December 13, 2025: A Feverish Dive into the Latest Turn-Based RPGs and Strategy Games
Even a fever couldn’t keep me from my sacred Saturday ritual: exploring the freshest turn-based RPGs and strategy games to hit the scene. Yes, I’ve been under the weather—nothing serious, just a day of feeling out of sorts—but today, I’m back in action, ready to guide you through this week’s standout releases. And trust me, there’s plenty to get excited about, with several titles that have me genuinely intrigued.
RuneQuest: Warlords
- Developers: Virtuos
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: December 9, 2025
- Steam Page: RuneQuest: Warlords
Kicking things off is RuneQuest: Warlords, a battle-scale, turn-based strategy game set in the rich universe of Glorantha. This adaptation of Chaosium’s RuneQuest brings grid-based tactical combat to life, where positioning, zones of control, and action points are the keys to victory. Released on PC, it features an 18-mission story campaign following Hahlgrim of Talastar as he battles Chaos spilling out of Dorastor. Iconic RuneQuest figures make appearances, adding depth to the narrative. On the battlefield, heroes and units spend action points on movement, attacks, special abilities, and spellcasting, with systems like opportunity attacks and counter-attacks rewarding strategic turn pacing.
Armies are composed of multi-model units (1 to 7 models per unit), with health tracked per model. Magic is a constant tactical lever, featuring Spirit, Rune, and Sorcery, plus rune affinities that unlock god-linked powers as heroes grow. Beyond the campaign, the game offers competitive scenarios and online PvP for faction matchups between Talastar, Chaos, and the Lunar Empire. For a deeper dive, check out our full review: RuneQuest: Warlords Impressions.
Keep the Heroes Out
- Developers: Brueh Games, YarnCat Games
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: December 9, 2025
- Steam Page: Keep the Heroes Out
If you’ve ever dreamed of being the dungeon master instead of the hero, Keep the Heroes Out is your game. This cooperative dungeon-defense strategy game lets 1–4 players take control of the “monsters,” defending their treasure from invading heroes. Each player selects a monster with unique abilities, controls a different number of creatures, and starts with a distinct deck. Turns involve playing cards to take actions, with flexible icon order allowing actions to be split across multiple monsters before the hand refills.
As the game progresses, loot cards can be crafted to upgrade decks, and team play emphasizes role variety—crowd control, defense, and support—as an evolving puzzle. Heroes push into the dungeon after each player’s turn, attacking monsters. While monsters can die and return, stolen treasure is gone for good. If the vault is emptied, the team loses. Released on Steam, this is a must-play for fans of Dungeon Keeper-style gameplay.
Death Howl
- Developers: The Outer Zone
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: December 9, 2025
- Steam Page: Death Howl
Death Howl is a soulslike deckbuilder from The Outer Zone, published by 11 bit studios, that combines tactical, grid-based combat with open-world exploration. Set in a grim Spirit World, players control Ro, a hunter trying to bring her son back from the dead. With over 160 cards to shape your build, Totems, and region-by-region unlocks, the game offers deep customization and progression across four realms and 13 regions.
Expect a variety of enemy types, side quests, and challenging boss battles, with an estimated 25+ hours of gameplay for a full run. Released on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Switch versions are slated for 2026. For more details, read our review: Death Howl Impressions.
Dissimilar
- Developers: Opal Grave Games
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: December 9, 2025
- Steam Page: Dissimilar
Dissimilar is a mystery RPG from Opal Grave Games that blends freeform exploration with turn-based tactical battles. Set in “the Haven,” a sprawling, handcrafted castle, players can explore in any order, searching for secret passages, locked doors, and clues tied to Amelia’s family history. The story kicks off when Amelia’s best friend hacks her car and drags her back to their childhood holiday castle, starting a strange “game” that mixes present-day investigation with childhood memories. The game delves into speculative-fiction themes of technology, ethics, and buried trauma.
Combat focuses on planning around enemy behavior patterns, team positioning, and skill use, with developers describing it as a blend of puzzle design and RPG tactics. Defeat pushes players to try new routes and strategies with different fighters and abilities. Released on Steam, a playable demo is also available.
The Temple of Elemental Evil
- Developers: Troika Games
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: December 10, 2025
- Steam Page: The Temple of Elemental Evil
A delightful gem among this week’s releases is The Temple of Elemental Evil, a party-based Dungeons & Dragons CRPG set in the Greyhawk setting. This updated edition of the 2003 Troika Games RPG features “over a thousand” fixes and improvements, thanks to community efforts like Circle of Eight and Temple+. Players build a group of five controllable characters plus up to three followers, customize builds with skills, feats, and spells, and navigate multiple story paths and endings with support for different alignments. Released on Steam for PC, it’s a must-play for CRPG enthusiasts.
Unto Deepest Depths
- Developers: McCollum Games
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: December 11, 2025
- Steam Page: Unto Deepest Depths
Unto Deepest Depths is a single-player, turn-based strategy roguelite with a unique twist: every unit must move and attack each turn, eliminating turtling strategies. Parties grow through XP earned in battles and events, which can be spent to hire, promote, and upgrade units. Promotions unlock elite specializations, while upgrades force tradeoffs, ensuring no unit can excel at everything.
Runs feature procedurally generated conflicts across five biomes, with bosses, elite enemies, and event choices shaping your route as you push further underground. Released on Steam, a demo is also available for those eager to try it out.
Lords of the Void (Early Access)
- Developers: BoargamesStudio
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: December 11, 2025
- Steam Page: Lords of the Void
Lords of the Void is a 2D, turn-based fantasy strategy game set in a post-Calamity world. Battles and campaign missions feature four asymmetric factions: humanity’s remnants, mystical magicians, Slavic mythology-inspired demons, and steam-powered lizards. Each faction has unique units, heroes, and abilities. The Early Access build includes four fully implemented campaigns (five
