Hey guys I've been playing Wizardry 8 lately and I'm really loving but Im pretty sure im almost done (I also messed around with 6&7...6 was fun but I was having technical issues with it, 7 had a VERY confusing UI) so I was hoping to find some more games that were similar...I've also played M&MX which was cool too but sadly the other games in the series are real time not turn-based and I dont find that enjoyable, sadly i bought Legend of Grimrock 1&2 not knowing they were real time as well.

I'm open to anything similar either older stuff I can get from GoG or Abandoware or similar sites or modern stuff but It needs to have the following: Character Creation w/ multiple classes and races, be turn based, preferably in first person, lots of loot, preferably a fantasy or spacey fantasy like wizadry oddly has lol.

I'll try to clarify if that isnt specific enough...oh also im on windows and have a somewhat weak PC (can run Just Cause 2 and Saints Row 4 but not Just Cause 3)
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TL;DR - Tell me about some turn based dungeon crawlers

Wizardry 1-5 (though note that 4 is different; also, only 1 and 5 are reasonable entry points).

Bard's Tale series (avoid 4 for now, as your PC probably can't handle it, but 1-3 are good).

Might and Magic 1-5 (before real-time combat was introduced, but even later games in the series have the option to set it to turn based).

Elminage Gothic.

From what I hear, Mary Skelter: Nightmares might work. (I still have yet to try that game, even though it's in my library.)

Oh didn't know that about the Might and magics (nor the turn based option fo 6,7, 8 or 9, cool)

I think the remastered bards tale includes the old ones so i might already have them so sweet

Thanks for elinage gothic it acually also lead me down a huge rabbit hole of dungeon crawlers i ave to go through them and pick out wich ones are turn based and whther i think id enjoy them or not (including elinage of course)

I'll check out Mary Skleter but im ot usually into "horror" games but maybe its just a name eh :P

For reference the games i found were (in no paticular order):

Heroes of the Monkey Tavern
Paper Sorceror
Ark Noir (not sure if dungeon crawler or visual novel, also kind of bioshocky but cnt hurt to look into)
Two different Elminages (I think...not sure if series, rerelease or conicidental same name)
Frayed Knights (seems to have the "party banter" that Wiz 8 does)
Heroes of a Broken Land (i think it is an odd mix of civilization and a dungeon crawler)
Strangers to Sword City (might be more similar to etrian odyssesy or the other japanese style dungeon crawlers, not that i dont like those just not what im looking for atm)
Vaporum (anoter steampunky/bioshock ascetic might be fun)
ALOT of games tagged with "sexual content" oddly enough (ie. sakura dungeon), honestly most look like cash grabs but there could be a diamond in the rough here.

It's not a horror game in the usual sense, although the nightmare chase could be considered like a horror game. It does have some real-time aspects, though, so beware. For example, the aforementioned nightmare chase is due to the nightmares (section bosses) patrolling the dungeon in real time (but very slowly, and only in limited areas, so not that big a deal), and if they catch you in their vision range, they warp to your location and you have to escape their vision range in real time without a map (the nightmares are immortal until their scripted end-of-section battle), and if you end up fighting them before their final fight (which you will have to do at least once), they cut in line (in the turn order, that is) in real time like the old Final Fantasy-style ATB/CTB. is real-time. It's also on a one-day sale at 50% off (historical low price) right now.

So does Wizardry 8. Enemies move in real-time outside of combat, and there's that one training area in the Umpani camp that requires navigating obstacles in real time.

Also, Bard's Tale 2 has timed (adventure-game style) puzzles.

You caught me. I don't really like Wizardry that much, so I haven't gotten far enough in Wizardry 8 to be bothered by its real-time mechanics. On the other hand, I actually finished Mary Skelter (in spite of its many flaws). I also assumed by the thread title that turn-based mechanics were important, which is why I mentioned the real-time aspects. I also doubt that Wizardry 8 has real-time combat elements, like the line skipping (and the fact that external things like bosses, moving carts, and traps continue to function even if a random encounter starts right on that tile; Wizardry 8 doesn't even have random encounters I think).

Also, I never liked Bard's Tale, either (but I did like the real-time console game, actually). I admit that I formed this opinion based on the C-64 version back during a time when I didn't like much of any RPGs, but I can't seem to shake that feeling.

Wizardry 8 does have a continuous battle mode, which does add some real-time elements if enabled. In particular, this mode has effects like these:
* Combat does not stop at the end of the round.
* You can choose actions for characters in the middle of the combat round. (So, if your fighter gets seriously injured, if you're fast enough, you can tell your priest to heal her, and if the fighter gets killed before the priest gets to act, you can switch your priest's action to casting Resurrect.)
* When moving during battle (which requires an explicit move command), the meter will decrease with time, rather than only as you move.

Generally, Wizardry 8 is considered difficult enough that most players won't use continuous mode, but it *is* an option, and can be used to speed up easier fights a bit (not to mention the second point does give the player a bit of an advantage).

By the way, the Bard's Tale games have a few other real-time elements:
* Time passes in-game between day and night in real time.
* Spell and bard song durations are for a certain amount of real time.
* In some cases, characters will slowly regenerate HP or SP with time. (The most common instance of this is that spellcasters will regenerate SP while outside during the day.)
* In BT1 and BT2 (but not BT3), the game periodically checks for encounters, even if you are standing still, so if you leave the game running for a while, you will likely get into an encounter before you come back to the game. (The exception is BT2's death snare, but if you try that there, chances are you'll run out of time and your entire party will be killed. BT3 does have a couple areas without outdoor encoutners, but that game doesn't give you encounters when you're standing still, anyway.)

Star Crawlers here is similar to Wiz 8 in the optional tile movement and turn-based combat. Feel is different in that it is mission based rather than a large story but still a fun RPG.

Yeah i dont have an issue with the real time movement in wizardry 8 as the reason i like the turn based is because i can think strategivally, that said im cool with the grid-based movement style as well.

Having popped back into wizardry with the mindset of what makes wizardry 8 stand out to me (note: these arent requirements for me to enjor or buy a game just things that i liked)

1. The party members all have a personality due to the voices/animated portraits of which they managed to hit a pretty good balance between not to much but not so little you dont really notice (the one who talks like he;s narrating is my fav, used it for my gadgeteer

2. Non "standard" races and classes, it made it really feel like i was on another world and frankly the fighter, wizard,cleeric, rogue combination along with human, elf, dwarf, gnome, hobbits or halflings or kender (their all the same really), and gnomes gets stale so the gadgeteer and to a lesser exent alchemist and their crafting systems made for something different in the party as well as the unique races of course, i wish i could make a Trynnie Party member (Pvt. Sparkle is a bit annoying and i already had a gadgeteer so the scientist guy was redudant)

3. The combats used positioning, terrain, obstacles to make it more aliuve along with the fact that you dont go to "battle land" like most RPGs. Oh specifically i really like the formation system

4. It was very open ended in where you felt like going, even if i felt the journal was liking and sometimes i had no idea what to do if i just went to a different place something would happen and id generally manage to push the story along in some way.

5. the fact that customization didnt stop after char creation i was even able to change my fighter from a sword and board user two a two-handed user, my bowman to an crossbowman, my unarmed monk to a thrown weapons user and my umpani bard from a rear line musician to a side guard dual weapon fighting warchanter.

6. the map, one thing that drives me batty nowadays is dealing with games that require you to make your own maps, dont get me wrong my bedroom when i was younger looked like i was going to be a cartographer but nowadays being an adult and all i dont have the ridiculous amount of free time i did when i was a kid and the free time i do get has way more distractions than when i could hole up in my room and not be bothered (not that im complaining about having my partner and our fur babies around, definately complaining about living in a loud city though :P)

7. just being able to select your class and race instead of relying on luck to get you the right class especially if the game limits rerolls...dont really have the time for that anymore (although for a good enough game ill put up woth it since its a short issue)

8. its a world instead of just a dungeon, having a couple retro dungeons was fun though


things i didnt like

1. no respec system: whilst i was able to switch things up i had no way to adjust stats change out my classes etc. i know this is a co troversial subject amongst gamers but i tend to develop characrters s i play and sometimes the first class i chose doesnt work he way i thought it would or the abilities dont fit the character very well...ie. the ninja being way better with troewn weapons than the monk who seemed to be more suited to being a nigh immortal front liner

2. The different xp tracks for different classes, mosly an pet peeve type thing

3. the dialog "list" i wish it would just remove any non-relevant key words so i dpnt need to sit 50 or so "I dont knows or o dont cares with everyone i talked to

4. another minor ignorable complain is the inventory system...2x4 is frusttrating top scroll through and aside from the weapons, armor and identify filters it was hard to find anythinng quickly, i also hate emcumbrance or max "slots" (99 of each item is perfectly acceptable though) i manahed to resolve the encumbrance issue with csmic forge aat first and than i discoverrd you could stick items it previosuly opened chests and combined with two or more spellcasters with portal is set a portal in arnikas armory the rapax guy has a nice safe chest in his bedroom where enemies never show up than the second caster would just set portal at my current location so i could come back either, made for a effective way to camp without worry even i was bad off and no semi-safe place to hide.

5. bad;y explained everything, all the tooltips give you vague ideas of what they improve but not how they do that and how much per thing,,again mostly a pet peeve which would be solved by a respec system as i kind of figure out what how things work but got frustrated at alot of wasted points that i couldnt reallocate, somewhat improved by the fact that your skills can increase through use so suddenly switchiing from your sword stat of 82 to your axe sat of 4 will suck while but would rapidly catch up

im sure theres more but figured id pop that in again thaanks for everyones help so far, star crawlers wasnt really the genre i was looking for but might be a good idea to genre hop to keep ythings fresh

im also checking out mary skelter ill let you know what i think after some lets plays and reviews (i miss the days where demos were the norm istead of the exception)

sidethought: It's a different kind of game but someone suggested wizrogue Labrynth of wizardry to me...any onde know how well this or something similar compares to a first person dungeon crawler

So whilst i still have alot of games to look at between everywhere i posted including here someone lead me to a really old game which luckily enough is right here on GOG it's called.....

Wizards & Warriors!!!! https://www.gog.com/game/wizards_warriors

It's quite similar to wizardry 8 in the real time movement but turnbased combat type stuff. so it's definately getting added to my list of games :D (the 8$ price tag is a big pro as well :D)

I too like games like this but there's not too much out there. The upcoming Operencia looks really nice and promising but it's probably more like a turn-based Legend of Grimrock 2 style game (I say 2 because it also has outdoor areas unlike the 1st, not just a dungeon, but it's still not exactly an open RPG world to compare to Wizardry 8 alone or the later M&M games). I never enjoyed real-time combat in such games like Grimrock, having to control 4 or so characters' actions as well as movement at once.

https://youtu.be/DHZbt5Xv7lk

https://operenciarpg.com

For something with lower production values there's the released Heroes of a Broken Land, it is pretty unique as it combines mutliple gameplay layers, from managing different parties sent out to different first person dungeons to exploring hex tile worlds and managing your kingdom and home city and what not, obviously not in a full stand alone strategy game depth level of course.

https://youtu.be/qp1lCs6m9ZQ

https://wingedpixel.com/heroes-of-a-broken-land/

If you're not looking for games with the RPG scope of Wizadrry 8 specifically then there are a lot of good Japanese dungeon crawlers too, check out the Etrian Odyssey series, it's long-running for good reason, quality stuff, but console only (and emulator).

Most of these also have tile movement outside combat though, but it's alright when you're not exploring a full RPG world.

oh people I cannot say enough about Albion, one of the greatest games I've ever played, and one of those I can return to again and again - like Wizardry 8 - the setting is exactly spacey fantasy, the combat is very similar, view angle is 3d and top-down, depending on where you are, and it's like a game from the end of the 90's but it has very passable graphics...

actually I am scanning any threads with suggestions about games similar to W8... but can't find games that would satisfy me. lots of them are so old, and others are purely strategic/tactical combat missions - and others have so complex combat that I am totally overwhelmed in the first battle.

I miss the games that take it slowly, that have a vision and depth like W8, and sadly, there are very few such games :(

Since this topic was made, a game called Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls came out.

(Don't worry about using a weak PC; I got through the game (though I stopped right before the final boss) on a sub-$150 laptop with a celeron, 4GB ram, and integrated graphics.)

https://www.gog.com/game/wizardry_labyrinth_of_lost_souls

The closer games to Wizardry 8 I can think about are Might and Magic 6-7-8-9. Big worlds, relatively open roaming, free real time 3D movement, turn based combat, complex party management.

But the idea of the leveling up according to the use of specific weapons, magic etc... have an strong ppresence in Wiz8, so I'd say The elder Scrolls series are some kind of similar to it in some way. Not a lot of games use that feature.