Best Games Like Fire Emblem

Aside from being one of the most beloved Nintendo exclusives, Fire Emblem is revered among strategy RPG fans for its extensive legacy, iconic characters, satisfying turn-based combat.

Similar to games like Final Fantasy Tactics, the series has a rich history of iterating on its core formula with new installments such as Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and spin-offs like Fire Emblem Warriors.

In this list, we’ll highlight the best games like Fire Emblem to play in 2023 for anyone who finished Three Houses and is hungry for new strategy RPGs.

We’ll be updating this list in the future with new titles, so make sure to check back and let us know if we missed any of your favorite games similar to Fire Emblem!

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To get us started, we’re recommending Fire Emblem fans check out the latest installment in the Bravely Default JRPG series of games.

Available on PC and Nintendo Switch, Bravely Default II follows the original and its sequel Bravely Second: End Layer while introducing a completely new story and cast of characters.

Much like previous installments, the game centers on challenging turn-based battles that incorporate a “Brave Point” system along with a unique class system called “Jobs.”

The latter functions similarly to the class system in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where characters can have more than one Job and each one offers distinct strengths and weaknesses.

Next up, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a Steam Early Access game that serves as a worthy successor to the two legendary RPGs in the series.

However, in contrast to the originals’ real-time combat, Baldur’s Gate 3 introduces turn-based battling on fully 3D terrain.

This is reminiscent of 3D strategy RPGs such as the recent Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which encourage you to use the environment to gain a tactical advantage on your opponent.

While the game is expected to be nearing its full 1.0 release soon, there’s already plenty of story and gameplay content to sink your teeth into.

Another game that lets you explore an abundance of different classes is Octopath Traveler, a turn-based RPG game that follows the stories of eight different characters living in the magical land of Osterra.

Similar to Fire Emblem games like Three Houses, players are given the freedom to carve out their own path throughout a lengthy 60-hour campaign.

Combat is played out using traditional turn-based battle mechanics in which characters use special class-based abilities, talents, and tactics.

Battles are where Octopath Traveler’s pixel art truly comes to life, showing off the game’s dynamic shadows, lighting, and particle effects.

Following in the footsteps of Octopath Traveler, Triangle Strategy is one of this year’s most anticipated strategy releases and the latest game to employ Square Enix’s unique ‘HD-2D’ aesthetic.

While it has much in common with its predecessor, the game also shares many similarities with tactical RPGs like Fire Emblem as well as Final Fantasy Tactics.

In it, three nations vie for control over scarce resources and find themselves thrust into turn-based battles that emphasize positional advantages, follow-up attacks, and elemental chain reactions.

Triangle Strategy is currently exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, making it the perfect alternative for die-hard Fire Emblem fans in need of a new game to play.

Any longtime Fire Emblem fan will already know about Advance Wars seeing as both series were created by Intelligent Systems for the Nintendo platform.

However, Advance Wars’ has a more modern military aesthetic and sees players taking on the role of a General commanding different units as they move across a map, attack enemies, and fight to win the war.

Much like Fire Emblem, battles are turn-based and have you leveraging land, air, and naval military units to capture towns and defeat enemy squads.

We recommend Switch owners check out the most recent Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, which serves as a comprehensive remake of the first two games in the series.

Combining Mario Bros. and Raving Rabbids may not seem like an ideal pairing for a tactics game but it’s actually a surprisingly fun experience.

Drawing from both franchises’ pool of characters and visual styles, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an approachable and modern turn-based strategy game that takes a few cues from Fire Emblem.

In fact, in an interview leading up to the game’s release, lead producer Xavier Manzanares confessed that both Fire Emblem and Advance Wars-inspired Mario + Rabbids’ gameplay design.

The Rabbids’ inclusion also goes a long way towards providing some levity in the later stages when the difficulty ramps up considerably.

Persona is another RPG series Fire Emblem fans have likely heard of, with Persona 5 being the latest installment in the series.

In it, players take on the role of a new transfer student attending high school in Japan and encountering a host of eccentric classmates, teachers, and other characters.

After joining forces with their friends to become the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, the group uses their newfound powers to summon Personas and end the tyranny of corrupt adults.

It’s a great recommendation for Fire Emblem fans coming off of Three Houses considering both games feature a social/romance component that sees players strengthening bonds with party members.

Along with Persona, Atlus created the Shin Megami Tensei series, which actually predates Persona by several years.

The most recent installment is Shin Megami Tensei V, which released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch in November 2021.

Designed as a hybrid between Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV, the game revisits many of the series’ earlier gameplay mechanics such as raising demons and fusing them.

As a result, it will feel familiar to anyone who’s played Persona 5 and similar RPGs such as Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Next we have Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark, a story-driven tactical RPG developed by 6 Eyes Studio, the same indie developer behind cult classics like Sigil: Blade of the Exiled.

Just like that game, Fell Seal draws much of its influence from classic JRPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, and Fire Emblem.

This includes satisfying tactical-based RPG combat along with excellent writing that introduces a cast of compelling characters.

Lastly, it offers upwards of 80 hours of content, putting it on par with Fire Emblem: Three Houses’ 50+ hour campaign.

Fae Tactics is a more lighthearted take on tactical strategy RPGs that incorporates anime-inspired visuals, characters, and writing.

However, from a gameplay perspective, it’s very reminiscent of games like Disgaea, Final Fantasy Tactics, and of course Fire Emblem.

In it, players are cast as a magician named Peony as she and her friends traverse the world performing spells and battling bad guys.

Combat takes a more traditional strategy approach in which players guide their party across a stage by hopping from tile to tile each turn.

Our next recommendation is the latest entry in Sega’s Valkyria Chronicles series of squad-based tactical RPGs that incorporate elements of first-person shooters.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 is an interesting mix of both gameplay styles that greatly benefits from water color-inspired visuals and a military-fantasy hybrid aesthetic.

Players are in charge of leading a group of youthful warriors who engage in combat during the imagined Second European Conflict, using guns and tanks.

Like Fire Emblem, a lot of Valkyria Chronicles 4’s story is spent exploring its characters’ backstory, complete with side missions and unique personality traits that manifest during battles.

Recently remade for PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, Langrisser I & II are two of the best old-school strategy RPGs like Fire Emblem.

One of the series’ biggest selling points is its branching storylines that encourage multiple playthroughs to experience everything each game has to offer.

Similar to Fire Emblem, characters take turns moving across maps during combat and can take advantage of different terrain features and unit types.

The remake collection introduces new hand-drawn anime designs for each character along with polished animated attacks that make the gameplay feel more fast-paced and visceral.

Set in a fantasy world far removed from knights, dragons, and magic, The Banner Saga is a trilogy of Viking-themed adventure RPGs.

Instead of controlling one central character, each game in the series sees you guiding a caravan of heroes through a world on the brink of collapse.

The series’ primary antagonists are the Dredge, a warlike race hell-bent on eradicating humans in tense, turn-based battles.

Similar to Fire Emblem, players can choose to play with permadeath enabled and risk losing certain party members by making the wrong move in the heat of battle.

Based on the popular tabletop game, Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a fun tactical RPG that adapts the original game’s rules to the video game format.

From a gameplay perspective, it plays similar to RPG classics like the original Baldur’s Gate and Heroes of Might & Magic, complete with empire-building mechanics.

While combat is real-time, you can pause at any time and there are mods on PC that allow you to make the game turn-based to bring it more in line with games like Fire Emblem.

If you enjoy Kingmaker, consider checking out the franchise’s other video game adaptation, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.

If you’re a fan of CRPGs and tactical RPGs like Fire Emblem, Divinity: Original Sin II delivers on both fronts while offering great writing and world-building.

In it, players create an original character, determining their race, gender, stats, and even backstory, before heading out into the world of Rivellon with up to three party members.

Gameplay centers on turn-based battles with free-roam combat that lets players explore the environment, cast powerful spells, and exploit unconventional tactics in order to win.

The co-op version of the game is also worth highlighting since it gives you and your friends the freedom to split up and shape the world in different ways.

In Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, players control a Watcher, beings with the power to analyze souls and learn from their memories.

Therefore, it’s up to the player to help reclaim a portion of the Watchers’ souls and save the world before it’s too late.

This is done by embarking on a dangerous voyage across a vast, unexplored archipelago and playing out challenging RPG battles a la Fire Emblem.

Originally, the series wasn’t turn-based, though Obsidian addressed this later with a patch that added support for turn-based play.

XCOM is considered one of the most influential strategy franchises and includes plenty of characteristics that will appeal to Fire Emblem fans.

For one, it places a big emphasis on getting to know each of your characters in detail, allowing you to customize their appearance and establish unique backstories.

Secondly, it features a permadeath option that raises the stakes considerably when fighting a losing battle on the field.

Although it differs greatly in terms of visuals, mechanically speaking, XCOM 2 and its War of the Chosen DLC are some of the best contemporary strategy games on the market.

Last on our list is the smash indie hit Into the Breach from FTL: Faster than Light developer Subset Games.

This turn-based strategy title sees you leading a team of mech-donning operatives into battle against an alien threat known collectively as the Vek.

At its core, the game is incredibly addictive and accessible to practically any level of strategy experience, making it a great alternative for Fire Emblem fans.

It’s admittingly a bit too forgiving at times but does include a permadeath mechanic for players looking for a higher degree of challenge.