Pathologic 2 2019
Why it still holds upA day too short for everything still makes each choice a trade today.
2010s RPGs that still hold up
Somebody to become, and a long while to become them
Games
Pathologic 2 2019
Why it still holds upA day too short for everything still makes each choice a trade today.
Assassin's Creed Origins 2017
Why it still holds upA free Discovery Tour mode removes combat for guided historical tours of ancient Egypt, a reason to visit it today even if you skip the story.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth 2018
Why it still holds upDrawing your own map and steering around visible Shadows make each floor a small puzzle of routes, worth working through today.
Tyranny 2016
Why it still holds upEvery choice is a question of whom to side with: the world is already conquered and the character is built from how you play, which is worth replaying now.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia 2017
Why it still holds upA game you can set to be as forgiving as you like still suits more than one kind of player today.
To the Moon 2011
Why it still holds upWith no combat and no inventory, the puzzles are about what you notice in the memories, so the story keeps your attention today.
Pokémon Omega Ruby 2014
Why it still holds upA region with places you can only reach by flying still gives you a second reason to explore today.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age 2017
Why it still holds upGambits you write yourself still make the party's behavior something you design.
Darkest Dungeon 2016
Why it still holds upEach expedition still has real stakes, because heroes who are lost are lost for good.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked 2011
Why it still holds upA clock, and events that exclude each other, still make each choice cost something.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey 2018
Why it still holds upChoosing what to say and which side to fight for still shapes the story, and that is a reason to replay it today.
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead 2013
Why it still holds upBecause so many survival systems depend on each other, every run still sets its own problem today.
Pokémon White Version 2010
Why it still holds upEven now, a party of six chosen from hundreds you have caught gives every team a different shape.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire 2018
Why it still holds upA party that can be built and fought in many ways, at sea and on land, still makes it worth playing today.
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark 2019
Why it still holds upYou decide how forgiving the game is today, because a difficulty setting lets you choose how much a defeat costs, from nothing to permadeath.
Kenshi 2018
Why it still holds upEvery outing across a map this large is a story you write yourself, and it absorbs you today.
Pokémon White Version 2 2012
Why it still holds upA steady loop of exploring and battling, with new places that hold new Pokémon, still gives it its pull.
Pokémon Black Version 2010
Why it still holds upCollecting a team and growing it battle by battle is a simple loop that works now as well as it did.
Legend of Grimrock 2 2014
Why it still holds upA grid you cross one step at a time, with puzzles as much as fights, still makes each room something to study.
Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir 2016
Why it still holds upThe same circular stages still feel different, with five characters who each have a weapon of their own.
Nier Replicant 2010
Why it still holds upA camera that changes the kind of game it shows, from room to room and fight to fight, still keeps it from settling into one style.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV 2018
Why it still holds upNobody should start the series here, since it closes a story that began long before.
The Age of Decadence 2015
Why it still holds upQuests with several solutions still leave the way through to you today.
Pyre 2017
Why it still holds upEach Rite is still a decision about who should hold the orb, as the exiles' strengths differ so much.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II 2014
Why it still holds upThe story starts slowly, and the carried save still lets the sequel remember who you were kind to.
Radiant Historia 2010
Why it still holds upRewinding to a decision and pushing enemies together on the grid still give every chapter two kinds of planning today.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III 2017
Why it still holds upYou empty a Break Gauge to weaken an enemy and spend Brave Points on buffs, which is worth working through today.
Chroma Squad 2015
Why it still holds upRunning the studio around the battles still gives every fight a purpose beyond winning it.
Tales of Graces f 2010
Why it still holds upFast and flexible fights are an easy reason to return now.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong 2015
Why it still holds upToday, anyone who likes planning each turn carefully has a good place to do it in this cyberpunk city.
Disgaea 5 Complete 2017
Why it still holds upSo many systems around the battles, with every extra included, still leave a lot to dig through today.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 2013
Why it still holds upA story that opens a long series is a good place to start now.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox 2019
Why it still holds upToday, timing your guard and evade and switching characters keep every fight active.
Atom RPG 2018
Why it still holds upA Soviet wasteland after a nuclear war gives the journey a flavor of its own today.
Titan Quest Anniversary Edition 2016
Why it still holds upA long quest through the ancient world is still open to anyone who wants an action role-playing game with that setting.
Pillars of Eternity 2015
Why it still holds upReal time with pause still lets you stop a fight to plan each order.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate 2017
Why it still holds upWith all your strength coming from what you hunt, each fight still feeds the next today.
Sunless Skies 2019
Why it still holds upInvesting in stat points unlocks opportunity checks, and siding with a faction in a large scale war opens some ports and closes others.
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden 2018
Why it still holds upYou still choose where a fight begins, which makes every encounter a planned one.
NieR 2010
Why it still holds upA game that changes its camera between styles still has a surprise for a player today.
Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright 2015
Why it still holds upChoosing how much a loss costs lets a player find a difficulty that suits them, and that is still a good idea.
Xenoblade Chronicles X 2015
Why it still holds upA planet this big has plenty to find, and a player has to explore it to see it all, which still draws players today.
Hyper Light Drifter 2016
Why it still holds upA world told without words still asks you to piece it together as you go.
Salt and Sanctuary 2016
Why it still holds upWith so many ways to build a character, a second run can feel new now.
Evoland 2 2015
Why it still holds upJumping through time to change styles is the idea at its heart, today as when it launched.
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech 2019
Why it still holds upBuilding a deck of your own cards makes each fight a small puzzle.