Our Favorite CRPGs To Look Out For In 2024

Thanks to Baldur’s Gate 3, the CRPG has made a massive comeback. Once a dominant force in the PC gaming world, as the mid-2000s rolled around, the genre got less and less popular, with MMOs taking over the landscape for the most part. With the reigning Game of the Year winner in Baldur’s Gate 3, though, all of a sudden, we’ve got fans of the game clamoring for what’s next in the CRPG world.

The magic of this genre is that it can work in literally any scenario, and it’s also a game that’s generally made faster than the massive, big-budget RPGs that have been dominating the gaming world for several years now. 2024 is looking to be quite the resurgence for the genre, and we’re here to guide you through it. Here are 10 upcoming CRPGs to look out for in 2024.

Selection Criteria

Here are several factors we consider when determining which games get on our list. We want this list to be focused and informative, so here are our criteria. Keep in mind that release dates are subject to change.

• Must have a top-down perspective
• Must involve in-depth RPG mechanics
• Must use a turn-based battle system, similar to Baldur’s Gate 3

10. King Arthur: Legends Rise

• Developer: Kabam Grimes, Inc
• Platform: PC, Mobile

King Arthur: Legends Rise is a very interesting CRPG set to release in 2024. It has the unique feature of being playable on both PC and mobile platforms, allowing you to play on the go, which is something most games can’t boast unless you’ve got a Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch. The game has you playing as King Arthur and gathering your faithful knights of the Round Table to do battle against all manner of evil.

It’s a basic setup, but within, there is a lot of depth, with a turn-based combat system that resembles JRPGs but also a tactical battle system for larger battles. It’s a pretty cool mix, and you’ll also heavily emphasize base building as you build up your kingdom of Camelot.

I’ve played the playtest on this one, and it’s got some jaw-dropping visuals for a CRPG and some fantastic combat animations to boot. It’s definitely got a bit of a mobile vibe to it; however, there is no Gatcha in sight, so there is at least that to take solace in. The turn-based combat mixed with the larger, grid-based battles. There has yet to be a really good King Arthur game, so maybe this will finally rip the sword from the stone.

9. Realms Beyond: Ashes of the Fallen

• Developer: Ceres Games
• Platform: PC

This one is a little tentative because while it’s expected to come out in 2024, there is nothing too concrete yet. Either way, it looks like an incredible CRPG from the brief footage we’ve gotten to see; it looks like an incredible throwback to the great CRPGs that made the genre so compelling in the late 90s and early 2000s. Combat takes place on a grid, but cleverly, the grid is woven into the background, making for a very cool graphic effect that most CRPGs don’t aim for.

You’ll be managing a party of Paladins, Fighters, Wizards, and all of your standard DND classes. It looks beautiful in action and has a dark tone, which is also a welcome sight. There will likely be heaps of dialogue and exposition to read, but that’s how the old-school CRPGs went, so it’s safe to say we’ll also get that here. The lack of a release date and numerous delays are undoubtedly concerning, but if Ceres Games gets its act together, they might have a special title here.

8. Zoria: Age of Shattering

• Developer: Tiny Trinket Games
• Platform: PC

Zoria: Age of Shattering does something unique with its gameplay. It’s a turn-based CRPG, yes, but the ability to use it is so fast and fluent that the action on screen resembles an action RPG. This is something I’ve always wanted for CRPGs as the action can drag to a halt sometimes, even in masterpieces like Baldur’s Gate 3. Zoria is a Kickstarter-funded game, but don’t let that dissuade you, as it clearly has a ton of love put into it and has a concrete release date of March 7th, 2024.

In fact, you can play a demo of it right now, and I promise you, you’re going to enjoy yourself. It’s a lightning-fast blast of CRPG goodness that really does feel like an action game. It’s not just a gimmick; it makes the action on screen far more exciting than the likes of other games in its ilk. This one has had some time in the kitchen, with the demo released in 2020, but hey, Baldur’s Gate 3 took three years to come out and look how that turned out. This might be a diamond in the rough.

7. Sovereign Syndicate

• Developer: Crimson Herring Studios
• Platform: PC

You know how I mentioned CRPGs can work in pretty much any environment? Well, Sovereign Syndicate is pretty much proof of that. This game takes place in a Victorian Era take on a steampunk-laden London. Far from your typical setting in a CRPG, but stay with me; this game has a chance to be something special. Instead of your normal CRPG gameplay, Sovereign Syndicate has a Disco Elysium-type thing going for it, with dialogue and skills taking the place of traditional CRPG combat.

The cast of characters here looks great, with Werewolves and all manner of outcasts coming together on this journey to uncover the inner workings of a dangerous cult. Sovereign Syndicate is creeping towards us, set to release on January 15th, 2024. It might be a bit outside the box compared to most in the genre, but that’s precisely why you should be paying attention to it.

6. Hexxen Hunters

• Developers: Ulisses Spiele Digital
• Platform: PC

Hexxen Hunters is looking to be a dark horse in the CRPG genre in 2024. It’s your classic, good guys vs the forces of hell storyline, but it’s told in a way that is reminiscent of games like Telltale’s The Walking Dead. It’s a very interesting thing to see in a CRPG, as generally, tales are told through countless walls of text. You’ll get the usual top-down action here.

However, attacks and ability are shown in a slick, cutscene-style animation each time you use one, lending some much-needed flair to a genre that can often look like it’s going through the motions.

Aesthetically, it resembles Darkest Dungeon in its presentation and seems to even take some notes from Fire Emblem as far as its combat is concerned. You’ll have multiple characters to recruit, interesting options in each mission on how you want to go about business, and countless spells and attacks to unlock for your team. It’s definitely a niche within the CRPG genre, but that makes it something to pay attention to, as it clearly stands out.

5. Unforetold: Witchstone

• Developer: Spearhead Games
• Platform: PC

Unforetold: Witchstone looks to be the CRPG genre’s version of Remnant 2. This is most certainly a kitchen-sink approach to the genre, with environments varying wildly from deserts to jungles with dinosaurs and places in the far future with crazy technology. The variety on display is very intriguing, and it will all surround a world that grows alongside you.

Listed in the key features is a living world that reacts to everything you do, giving you a veritable sandbox-style game that allows your creativity to flourish. While there is a backstory supporting the action, it appears that this will largely be a game that allows you to make your own fun, letting you literally conquer the world or fight to free it from tyranny.

Solid-looking turn-based and grid-based combat will be here, but you’ll be wielding a large variety of weapons, from basic guns to over-the-top weaponry from the future. We don’t have long to wait to see what Unforetold: Witchstone has in store, as it has a release date set for January 25th, 2024.

4. The Way of Wrath

• Developer: Animmal
• Platform: PC

The Way of Wrath is a beautiful-looking, colorful adventure through the Bronze Age as a tribal chieftain. Your actions throughout the game will shape the world around you, and each origin you choose at the start of the game will heavily impact the tale that unfolds. You’ll have an entire tribe to take care of here, lending some serious survival and base-building elements to this CRPG.

You’ll be taking on the responsibilities of a chieftain, such as gathering resources, sorting out disputes amongst your people, and choosing who to do battle with.

Combat is turn-based with a focus on positioning. You’re able to play real-time with pause or strictly turn-based, and battles here are vicious, making you carefully consider your next move to come away victorious. There will be some supernatural elements here as well, giving your party the ability to cast ancient spells to get an advantage. This one is due out in 2024, but no release date has been set yet.

3. New Arc Line

• Developer: Dreamate
• Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S

New Arc Line looks absolutely incredible. With top-of-the-line graphics, a style that looks like Bioshock mixed with Baldur’s Gate 3, and an intriguing storyline, it’s all there for one of the biggest hits of the year to come to fruition for Dreamate. Your adventure surrounds your search for a cure for your family’s fatal disease. Along the way, you’ll discover a strange world, a bizarre take on the Steampunk genre, and all sorts of horrors to contend with.

You’ll have the choice to master everything from technology to magic and will have six character classes to choose from. The variety here looks staggering, and how it all incorporates into gameplay will be interesting to see. Battles will be done in tactical, turn-based, with your party able to be controlled and maneuvered as you see fit.

The combat looks decidedly cinematic, with incredible animations bringing the action to life. It’s going to be a tough wait on this one to get an actual release date as of now we only have 2024 as their launch goal, but the closed alpha is launching soon, so it may be closer than we think.

2. Archaelund

• Developer: 4 Dimension Games
• Platform: PC

Archaelund is a groundbreaker when it comes to the potential for this CRPG. Archaelund will have you exploring a massive fantasy world in first person; however, once combat starts, you shift to a classic, turn-based grid. It’s a really interesting mix that I’m fairly certain has never been done before, and it’s quite an intriguing mixture of game types.

You’ll have a deep character progression system here, which has characters evolving constantly, which lets you see how far they come from beginning to end. This is going to be a fairly challenging game as well, with difficulty being a focus for 4 Dimension Games here.

Archaelund has some ambitious ideas at play here, with a deep, lore-rich world to explore that aims to bring back the wonder to the world of RPG games. Think Skyrim-level exploration with Baldur’s Gate 3-type combat. Sounds quite appetizing. We won’t be waiting long to get our hands on this one, as it will be released on January 8th, 2024.

1. Broken Roads

• Developer: Drop Bear Bytes
• Platform: PC, PS5, PS4

Broken Roads describes itself as a “classic RPG for the modern age,” and that seems right in line with what it’s going for. This journey has you in the Australian Outback, fighting for survival with you and your party in a post-apocalyptic landscape. You’ll be managing a group of survivors, determining their equipment, battle AI, and all the usual bells and whistles in the CRPG world.

Gameplay looks a lot like Wasteland 3, but that’s not a bad thing. Choices will play heavily here, likely giving the game some replayability. Graphically, it’s a unique art style that has a comic book-like feel to it while being very gritty and violent at the same time.

No Concrete release date is in place for Broken Roads, but it’s going to come out sometime in 2024. We thought that Wasteland 3 was going to restart the occurrence of games in that style, and while it’s taken a few more years, it’s finally happening in 2024. I’m a sucker for hand-drawn artwork and post-apocalyptic games, so I have extremely high hopes for Broken Roads to make a mark in 2024.

Honorable Mentions

There are a ton of CRPGs coming out this year, so we couldn’t fit all of them into a top 10 list, but here are some worth keeping an eye on as well.

• Vampire Syndicate: Gangs of Moonfall
• The Necromancer’s Tale
• Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch
• Journey For the Crown

Return of the King

For anyone who remembers gaming in the early 2000s, you know that it was an era that brought the PC gaming world to life, with classic CRPGs releasing left and right, showing the possibility of storytelling in the gaming medium and influencing generations of game designers because of it. It seems that what was old is now new, as developers all over the place have been once again smitten with the CRPG genre, and it will only grow larger in 2024.

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