The Best Tactical Role-Playing Games Of All Time
These are the best tactical role-playing games of all time for any console or system, ranked by gamers everywhere. These highly rated RPGs are ordered by popularity, so only the biggest and most talk-about titles are at the top of the list.
Franchise series like Fire Emblem and modern tactical RPGs like XCOM are among the top games in the genre, but there plenty of underrated TRPGs that deserve more attention. Fortunately, this list includes the most challenging and popular tactical role-playing games that have ever hit the shelves, though some of the more obscure releases may not be included.
Classic series like Final Fantasy Tactics to cult classics like Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, this list answers the questions, "What are the best tactical RPGs?" and "What is the greatest tactical role-playing game of all time?" Vote up all your favorite releases throughout the years.
Final Fantasy Tactics is the ultimate chess game with its tactical grid-based gameplay, immersing you in a story of political intrigue and war contrasting the classical elements of Final Fantasy. With its well-loved Job System that lets you customize your character's classes, it created an immersive and strategic gameplay that redefined the RPG genre. Its ground-breaking ideas and deep, layered storytelling left a gargantuan footprint in the gaming world that still resonates in today's tactical-RPGs.
- Developer: Square Product Development Division 4
Also ranks #1 on The 50 Best PS1 RPG Games, Ranked- Also ranks #2 on 20 Classic RPGs That Are Still Great Today
- Also ranks #4 on Forgotten Video Game Sub-Franchises That Need To Make A Comeback
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Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is a pot of gold under the tactical RPG rainbow, boiling with courtly strife, military conflict, and ethical dilemmas. At its core, it's a tactical RPG, but its multi-branching storyline and innovative gameplay are its prized trophies. The game has left an everlasting cartridge-sized imprint on every player who's had the courage to take on the journey.
- Developer: Quest
- Also ranks #1 on The Best Super Nintendo Strategy Games
- Also ranks #3 on The Best Wii U RPGs You Should Be Playing
- Also ranks #4 on The Best PlayStation Strategy Games
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The War of the Lions is a gripping tale of royal conspiracy that tears at the seams with tactical RPG elements, while incorporating a refined version of the original FFT's Job System, enabling uber-flexible character growth. The game weaves a rich narrative tapestry, becoming the beacon of the genre. It's influenced a generation and created a legion of admirers.
- Developer: Tose
- Also ranks #1 on The Best Square Enix Games List
- Also ranks #2 on The 70+ Best PSP Tactic Games
- Also ranks #4 on The Best RPGs on the PSP
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Path of Radiance throws you into a sprawling mess of a kingdom in throes, with captivating character narratives and tantalizing strategy battles. It's an epic journey with turn-based combat that forces you to think harder than your run-of-the-mill hack and slasher. As a prestigious title in the Fire Emblem series, it's carved a permanent niche in the hall of tactical RPG fame.
- Developer: Intelligent Systems
- Also ranks #41 on List of All GameCube Games
- Also ranks #2 on All The 'Fire Emblem' Games, Ranked By Fans
- Also ranks #3 on The 40+ Best RPG Games on GameCube
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The OG Fire Emblem game was a pioneer in the tactical RPG genre, with a complex narrative about a royal bloodline's struggle and turn-based battle mechanics that will keep you on your tactical toes. With a major focus on permadeath, every decision you make is like dancing on a knife's edge. It set the foundation not just for its series, but its mechanisms can still be seen in the entire gamut of RPGs.
- Developer: Intelligent Systems
Dig Deeper 24 Gorgeous Cosplays That Put The Fire In Fire Emblem- Also ranks #3 on All The 'Fire Emblem' Games, Ranked By Fans
- Also ranks #12 on The 25+ Best RPG Games on Game Boy Advance
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Knight of Lodis paints a gothic narrative interlaced with tactical warfare against a backdrop of political chess-games. The game features multiple layers of tactical battle system and moral choice driving story branches, making it a tour de force in the genre. This game shows why it's an icon in the gaming industry, setting the standard for future strategy RPGs embedded with ethical dilemmas.
- Developer: Quest
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