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Best JRPGs With Very Little Combat

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16 seconds ago

February 4, 2025

Many JRPGs have made a name for themselves through challenging combat or intense battle that put players in the shoes of a hero trying to save the world, or a party of adventurers looking for glory. It’s almost an unspoken rule at this point that a JRPG must have combat in order to properly fit into the genre – but is this always the case?

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Not every epic JRPG adventure needs a righteous hero of justice leading the group.

Some JRPGs might be able to dazzle or engage fans with their boss fights or battle mechanics, but these JRPGs usually also have an engaging world and a compelling story to also draw fans in. Who’s to say that a game that focuses solely on these elements – without the emphasis on combat – wouldn’t also be enjoyable? These JRPGs don’t dismiss combat entirely, but they take attention away from this element to focus more on the world and setting.

6

Rune Factory 5

The Latest In An Excellent Series

Systems

Released: March 22, 2022
Developer(s): Advertisement

Marvelous

The latest installment in an incredible series, Rune Factory 5 exists in the pantheon of those truly monolithic cozy farm sims, alongside titles like Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon. Its link to the latter series is probably a good reason as to why it’s this way, but despite originally splitting off from Harvest Moon, the series has truly forged its own identity as a JRPG series – and it’s an identity that has very little to do with combat.

Players looking for in-depth romance, monster taming, farming and crop management, or just a general slow-paced story where the main quest can be handled at any speed will find lots to love in this game – which does feature combat, but certainly not as the game’s main feature.

5

Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness And The Secret Hideout

An Iconic Series Known For Its Lack Of Combat

Systems

Developer(s): Gust
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Released: October 29, 2019

Like other titles on this list, there is a combat system in Atelier Ryza, but the combat does take a step back to allow for other components of this title to shine. In particular, Atelier Ryza has some absolutely fantastic settings to explore, drawing players further in with more rare resources that can be used for crafting.

The story remains low stakes for the most part, and this JRPG focuses more on telling a coming of age story regarding Ryza and her friends as opposed to anything that would require intense combat.

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4

Witch Spring R

A Cozy JRPG Marvel

WitchSpring R

Adventure

RPG

Indie Games

Systems

Released: September 25, 2023
Engine: Unity

This game is focused much more on crafting spells and brewing potions than it is purely on combat, and is another excellent title in the slowly growing “cozy JRPG” sub-genre.

Many of the spells created in this game can be used in combat not as a direct means of dealing damage, but as a more supplementary way of buffing allies or debuffing foes.

3

Harvest Moon One World

Harkening Back To The Classic Title

Released: March 2, 2021
Publisher(s): Natsume, Rising Star Games

Many say that Harvest Moon 64 marked the beginnings of the cozy farming craze that people see today, and while the series’ split with its localization team led to a somewhat tumultuous history, fracturing into two divergent series, Harvest Moon: One World, like many games in this fantastic series, keeps the spirit of what made the N64 title so popular, while innovating in various ways.

Running incredibly well on modern platforms and showcasing a life of idyllic living, Harvest Moon One World is a game that does away with combat and focuses exclusively on managing a well-kept farm. Players looking to unwind after work or take things easy after playing a more intense game should absolutely give this one a try and see if it suits them.

2

Battle Chef Brigade

A Cooking Centric Puzzle JRPG

Battle Chef Brigade

Puzzle

Indie Games

Platformer

Adventure

Fighting

Systems

Released: November 20, 2017

Combat in Battle Chef Brigade is only one small facet of the overall culinary focused formula that this game is built on. Chefs compete head-to-head in a match-3 puzzle game in order to cook the best meals, while said meals are composed of ingredients found while exploring.

This exploration does involve combat, but is mostly about being very selective with fighting, as chefs are chefs first and fighters second – most ingredients can be harvested without the need for combat.

1

Blue Reflection

Combat Is Mostly Optional

Systems

Released: March 30, 2017
Developer(s): Gust
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Finishing off this list is Blue Reflection, a magical-girl JRPG where the combat is almost entirely optional, save for a few scripted sequences and the key boss battles of the story. Fighting smaller foes is really only a necessity for those trying to craft the highest tier of items. Paradoxically, this actually gives the combat more weight, since it really feels as though fighting enemies is something only done as a dire necessity.

It’s incredibly interesting to watch a story unfold where fighting is treated only as a last resort, and Blue Reflection is a great game that doesn’t receive the same kind of attention that many mainstream JRPGs do despite being an excellent exploration of JRPG mechanics and the magical girl genre as a whole.

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Best JRPGs With Very Little Combat

Games

Best JRPGs With Very Little Combat

8 Best JRPGs With Anti-Heroes As Protagonists, Ranked