Solasta: Crown of the Magister
The debut CRPG from the French studio Tactical Adventures was released in May 2021. Its action takes place in a fantasy world that has survived an ancient catastrophe. The player needs to create a party of four adventurers and go in search of the legendary Crown of the Magister and magical stones to prevent a new apocalypse.
The game's plot is linear and primarily serves as a backdrop for the protagonists' adventures. The gameplay is built on the rules of D&D fifth edition — almost everything revolves around 20-sided dice rolls: attribute checks, social interactions, exploration, and battles. But a well-thought-out build is also important, as it helps compensate for failures.
Solasta particularly stands out for its masterful use of verticality in levels: different heights, flying, wall climbing, destructible objects, and traps. This makes every battle feel unique and tactical.
Divinity: Original Sin Duology
Larian Studios' two predecessors to Baldur's Gate 3 transport the player to the fantasy world of Rivellon, where magic, intrigue, and ancient powers intertwine. And you can immerse yourself in it with friends in co-op.
The first part tells the story of Source Hunters — hunters of ancient and very powerful energy. The plot begins with the investigation of a simple murder in a coastal city and ends with a world-threatening danger, time travel, and a struggle against the forces of the Void. The second game takes place a thousand years after the events of the first. This time, you play as one of the Godwoken — candidates for divinity, marked by seven gods who have set up a competition.
The duology's plot is rich in epic events, unexpected twists, black humor, and complex moral dilemmas. The gameplay of both games is built around a reactive world and tactical turn-based combat. You can interact with almost anything: set oil on fire, freeze puddles, teleport enemies into an abyss, create elemental combos, blow up barrels, destroy the environment, and much more.
Disco Elysium
A CRPG from the Estonian studio ZA/UM. The action takes place in the fictional city of Revachol — in the slums on the shore of a dead sea. It's a world that balances between capitalism, fascism, and complete despair.
The main character, detective Harry Du Bois, wakes up naked in a trashed motel room. He has no weapon, no memories of himself. Only a terrible hangover, hallucinations, voices in his head, and a partner — Kim Kitsuragi. Together, you have to investigate the murder of a hanged man in the motel's backyard. But this is just an excuse for deep introspection and philosophical discussions between the characters.
The project stands out because there is no combat system. Instead of fighting monsters, you fight your own mind, the protagonist's bad habits, memory loss, and existential dread. There is a lot of wonderfully written text here, and every conversation can end in death, a nervous breakdown, or an awkward silence — it all depends on a dice roll.
Pathfinder Duology
Two CRPG adaptations of the Pathfinder tabletop game transport players to Golarion — a world where heroic epics coexist with harsh survival, and character progression is more complex than any battle. These games feature a deep rule system, numerous classes, multiclassing options, and archetypes, as well as a kingdom and army management mode. You have to calculate and plan, and a mistake in your build can ruin you at any moment.
In Kingmaker, you start as a mercenary whose goal is to defeat local bandits. But the plot quickly turns into a political saga with a curse, ancient secrets, monster invasions, and state management.
The events of Wrath of the Righteous take place several years later at the Worldwound, from which hordes of demons invade the human world. The player takes control of a crusader commander — a mortal who has acquired mythical power. In the sequel, you will not just survive, but become a god-like being, decide the fate of the world, and choose: redeem the demons or destroy all life.
Wasteland 3
Wasteland 3 is a CRPG from inXile Entertainment. The action unfolds in the snowy wasteland of Colorado. It's a direct continuation of the second part, but the story is self-contained — you take command of a squad of Desert Rangers who are on the brink of survival.
The plot is rich in events. You will encounter a mad cult, negotiate with mutant freaks, experience plot twists, betrayals, and so on. You'll have to decide: save Arizona or ignite a rebellion and liberate Colorado? The game can be played in co-op.
Wasteland 3 is a game in the spirit of classic Fallout with a turn-based combat system, cover, destructible environments, and black humor. There's even a combat truck that participates in battles and serves as a mobile fort. And if you don't want to fight, well-developed conversational skills open up alternative paths. For example, you can persuade a boss to blow himself up.
Pillars of Eternity Duology
Two RPGs from Obsidian Entertainment transport players to the fantasy world of Eora, where magic works through souls, gods are an invention of an ancient civilization, and colonialism, theology, and philosophy are closely intertwined. This is the kind of fantasy where you are concerned not only with monsters but also with the question of whether the world is structured correctly.
The first part begins in the Dyrwood region. Children are born without souls here, and some adults suddenly remember past lives and go mad. The player takes on the role of a Watcher, who must figure everything out. After all, the main character not only sees souls but can also read others' memories, interact with ghosts, and look into the past. There is no pure evil in this story, and questions of faith, free will, and individual values are regularly called into question.
The events of the sequel transport us to the Deadfire Archipelago — a tropical zone ruled by corsairs, colonial factions, and local tribes. The fire god Eothas breaks free from captivity, determined to destroy the Wheel of Rebirth. He destroys your ship, and now the player must catch up with the escaped deity, understand his motives, and decide his fate.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
This project in the grim Warhammer 40,000 universe sends you to an uncharted region on the edge of the Imperium, full of heretics, xenos, and those even more terrifying. The player becomes a Rogue Trader, granted the right to explore, trade, and colonize by the Emperor himself. This game is about being a corporate, diplomat, and war criminal all rolled into one.
The plot begins with your ship being shipwrecked, part of the crew dying, and the navigator going mad from the Warp's influence. And now the player must not only survive but also regain lost influence and unravel a conspiracy that threatens the entire sector.
An important part of the game is managing your protectorate. You will rebuild and improve planets, investing resources in projects that bring profit, improve faction reputation, or unlock unique questlines. The fate of entire colonies depends on your choices. And if you don't mind ordering the bombardment of a planet for an annual bonus — welcome aboard.
Tyranny
Another CRPG from Obsidian Entertainment, distinguished by its unique setting where good has already lost, and the world is ruled by the mysterious tyrant Kyros. The player acts as a Fatebinder — a judge, investigator, and executioner all in one. You don't try to save the world, but rather strive to bring order among mad generals, fanatics, and schemers.
In Tyranny, role-playing begins even at the character creation stage, when you choose how the three-year military campaign unfolded. Each decision here determines the starting position of factions, available companions, and even the appearance of some locations. And as you progress through the story, you have the opportunity to betray everyone, create your own faction, and challenge the overlord himself.
The game is short and intimate: locations are often linear and resemble corridors, and there are few side quests outside the main storyline. A playthrough takes approximately 20–25 hours, and the story ends with an interesting cliffhanger, but the second part was never released. Nevertheless, it's definitely worth checking out the project.
The Thaumaturge
An RPG set in 1905 Warsaw — a city where political intrigues, social inequality, and mysticism intertwine. This is an isometric detective RPG with an emphasis on investigations, dialogues, and moral choices. The player can read emotions and memories left on objects, see people's auras, and find clues hidden from ordinary sight.
The main character — thaumaturge Wiktor Szulski — can see mysterious entities from Slavic folklore that are born from human flaws. Wiktor subjugates them and uses them instead of a classic party in battles, almost like in the Shin Megami Tensei series. These monsters do not evolve, but each grants powerful passive and active abilities.
In The Thaumaturge, your decisions greatly influence the plot. The game offers several playthrough options and requires a thoughtful approach, as the main weapon is not a blade, but the ability to read others' sins and confront your own.
Sovereign Syndicate
A text-based CRPG from Canadian studio Crimson Herring Studios, inspired by Disco Elysium. The action takes place in a grimy steampunk Victorian London — in slums, opium dens, brothels, and docklands. Here, centaurs serve in the police, werewolves are confined to ghettos, and the main characters try to climb out of the bottom.
Any conflict situation in the game is played out through comic book inserts and text scenes, where only choice matters. But instead of dice, the check system is built on tarot decks: you draw cards, and your decisions and chosen character traits unlock access to new Major Arcana cards. And the more often you rely on specific skills, the stronger they become.
The plot begins with an investigation into the disappearance of vulnerable members of society and quickly leads to the exposure of a mysterious cult. The game is praised for its phenomenal writing, dark atmosphere, and depth of characters. If you want to immerse yourself in a semi-fantasy world and investigate a conspiracy among werewolves and centaurs, it's worth a try.
Esoteric Ebb
Another heir to Disco Elysium surprises already at the setting stage. Before us is the fantasy city of Norvik — the capital of the kingdom of Yor — on the verge of the first democratic elections in history. You play as a failed priest who has returned from the dead and been appointed a government messenger on errands.
The game has four factions: nationalists, capitalists, socialists, and centrists. The player has to choose a side or go against everyone: you can campaign for anyone — including yourself, why not.
The protagonist can cast spells, read minds, talk to animals and the dead, charm people, and much more. All conflicts are resolved through diplomacy, magic, and checks, for which the familiar 20-sided die is responsible. And spells open up unique paths in dialogues and investigations. Each completed quest "takes root" in the priest's mind and grants perks that change the gameplay. The only problem is that the project has not yet been translated into Russian.