Baldur's Gate is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. The series has been divided into two sub-series, known as the Bhaalspawn Saga and the Dark Alliance, both taking place mostly within the Western Heartlands, but the Bhaalspawn Saga extends to Amn and Tethyr. The Dark Alliance series was released for consoles and was critically and commercially successful. The Bhaalspawn Saga was critically acclaimed for using pausable realtime gameplay, which is credited with revitalizing the computer role-playing game (CRPG) genre.
A role-playing video game, role-playing game (RPG) or computer role-playing game (CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character that will undergo some form of character development by way of recording statistics. Also, they are usually immersed in some well-defined world. Many role-playing video games have origins in tabletop role-playing games and use much of the same terminology, settings, and game mechanics. Other major similarities with pen-and-paper games include developed story-telling and narrative elements, player character development, complexity, as well as replay value and immersion. The electronic medium removes the necessity for a gamemaster and increases combat resolution speed. RPGs have evolved from simple text-based console-window games into visually rich 3D experiences.
Tactical role-playing game, also known as strategy role-playing game or simulation RPG, is a video game genre that combines core elements of role-playing video games with those of tactical strategy video games. The formats of tactical RPGs are much like traditional tabletop role-playing games and strategy games in appearance, pacing, and rule structure. Likewise, early tabletop role-playing games are descended from skirmish wargames such as Chainmail, which were primarily concerned with combat.
While the early history and distinctive traits of role-playing video games (RPGs) in East Asia have come from Japan, many video games have also arisen in China, developed in South Korea, and Taiwan.
Hylics 2 is a 2020 role-playing video game developed by Mason Lindroth. It is the sequel to the 2015 game Hylics. Set in a surreal and intentionally absurd world, the protagonist Wayne must stop the resurrection of the tyrant king Gibby by his minions. Battles take place in a turn-based RPG format, similarly to its predecessor, but gameplay in the overworld is expanded upon, prominently featuring platforming elements. The game was acclaimed for its unique claymation visuals and psychedelic funk score composed by Lindroth and Chuck Salamone.
Baldur's Gate 3 is a 2023 role-playing video game developed and published by Larian Studios. It is the third main installment of the Baldur's Gate series, based on the tabletop fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. A partial version of the game was released in early access for macOS and Windows in October 2020 until the full release for Windows in August 2023, with versions for PlayStation 5, macOS, and Xbox Series X/S releasing later that year.
Disco Elysium is a 2019 role-playing video game developed and published by ZA/UM. Inspired by Infinity Engine-era games, particularly Planescape: Torment, the game was written and designed by a team led by Estonian novelist Robert Kurvitz and features an art style based on oil painting with music by the English band British Sea Power.
Cris Tales is a role-playing video game developed by Colombian indie game studios Dreams Uncorporated and Syck, and published by Modus Games. It was released for Google Stadia, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on July 20, 2021.
Thea 2: The Shattering is a 2019 strategy video game developed and released by MuHa Games. It is the sequel to Thea: The Awakening, released in 2015.
Thirsty Suitors is an adventure video game developed by Outerloop Games and published by Annapurna Interactive. The game is about a young woman, Jala, who returns to her hometown for her sister's wedding and must navigate her relationships with her family and former paramours. The game was released on November 2, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Ports to Android and iOS published by Netflix is in development.
Dread Delusion is a 2024 video game developed by independent studio Lovely Hellplace and published by DreadXP. Described as an "open world" role-playing game brimming with strange places and dark perils," Dread Delusion encourages player exploration and discovery over the use of combat and grinding. Upon release, Dread Delusion received average reviews, with praise directed by critics to the game's setting, narrative and worldbuilding, and mixed views over the execution and depth of the game's combat mechanics.
Dead in Vinland is a survival game developed by CCCP and published in 2018 by Dear Villagers. Players control a Viking family who shipwrecks on an island. A Nintendo Switch version was released in 2019. It was renamed to Dead in Vinland: True Viking Edition.
Conglomerate 451 is a dungeon crawler video game developed by RuneHeads and published in 2020 by 1C Entertainment. Players are tasked with defeating the corrupt corporations that control a cyberpunk city.
Wartales is a tactical role-playing game developed by Shiro Games and published for Windows, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X/S by Shiro Unlimited in 2023. Players manage a mercenary band as it attempts to survive in a low fantasy world that is trying to recover from a plague.
Broken Roads is a 2024 video game by independent developer Drop Bear Bytes and published by Versus Evil. Described as a post-apocalyptic computer role-playing game, Broken Roads is set in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. The game has been compared to non-traditional dialogue-based role-playing games, such as Disco Elysium, in featuring a mechanic described the 'Moral Compass', that responds to moral choices made by the player. The game was released on April 10, 2024, for Windows, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Cthulhu Saves the World is an indie turn-based role-playing video game developed and published by Zeboyd Games. It was released in 2010 for Xbox Live Arcade, and in 2011 for Windows. It was later bundled with its predecessor, Breath of Death VII, as a compilation release. A parody resembling a retro 16-bit JRPG and based on the Cthulhu Mythos, the game stars the Great Old One Cthulhu as an antiheroic protagonist who is stopped by a wizard before he can destroy the world. He must become a "true hero" in order to break the spell and regain his evil powers. The game received favorable reviews from critics, and was a commercial success. It was praised for its value, but criticized for aspects of its gameplay.
Divinity Engine is a game engine developed by Larian Studios. It has undergone several iterations, with the latest version being Divinity Engine 4.0 developed for Baldur's Gate 3.
Mouthwashing is a 2024 psychological horror adventure game developed by Wrong Organ and published by Critical Reflex. Played from a first-person perspective, the game follows the five crew members of the freighter spaceship Tulpar after a mysterious crash leaves them stranded in space, trapped within as supplies dwindle. The captain, alive but severely maimed and unable to speak or move, is blamed by the remaining crew for deliberately crashing the ship for reasons unknown. The game uses a split, nonlinear narrative. The game received positive reception from video game critics for its narrative and visual style.
Straftat is a 2024 first-person shooter freeware video game developed by French duo Sirius Lemaitre and Leonard Lemaitre under the entity Lemaitre Bros. Upon release, Straftat received praise directed towards the pacing and control of its action gameplay and map variety, with several critics comparing the title to older games in the arena shooter genre.
