RPGs Coming This Week, 8/24/25

Quartet – August 26th (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Quartet is a retro pixel-art RPG with turn-based combat, blending fantasy and steampunk elements. It features eight playable characters across four separate stories that intertwine to reveal a secret that reshaped their world — a centuries-old war for the future of magic. In combat, you can control four characters at a time, with the ability to swap in any of four reserve characters, just like in Octopath Traveler! The game is filled with secrets and rare loot to discover as you explore steampunk-inspired streets, forests, cursed swamps, and the underground world. Will you be able to save the world in this adventure inspired by the classics? Try out the demo on Steam yourself and see what it’s all about!

by Adem Yilmaz

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar – August 27th (Switch 2, Switch, Windows)

After two years of absence, the series returns with the remake of Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar, which originally released in 2008. Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is an opportunity to rediscover one of Marvelous’ flagship series, which shares many similarities with another of their iconic franchises, Rune Factory.

You play as a newcomer in Zephyr Town, a place full of colorful characters, where you can enjoy farming and work to give visitors a wide selection of items — because more variety means more interested shoppers! Grow crops, raise animals, and sell your products at your very own stall during the bazaar. Your ultimate goal is to restore the bazaar to its former glory, because when you arrive, it has more weeds than visitors…

by Adem Yilmaz

Varlet – August 27th (PS5, Switch, Windows)

Varlet is a traditional turn-based RPG with narrative and visual nods to the beloved Persona series. You play as a recently transferred second-year high school student who, along with his compatriots, soon finds himself embroiled in a dangerous world where the lines separating the virtual and real blur, and where both human longing and emotions take on deadly forms. Finding unknown fantastical strength within, can they survive the ordeals that lie ahead and also discover their true selves?

Varlet’s somewhat sparse visual style is reminiscent of FuRyu’s earlier series The Caligula Effect, the second game of which I greatly enjoyed. There’s a focus on personality traits helping to shape decisions and even offering different dialogue choices to players depending on which traits they’ve most leveled.

The turn-based combat seems solid, and each party character has unique battle styles and skillsets to discover, potentially leading to different combat strategies depending on who you bring with you on dungeon runs. The narrative promises to be choice-heavy, and there’s even some relationship-building amongst the characters too! Given how much I enjoyed my last FuRyu game, I’m eager to give Varlet a try with coming this week worldwide!

by Audra Bowling

Super Robot Wars Y – August 28th (PS5, Switch, Windows)

I have to confess that Super Robot Wars remains an enigma to me. As someone whose mecha exposure is limited to watching Gundam Wing and Gundam Seed in my youth and more recently playing games like Assault Suit Leynos, Zone of the Enders, and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, I’m utterly unprepared to explain this series’ latest entry.Nevertheless, I’ve had a few folks talk my ear off about the franchise (and also the internet exists) that I think I can give a passable background. If you’re more familiar than me — a likely possibility — feel free to sound off on what I got wrong or left out.

Super Robot Wars is a long-running series of strategy RPGs (the grid-based kind) that bring together characters and, most importantly, mechs from mecha franchises like Gundam and Mazinger. I mean long, like dating back to the turn of the century on the original PlayStation long. And while not every game has come outside of Japan, these games have regularly been localized since about four releases ago.

This leads us to Super Robot Wars Y, the newest mainline game (there’s a spinoff line that’s more action-oriented). Aside from the staples Gundam and Mazinger, series like Getter Robo and Code Geass also get representation in a narrative that sees many familiar characters uniting to take on a common enemy. I understand the story is rarely the main attraction of a Super Robot Wars; it’s all about getting immersed in the tactical gameplay and deep customization options. Oh, and nerding out at all your favorite characters fighting alongside each other (and sometimes against each other, maybe).

Our own Neal Chandran was quite happy with Super Robot Wars 30, which served as his intro to the series. With Y being the direct successor to that game, here’s hoping newcomers like me might enjoy a similar come-to-Jesus moment. I think I’d like that.

by Gio Castillo

Lost Soul Aside – August 29th (PS5, Windows)

So Lost Soul Aside is finally almost here, coming this week as a Sony-published console exclusive on PS5, as well as PC. Developed by Chinese studio Ultizero Games, this action RPG technically predates the likes of Black Myth: Wukong and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers by many years, with prototype footage of the game first surfacing all the way back in 2016. Those early clips wowed many, myself included, especially considering it was originally a solo project by Yang Bing, the man who would later found Ultizero.

The aesthetic, spectacle, and cool factor were — and still are — there. I’m greatly looking forward to the possibility of experiencing slick, fluid, and rewarding action gameplay while enjoying some truly next-gen visuals. Looking at the big picture, Lost Soul Aside also serves as quite the significant milestone for China’s games industry, which outside of MiHoYo/HoYoverse I would say is still nascent but quickly rising in reputation and prestige.

by Gio Castillo

Roadwarden – August 25th (Switch)

The text-driven grim fantasy RPG Roadwarden is coming this week to Switch after originally releasing on PC in 2022. It garnered high marks from our own Jerry Williams, who highlighted its “outstanding writing”, comparing it favorably to Disco Elysium. It’s one of those games that slipped under my radar, and now I’m moving it up the old wishlist because of all the hype.

by Gio Castillo

Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution – August 26th (Windows)

Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution is coming this week to PC via Steam. This turn-based RPG satirizing the gaming industry hit PlayStation, Switch, and later Xbox in 2024.

by Gio Castillo

Star Trek: Resurgence – August 28th (Switch)

Star Trek: Resurgence hopefully prepares to live long and prosper on the Nintendo Switch this week! I enjoyed the PlayStation 4 version of this choice-heavy space opera adventure despite some weaknesses, and I hope this new port helps it remain an entertaining interactive experience within the Star Trek universe.

by Audra Bowling