Turn-based RPGs are seeing something of a renaissance in recent times, with Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 equally proving that fans are still willing to show up for the genre. But according to Larian publishing director Michael 'Cromwelp' Douse, it's still difficult to convince decision-makers that turn-based games can sell.
"Intensely difficult to convince many people within the shipping pipeline that your turn-based RPG will sell," Douse says on Twitter in response to Expedition 33's success. "I know this from experience. And once it's launched, all the people inside who think they don't sell look at the Metacritic and go 'ah, I always knew it would do well!'"
In a follow-up tweet, Douse laments: "I genuinely think I have minor trauma from this. Hopefully things are changing."
I genuinely think I have minor trauma from this. Hopefully things are changing 🌝April 27, 2025
Once upon a time, turn-based RPGs were the pinnacle of the game industry, as the wild success of games like Final Fantasy 7 showed in the late '90s. But that series is equally emblematic of the AAA industry's gradual shift toward action systems, and it's tough to tell if success stories like Baldur's Gate 3 and Expedition 33 will be able to change the narrative for the folks who hold the money.
"'Executives' in a broad sense have little input as to what does well outside of their own catalog," Douse adds in another post. "In terms of the support you need to give a game a chance, you're reliant on teams who look at historic data, as well as other people who hopefully fight your corner in spite of data."
Baldur's Gate 3, of course, benefited from the explosion in popularity that Dungeons & Dragons has enjoyed in the recent past, priming a new generation to understand that yeah, strategically moving your little guys around and planning their moves at your own pace can be pretty fun.
The success of Larian's RPG was orders of magnitude beyond what most observers would have predicted, and Expedition 33 has similarly surpassed expectations with 1 million sales in just three days. Maybe, as Douse hopes, things really are changing.
Check out our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 tips if you're getting started in the French JRPG. FRPG? Ah, J'RPG.
