10 Underrated RPGs from the Last Decade, Ranked

Role-playing games can deliver remarkable stories, memorable casts and systems that reward dozens of hours of attention. The biggest releases naturally attract the most discussion, but some excellent RPGs have remained well outside the mainstream conversation.

This list highlights ten games released or substantially reissued during the last decade. From farming and dungeon crawling to tactical warfare and supernatural mysteries, each offers a worthwhile alternative to the genre’s most familiar names. If you are planning a broader games setup, our arcade machine buying guide can also help with choosing the right hardware for your space.

10. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Estelle Bright in Trails in the Sky First Chapter

Available on: Switch, Switch 2, PS5 and PC

First released in Japan in 2004 as Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki, the original eventually reached North America in 2011 through Xseed Games, followed by a PC version in 2014. Falcom’s modern remake combines action and turn-based combat while preserving the detailed setting and ambitious scale of the earlier game. A remake of the second chapter arrived earlier this year. Both remakes earned strong reviews and developed a dedicated following, although they remain less widely discussed than major series such as Final Fantasy.

9. Harvestella

The protagonist of Harvestella slashes a blob monster with a sword

Available on: Switch and PC

Farming games have retained a remarkable appeal since Harvest Moon appeared on the Super Famicom in 1996. Harvestella blends that familiar routine with an action-RPG structure. Developed by Live Wire, it gives players 12 classes, including fighter and mage, while asking the hero to manage a farm and build relationships in the village of Lethe. Farming is only one part of the package, alongside combat, cooking, crafting, fishing and a substantial story.

8. Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk

Labyrinth of Refrain Coven of Dusk cropped cover art shows a smiling woman holding open an ominous red book.

Available on: Switch, PS4, Vita and PC

This first-person dungeon crawler is aimed at players who enjoy the traditions of Wizardry and Etrian Odyssey. It began on PlayStation Vita in Japan in 2016 before reaching North America on Switch, PS4 and PC a few years later. The player takes the role of a magical book capable of creating a brigade of puppet soldiers. Its narrative centres on the attempt to revive a dead loved one, while party construction, exploration and turn-based battles provide the lasting appeal. Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society followed in 2020.

7. The DioField Chronicle

The DioField Chronicle’s main cast of characters, Andrias, Fredret, Iscarion, and Waltaquin, in the game’s stylized cover art

Available on: Switch, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X

Despite Square Enix’s involvement, The DioField Chronicle did not receive the attention its ideas deserved. Lancarse helped develop the game, which combines real-time strategy with tactical combat and tells a serious story about the consequences of war. Isamu Kamikokuryo, known for his character work on Final Fantasy 12, contributed art, while Lancarse had previously worked on Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. It is a strong option for players seeking another strategy RPG after Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave.

6. Monark

Monark cropped cover art shows the game's party members standing in darkness.

Available on: Switch, PS4, PS5 and PC

Developed by Lancarse, Monark takes place at Shin Mikado Academy, a school isolated from the outside world by a demonic mist. Students enter an Otherworld to fight the monsters responsible and search for a way to escape. Fuyuki Hayashi, co-writer of Crystar, and Kazunari Suzuki, whose credits include the early Shin Megami Tensei games, helped shape its grim scenario. Grinding can be demanding, and the visuals are modest, but the combat systems, abilities and melancholy soundtrack reward patient players.

5. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

A screenshot of a battle from Eiyuden Chronicle

Available on: Switch, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X

Announced through Kickstarter in 2020, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes set out to become a spiritual successor to Suikoden. Rabbit & Bear Studios developed the game under Yoshitaka Murayama, creator of Suikoden and director of its first two entries. Murayama died on 6 February 2024, two months before launch. The finished game was warmly received for its story and familiar systems, particularly by longtime Suikoden fans.

4. CrossCode

CrossCode cropped key art shows the secondary characters in action poses alongside the protagonist.

Available on: Switch, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X

CrossCode is a fast action-RPG with 16-bit-inspired presentation, demanding puzzles and a science-fiction setting. Its protagonist wakes in the distant future without memories and cannot speak. Radical Fish Games drew influence from classic adventures including Chrono Trigger and Terranigma. Released in 2018 to enthusiastic reviews, it remains an excellent choice for players who enjoy retro-styled design but want modern pacing and a distinctive story.

3. The Caligula Effect 2

The Caligula Effect 2 cropped key art shows a collage of the game's characters.

Available on: Switch, PS4, PS5 and PC

Created by Tadashi Satomi of Persona fame and Takuya Yamanaka of Heroland, this sequel builds on the 2016 Vita original and its 2018 remake, The Caligula Effect: Overdose. The first game followed students trapped in the artificial world of Mobius, a place designed to resemble high school. The sequel revisits related ideas but improves the combat flow, dungeon design and presentation. It is a polished recommendation for Persona fans waiting for Persona 6.

2. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

Red and Antea, the main characters of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, hold hands as ghostly energy swirls around them.

Available on: PS5, PC and Xbox Series X

Released in 2024 by Dontnod Entertainment, the studio behind Life is Strange, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is set in the haunted North American wilderness of 1695. Banishers Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith travel to the New World at a friend’s invitation, only for him to die of a heart attack soon after they arrive. Their investigation leads through increasingly strange events and five possible endings. The game underperformed commercially, but its unusual setting and character-driven supernatural story make it a standout action-RPG.

1. SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions

SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions cropped key art shows an illustration of a key character with spiked hair

Available on: Switch, PC and PS4

SaGa Scarlet Grace launched in Japan for Vita on 15 December 2016, where it struggled to attract attention. It was not localised overseas at first, but the expanded edition, SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions, brought the game to Android, iOS, Switch, PS4 and PC in North America three years later. The enhanced release added voice acting, characters, music and story material. Critics and players responded positively, though it lacked the sales reach of a new Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. The series has remained active since 2019, with Romancing SaGa 3: Destinies United scheduled for release on 16 February 2027.

Why these RPGs are worth revisiting

These games show how broad the RPG category can be: some favour rich world-building, others focus on unusual combat, farming routines, tactical decision-making or experimental storytelling. For more gaming news and features, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, or browse arcade machines for a dedicated home gaming space.