Gifts for the RPG Fan in your life

Take cover and batten down the hatches, friends. The holidays are almost upon us again. Time to rack your anxiety-ridden brains for the perfect gift for the people in your life, before sullenly just tapping "Buy Now" on some meaningless knick-knack just to get it all over with.

Well, don't give up hope just yet! If one of the gift recipients in your life is a Role Playing Game fan, we have some suggestions for you. Editor-in-Chief Eric Hauter has played some of the very best RPG games 2025 has had to offer - and we've got the scoop on everything from the hugest hits to some indie greats that you might not have heard of. Whether the RPG lover in your life prefers tactics, action, or turn-based battles, we've got you covered. 

Read on, gift giver, for the best RPG offerings of the year, sure to bring a smile to the face of your gamer friends, before they disappear into the basement for 60 hours to recover their memories, locate the lost crystals, and save the kingdom.

Demeo X Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked

The most recent release on our list, Demeo X Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked brings Resolution Games' tactical multiplayer board game into the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Available either flat or in VR (we prefer the VR version), this sequel is fully playable solo or with three friends. Demeo is primarily a dungeon crawler board game, so don't expect the depth of Dungeons & Dragons battle system. Instead, buckle up for some great storytelling and co-op tactical battles with just enough unpredictable roll-of-the-dice mechanics to keep players on the edge of their seats. A rollicking good time with friends, Battlemarked doubles as a streamlined tactics RPG when played solo.

While Battlemarked offers a great time when playing flat, the entire experience comes to life when playing in a shared VR space with your friends. It's fine to control the game with a mouse, but it's something else entirely to pick up the pieces and roll the die with your hands. Players can also expect continuing updates and additional content, if Resolution's handling of the original Demeo is any indication. 

Demeo X Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is available on PS5, PS VR2, Meta Quest 3, and Steam.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

While not a traditional "RPG", Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment has enough shared DNA with ARPGs like Diablo to make the cut. A spin-off of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Age of Imprisonment offers a side story that fills in the daggling blanks left in TOTK's story when Zelda was transported back in time. It's not Back to the Future-level storytelling, but it is interesting to see the origins of Hyrule from a new perspective.

The gameplay is pure button-mashing goodness, with players using a very wide variety of characters to unleash simple combos to wipe out enormous waves of enemies. It's Dynasty Warriors, but it is very fun to see how the developers at Koei Tecmo put a Zelda spin on the proceedings. For Zelda fans, the sights and sounds will feel like coming home, making this festival of continuous violence feel cozy and welcoming for the holidays.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is available on Nintendo Switch 2.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake

Sure, Square Enix added some quality of life improvements to streamline these remakes of the 1980s NES classics, but don't for one second believe that means that they've eased the difficulty. There is an edge to these games that is tough to duplicate in this day and age, particularly in the case of DQ1, which leaves the player with one character to manage attacks, heals, and buffs. 

Gorgeously rendered in HD-2D, these games deliver a heavy dose of nostalgia (these are literally the very first turn-based RPGs I ever played), while still delivering on story and gameplay. Modern players will be surprised by how engaging these early entries in the series actually are, while still being rocked back on their heels by the old-school expectations DQ places on players. 

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is now available on all major consoles and Steam. (I played it on Switch 2, which was perfect.)

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles

To be fair, the RPG lover in your life likely has this game already on a few platforms. I'm pretty sure I own various iterations of Final Fantasy Tactics on PS1, Nintendo DS, and PSP - not to mention the four or five copies I have of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. None of that should dissuade you from buying this gorgeous new version for the RPG lover in your life.

Introducing the beloved FF world of Ivalice, FF Tactics is offers a sprawling, mature storyline and a deep job-based tactical battle system. This is a remake of the original game, with newly enhanced graphics and full voice acting. This again means that Square Enix did not pare back the original difficulty, allowing modern players to get smacked around just like us old kids did in 1998. For those that really want to take it back, the original PS1 version is included in the package. For the RPG fans that haven't played it, this is a chance to experience on of the very best.

Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles is now available on all major consoles and Steam. 

The Outer Worlds 2

RPG fans know that a new game by Obsidian is something to celebrate. The Outer Worlds 2 takes everything that players loved about the original game, making it bigger and better while grounding it in a more human - and less goofball - experience. Set in a series of smaller open worlds, The Outer Worlds 2 expands the universe of The Outer Worlds with a fresh tale taking place in a new planetary system, mixing some much tighter combat with a surprising amount of storytelling.

The satire and sense of humor in The Outer Worlds 2 are still intact, with the game lobbing shots at corporations and corrupt governments in equal measures, but The Outer Worlds feels far more focused this time around. With three distinct and memorable factions, the game gives the player meaningful choices to make, while still allowing plenty of opportunity to craft an interesting character and sweep through buildings with them on hilarious sprees of science fiction violence. For the Fallout/open world RPG fan, this is a must play. 

The Outer Worlds 2 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC.

Verho - Curse of Faces

Oh, so the above offerings are too mainstream for the RPG fan in your life? They are looking for something a little more challenging, perhaps? Something a little more Soulslike? But weirder? Allow me to present Verho - Curse of Faces.

Verho is a King's Field-like. King’s Field was an early PlayStation series, with two US entries released on PS1 and a great follow-up (King’s Field: The Ancient City) on PS2. Fromsoft's precursor to the Demon’s Souls/Dark Souls franchise, King's Field games had a similar difficulty arc, but were played in first person. Verho follows the formula perfectly: players are plunked down into a game world with little direction or explanation. Incredibly dangerous monsters lurk in the immediate vicinity of the starting area, waiting to one-hit any fool that wandered into their line of sight. Verho - Curse of Faces is the closest modern equivalent I've found to King's Field, absolutely nailing the creepy vibe and unforgiving difficulty. 

To be sure, this is a very specific game for a very specific audience, with it's PS1 visuals and hardcore retro vibes. But I daresay that anyone that enjoys the Souls games should at least give this a shot. Verho makes you work for the fun it delivers, never hesitating to put you right on your back if it catches you slipping. If that sounds like fun to you, you are in the right place. 

Verho - Curse of Faces is available on Steam. 

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is the perfect introduction to one of the greatest unsung (in the US, at least) series on the market today. Fans of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and the Tales games in particular will feel right at home in the Trails universe. And luckily for newcomers, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a gorgeous remake of the very first title in the sprawling franchise.

Newcomers to the Trails games might be surprised at just how deep and polished this experience is. The combat system is one of my favorites, feeling familiar but really cool and unique all at once. But the real revelations here are the fantastic and unpredictable characters and the deep-as-the-ocean world building. The Trails games all take place in different parts of the same world, allowing players that are willing to invest the time to discover an amazingly detailed universe.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a fantastic introduction to the series for newcomers, and a no-brainer for series veterans. This is one of the best and most reliably fun JRPG franchises on the market today, packing a fantastic narrative, a beautiful world, a rewarding battle system, and memorable characters together in one deep and sprawling package. You can't miss with this one.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam.