With the advent of indie games in recent years, due to tools and resources for development becoming more and more easily available, most gamers may find that their favorite titles are actually indie titles.
No matter what genre it is, tactical RPGs, Turn-based JRPGs, fighting games, souls like. Even video games with specific themes, such as cyberpunk, mecha, or horror games, all of which have found a new home in the indie game scene.
In the list below, we will be taking a look at some of the best indie-developed tactical RPGs released over the years
Best tactical RPGs developed by indie studios
Wargroove
Released in 2019, Wargroove is a fun indie tactical RPG developed and published by Chuklefish. The company is well known for publishing well-known games such as Risk of Rain and Stardew Valley.
The game takes place in a fantasy universe on the island of Aurania, which has seen generations of war between the nations of Simlor and Cacophony. The game begins with you taking charge of the new Queen Mercia of Cherrystone, whose father has just been executed, and she is facing an invasion from the Falheim region.
Wargroove is an excellent tactical RPG title taking inspiration from well-known tactical games, most notably the Advanced War games and classic Fire Emblem games.
Wartales
It might dawn on you that most of these games have ‘war’ in the title or wars in the kind of gameplay they deal with. War is an essential identity of the tactical RPG genre, pioneered by some of the best ones out there.
Wartales is a gritty indie tactical RPG created and published by Shiro Games. But beyond just the tactics and combat, the game is an open world with the player leading a group of mercenaries across a medieval fantasy universe.
The game is notable for having a co-op system as well, allowing up to four players to team up in a game and plan out tactical combat scenarios.
The Banner Saga
The Banner Saga franchise spans across three games, developed and published by Stoic Studio. Visually, this has to be the most gorgeous-looking indie tactical RPG, as the art for the game is meticulously handcrafted to look like classical animation.
The game follows an epic tale of Vikings in a fantasy world where the sun is nowhere to be found and the monstrous race of Dredge is threatening humankind. The Banner Saga takes strategic decision-making very seriously, influenced by the likes of Fire Emblem.
Even though you get over 20 different types of characters from different races to play with, in-game decision-making will lead to far-reaching and permanent consequences for the characters and the story.
Into the Breach
Turning away from a medieval setting, Into the Breach throws you into a sci-fi futuristic world with inspirations from western mech media such as the Pacific Rim. Into the Breach is developed and published by Subset Games and is even available on Netflix Games.
Into the Breach is developed and published by the indie studio Subset Games. This is their second game as a studio, the first one being the roguelike title, Faster Than Light.
The game is a tactical RPG set in the future where humanity is at war against a giant race of monsters known as the Vek. You, as a player, take control of giant mechs with fully customizable weapons and armory, a game design that harkens back to the Front Mission tactical games.
King Arthur: Knight’s Tale
King Arthur: Knight’s Tale is developed and published by Neocore Games. A studio that is really well known for the King Arthur RPG series, as well as the Van Helsing games.
The game is one of the most recently released King Arthur titles that Neocore has developed, releasing in 2022 for multiple platforms. The story is a new take on the Arthurian legends as players take control of Mordred, who has under duty to stop an evil and corrupted King Arthur.
King Arthur: Knight’s Tale takes you, the player, through the world of Avalon, fighting corruption and evil. Play using a turn-based tactical gameplay system with a variety of other features sprinkled throughout the game.
Wildermyth
Moving away from gritty and realistic-looking RPGs once again into an indie tactical RPG game with a colorful and unique art style. Wildermyth is another gorgeously crafted game developed and published by Worldwalker Games LLC.
The game is a storytelling RPG about characters as they move on from being commoners into a life of heroes and adventurers, allowing the player to follow them through their whole career.
In Wildermyth, the player will not be able to save everyone in their party and see the story. It emphasizes a choice-making style of gameplay inspired by classic tabletop RPGs. This leads to an engaging and consequence-based decision-making.
Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark
The isometric tactics style of games was popularized by one of the most popular RPG franchises ever, Final Fantasy Tactics. Use of the job system was thus popularized among tactical RPGs, and it further influenced franchises such as the Disgaea game series.
Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is visually a throwback to these tactics games. You follow the story of Kyrie, who is tasked with maintaining the balance of this fantastical world. You, as the player, get to control characters in your party called Arbiters, selectable from 30 different classes.
The game is created by the indie developers at 6 Eyes Studios and was released in 2019 for multiple platforms.
TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children
TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children is a unique indie tactical RPG in this list, in terms of setting. It is the only game in this that does not feel like it is set in the distant sci-fi future or in a medieval fantasy world. It feels like a game set in the current times.
Developed and published by the Korean indie studio Dandylion. TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children is supposed to be the first saga in a series of video games, according to the creators.
The game takes place in the fictional and dystopian world of Valhalla, where criminals run amok. Mercenaries for hire are the ones who have taken the law into their own hands to help control crime.
Fae Tactics
Fae Tactics is another beautiful indie tactical RPG similar to Wargroove, which is a throwback to the tactical RPGs from the GBA and classic PlayStation era. It is most reminiscent of games such as the Advanced Wars series and Final Fantasy Tactics.
The game is developed by the indie studio Endlessfluff Games, allowing you to step into the shoes of a young magic user named Peony. You get all sorts of spells at your disposal during tactical combat.
The main reason that makes Fae Tactics worthy of recommendation on our list is its Pokémon-like system of monster collection, mainly centering around the creatures known as Fae. Peony gets to befriend and summon these Fae creatures as her own party units in combat.
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is the only game developed by the Swedish indie studio The Bearded Ladies.
The title was originally conceived to be an open-world game, but unfortunately, the idea was ditched later. But it is still one of the more unique tactical RPGs ever developed, which makes it deserving of discussion.
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden takes a page from the book of a popular RPG series, X-COM, allowing stealth and cover positioning for combat.
The game takes place in a world that saw the outbreak of a deadly plague and went through nuclear wars, which almost completely wiped out all of humanity. Now, what’s left behind are mutated beings in a dystopian world.
