Summary
Turn-based games inherently offera certain accessibility, taking time pressure and speed of play out of the equation. This allows the difficulty of turn-based games to come down to pure strategy and tactical play. As a result, complexity tends to add more tactical depth than it does pure difficulty.
Indie games in particular are abundant with intricate combat systems and complex game mechanics. While complexity doesn’t always result in a better experience, interconnected systems can often add depth and skill expression that more typical titles aren’t necessarily able to offer.
7Morphblade
Minimalist Tactics With A Great Deal Of Depth
Morphbladeisa minimalist turn-based tactics gameabout taking out bugs on a hexagonal grid. While this sounds and looks tremendously simple,Morphbladeis elevated by its variety of distinctive abilities and the unique way in which they’re acquired.
The game’s hexagonal grid is built from a variety of tiles, each of which provides players with a unique ability when stepped on. This makes positioning and movement incredibly tactile, and each decision can have an immediate impact on the state of the game. This results in a remarkably complex combat puzzle that’s easy to learn and hard to master.
Griftlandsis a roguelike deck-builder with an RPG twist, giving players a passive approach through the addition of a negotiation system. This system runs parallel to the game’s combat and deck-building elements, offering tremendous variety and unique complexity that requires strategic thinking.
In the game, players explore an overworld map, manipulating NPCs and overcoming challenges in turn-based combat. The RPG elements, dual combat system, and small variety of playable characters all work in tandem, offering players a complex experience that stands out on its own.
Battle Brothersis a sandbox RPG that excels with its brutal turn-based combat and detailed character progression. In the game, players must manage a company of mercenaries in a low-fantasy world, juggling their finances, morale, and reputation simultaneously.
The myriad of elements to manage already add a great deal of complexity, butBattle Brothersadds further depth with its detailed RPG progression; each character is able to acquire a variety of perks, and many of these can have an immediate and effective impact. Furthermore, the combat encounters themselves are truly dynamic, made complex through tough AI opponents, terrain, and a morale system.
Wildfrostisa roguelike deck-builderthat excels with its charmingcartoon art-style, but its distinctive gameplay is what gives this colorful title staying power. In the game, players control a limited number of companions in turn-based battles, supporting them with spell cards and various buffs.
What makesWildfrostso complex is the abundance of variables to keep track of during each combat encounter; every character, friend or foe, has a cooldown that must be paid close attention to, and the ability to tactically maneuver companions around the board adds a great deal of strategy to the gameplay. Furthermore, the diverse ensemble of enemies offers unique challenges at every turn, and the abundance of cards, passive upgrades, and unique charms adds depth and variety to every run.
Into The Breachis aturn-based tacticsgame that manages to be immediately accessible thanks to its simple controls and focus on clearly telegraphed threats. In the game, players control a squad of mechs, battling against alien bugs while attempting to keep as many civilians alive as possible.
Despite the game’s accessibility,Into The Breachfeatures a complex design built from interlocking systems, providing a unique combat puzzle; the variety of enemies and player abilities, the number of unique scenarios, and the limited range and AOE of each ability make almost every decision a strategic one.
Quasimorphis a grim-dark tactics game with the structure ofan extraction shooter. In the game, players delve into dingy facilities, battling enemies in visceral turn-based combat and attempting to fulfill unique objectives in order to extract.
Quasimorph’sturn-based combat is made more complex via its stance system, which determines the player’s limitations and adds an extra layer of decision-making. Furthermore, the game features a variety of survival elements that add a tremendous amount of strategy to both the preparation and moment-to-moment gameplay of each mission.
Caves Of Qudis an open-world roguelike RPG that excels with its uniquescience-fantasy worldand rich, detailed character creator. This character creator is complex in of itself, offering players a tremendous variety of options before they’ve even stepped foot in its strange and hostile world.
The moment-to-moment nature of its turn-based combat is deceptively simple, with survival usually coming down to a combination of threat assessment, positioning, and resource management. However, the depth of its world, the variety of systems, and the sheer number of options when building each character allowsCaves Of Qudto be a remarkably complex experience.
