The Best Hidden Gem RPGs You Might Have Missed

Role-playing games are one of the most diverse genres in gaming, with everything from massive open-world adventures to smaller, story-driven experiences. While major franchises like Final Fantasy, Persona, and Pokémon tend to dominate the spotlight, there are countless RPGs that never reach the same level of attention.

Many of these lesser-known titles still deliver strong gameplay systems, memorable stories, and unique ideas that rival bigger releases. Whether they were overlooked at launch or simply didn’t get wide exposure, these hidden gem RPGs are worth discovering for anyone looking to try something different within the genre.

• Release Date — November 16, 2021
• Developer — Airship Syndicate
• Publisher — Riot Forge
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Indie developer Airship Syndicate made quite a name for itself with RPG fans when it released the excellent Battle Chasers: Nightwar during the early days of the Nintendo Switch, giving the handheld console one of its first great turn-based RPGs while players were waiting for bigger franchises to make their way to the platform. Thankfully, Riot saw the studio as being the perfect developer to bring a League of Legends RPG to life, which is how we got the equally great Ruined King: A League of Legends Story. The best part about Ruined King is that you can have absolutely zero knowledge of or appreciation for League of Legends and still get plenty out of the experience, as it's just an incredibly well-made turn-based RPG with great combat.

• Release Date — September 15, 2022
• Developer — Three Rings
• Publisher — Xseed Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 73% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch

Don't let the mixed review scores fool you — Trinity Trigger is an absolute blast under the right circumstances. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to a solo player who's got plenty of experience with RPGs or action RPGs, the game really shines as a co-op multiplayer title, which is something we don't get all too often in the genre. If you and a fellow RPG fan have some time carved out and the ability to play Trinity Trigger locally (sadly, no online multiplayer), then it can be an excellent experience that harkens back to the glory days of playing Secret of Mana on the SNES using a multi-tap. Notably, the team behind Trinity Trigger includes veterans from series like Octopath Traveler, Mana, and even Pokemon, which gives it a little bit more weight than your average unknown RPG.

• Release Date — April 26, 2023
• Developer — Bytten Studio
• Publisher — Raw Fury
• Review Aggregate Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Android, iOS, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

The creature-collecting RPG subgenre has pretty much been dominated by the Pokemon and Persona franchises for decades now, but that hasn't stopped other smaller teams from giving it their best shot. Cassette Beasts is a great example of what can be done with the general premise behind Pokemon when put into the hands of a team hungry to do something new with it, rather than rest on its laurels and coast on the popularity of an IP and its characters. On top of being a fantastic turn-based RPG with excellent pixel art visuals and rewarding progression, Cassette Beasts does some truly interesting things with how it handles the evolutions and abilities of its monsters, to the point where, after playing it, you'll hope to see some of those ideas make their way into the Pokemon franchise in the future.

• Release Date — December 5, 2002
• Developer — Monolith Soft
• Publisher — Namco
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — GameCube (Original); PC, Nintendo Switch (HD Remaster)

Monolith Soft is best known for its work on the amazing Xenoblade Chronicles games (on top of also being founded by the minds behind Xenogears), but it has another series that's just as great and far less known. Released as a GameCube exclusive way back in the early 2000s, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean was a game way ahead of its time. It's a turn-based JRPG with a deckbuilding twist where all items, abilities, and attacks are tied to collectible cards that players use in battle. At the time, Western audiences had little to no experience with deckbuilders, so a card-based RPG seemed strange, resulting in it becoming something of a cult classic for those who gave it a chance. Thankfully, Monolith Soft saw fit to remaster both Baten Kaitos and its sequel, and it's amazing how fresh they feel more than 20 years later.

• Release Date — June 25, 1993
• Developer — Neverland
• Publisher — Taito
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — SNES

Another old-school hidden gem that deserves a lot more love is Lufia and the Fortress of Doom, one of the best RPGs on a console that's known for some of the all-time best games in the genre: the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. While Lufia may have been overshadowed by the likes of Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger, it's arguably just as essential an RPG from the SNES library, one that hits just the right notes for someone looking for a more "comfort food"-type experience. Lifelong RPG fans are well aware of Lufia (and its lesser sequel), but the game's quality warrants it having more exposure than just among the genre faithful. Hopefully, we'll get a proper re-release, remake, or remaster of this game on modern hardware at some point.

• Release Date — January 28, 2010
• Developer — tri-Ace
• Publisher — Sega
• Review Aggregate Score — 74% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360

As cool a combination as it seems like it'd be, we don't have too many examples of RPGs where characters use firearms as their primary weapons. When done right, though, the RPG/Shooter hybrid can produce some incredible games, Resonance of Fate among them. Resonance comes from none other than tri-Ace (Star Ocean, Valkyrie Profile) and is an oft-forgotten PS3 and Xbox 360 classic that landed mostly mixed reviews from critics at the time of its release. Since then, though, the game has taken on a bit of cult classic status among players who appreciate its unique battle system and absolutely bonkers, anime-inspired story. The HD remaster on PC and PS4 does a great job of preserving one of the 7th generation's most overlooked and unique RPGs.

• Release Date — February 1, 2024
• Developer — Osaka Cygames
• Publisher — Cygames
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5

Hardcore RPG fans know all too well how fantastic a game Granblue Fantasy Relink is, but it's relatively unknown by those outside the genre faithful when compared to games in the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, or even Tales of... series. Like the Tales games or even Star Ocean, Granblue Fantasy Relink is an RPG that utilizes real-time combat, but there are a surprising amount of classes to choose between and experiment with. Better yet, the addition of seamless co-op play for up to 4 players helps give it a bit of an edge in what's traditionally a genre geared toward single-player experiences. And when it comes to Granblue Fantasy Relink's presentation, it's punching well above its weight. The visuals, music, animations, and story are all top-tier when compared to even the most prominent games in the genre.

• Release Date — April 24, 2008
• Developer — Sega, Media.Vision
• Publisher — Sega
• Review Aggregate Score — 86% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PS3 (Original); PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch (Remastered)

We've highlighted Valkyria Chronicles before, but it's worth shining the spotlight on this excellent series once again as we look at some underrated and overlooked RPGs. A turn-based tactical RPG in which players take on the role of soldiers in a fictional World War II-style conflict, Valkyria Chronicles spans 4 separate games, but it's the first and fourth games in the series that do the best job of showcasing its strengths. On top of having grounded and emotionally poignant stories and well-written characters, Valkyria Chronicles' turn-based battling and vehicle combat are wholly unique within the TRPG subgenre and very well done. If you enjoy games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Advance Wars, Valkyria Chronicles is a great cross-section between the two.

• Release Date — December 1, 2023
• Developer — Tose
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Review Aggregate Score — 72% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — Android, iOS, PC, Nintendo Switch

The long-running Dragon Quest Monsters spin-off series is much-loved in its native Japan but far less so in the West, so it's no surprise that the latest entry came and went without much fanfare. But if you give Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince a shot, what you'll find is an incredibly fun creature-collecting RPG that has the typical charm, humor, and "comfort food" gameplay you'd expect from a mainline Dragon Quest game, all while having a fairly interesting battle system and a large roster of collectible and trainable creatures. The late, great Akira Toriyama's creature designs are as great as they've always been in The Dark Prince, and both the Switch and PC versions of this fun creature-collecting RPG do a great job of bringing them to life.

• Release Date — June 25, 2021
• Developer — Bandai Namco Studios, Tose
• Publisher — Bandai Namco
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Action RPGs with real-time combat are pretty common fare in the world of video games, which can make it all too easy to brush aside a new title that has potential beyond what's visible on the surface. At first glance, Scarlet Nexus seems like your run-of-the-mill 3D action-adventure game. But the more you dig into its gameplay, the more apparent it becomes that it's something else entirely, an action RPG with a surprising Control-style twist that gives its dual protagonists game-changing telekinetic powers. The combat in Scarlet Nexus is so good that it almost single-handedly carries the experience, but the other elements are nothing to scoff at. The story, while predictable at times, goes to some interesting places that differ depending on which protagonist you choose, giving you an incentive to try both campaigns.

• Release Date — September 22, 2022
• Developer — Square Enix, Lancarse
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Review Aggregate Score — 71% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

It might seem strange to see some Square Enix games on a list of hidden gem RPGs, but the sales data that's out there shows that, by and large, the studio's games outside the Final Fantasy franchise don't really sell. That's a shame, because there are some truly great titles in Square Enix's catalog, including the highly underrated DioField Chronicle. Part tactial RPG and part real-time strategy game, DioField zooms out from the traditional one-on-one unit battles of games like Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics in favor of controlling an entire squad in real-time that takes on armies. Pausing the game mid-combat to issue commands, change routing, cast spells, or even summon giant board-clearing deities rarely gets old in DioField, even if its story and characters aren't all that interesting.

• Release Date — January 30, 2025
• Developer — Nippon Ichi Software
• Publisher — Nippon Ichi Software
• Review Aggregate Score — 77% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch

After having a bit of a genre drought for many years, we've been lousy with tactical RPGs in the last half-decade. One that may have slipped under players' radars, though, is Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero, which is a sequel more than 20 years in the making. Like the original Phantom Brave, The Lost Hero is a charming turn-based tactics game where you control a group of rag-tag pirates, and it's also tough as nails. If you're the kind of TRPG player who feels games like Fire Emblem or even Final Fantasy Tactics are too easy, you'll probably find plenty to love from the challenge that Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero delivers. But even though it's not for the faint of heart, there's still plenty of fun to be had with The Lost Hero.

• Release Date — October 24, 2024
• Developer — Square Enix
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Review Aggregate Score — 79% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S

With how many great video game remakes we've gotten in recent memory, it can be all too easy to miss one or two along the way. That seems to be the case with Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, not the least of which because it arrived during an incredibly busy release season, going up against the year's best RPG: Metaphor ReFantazio. It's a shame, too, because Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven isn't just a phenomenal remake, it's one of the best traditional turn-based RPGs to come from Square Enix in quite some time. The SaGa games are radically different from the likes of Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest in terms of how they handle character progression and growth, but they're no less rewarding or entertaining to play for fans of the genre.

• Release Date — April 27, 2023
• Developer — Nihon Falcom
• Publisher — Xseed Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 78% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch

Both the Ys and Legend of Heroes/Trails series are criminally underrated in the West except for in the hearts of die-hard RPG fans, and it's safe to say they both deserve to be household names. Especially Ys, which is as long-lasting and impactful an action RPG franchise as any other. The remake of Ys III, The Oath in Felghana, is easily one of the best action RPGs and a fantastic remake of what was previously one of the weaker games in the franchise, and its recent re-release on PlayStation 5 and Switch finally brings it to a much wider audience than it had previously. Anyone who enjoys solid hack-and-slash combat and incredibly satisfying yet simple RPG progression definitely should check out Oath in Felghana, and it's maybe the perfect foot in the door to the entire Ys franchise.

• Release Date — November 4, 2022
• Developer — Live Wire
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Review Aggregate Score — 73% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — PC, Nintendo Switch

Despite some middling review scores, Harvestella is a truly phenomenal RPG that's unlike anything else Square Enix has released. Upon playing Harvestella, you can really tell that it's from a team of former Rune Factory devs, as it's a similarly styled blend of action RPG and farming sim. But unlike Rune Factory games, which try to equally divvy up their two genres, Harvestella is an action RPG first and farming sim second, with the farming more of a way to enhance stats, earn some extra cash, and then get back out there to engage in some combat against monsters. In that way, it's a perfect introduction to the "FarmPG" that doesn't lean too heavily in either direction. It doesn't hurt that it has a story that's much more interesting the further you dig into it.