Role-Playing (RPG) Games

Role-playing games, or RPGs, are about controlling a character, beating enemies, leveling up and improving gear. The selection here is small, around 50 games, but varied: turn-based battles, exploration adventures and "idle" games that mostly play themselves.

What an RPG is and how they differ

The basic idea is that your character grows over time: you earn experience by winning fights, level up and get stronger, with better attacks or better equipment. What sets one game apart from another is how you fight and how much control you have.

• Turn-based: you pick an attack, the enemy answers, and it goes on until someone falls. Dynamons, Monster Master and Turn Based Rpg Demo fit here.
• Adventure and heroes: you walk through the world and fight along the way, as in Knight Hero Adventure idle RPG, Brave Squad or Arkandian Crusade.
• "Idle" or management: progress keeps going on its own and you decide what to upgrade, like Idle Desert Life or Idle Balls.
• Story and exploration: Sven's Quest, Castaway or Red House.

Where to start

If you've never played an RPG, begin with a turn-based one like Turn Based Rpg Demo. It's quick to understand, it doesn't need reflexes and it lets you think through each move. Dynamons and Monster Master add the draw of collecting creatures, and they play on the same logic: choose an attack, wait for the reply, level up. Idle games suit short sessions: open one, upgrade something and come back later.

Tips

In a turn-based fight, work out which attack works best on each enemy before you burn your strongest skills. If the game lets you upgrade your character, spend first on what you use most, not on what looks flashiest. Don't sell or throw away gear without a look: something useless today can be key two levels from now. And if an enemy keeps beating you, level up in easier areas and try again. In an RPG that's nearly always fixed with time, not luck.