOE of each ability make almost every decision a strategic one.
2 Quasimorph
A Tactical Extraction Shooter
Quasimorph
- Released
- October 2, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Magnum Scriptum
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Extraction, Shooter, Roguelike
Quasimorph is a grim-dark tactics game with the structure of an extraction shooter. In the game, players delve into dingy facilities, battling enemies in visceral turn-based combat and attempting to fulfill unique objectives in order to extract.
Quasimorph's turn-based combat is made more complex via its stance system, which determines the player's limitations and adds an extra layer of decision-making. Furthermore, the game features a variety of survival elements that add a tremendous amount of strategy to both the preparation and moment-to-moment gameplay of each mission.
1 Caves Of Qud
A Tactical Roguelike With A Complex Character Creator
Caves Of Qud
- Released
- July 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Caves Of Qud is an open-world roguelike RPG that excels with its unique science-fantasy world and rich, detailed character creator. This character creator is complex in of itself, offering players a tremendous variety of options before they've even stepped foot in its strange and hostile world.
The moment-to-moment nature of its turn-based combat is deceptively simple, with survival usually coming down to a combination of threat assessment, positioning, and resource management. However, the depth of its world, the variety of systems, and the sheer number of options when building each character allows Caves Of Qud to be a remarkably complex experience.
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