Community The RPG Codex's Top 70 PC RPGs (And Some Hidden Gems)

[Late Bloomer]

Also the list does not include Path of Exile

It's not an RPG

 

[Goldschmidt]

Also the list does not include Path of Exile

It's not an RPG

 

[Late Bloomer]

Also the list does not include Path of Exile

It's not an RPG

Oh well by all means, then it must be true.

Make an ARPG poll then.

 

[Goldschmidt]

Also the list does not include Path of Exile

It's not an RPG

Oh well by all means, then it must be true.

Make an ARPG poll then.

Chris Wilson is a bald genius that together with Jonathan and Erik, rose a startup from his garage to a multi-million dollar company, annihilating Blizzard in the process. Him and Jonathan are excellent software engineers and mathematical masterminds when it comes to creating rpg mechanics, character customization and item design systems. Chris also has the rarest MTG cards collection that exists on the planet. They know more what constitutes a roleplaying game than some random forum dweller like yourself.

 

[Late Bloomer]

Chris also has the rarest MTG cards collection that exists on the planet.

 

[Miserable Panda]

Considering the current decline into degeneracy (DE Human Revolution ), this list should topped off by a new update for the JRPGs list. FGO or another gacha at the top, of course.

 

[GloomFrost]

Considering the current decline into degeneracy (DE Human Revolution ), this list should topped off by a new update for the JRPGs list. FGO or another gacha at the top, of course.

Human Revolution is by far not the worst game on that list. Both writing and gameplay wise.

 

[behold_a_man]

and to be honest in a post-apocalyptic world I doubt any trader would pass on a chance to buy something he doesn't need at the moment but for a fraction of it's real value

No, Al, there is simply no demand for your healthy animal hearts and large intestines, why do you keep bothering people about it?

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

I started Troubleshooter today and it's great. Thanks to all who voted for it. Part with hidden gemes was a great idea, strange to see Colony ship there thought.

Some of us have been promoting Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children for four years.

Also lol at the "good" 2012-2016 system which got Twitcher 3 first place

The 2012-2016 combined poll, in which The Witcher 3 topped Underrail and Age of Decadence, used the same ranking system as the previous year's poll for GotY 2015, in which those other two games topped The Witcher 3:

 

[luj1]

RPGs were always tactical, "tactical RPG" is tautological nonsense

 

[Decado]

Considering the current decline into degeneracy (DE Human Revolution ), this list should topped off by a new update for the JRPGs list. FGO or another gacha at the top, of course.

Human Revolution is by far not the worst game on that list. Both writing and gameplay wise.

Maybe not, but it's up there. By God what a rotten fucking game. Every year I grow to hate a little more. It, and the beaver-pelt wearing Canadian dickheads who spawned it. I am mad. Very mad!

 

[HeatEXTEND]

Underrail being higher than Age of Decadence is a travesty

Pitting these against each other is like a tragic meaningless brothers feud. Their powers combined they orbit the trinity

Not really, usually fans of one game dislike the other intensely.

Which is stupid and pointless.

 

[Rahdulan]

I'm just surprised Colony Ship ended up in hidden gems rather than on the list proper.

 

[Shaja]

I understand it's been a while, but please replay Planescape Torment and discover that it's a linear game with no roleplay nor any mechanics.
Not even mentioning that 1 only ending which is incredibly bad. At least Cyberpunk has several ones.

 

[Jvegi]

I understand it's been a while, but please replay Planescape Torment and discover that it's a linear game with no roleplay nor any mechanics.
Not even mentioning that 1 only ending which is incredibly bad. At least Cyberpunk has several ones.

Not true. You can play it two ways. The first time, and the second time with wisdom maxxed. Both are great. Just don't try to play it for the third time.

 

[Nekot-The-Brave]

Glad that Divine Divinity made the "Hidden Gems" list, that's a great and awesome game that I recommend anyone to play. Great roleplaying options, dialogue, combat, progression, story, etc.

While I like Shadowrun: Dragonfall, I prefer Hong Kong tbh. Wish that one made the list.

 

[Roguey]

I understand it's been a while, but please replay Planescape Torment and discover that it's a linear game with no roleplay nor any mechanics.
Not even mentioning that 1 only ending which is incredibly bad. At least Cyberpunk has several ones.

You can be a jerk or a good guy, lawful or chaotic, and there are a lot of variations of how that final scenario can play out.

 

[Xorazm]

I believe this vote is another expensive example of how the way you phrase a question determines the outcome. The truth is that anyone who has ever worked with research or has the slightest understanding of statistics knows this - if you really want to, you can manipulate a survey to say almost anything. For instance, the question only allowed you to choose 10 games. (And another 10 "hidden gems".) As others have mentioned here, this means that if you have two similar games from the same franchise or company, you will feel compelled to choose one of them. This totally explains why Divinity disappeared from the list and BG3 appeared, the same thing when we talk about JA2. It also explains POE2, and even the absence of Skyrim.

Of course, this will not affect the sacred trinity of the Codex. Games like Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, or Fallout 1 and 2 are too significant in the history of RPGs to not appear several times on the list. And more than that, many have specific preferences for one of these games and not another. (AKA, the more serious and tight tone of FO1, or the reactivity and references of FO2.) For cases like this, even the pressure of having limited choices makes you feel like you need to reserve a specific space for certain games that "need" to be on this list, and all other games compete for the remaining spaces.

For example, I didn't vote for any Larian game - even though I've played more hours of D:OS1 than the two Baldur's Gate combined. And it's not like I didn't use my vote because I think they're not better than several games on the list, for me they clearly are. But in practice I only had 5 "free" spaces to use my choices and it would be stupid to mention any of them as a "hidden gem" given their fame. If anything, this is a list that is much more like a TOMA (top-of-mind awareness) because people will mention the first games they think are most relevant, more than quantifying and qualifying the games they think are best made.

That said, every survey will have its blind spots and it's not like all the previous ones were perfect either. It's as valid as any other. In the end, it's all a matter of accepting what distortions you're willing to accept in the result. Hell, if society can't even reach a consensus on how to elect a president, let alone elect a list of RPGs in a forum of neckbeards living in basements.

Wait ... that's how it was done? This one missed me (filthy casual, yes, opinions invalidated) but I can easily guarantee that my thought process would have been "Well, I know what the top 10 is already going to be, and Codex darlings like Underrail and Age of Decadence sure don't need any help." And then instead of answering honestly and just shoring up the top end of the list with yet more votes, I'd have thought "well, what's most likely to have a chance of making it, but at risk of getting overlooked?" And then probably have filled up the form with (off the top of my head) Legend of Grimrock 2, Expeditions Vikings, Geneforge, Dragonfall, Ultima 4, Betrayal at Krondor, Wasteland (OG or 3), Battle Brothers, Grimoire, and maybe Prey.

Some of those made it, but more are slipping into memory and the ones that are still there probably will drip off in another round or two. But am I going to look you in the eye and say that any of these are better than Fallout or the Infinity classics? Oh hell naw, but it certainly supports the point that folks take the question and vote strategically.

 

[Xorazm]

I started Troubleshooter today and it's great. Thanks to all who voted for it. Part with hidden gemes was a great idea, strange to see Colony ship there thought.

I hear that one is great and I really enjoy everything remotely like it but holy hell Asian games are like Mormons - they make you wait for fucking ever for the good stuff.

2-3 hours of chatting, tutorial and anime fluff, all the while my spirit slowly begins its inexorable attempt to break free from its mortal coil.

 

[Beans00]

2) If you want to sell your stuff you have to go from one vendor to another because one trader will buy only very specific things and nothing else. Which makes sense in real life but in a game it's annoying (and to be honest in a post-apocalyptic world I doubt any trader would pass on a chance to buy something he doesn't need at the moment but for a fraction of it's real value). AoD wins again.

I disagree with most of Gorals points, except this one.

The vendor system in underrail was annoying and stupid and I hated it.

 

[sebas]

It's there to balance out the respawns (ie. infinite money).

 

[Beans00]

I'm just surprised Colony Ship ended up in hidden gems rather than on the list proper.

That game is dogshit, basically a few fanboys put it in their hidden gems to cope about it being terrible.

 

[roguefrog]

Two RPGs I would add to the list besides Star Control 2:

Wasteland 3
Risen

 

[Decado]

This vote doesn't include Phantasie, therefore it is diarrhea.

 

[Decado]

Does anyone remember the Four Crystals of Trazere? What a terrible fucking game.