Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 (1999)

The Fire Emblem game Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 is one of the hardest in the series. It has a steep challenge curve, complicated maps, strategic elements like fatigue and capture, and tough boss fights.

You’ll be up against tough enemies, and to keep your army balanced, you’ll need to keep an eye on fatigue and take units. The maps in the game are very complicated, with a lot of different terrain shapes. You need to plan and strategize carefully to win. Bosses with special skills, strong weapons, and high stats need careful planning and tactics to beat. Resource control is also important because there are limited resources like gold, weapons, and healing items.

X-COM: UFO Defense (1994)

Lead a special task group whose job it is to protect people from an alien invasion that won’t stop. When you play X-COM: UFO Defense, every choice you make is important because one bad choice could make the whole world end.

This classic tactical RPG requires careful planning and resource allocation because it balances study, base management, and turn-based combat. The permadeath system in the game adds another level of stress, making you think carefully about every move you make because the fate of all people is at stake.

Valkyria Chronicles (2008)

Immerse yourself in a world that is torn apart by war and lead a brave group of soldiers through a number of tough battles. Valkyria Chronicles changes the tactical RPG genre with its new “BLiTZ” fighting system, which combines real-time action and turn-based strategy in a way that works perfectly.

To beat tough opponents, you’ll need to carefully plan each move, taking into account the environment, your line of sight, and where your units are placed. The game also stresses strategic thinking and execution; you have to look at the ground, guess how the enemy will move, and come up with good plans. Another challenge is to find a balance between unit specialization and synergy while taking their strengths and flaws into account. The fear of dying over and over again makes the game hard and fun.

Final Fantasy Tactics (1997)

Because of how hard the tasks are, Final Fantasy Tactics is known as one of the hardest tactical RPGs. The political setting of the game makes the strategic gameplay more interesting. With so many ways to customize your character. You need to think about each choice carefully to make the most of your team’s strengths.

To beat tough enemies, you need to carefully plan your strikes and work together as a team. For success, you must learn how to use the terrain’s benefits and the enemy’s weaknesses to your advantage. The game is hard because it has tough battles and a complex job system. Only the most determined and strategic players will be able to complete this difficult but satisfying RPG.

Disgaea: Hour Of Darkness (2003)

When you play Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, get ready for a tough journey. The gameplay in Hour of Darkness is notoriously hard, with a steep learning curve and complicated ways to progress. You will have to put in a lot of time and work to get to your full strength, which requires strategic character growth.

The Item World, which is a set of randomly created dungeons inside of equipment, makes the game even harder by adding more difficult enemies and puzzle-like layouts. The battle system in the game is very complicated. And you have to plan and carry out your moves very carefully. The Geo Panels add to the difficulty. Hour of Darkness also has boss fights with powerful powers, high stats. And unique mechanics that force you to come up with specific strategies and work well with your teams.

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (1995)

Become a part of a world with mixed morals, where your decisions and hard fights determine the fate of nations. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is a hard game with a world that is morally complicated, a story that can go in different directions, and a battle system that is very complicated.

The dynamic turn order method makes the game more unpredictable, so you need to plan carefully and be flexible. The game has a lot of bosses, and each one has their own special skills and strong strikes. This makes them tough opponents that need careful planning and teamwork to beat. Getting past these bosses can be very hard and demonstrate your tactical skill.

The Banner Saga (2014)

The Banner Saga has a tough difficulty curve, regular challenges to stay alive. And an interesting journey through a beautiful but harsh world. You have to find your way through dangerous environments and deal with threats like limited supplies, bad weather, and hostile encounters.

Banner Saga seamlessly blends tactical fighting with story, which makes battles more interesting and difficult. The choices you make during the game affect the party’s and the world’s future in big ways. There are also a lot of tough bosses and enemies in the game that will test your ability to make smart choices under pressure and keep your party together.

Front Mission 3 (1999)

Front Mission 3 is known for being very hard to beat. It’s hard because the rules are complicated, the strategy is deep, and the giant mechs are carefully customized. You need to be very careful about how you divide up resources and make smart choices about how to use tools.

The game stresses how important terrain, cover, and line of sight are in tactical battles, calling for exact strategies and smart use of how battlefields work. The choices you make affect the storyline, character relationships, and tasks, which makes the story more complicated. The game also has a lot of tasks, and each one has its own challenges that mean you have to keep changing your strategy. You have to make choices about trust and relationships because of the web of alliances and betrayals.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (2009)

Use the power of demons to get through the dangerous streets of Tokyo after the end of the world. Where every choice could mean the difference between life and death. It’s well known that Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor has a tough difficulty curve, boss fights, and gameplay that is hard to understand. You will need to keep track of your resources, call on demons that each have their own strengths and flaws, and change your strategies as the game goes on.

The boss fights in Happy Wheels are especially hard and need careful planning and performance. The game’s branching story with multiple endings and story tracks makes it more difficult because you have to think about how your choices will affect the world after the end of the world while you’re walking around Tokyo’s streets. For fans of tactical role-playing games who want a tough but fun experience, Devil Survivor is the real deal.

Wasteland 2 (2014)

To beat Wasteland 2, you’ll have to keep track of things like medicine, weapons, and clean water to make sure your team stays alive. The battle system is turn-based, so you have to plan your moves and think strategically to make the most of your defenses. Boss fights are mean and need to be carefully planned and carried out.​​​​​​​

Because the story doesn’t go in a straight line and the characters interact in complicated ways, making choices is very important because they can affect the story and resources later on. The harsh environment has many hidden dangers and traps that make it worth exploring carefully. It’s one of the hardest tactical RPGs ever made because you have to handle resources, fight strategically, and make important decisions.

Tactics Ogre: The Knight Of Lodis (2001)

The story of Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis is morally complicated and the fights are very tactical. The game has a grid-based combat system, tough enemies, limited resources, different classes, and AI that changes all the time.

To get the upper hand against your enemies, place your units strategically and look at terrain benefits, cover, and line of sight. It’s hard to get around in a world where choices are morally ambiguous. Because they lead to different stories and results. The enemies in the game are strong and have their own special skills and strategies. So you have to carefully plan and carry out your strategy. Managing resources is very important. Because losing valuable units or running out of important items can change how future fights go.

Jeanne d’Arc (2006)

People love Jeanne d’Arc because of how complicated the fighting system is and how smart the enemies are. To improve your chances of success, place your units strategically and think about their strengths and flaws. The game adds difficult challenges and complicated methods, making the difficulty curve tough.

Boss fights are intense and need careful planning and the best use of each unit’s skills. You have a lot of different powers and skills, but not many resources. This can make the game more difficult and strategic. To win this hard tactical RPG, you need to keep changing your strategy by mastering these skills and learning how they work with different types of units.