Best RPG Games of All Time: A Definitive List

Role-playing games have captivated players for decades with their deep storytelling, character development, and immersive worlds. From classic JRPGs to modern Western RPGs, the genre has evolved while maintaining its core appeal: becoming someone else in a fantastical world. This definitive list explores the greatest RPGs ever created, spanning multiple generations of gaming. We examine what makes The Witcher 3 a masterpiece of narrative design, why Final Fantasy VII remains iconic despite its age, and how games like Skyrim created living, breathing worlds that players inhabit for hundreds of hours. Modern entries like Baldur’s Gate 3 prove the genre continues innovating with unprecedented player freedom and consequences. We discuss different RPG sub-genres from action RPGs like Dark Souls to tactical RPGs like XCOM, turn-based classics, and everything in between. Each entry on this list excels in storytelling, world-building, character development, and gameplay depth that rewards investment.