10 Best RPG Games of 2026 So Far, Ranked

Every year there are always several great RPGs released. Therefore, there will surely be plenty of great ones in 2026 as well. In fact, it's already been a strong year for the genre. There have been action RPGs, turn-based RPGs, and even a notable CRPG.

So there's been a whole range of distinct ones. Plus, they've come from a variety of developers, from big triple-A studios to small indies. Here's the best the year has had to offer so far.

10

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection

Monster Hunter Stories is a sub-series of the main Monster Hunter series. The third, Twisted Reflection, lives up to the quality of the first two, making it an exceptional RPG.

You play as the captain of the Rangers, who are dedicated to protecting the monster ecosystem. So despite the word “hunter” in the title, you're not just killing beasts. You help them and team up with some to take on other creatures. Speaking of taking on other creatures, you do so in smooth turn-based combat where your monsters play a huge role. You also fly around the world on monsters too. Therefore, beasts in this game add a lot to the whole experience.

9

LumenTale: Memories Of Trey

It's fair to say that LumenTale: Memories of Trey is heavily influenced by Pokemon. After all, it is a creature collecting game where you fight and capture small creatures with the help of other small creatures. In this game, these monsters are called Animons.

Despite borrowing heavily from another well-known game series, it's still a really solid title with well-designed creatures and enjoyable turn-based combat. Additionally, the story creates a fascinating tale of an amnesiac cyborg trying to remember his past.

8

Nioh 3

Nioh 3 puts you in control of Tokugawa Takechiyo, who travels to the past to discover a way to stop the evil that is corrupting Japan. This means you get to travel to different time periods and meet some important historical figures, which is very cool.

But the combat is where the game really shines. This is a soul-like game, so expect lots of evasion and aggressive enemies. However, the struggle goes much deeper than that. The best thing about it is your ability to switch between Samurai and Ninja fighting styles. The former makes you hurt more, while the latter is more about mobility. You can easily switch between them, meaning you're prepared for every type of fight. It really is one of the better souls-like games ever.

7

The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Beyond The Horizon

Technically, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon was originally released in 2024, but only in Japan. The rest of the world had to wait until 2026 to experience this RPG. It was worth the wait, as it's a solid entry in both The Legend of Heroes series and the Trails sub-series.

The game features characters from previous titles and places them in a story centered around a place called Zemuria and its people's first journey into space. The story is fantastic, although it requires knowledge of previous entries to really appreciate it. The way it is told from three different characters' perspectives enhances the storytelling. The gameplay is also decent, as it combines real-time action with turn-based combat. It's very different from what many other RPGs offer, but it's fun.

6

People Of Note

Not only is People of Note different from all other RPGs released in 2026, but it is different from most RPGs released in other years as well. The game puts you in the shoes of a pop star trying to make a name for herself in this fictional world that revolves around music. So she goes to different regions of the world to find people for her band.

Creating your own music group isn't the only thing you do, as there are also plenty of battles to participate in. These battles are classic turn-based skirmishes. However, they feel a bit like a musical performance where you have to time certain attacks to the beat in order to do as much damage as possible. Therefore, everything from the story to the world to the battle revolves around music, which is why it differs from other titles in the genre.

5

Escape from Ever After

Escape From Ever After is a satirical RPG about a mega corporation that goes into fairy tales and tries to make them more commercially viable. So they don't just take over the real world; they target the fantasy world. Your character works for them, but as you climb the ladder, you're actually trying to stop their plans. It provides a very humorous premise that is delivered well.

Of course, a game can't get by on humor alone. Thankfully, this is a very solid RPG. The combat is of a turn-based variety. It's similar to some of the Paper Mario titles in that it involves perfectly timing button presses to make your character's unique abilities very deadly. Outside of combat, you also do plenty of entertaining exploration and environmental puzzle solving.

4

Esoteric Ebb

2026 hasn't seen many CRPGs, but a great one was released: Esoteric Ebb. You play as The Cleric, who is sent in to investigate a tea shop explosion that occurs five days before the first ever election in this world.

The game is very similar to Disco Elysium, meaning you spend most of your time talking to people. The goal is to extract information from them by choosing the right dialogue options and passing skill checks with lucky dice rolls. A game that revolves around talking requires good writing, and this game excels in this regard, making this an incredibly engrossing adventure.

3

Hermit and Pig

From the name alone, you can probably guess that Hermit and Pig is not the most traditional RPG. You play as an old man with social anxiety and his faithful pig ally. His anxiety plays a role in the game, as conversations can play out as battles where you choose dialogue options, and if you choose wrong, you lose HP.

However, these are not the only “battles” in the game. You also have well-designed turn-based battles against any hostile creatures you encounter. These fights are easy to understand and very fun to play. Overall, the game is a nice, cozy RPG.

2

Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined

As the title suggests, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined is not the first version of Dragon Quest 7. That game came out in the 2000s. This 2026 version is a remake of that game. As a result, it has some visual improvements and a lot of quality of life changes. However, the core of the game remains the same.

That means the story revolves around a group of friends who discover that the continent they live on didn't used to be the only one. There were more, and they go back to the past to save these continents. It's a well-crafted story about time travel. Gameplay-wise, it's the classic turn-based battle affair that uses a class system, allowing you to develop a variety of characters with distinct abilities.

1

Mewgenics

Mewgenics is not just an RPG; it features stuff from a few different genres, including roguelite and life simulation. How the game works is you breed and manage a collection of cats. You regularly select a group of these cats and embark on a roguelike adventure with them, progressing through different stages and battling enemies in turn-based RPG-style battles. Then, when a run ends, you go back to your cats.

During fights, you move around your cats on a tiled battlefield and use each feline's specific abilities to take on the opposition. The combat system works much better than you might expect for a cat breeding game. The non-RPG aspects of the game work well too.