Your top 10 RPGs EXCEPT top 20 Codex titles

[Agesilaus]

The order is mostly from best to worst but i wasn't overthinking it:

1. Wizardry 7
2. Darklands
3. Cataclys DDA (RL/open world)
4. Knights of the Chalice 1
5. Battle Brothers (barely a crpg but still better even in its crpg-ness than many proper crpgs)
6. DoomRL (or Jupiter Hell) (RL)
7. TOME4 (RL)
8. King of Dragon Pass (not strictly a crpg though but close and good game and i am short of great crpgs at this point)
9. Betrayal at Krondor (a storyfag crpg but a good one)
10. Icewind Dale 1

Other picks i considered:
Mount & Blade Warband (not strictly a crpg but close - especially some mods )
Ultima V
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup - DCSS (RL, a version from 5+ years ago),
Quest for Glory (1 and 4, i consider them mostly adventure games not crpgs but they are fabulous)
Might and Magic 7
NEO Scavenger

I might have forgotten some good and important titles. In fact i'm pretty sure i did.
Also i am 99% sure that KotC2 would be on that list if i had played it already.

Hmmm based on this I went and picked up QfG 4. QfG 1 is undeniably an amazing game that deserves eternal praise. Specifically the command-line version, but I'm willing to give QfG 4 a shot despite its mouse interface and new graphics. Adventure Games entered a steep and almost irreversible decline with the advent of mouse-based interfaces, but if QfG 4 is being paired with HQ/QfG 1 specifically then maybe it is good. I will soon find out.

The 2nd is considered by some the best one. I never played it, i always have it on a "to play" list but that list has >100 titles so it might never happen.
As to 4. Objectively - it is worse that 1, especially as an adventure game with puzzles. However it a great setting with some quirky humour but also a few genuinely scary and or sad moments in my opinion. Also is very buggy unless there is some new fan-made patch since i played it.

Hmm I will probably just give number 2 another shot, then. I bought a collection, so it has them all. I prefer the graphics of QfG 2 anyway, and have played it before (but never finished it). I don't know if any game really captures the unique magic of QfG1. It had great adventure game scenes/puzzles, it had a combat system and interesting variety of monsters, players had to explore the forest around the town, somewhat complex skillset and progression that impacted how you played, etc. Also, it's got nostalgia going for it, and it pre-dates the time when adventure game interfaces and graphics went overly cartoonish and mouse-driven. Heroine's Quest imitated it, but something didn't click for me with that game. Quest for Infamy is one I need to spend more time on, but waiting for the Beta 2.0 to reach full release (the dev is still around, he posted on his patreon a few days ago).

 

[Utfärd]

True Love
A Legionary's Life
Excelsior Phase One: Lysandia
Fallout of Nevada
Geneforge
Geneforge 2
Geneforge 4
Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny
Scavengers of the Mutant World
Serpent in the Staglands

 

[Beans00]

I was searching for something else and found this thread, missed it back then I guess so bumping it

In no particular order aside from atom being at the top

Atom rpg
Atom trudograd
temple of elemental evil
wasteland 3
deus ex human revolution
deus ex mankind divided
siege of avalon(although i haven't played since 2005, best writing in any rpg ever, terrible everything else)
diablo 1
disco elysium
might and magic 7 or diablo 2, can't decide

Also I didn't see if JRPGs were included, if so final fantasy tactics would be in there for sure.


Fallout resurrection and nevada would be in my top 10. but those are mods and shouldn't have been on the list.
Also I love stalker but they aren't rpg's.

 

[Lord_Potato]

Exclude the following games (listed alphabetically for your convenience):

Arcanum
Age of Decadence
Baldur's Gate 1
Baldur's Gate 2
Dark Souls
Deus Ex
Fallout 1
Fallout 2
Fallout: New Vegas
Gothic I
Gothic II
Jagged Alliance 2
KOTOR 2
Planescape: Torment
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
The Witcher 3
TES: Morrowind
Underrail
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Wizardry 8

1. Witcher 1
2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance
3. ATOM + Trudograd
4. Deus Ex
5. Witcher 2
6. Disco Elysium
7. Wasteland 3
8. Teudogar and the Alliance with Rome
9. Shadowrun: Dragonfall
10. Neverwinter Nights 1 (because of player made modules)

 

[Falksi]

Phantasy Star 4
Shadowrun Dragonfall
The Witcher 2
The Immortal
Avernum: Escape From The Pit
Mass Effect 1
Shining Force 2
Bard's Tale 4: Directors Cut
Persona 5 Royal
Hard West

 

[axedice]

• MotB is the greatest game excluded from the original list IMO. It is a gem on par with Torment.
• Disco Elysium is a close second, these two should remove some items (*cough morrowind and one of the gothics cough*) from the list.
• KC:D comes next for me, and as I've never played wizardry 8, replaces it on my head-cannon top20 list as well.

 

[Snufkin]

Icewind Dale
Icewind Dale 2
Knights of the Chalice
Kotor
Lionheart Legacy of the Crusader
Might and Magic 6
Shadowrun Returns
Neverwinter Nights 2
Temple of Elemental Evil
Tales of Maj'Eyal

 

[d1r]

Diablo 1
Busin 0 Wizardry Alternative Neo
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Shin Megami Tensei V
Shin Megami Tensei Deep Strange Journey Redux
Yakuza Like A Dragon
Lands of Lore
Stonekeep
Icewind Dale
Might & Magic VI

 

[Gregz]

Knights of the Chalice 1
Temple of Elemental Evil
Mount & Blade Warband
Daggerfall
The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos
Kenshi
Might & Magic VII
System Shock 2
Ultima V
The Dwarf Run
Divine Divinity
Diablo I
Diablo II
Wasteland 1

 

[ukdouble1]

The legend of Grimrock 2
Wizardry 7
World of Xeen (M&M 4+5)
Darkest Dungeon
D:OS 2
Expeditions: Viking
D:OS
Sunless Sea
7 Mages
Enderal: Forgotten Stories

And yes, anti-rating games from the top 20:
Dark Souls

 

[Orud]

1. Dragon's Dogma
2. Temple of Elemental Evil
3. Neverwinter Nights 2
4. Icewind Dale
5. TES : Daggerfall
6. Divinity Original Sin 2
7. Pillars of Eternity 2
8. Dragon Age Origins
9. System Shock 2
10. Nox

Planning on going into the SSI RPG's for the very first time "soon", along with the Dark Sun games, so I hope I can change some entries soon enough.

 

[luj1]

Give a list of your top 10 RPGs, but exclude any games in the top 20 of the Codex. The purpose is to create a more diverse and inclusive list for the less privileged, historically disadvantaged RPGs. The rationale is that people who always list the more Codexian games might have a different pattern of preferences than those who listed other games in the old vote.

Here are the top RPGs on the Codex as of 2019: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...mwCeFhw6RoX_iMa8ZshNdZxEz4/edit#gid=238442825

Exclude the following games (listed alphabetically for your convenience):

Arcanum
Age of Decadence
Baldur's Gate 1
Baldur's Gate 2
Dark Souls
Deus Ex
Fallout 1
Fallout 2
Fallout: New Vegas
Gothic I
Gothic II
Jagged Alliance 2
KOTOR 2
Planescape: Torment
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
The Witcher 3
TES: Morrowind
Underrail
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Wizardry 8

1. Wizardry 6
2. Temple of Elemental Evil
3. Dark Sun
4. Fallout Tactics
5. Escape from the Pit
6. Grimoire
7. Diablo II
8. Legend of Grimrock
9. NwN
10. SWKotOR

 

[KIss My Ass]

Dark Souls 2
Bloodborne
Demon's Souls
Elden Ring
Diablo
Diablo 2
Conan Exiles
Dragon's Dogma
Zelda TotK
Bloodstained RotN/Dark Souls 3

Not really ordered except maybe Dark Souls 2 being #1.

 

[__scribbles__]

Temple of Elemental Evil
Wasteland
Ultima Underworld
Ultima IV
Darklands
West of Loathing
Kenshi
MOTHER
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Demon's Souls

In no particular order.

 

[barricade]

dungeon rats
brigand oaxaca
swordflight
kotc2
kotc
serpent in the staglands
caves of lore
avernum escape from the pit
toee
grimoire

 

[Vic]

1. impregnation of the elves
2. oblivion
3. fallout 3
4. pokemon sun and moon
5. zelda, like all of them, except that one with the ship sailing
6. conception 2: children of the seven stars
7. stardew valley, that’s an rpg, right?
8. ummmmm, oh yeah, the new god of war was awesome
9. gta I guess but I have no friends for mp
10. mh this is hard, I guess I’ll cheat and say anything with big bouncy anime booba

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

List in no particular order.
-Ultima V
-Ultima VI
-Eye of the Beholder
-Battle Brothers
-ADOM
-Might and Magic 6
-Space Rangers 2
-Betrayal at Krondor
-Star Control 2 (goes to my all time top 3, but inclusion as RPG is questionable)
-TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children

 

[Martyr]

Ultima Underworld
Temple of Elemental Evil
Serpent in the Staglands
Dark Sun
Nahlakh
Darklands
Aleshar
The Witcher
Ultima VI
Arx Fatalis

 

[OSK]

1. Exile/Avernum 1
2. Exile/Avernum 3
3. Geneforge
4. Wasteland 3
5. Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer
6. Wasteland 2
7. Dead State
8. Exile/Avernum 2
9. Shadowrun: Dragonfall
10. ATOM RPG

I left off the more tactical/strategy oriented games like Battle Brothers.

 

[BosanskiSeljak]

Witcher 1
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
ATOM
Space Rangers
System Shock 2
Dragon Age: Origins
Elminage Gothic
Mass Effect
Geneforge

No particular order, especially because a couple I have a soft spot for and would never truly argue for actually having merit to be in the list compared to others I left out. However, the only correct answer is The Witcher at #1 and I will fight to the death for it.

 

[Reality]

Ultima Underworld
Wizardry 1
Expedition Viking
DoomRL
Shadowrun Dragonfall
Dark Heart of Uurkull
Star Control 2
Blackguards 1
Mount and Blade Warband
Wizardry 6

 

[vazha]

1. Prelude to Darkness
2. Battle Brothers
3. M & B: Warband PoP
4. Game of Thrones RPG
5. Of Orcs and Men
6. Expeditions: Conquistador
7. TOEE
8. Arx Fatalis
9. Icewind Dale 1-2
10. Sea Dogs (Corsairs) 3
Honorable mentions go to the Siege of Avalon, The Inquisitor and Avernum: Escape From the Pit

 

[BosanskiSeljak]

Sea Dogs (Corsairs) 3

Why this one over the other installments in the series? (Disregarding the name changes due to copyright, so all 5)

 

[vazha]

Sea Dogs (Corsairs) 3

Why this one over the other installments in the series? (Disregarding the name changes due to copyright, so all 5)

Think that was the most fleshed out one (altough n2 was pretty darn good as well, sunk countless hours (and ships) in that, remember grandma, bless her soul, bringing me soups over because I refused to go to the kitchen) and had / has numerous addons and QoL improvements. Great series in general, although didnt like the changes to combat system in the last one (where you play as a Frenchman who gets into trouble because of his gambler brother).

 

[BosanskiSeljak]

Think that was the most fleshed out one (altough n2 was pretty darn good as well, sunk countless hours (and ships) in that, remember grandma, bless her soul, bringing me soups over because I refused to go to the kitchen) and had / has numerous addons and QoL improvements. Great series in general, although didnt like the changes to combat system in the last one (where you play as a Frenchman who gets into trouble because of his gambler brother).

Still worth to go through the series as a whole though? I've been aware of Sea Dogs for years but it's probably the most well known Rus jank I haven't played yet so I definitely need to change that.