Top 5 RPGs To Play Right Now
Five RPGs worth playing now, from stylish turn-based combat to grounded medieval role-playing and narrative space survival.
A good RPG list should not pretend every player wants the same kind of pain. Some people want numbers, some want choices, some want one doomed little decision to haunt them for six hours. These five cover the spread without wasting your night.
| Rank | Game | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Stylish modern turn-based RPG with timing pressure and a gorgeous world. |
| 2 | Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | Grounded medieval role-playing where preparation actually matters. |
| 3 | Metaphor: ReFantazio | Big-party Atlus RPG energy with a fantasy campaign that has real momentum. |
| 4 | Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector | Narrative RPG pressure, dice rolls, debt, and hard choices in space. |
| 5 | Hades II | Action-heavy progression with builds that change fast and keep runs sharp. |
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur works because it respects the old-school RPG rhythm without feeling stuck in it. You get party building, dramatic boss fights, and a painterly world, but the timing-based combat keeps every round from turning into menu sleepwalking.
The sharpest pick if you want a modern turn-based RPG with style, pressure, and fights that ask you to stay awake.
Store link: Steam.
2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is not interested in making you feel like a chosen superhero five minutes in. Its best moments come from learning the world, reading the room, and surviving fights because you prepared better than the other poor soul holding a sword.
The grounded choice for players who want role-playing to feel dirty, slow, dangerous, and properly earned.
Store link: Steam.
3. Metaphor: ReFantazio
Metaphor: ReFantazio is the better pick here because it feels built around actual RPG momentum: party growth, calendar pressure, archetype choices, and a fantasy road trip that keeps pushing forward. It has the confidence of a big Atlus RPG without just feeling like another school-year remix.
The stronger choice if you want a stylish party RPG with big characters, smart combat, and a campaign that knows how to keep the stakes moving.
Store link: Steam.
4. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
Citizen Sleeper 2 is smaller than the giant RPGs on this list, but it earns its place by making every decision feel like a little pressure leak. It is about managing risk, people, debt, and hope while the universe keeps asking for another payment.
The narrative RPG pick for anyone who wants dice rolls, desperate jobs, and writing that actually carries weight.
Store link: Steam.
5. Hades II
Hades II is not a traditional party RPG, but it absolutely belongs in the conversation if what you want is progression that keeps biting back. Builds change fast, choices matter immediately, and every failed run usually teaches you something useful.
The action-heavy pick, because its upgrades, boons, relationships, and repeat runs still scratch the RPG itch beautifully.
Store link: Steam.
Which One Should You Start With?
Start with Clair Obscur if you want the cleanest all-around RPG pick. Go Kingdom Come if you want slow-burn immersion, Metaphor if you want a big party-driven fantasy RPG, Citizen Sleeper 2 if you want writing and pressure, and Hades II if you want progression that keeps punching back.