"Despite the triumph of turn-based RPG 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33', its director acknowledges that real-time action games still enjoy broader acceptance in the gaming industry"
Turn-Based RPGs Take a Backseat to Action-Oriented Genres
In the ever-evolving world of video games, a shift in player preferences has been observed towards more dynamic and engaging gameplay styles offered by roguelites, soulslikes, and real-time action games. This trend away from traditional turn-based RPGs has been a noticeable development in the gaming industry.
One of the key factors driving this shift is the increased engagement and pace offered by these newer genres. Roguelites and soulslikes provide high replayability through procedural generation and punishing difficulty, creating a strong incentive for repeated playthroughs. Real-time action games deliver immediate, skill-based feedback, which can be more appealing to modern audiences who prefer adrenaline-driven experiences over methodical turn-taking.
The market trends also play a significant role in this transformation. In recent years, the mobile and mainstream gaming markets have shown sustained growth in strategy and action-oriented genres, while traditional turn-based RPGs have seen relative stagnation or decline in downloads and revenue share. Strategy and simulation games, which share some tactical depth with turn-based RPGs but often feature more continuous or hybrid gameplay systems, are increasing in popularity, suggesting that player preferences favor more fluid experiences.
The gaming industry trends also highlight consolidation and cautious investment in esports and live service models, which often favor competitive, real-time games rather than turn-based formats. Additionally, longer development cycles for major titles contrast with rapidly iterated roguelite titles that can quickly capture emerging player interests.
Monetization and retention mechanics also play a crucial role in this market shift. Modern genres frequently integrate monetization strategies like battle passes, boosters, and session-retention tools that align well with the sustained engagement models of roguelites and real-time action games. Turn-based RPGs tend not to fit naturally into these frameworks, limiting their monetization appeal in the mobile and live service-dominant markets.
Rick Lane, a games journalist who has been fascinated by PC gaming since he was seven years old, has noticed these trends. His favorite games include Doom, Quake, Thief, Half-Life, and Deus Ex. Between 2013 and 2022, he was the games editor of Custom PC magazine and associated website bit-tech.net, where he discussed the latest gaming news, reviews, and hardware deals.
While turn-based RPGs have taken a backseat, there are still successful examples in the genre. The Persona series is an example of a successful turn-based JRPG, but Guillaume Broche, the creative director of Sandfall Interactive, considers it an outlier in the modern genre. Broche attributes the decline in popularity of turn-based games to prejudice, particularly in the Japanese RPG (JRPG) genre. He believes that open-world games becoming popular through gaming media contributed to the perceived uncoolness of JRPGs.
The post-XCOM flood of tactics games renewed interest in turn-based combat on PC in the last decade. Sandfall Interactive, the creators of the runaway success Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, have noticed this shift away from turn-based games. Despite this, their game includes real-time parry and dodging in its otherwise turn-based formula, but this was not done to avoid prejudice.
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In conclusion, the market for turn-based RPGs has shrunk because contemporary players generally prefer the faster pace, higher challenge, replayability, and monetization-friendly features of roguelites, soulslikes, and real-time action games. This is reflected in genre download and revenue trends, alongside industry shifts toward sustainable esports and content models that favor live, real-time engagement.
- The Persona series is an exception in the dwindling turn-based RPG market, yet Guillaume Broche, the creative director of Sandfall Interactive, views it as an outlier in the modern genre.
- Sandfall Interactive, the creators of the successful game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, have noticed the shift away from turn-based games, but their game incorporates real-time parry and dodging in its turn-based formula, not to avoid prejudice.
- Rick Lane, a games journalist, has observed the shift from turn-based RPGs towards roguelites, soulslikes, and real-time action games, favoring these genres for their faster pace, high challenge, replayability, and monetization-friendly features.
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