The Golden Age of RPGs Is Here
The role-playing game (RPG) category continues to expand and flourish, engaging both veterans and newcomers to the cause. Be it discovering post-apocalyptic worlds, slaying dragons, or riding through deeply emotional character studies, Best RPGs in 2025 have never been more vibrant—or diverse. With the emergence of high-powered game engines and tools such as Buildbox game development, independent developers are also charting the course of tomorrow’s storytelling and gameplay, bringing new voices to an already vast genre.
But with so many such enormous libraries of titles coming out every year, you can get swept away in an instant. That’s why we have compiled the ultimate list of the best RPGs you should immerse yourself in this year. These games are not only packed with wonderful stories and mechanics, but they raise the bar on what role-playing can do. Pick up your inventory and polish your sword—it’s time to venture forth.
1. Elder Scrolls VI: Tamriel Reborn
A New Era for Open World Fantasy
More than a decade after Skyrim stormed the world, Bethesda is once again in the high-fantasy world of Tamriel. Elder Scrolls VI lives up to fans’ years-old promises: seamless exploration, deep lore incorporation, and a living, breathing world where your choices matter.
You will find an active political scene, regional war, and factional diplomacy at the forefront. It’s not merely a matter of slaying dragons—it’s about influencing history.
Beyond Skyrim: New Mechanics and More
The days of cumbersome inventory management and mindless NPC repetition are over. Bethesda introduces a reworked dialogue tree, new skill trees, and an AI-powered NPC behavior system that reacts dynamically to your choices. You’re either a sneaky archer or a magic-wielding battlemage. Elder Scrolls VI gives you the autonomy to create your own destiny in fresh and unprecedented ways.
2. Avowed: Obsidian’s Storytelling Masterwork
Pillars of Eternity, Redone
Avowed is Obsidian’s return to the world of Eora, but this time in stunning first-person 3D. Built on Unreal Engine 5, Avowed boasts stunningly lit worlds, highly detailed character models, and a spell-casting system that is intuitive yet powerful.
And unlike most open-world RPGs, Avowed goes all in on its heritage in deep storytelling. Branching narratives and player agency are centre stage, so every choice in conversation feels like it could change your destiny.
Strategic Fight Meets Magical Chaos
The fight is grounded but fluid. Mixing magic, hand-to-hand combat, and ranged action is reminiscent of older RPGs, but with modern-day fluidity. You’ll build your character on a firm class system that promotes creative playstyles—mix magic and sword play or specialize as a pure arcane scholar.
3. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
BioWare’s Redemption Arc
After years of silence and a problematic reception for Anthem, Bioware is seeking to repair its reputation with Dragon Age: The Veilguard. This latest game explores further the aftermath of magic and politics in Thedas, and player choice and party interaction is back on the agenda.
The Veil itself—a mysterious veil between the world and the Fade—is breaking, and you, who are the commander of the Veilguard, must assemble a varied cast of characters to drive back the creeping shadows.
Companions, Politics, and Romance
What is a Dragon Age game without its traditional companions? Expect fully voiced relationships, complete with their own storylines, romance options, and loyalty quests. Politically charged morality choices and backstabbing politics make every choice hard, and your reputation changes the dynamics of how others approach you.
4. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Redux
A Second Chance through Cybernetic Means
CD Projekt Red did take notice. After a rocky launch, Cyberpunk 2077 gets a full vindication in 2025 with the Phantom Liberty Redux launch. Not an expansion pack, but a revamped experience—new locations, honed mechanics, and a fresh narrative thread on AI insurgency.
The game is less a patch than a reboot, breathing new life into the neon-lit streets of Night City.
Deep Customization and Next-Gen Performance
Now built for next-gen consoles and PC, Phantom Liberty Redux also features fully customizable augmentations, fresh driving dynamics, and improved AI. RPG features—dialogue trees, relationships, and skill growth—are now more integrated and impactful.
5. Black Myth: Wukong
A Mythological Adventure Like No Other
Blending Chinese mythology and refined, Soulslike action, Black Myth: Wukong is 2025’s most unique RPG experience. Founded on Journey to the West, the game has you playing as Monkey King himself, fighting gods, monsters, and demons within.
The lush graphics and haunting music of the game take you to a mystical world full of mystery and menace.
Sophisticated Combat and Storytelling
Each boss battle in Wukong is a set piece. The fighting, a combination of martial arts and magical powers, is rewarding to timing, pattern recognition, and creativity. With a shifting skill tree and morality system tied to your actions, the game offers both action and depth.
6. Baldur’s Gate IV
The Next Chapter in Tabletop-Inspired RPGs
Fresh off the critical acclaim of Baldur’s Gate III, Larian Studios is back with a sequel that delves even further into the Dungeons & Dragons lore. Decades after the original, Baldur’s Gate IV introduces fresh factions, places, and mechanics.
This time around, not only is the threat internal to Faerûn, but external from other planes—look forward to planar travel, eldritch enemies, and cosmic stakes.
A New Level of Interactivity
While Baldur’s Gate III pioneered cinematic roleplaying and real-time strategy, IV introduces complete environmental interaction and an advanced AI Dungeon Master. No two games will ever be the same. Slam a barrel of ale, ignite it with a fire spell, or zap through walls—your world to command.
7. The Rise of the Ronin
Honor, Swords, and Choices
Team Ninja’s epic RPG Rise of the Ronin explores the Meiji Restoration—a time of unrest, conflict, and the decline of the samurai. Players serve as a wandering ronin, caught in an intricate web of allegiances, betrayal, and combat.
By no means just an action game, the title offers sound RPG staples, including a branching reputation system and morality decisions affecting the ending.
Authenticity Meets Immersion
With feudal castle design through to katana combat minutiae, Rise of the Ronin overflows with historical richness. You’ll move from rural village settings to industrializing cities, each with quests testing your will and faith.
8. Starfield: Galaxy Unbound
The Post-Launch Expansion That Shakes Things Up
Even though it came out in 2023, Starfield has undergone a total transformation with its 2025 expansion, Galaxy Unbound. Bethesda didn’t just add planets—they added storylines, alien species, and richer faction relationships that complement the underlying experience.
Exploration now means something, as procedurally-generated missions are smoothed out to offer consistent, character-driven stories.
Choices That Echo Across the Cosmos
The new reputation system makes your decisions on one world echo across the galaxy. Smuggle minerals, rebel against an interstellar government, or negotiate peace accords between belligerent civilizations. Galaxy Unbound’s stars are not simply their background—they’re a canvas of narrative.
9. The Witcher: Beginnings of the Path
A Prequel Worth Legend
CD Projekt Red returns to the world of Geralt in Origins of the Path, a prequel that happens hundreds of years before the original trilogy. The first generation of witchers is what players play, exploring how the order came to exist.
The game heavily depends on alchemy, monster ecology, and moral complexity, with deep roleplay balanced by action-based hunts.
Monster Hunting, Reimagined
The new contract system gives you a variety of means to handle monsters—fight, trap, negotiate, or even create alliances. Coupled with a tighter, earthier narrative, Origins of the Path redefines what it means to be a Witcher.
10. Fable: Reforged
Albion Reimagined
Microsoft’s long-awaited reboot of Fable is finally here, and it’s as quirky, dark, and lovable as promised. Fable: Reforged redescribes the fairy-tale world of Albion, but this time with modern design sensibilities and mature storylines.
With ridiculous chicken-chasing side missions and heroic combat against evil sorcerers, this game achieves tonal balance perfectly.
Morality That Matters
What you talk, what you do, what you wear—everything influences Albion’s view of you. In contrast to most morality systems, Fable: Reforged presents genuine repercussions. Save a village and gain allies, destroy it and reap the benefits of a generation of vengeance.
Final Thoughts
2025 best RPGs are more than a game—those are living worlds, emotional rollercoasters, and vehicles for self-expression. Whether you’re racing down dragons in Tamriel, flying through the galaxy in Starfield, or walking through old myth in Wukong, this year’s RPGs bring unforgettable experiences for every kind of player.
Before you dive into your next masterpiece, it’s fun to observe how available some of these classics are now. Consider the case of Skyrim cost on Steam—many former players continue to be confused about that classic game, while the same game has been long outclassed by the new releases discussed here.
