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I'm looking for either turn based games (can be strategy or RPG) or simply RPGs by indie developers. Holidays have started, and I'd like to try out some innovatively designed games. Unfortunately, I think I've tried most great indie RPGs and turn based games, so I'm not quite sure what else there is on the market. Currently trying this turn based strategy/RPG called Telepath Psy Arena 2. Not really looking for jRPGs though. Also, I have the feeling someone's going to suggest Solium Infernum, but I didn't really like Armageddon Empire, so I probably won't be getting it.
Any recommendations? Reps to be given.
Post edited December 06, 2009 by lowyhong
Battle for Wesnoth? It's open-source and free.
Btw, it'll be easier to give recommendations if you list what indie RPGs you have played (and liked).
I tried Wesnoth but it didn't keep my attention for very long. Was fun, but just that the game felt very samey in terms of tactics.
Indie turn based games or RPGs I like:
- Depths of Peril
- Avernum and Geneforge
- Darkwind
- Eschalon Book I
- Nethack!!!!!!
- Unreal World (though I felt the game was too overpriced so I never bought it)
- Battles of Norghan (bloody great game, would have bought if game didn't crash frequently at random)
^ just to name a few, off the top of my head right now.
Of Turn based strategy, I can't really think of many indie ones right now, but I adore Jagged Alliance type of games - complex, lots to think about, and the interface/UI is very slick and polished too - which could be why i never got into Armageddon Empires.
I really like 4X turn based games too, like MOO2 and GalCiv2. That's why I'll be getting Sword of the Stars soon - but in the meantime I would like to see if there are any great games like that in the indie community too, that might have flown under my radar. My preferences aren't just limited to 4X though - as mentioned above, I love games like Jagged Alliance and X-COM too.
-added- Oh right I also enjoy wargames, like Panzer General and HOMM. Planning to get Elven Legacy and Hearts of Iron 3 when I can.
Post edited December 06, 2009 by lowyhong
...don't know if you know about already, but i'm currently testing a DEMO of a game called Knights of the Chalice. It is kinda like ultima, rpg -type, with turn-based combat (not hex-grid. Actual turn-based on the game). The 'cons' might be that the graphics look retro, like they come from an old PC, or SNES or so. I'm fine with that, but others might not enjoy it at all...
EDIT: <-[url=]http://www.heroicfantasygames.com/[/url] <-link to page
There's vids on Youtube i tried posting here, but for some reason, this only copied the project's homepage, even giving the proper Youyube address, wtf...
Post edited December 06, 2009 by zM
I'm currently replaying UFO/X-Com for the nth time, and despite its rather basic graphics and nintendo-hard difficulty, I still rank it in my top 5 games of all time.
It's a shame that the latter X-Com games didn't have quite the same charm. I'd like to see something similar made, perhaps with a Jagged Alliance 2 style combat.
Have you tried King's Bounty: The Legend or it's sequel? if you can get it fairly cheap, it's a good game. Didn't quite hold my attention like HOMAM2 though (which is my favourite of that series).
I'd also recommend the Ultima games, of which the earlier ones were turn based (up to U5, and U6 had turn-based combat I think... it's been a while).
...i forgot this: [url=]http://www.asc-hq.org/[/url] Advanced Strategic Command. Turn-based hex game, free game for PC. It mimics the Battle Isle games IIRC. Quite nice game, and free...
Post edited December 06, 2009 by zM
I have mixed feelings about Knights of the Chalice. Game's choice of palette feels too glaring on the eyes, interface is unwieldy, and the somewhat unpolished artwork isn't appealing to me. I might get it for the storyline and old school combat though, which I thought were great, but I wouldn't pay USD20 for it. Maybe when it hits less than USD10...
Andy: yeah I have King's Bounty on my radar already. Just lack of money, that's all.
Advanced Strategic Command, never heard of that. I'll check it out thanks zm.
-edit- Hot dang, ASC looks great! Let's see how this baby plays.
Post edited December 06, 2009 by lowyhong
The Spirit Engine II $10.00 Very Fun RPG
Eschalon Book 1 $19.95 Very Fun RPG
Armageddon Empires $29.95 Fun Turn Based Strategy - Card Based Game.
These are all DRM Free.
Post edited December 06, 2009 by Faithful
I just mentioned Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness in another thread - I don't know if it qualifies, but it certainly is different. It's an episodic series - RPG, kind of pseudo-turnbased maybe. Driven by Penny Arcade style humor of course. Two of the best games I've played, though I am biased. Demos available.
Post edited December 06, 2009 by tor
Jagged Alliance 2
avatar
Faithful: The Spirit Engine II $10.00 Very Fun RPG

The 1st one is free btw.
<span class="bold">Urban Dead</span> - An MMO board game with RPG elements, similar to Vampires! but with a deep ruleset and shittons of drama owed to the fact that players basically have total freedom. There are organized zombie hordes and survivor factions, "feral" hordes usually directed around by whoever is most fluent in zombie groaning, roaming PKers, groups organized to hunt them, hospitals staffed by roleplayers, death cultists who spy for the zombies, zombies who help survivors, and countless specialty groups. I usually run with a group that maintains an open revive clinic for zombies with brain rot who can't get revived anyplace else. No graphics to speak of but there's a Firefox addon that adds map artwork so you aren't just looking at a grid of building and street names. This has been my favorite game for years.
<span class="bold">Dofus</span> - A cute Japanese MMO with a decent size free area and turn based combat. I happen not to like it, but it has a huge player base so maybe they are doing something right. It's got charm, I'll give it that. (Reinstalling it now actually.) Edit: Dofus is French. I was thinking of StoneAge 2, which I would rather have suggested but I think it's dead.
<span class="bold">Wizard 101</span> - A kids' MMO easily clumped in with garbage like Toontown Online and Free Realms, it's really a turn-based card game, and it's great. You fight monsters on a sort of rune-board-thing on the ground, and random people can join you at any time. PvP is done in ranked matches which can be very long and are often rather harrowing. Best of all there's a minimum of drama and other MMO BS because half the players are so young they aren't allowed to use the chat system, and people can't really bitch about what you do in combat because hey, your hand sucked. Another subscription thing but with a pretty large free area and unlimited use of the unranked PvP system. I spent two months earlier this year playing nothing but this game.
<span class="bold">Stone Soup</span> - A roguelike not quite as serious or respectable as Nethack, but more fun in my view because it's designed to give you a fair shot most of the time and to prevent grinding. I usually prefer straight up ascii for my roguelikes, but the tiles version of Stone Soup has an automap and inventory with icons and mouseover information, which is handy at least while you're (re)learning the keys for everything.
Thanks to the others posting recommendations here as many of these are new to me.
Post edited December 07, 2009 by einexile
Hey Lowy, you could always try Decker. It's an RPG-like game set in a world where you hack computers and such. It has stats that you can raise, programs you can research, and more. It's also free and plays like Nethack where if you don't move or do anything the enemy doesn't either. The game has a really small HD footprint; I think it only takes up 10 megs of space or something.
Also: Barkley, Shut Up &amp; Jam: Gaiden, Chapter 1 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa looks ...interesting to say the least. Then there is The Sewer Goblet: The Wu-Tang Clan and the Wu-Tang Baby. Sounds promising!
Post edited December 07, 2009 by JudasIscariot
Okay, not an indie game, but quite good...
Have you considered Silent Storm? Turn based strategy with RPG character upgrading set in a World War 2 environment. Not true to history, but it's a lot of fun.
Well, with WBC3 as this weeks hidden gem, I'd recommend Warlords 4. Not sure if it's indie or not but it is turn based strategy RPG. It's rather old, but since this is GOG, I don't think that would be an issue.
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/warlords4heroesofetheria/index.html
I'm sure you know what gamespot is. Just providing the link for a demo,some reviews and other info if curious.