Were you part of the RPG fanbase that was a bit angry that Final Fantasy 16 decided to totally eschew all aspects of a turn-based combat system? Do you pine for the days where most RPG offerings used the system? Are the smaller titles or indie titles using a turn-based system these days just not enough for you?
Well, in today's list I am going to focus on some MMORPGs and multiplayer games that include a turn-based system or a very close variant of one. Now, I won't be adding things Hearthstone or other card games here. Those are almost always technically "turn-based." Instead, I'll be looking at examples of games that have a bit more meat to them and opted for turn-based when it came to their combat. I'll even be including an MMO that isn't available globally, but most MMO fans have either heard of it or tried it. I'm including it here as a nod to MMOBomber Bowillock who thought it should be included in my last list (Top 6 MMOs With Controller Support), but I opted to not included BECAUSE of its lack of global availability.
Off to the list in no particular order!
Pirate101 and Wizard101
It just makes sense that I put both of these games together. KingsIsle entertainment has created some MMOs here with serious staying power and both of them use modified turn-based combat systems that mix in a bit of a card system to cast spells. While you initially may count these as "kids games" (and they are very family-friendly), there's a surprising amount of depth involved in both titles.
While your initial choice of which to play may come down to "which do you like more, pirates or wizards?", I would actually suggest you lean toward the Wizard101 side of things unless you just cannot stand wizards.
Wizards101 tends to be better received, has a larger player base, and (from an outsider's perspective) seems to be better supported. That's not a knock on Pirate101, though. If pirates are your thing, go for it.
Wakfu, Dofus, and Waven
Just like the previous entry, I'm going to group all three of these titles from Ankama Games together as they all share very similar features, systems, and even art styles. While Dofus came first and Waven is the most recent title, all three emply a similar tactics-style, turn-based system. In combat you'll be moving around tiles trying to get into the best position to fire off your attacks when it's your turn to do so.
If you like games like Ogre Battle, Final Fantasy Tactics, and the Fire Emblem series, any one of these three are worth booting up for free and seeing if the art and story resonate with you. Our own Noobfridge is particularly drawn to Waven due to some of the systems the game features outside of combat...and a banging song he found in the game.
Broken Ranks
Broken Ranks kind of caught our staff by surprise when we initially got word of it back in 2021. Whitemoon Games wasn't a developer of huge titles and a turn-based MMO in a post 2020 world? Insanity, right? Don't expect a huge open world MMO in this one. Yes, there are multiplayer components, but the real draw of the game is the turn-based combat. Fans of old school RPGs will love the side-by-side combat screen ripped right out of those older titles.
Admittedly, this is a game that takes a a bit of time to get into. The initial stages are a bit slow while the game tries to teach you everything you're going to need to know. The isometric camera view and movement aren't going to appeal to everyone either. Watch Troy's First Look below to give you the basics before downloading. It's deep and can be fun, but there's some polish missing when you look at the game as a whole.
Dragon Quest X
This is the title I mentioned at the onset that I was adding here not only for its 100% turn-based combat, but also because of a mention in my previous list from one of our readers. Dragon Quest X is the MMO I wish would have come west long ago. It just...never did.
If you've ever played a Dragon Quest game, you know exactly what to expect from the combat here. The MMO stays true to its menu-based roots and you'll be waiting and clicking just like the old days. While an "offline" version has been promised, there's still no word on if that version will end up coming west either, sadly.
It isn't impossible to play this from outside of Japan and there's many guides to help you get started, but there's a few steps (like the captcha to sign up and the game's story) that can be a little challenging to non-Japanese readers since there is no "full" translation.
Final Fantasy XI
Yep, I'm 100% biased on this one. Final Fantasy XI may be, and may always be, my favorite MMORPG. It was my first real foray into the genre when it released in North America on the PlayStation 2 in March of 2004 and I still play it to this day. The MMO itself has certainly changed over the years and no longer requires being in parties to the extent that it once did, but it's combat is true-to-form turn-based action. You'll pick from menus of attacks and abilities, some will have cooldowns in between uses, and some will combo with the abilities others use in flashy bursts of additional damage or effects.
You can only play this one on PC these days as the console versions have sadly shut down, and the official PC version operated by Square Enix still requires a subscription. If you're looking for an "older" experience in FFXI that 100% requires the parties like it did back in the day and you don't want to pay a sub fee, maybe check out the Horizon XI private server which keeps the game's original level 75 cap and cuts the content off just before the MMO had to be made more solo friendly. If you do...BRING FRIENDS, you'll need them.
TemTem
First things first. Although TemTem certainly has a turn-based combat system remincient of Pokémon and is absolutely inspired by that IP's "catch them all" gameplay, this title is no longer receiving updates from Crema. The F2P battling version of the game has also been closed.
That said, if you never played the game, there's still plenty for you to do. While TemTem never received many of the "MMO-like" features that fans thought the game was going to receive based on the way Crema advertised the title, you can still have some fun with friends and hop into some solid turn-based action.
That brings us to the end of this week's list! What other turn-based MMO or multiplayer games are out there that players should know about? I did consider putting Atlantica Online/Atlantica Global on the list, but these days I feel the game just isn't what it used to be (as tends to be the case when VALOFE takes over). Let's just consider that one an "Honorable Mention," and let me know of any others below!
