Summary
Final Fantasy Tacticsis among the best spin-offs in the series. It is not the first tactical RPG ever made, but with its systems, story, characters, and more, it provided a new template going forward for the genre, comparable to howFinal Fantasy 7redefined turn-based RPGs and theFinal Fantasyseries as a whole.
Many great contemporaries followed, but some of them are, unfortunately, hard to play officially now. So, this list will instead focus ontactical RPGsthat are easy to get ahold of.
Updated on July 11, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Final Fantasy Tactics is one of the greatest spinoffs in the series that fans still can’t get enough of. The game didn’t shy away from challenging players, forcing them to interact with a robust job system and gain as much experience as possible before tackling some of the game’s toughest threats and bosses. To this day, fans can’t stop praising the game, making it clear why they wouldn’t mind checking out more titles in the same vein.
1Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Features Strategic Turn-Based Combat
Given how popular thePersonagames have become in recent times, it’s easy to see why so many people are interested in the series' past beforePersona 3opened the floodgates for the social sim elements that have become a mainstay of the title ever since. While the originalPersonagame can be a bit of a pain to get into, the sequels that followed hold up well to this day.
Persona 2: Innocent SinandEternal Punishmentare two of the best JRPGs fans can check out, with the former being marginally better in some ways. The memorable characters, fun combat, and enthralling story make this title a great recommendation for fans ofFinal Fantasy Tactics.
Players looking for more games likeFinal Fantasy Tacticsthat reward preparation and strategy will have a great time withDivinity: Original Sin 2. This incredible title lets players control a party that must fight against the odds almost every single time, using their wits and strong abilities to take out the opposition.
Everything from positioning to environmental effects is important to manage if players don’t want to be obliterated by their enemies over and over again.Divinity: Original Sin 2is a challenging game, with the difficulty spike in Arx forcing players to re-learn the game’s combat to attain victory over the many tough foes that stand in their way.
IfTyrannyhad achieved its original vision, then there’s no denying that this game would’ve been hailed by many as one of the greatest role-playing games ever made. As it stands, the game’s focus on tyrants, its epic scale, and the amazing exploration of evil is something that most RPG fans will fall in love with.
The empire-spanning narrative will fit right at home with fans ofFinal Fantasy Tacticsand the grand world of Ivalice, with the biggest difference being that the player-character themselves is one of the trusted servants of the tyrant who’s forcing everyone to bend to their will. It’s a nice twist that makes each and every portion ofTyrannyall the more memorable.
No one expected a direct sequel toFinal Fantasy 12to come out exclusively on the DS, but fans who got their hands on this title were more than happy to see just how much funRevenant Wingswas to play. This real-time strategy game perfectly encapsulated what made the original so great on limited hardware.
It may be hard to snag a copy of the game nowadays, but players should definitely check out this game if they have the chance. Tactical spinoffs ofFinal Fantasygames are pretty rare nowadays as is, so people will take what they can get.
Given the sheer number of remakes and re-releases that classic SRPG titles are enjoying nowadays, it’s easy to see why many fans are hoping thatJeanne d’Arcreceives the same treatment. There simply aren’t many unique strategy titles like this gem out there.
The game’s setting is perhaps its strongest aspect, combining the well-known story of Joan of Arc with fantasy elements to make for a great time indeed. Players need only check this game out for a few hours to understand why fans are so passionate about this underrated gem.
Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destinyis the latest entry in this tactical RPG series. The thingFinal Fantasy Tacticsfans will love about any game in this franchise is how easy it is to break the system. The Calculator Job inFinal Fantasy Tacticsbroke that RPG if players knew what they were doing.
TheDisgaeagames encourage players to come up with ridiculous ways of winning. Characters can reach HP levels in the hundred thousands and items contain dungeons within them to level up. These are wacky games but they are solid nonetheless.
Fire Emblem Engageis the most recent iteration in Nintendo’s longest-running RPGs.Fire Emblem Engagethankfully dials things back a bit fromFire Emblem: Three Houseswhich got overly complicated. There is one campaign with a solid amount of maps in it.
Build an army, swap classes, maximize character potential, and so on. It’s particularly a good tactical game to recommend to beginnings because of the lax difficulty settings. Pretty much every game in the series is worth checking out post-Fire Emblem Awakening.
Front Mission 1st: Remakeis not theFinal Fantasy 7of modern remakes. It is, however, a great strategy RPG brought back from the SNES era. Players can go through two campaigns, each seeing a different side of the war.
Instead of classes, players can customize mecha for classic turn-based warfare. The sequel was supposed to get a remake in June, but it was delayed.Front Mission 1st: Remakeis good for now, but keep the sequel in mind because it has never been released outside of Japan before.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hopeis the latest in this bizarre crossover series. It improves the gameplay of the original significantly. The weapons are better defined, there are more difficulty options, and the addition of movement options adds to the strategy.
What started as a weird concept between two seemingly unrelated franchises has blossomed into a trulygreat tactical RPGseries. It’s the perfect strategy game to introduce beginners, but it can also be challenging with the right settings.
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes - Definitive Editionis an enhanced re-release of a forgotten classic spinoff from the DS era. The game first arrived on the portable in 2009 before getting several ports, but it has been a decade since the last port. The gameplay splits the map into two sides, with hero characters acting like goals in a sports game.
Players can summon allies to form into attack or defensive patterns to drain HP from their rival or knock out some minions. It’s a complicated battle system that’s going to take a bit to learn. That should sound perfect for those looking for a challenging, non-traditional tactical game.
