In the midst of multiplayer and live service games like Fortnite and Genshin Impact gaining mass popularity, it’s easy to think single-player turn-based games have lost relevance. But over the last few years, hits like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have become critical darlings, racking up acclaim and awards from DICE, The Game Awards, the Game Developer’s Choice Awards, and just about every publication that picks a yearly favorite (including Game Informer). It’s easy to look at those examples and feel like they “came out of nowhere,” but the truth is that turn-based games have been one of the most enduring genres for decades, and a long and winding path led to these massive hits.
“This might sound a bit contrarian, but I think what we’re calling a ‘resurgence’ may simply be the rediscovery of things that had fallen outside our field of view. And what sparked this, I believe, is the recent wave of high‑quality turn‑based RPGs released in the West,” says P-Studio director and Persona 5 Royal producer Kazuhisa Wada.
The last decade has proven monumental for turn-based games, in ways both obvious and unseen, thanks to years of innovation and iteration by studios of all sizes. But equally true is that turn-based systems have integrally changed, and the future of the genre has never been more promising.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
