Are you looking for some upcoming turn-based indie titles in 2023? We’ve got you! We’ve rounded up some of the most anticipated and promising turn-based indie titles to add to your gaming wishlist this year.
For more of our lists of upcoming indie games, check this out! Anyways, let’s get into the list.
Mars Tactics
With an XCOM-like feel to its gameplay set on the red planet of Mars, Mars Tactics allows you to uncover your inner soldier. You’re tasked with managing a squad of soldiers in a tense firefight between two warring sides.
You can pick from two sides: the discriminated workers or their capitalistic overlords. As your fight continues, your soldiers will develop new traits and skills that change your strategy or bring new methods to win your fight. The free demo is out now for those who want to taste the game beforehand.
However, there is no official release date yet, but it will be released sometime in 2023.
Nemire
Nemire holds an interesting premise. You fill in the shoes of a necromancer controlling a small group of the undead to do your bidding. The goal is to conquer the land of the living. This turn-based title is played through a grid battle system. The more persistent your undead soldiers are, the better they last in the next round.
The overall outlook of the game is quite simple, but there are some impressive spells and abilities for you to uncover behind the scenes. Nemire is set in a medieval fantasy world for you to burn. Additionally, to gain more undead, you would need to slay, crush and poison numerous humans for their souls.
The game is releasing in Q1 of 2023, so do k an eye out these few couphs for this upcoming turnturn-basedie title!
Railroads and Catacombs
This indie title makes a mix of genres noticeable as we see roguelike, card-building, and turn-based elements placed together. With Railroads and Catacombs, you’ll be venturing into the catacombs and confronting all sorts of unsettling creatures and bosses for loot and upgrades.
This game brings its own set of challenges as you progress. Each level gets harder and harder with its own modifiers and different challenges – it is part roguelike, after all. To be strong enough, you would need to upgrade your cards. That’s where the card-building part comes in. Furthermore, you will have to upgrade your train and continue to build it to your advantage.
There’s a lot going on in Railroads and Catacombs, but that’s part of the fun! The game is releasing within Q1 of 2023 as well.
Sandwalkers
A beautifully crafted turn-based roguelike game with exploration elements, Sandwalkers allows you to build a team to explore the varying hostile environments. The game is done in a pixel-art style with a large map for you to uncover. Additionally, it is also a game of survival.
In Sandwalkers, you’ll be guiding a caravan through the map, facing all sorts of challenges along the way. Your goal is to uncover more knowledge and information that could help you find and resurrect the Mother Tree Umama. No release dates have been announced as of now, but it is listed as a 2023 release.
The prologue is free if you want to try it out and experience a taste of this upcoming turn-based indie title!
Slaves of Magic
Ever wondered what it would be like to have an alien invasion happen in the Middle Ages? Well, Slaves of Magic presents this concept with indie charm. To defeat the hordes of aliens, you would have to unite all the regions of the world map and overthrow them. These aliens have decided to mask themselves as gods during their invasion.
As ‘gods,’ they abuse their use of magic to enslave the human race. In this fantasy turn-based tactical game, you must devise a grand plan to eliminate these false gods. Manage your bases spread out throughout the different regions, which come with their own sets of challenges, and upgrade your forces.
Slaves of Magic is an upcoming turn-based indie title coming sometime in 2023.
6. Zoria: Age of Shattering
For fans of games like Divinity and Pathfinder, Zoria: Age of Shattering is a must-try. Zoria is a tactical RPG with turn-based combat where you can lead a team of four characters. Each character would have their own unique skills and perks that allow them to contribute to your fight in different ways.
Aside from character and team management, you’ll even have a base to manage and care for. The upgrade of this outpost is crucial for you to win the game as well. So far, Zoria is releasing sometime in 2023, but there is a free demo for you to try out on Steam!
7. Project Haven
Another squad tactics game, this time set on the last city on Earth, we have Project Haven. In this indie title, you’ll lead a group of mercenaries known as the Steel Dragons. You’ll embark on high-risk missions with your gang while trying to stay ahead of your enemies.
The cool thing about Project Haven is that you can play it solo or co-op with a max cap of four players. Project Haven is a squad tactical RPG with turn-based combat. The main campaign is story-driven, and each character has their own quirky personality and traits. In co-op, you can go through the story together or battle AI (and even your friends) through some procedurally generated maps.
This upcoming turn-based indie title is set to release in 2023 with no definite date as of now. However, videos and playthroughs of the demo are available online.
8. Shardpunk: Verminfall
Thoughts on anthropomorphic rats? In Shardpunk: Verminfall, they are your main enemy. In an interesting mashup of steampunk, survival, and turn-based mechanics, Sdhardpunk: Verminfall is truly a unique title.
You are tasked with assembling a crew of survivors to scavenge resources to survive. If you’re into tactical gameplay and figuring out battle strategies while managing resources, amongst many other things, this is the game for you. The game has been described as XCOM meets Darkest Dungeon, so take that as you will.
The game is set for an April 2023 release date, and there’s a demo currently out for you to experience as well.
9. Homicidal All-stars
In what is deemed a high-stakes reality game show set in the future, Homicidal All-Stars is more like a suicide mission with turn-based battle mechanics. You must traverse an urban environment filled with traps, heavily armed psychopaths, and mind-boggling puzzles.
Set in a reality show where no one cares about your well-being and is focused on boosting ratings, you are sure to get into some messed-up situations. Before starting the game, you can select your team members, each with their own abilities and playstyles. With that said, your enemies are also special, as it takes a certain approach to defeat them.
Homicidal All-Stars is set to release sometime in 2023, but there is a demo if you want to test-run the game.
10. Zephon
From the devs of Warhammer 40,000 Gladius, we have ZEPHON. Set in a post-apocalyptic world of eldritch horror, unprecedented disasters, and cyberpunk-esque atrocities, we have to do all we can to survive. This is a 4X turn-based tactical battle wargame set between humans and automata.
As you bring human civilization into a battle with some terrifying monstrosities and all sorts of disasters, the goal is to come out on top. ZEPHON promises a 4X experience unlike no other, with the usual aspects of 4X gaming but revamped.
Guess we’ll just have to see what they mean. The game has set a planned release in 2023, so watch for this upcoming turn-based indie title!
Infested Fortress
If you’ve played Dwarf Fortress and would like something similar but turn-based, Infested Fortress is a good starting point. You get to dig into a mountain and build your own fortress with all your dwarf brethren. This game is a turn-based roguelike where you face some challenging monsters while gathering resources for your fortress.
Naturally, with resources, you’ll be able to get better upgrades and equipment as you go along. But, like it or not, you must face some nasty creatures to upgrade. Aside from that, you are also managing your colony, ensuring that those living within the fortress are well cared for as they help keep your base functional.
Infested Fortress will be coming out in March of 2023, and it has a playable demo to give you a taste!
Cyber Knights: Flashpoint
In the mood for a heist? Cyber Knights: Flashpoint could be the one for you. With this tactical heist RPG, you will be brought into a cyberpunk world with your own team of mercenaries, hackers, and rebels. Elements of stealth, hacking, and cyberwar are intertwined with some exciting stories, creative builds, and character growth.
Cyber Knights: Flashpoint sounds like a treat to behold, with its exciting stealth elements and its interwoven character storylines. It is an RPG, after all. Furthermore, you will have to balance between the various factions, reputations, and favors that exist to be in the green with everyone and get more missions.
The game has a planned release date within Q2 of 2023. To know more about it, the devs release a monthly update on the game’s progress that you can check out on Steam here.
Untamed Tactics
On the cuter side of things, we have Untamed Tactics. This tactical RPG is set in a procedurally generated world of colorful anthropomorphized animals. The game is beautifully illustrated and tells the tale of Greycoat, a disgraced soldier rabbit turned leader of free animals.
Untamed Tactics is a narrative-driven game that is highly replayable with numerous character builds, difficulty modes, battle maps, strategies, and more. This game was also hand drawn into life and was based on the Untamed Feral Factions card game.
A demo is available for download, but this upcoming turn-based indie title will be released sometime in 2023.
Archrebel Tactics
For fans of the 1986 game Rebelstar, Archrebel Tactics is a modernized version inspired by that game. In a way, veteran players would get to relive their nostalgia, and new gamers would be able to fall in love with this retro tactical game.
Archrebel Tactics is a sci-fi turn-based tactics wargame where players can control several dozen units on a grid-based map. Your actions are limited to an action point system similar to that in Laser Squad and XCOM. A reactive moral system can also cause emotional effects like bravery and fear.
This upcoming turn-based indie title’s release date is yet to be announced, but it holds some promising features.
Super SOL Standard
We have Super Sol Standard, a game with similar-looking visuals to Stardew Valley. It’s far from a Stardew Valley dupe, of course. Instead, this title is an arcade-like turn-based action game where you can push, pull or teleport your enemies onto different tiles to deal damage. Each terrain and unit has different abilities that can put you at an advantage or a disadvantage.
In the single-player story, you aim to defeat monsters to reclaim your territory from the Terran. Here, you’ll get to build an army of your own with 14 unique characters to choose from. Super Sol Standard keeps it fresh with different maps that also hold different objectives. This one has a lot to keep you occupied for a long time.
If you’re interested, this upcoming turn-based indie title has a demo out and is currently listed as coming soon on Steam.
Wrapping Up
You’ve reached the end! That’s 15 titles for you to discover and perhaps add to your list for the year. Hopefully, this list of upcoming turn-based indie titles will satisfy your need for more turn-based titles.
