Games

Best Turn-Based RPGs With Evil Routes

Published

3 weeks ago

December 6, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Different turn-based RPGs incorporate evil routes, adding complexity and unique narrative perspectives.
Games like Shin Megami Tensei 3 and Fallout allow players to make dark choices with lasting consequences.
Titles like Pathfinder: Wrath of The Righteous explore evil Mythic Paths, altering the story and protagonist.

Turn-based RPGs are often recognized for strategic gameplay and immersive storytelling, presenting opportunities to shape the narratives unfolding on screen. Freedom of choice serves as an essential element in the genre, allowing decisions to directly influence the course of events. This flexibility often includes dark paths that transform the hero into an agent of evil.

10 Best Isometric RPGs With Evil Routes, Ranked

These isometric RPGs offer multiple narrative options, including the best evil routes in the genre.

Thus, the best turn-based RPGs with evil routes are those where these decisions add more complexity to the story and offer interesting options for players who want to escape traditional heroic narratives. Furthermore, although many titles do not feature an explicit evil route, various choices can also be seen as villainous by the characters in the narrative.

1 Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne

A JRPG That Masterfully Explores Different Philosophies

Released: October 12, 2004

Originally released for the PlayStation 2, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne is known for its dark atmosphere and complex narrative set in a post-apocalyptic world. Its protagonist holds the power to shape reality, facing choices that influence not just individual destiny, but the fate of the entire cosmos.

Although the game lacks a strictly defined evil route, its various philosophies can be considered controversial, particularly in terms of how each one is achieved. Every path reflects unique ideals – such as survival of the strongest or absolute harmony – often viewed as grim due to their consequences and methods of implementation.

2 Fire Emblem Three Houses

A Game Without Truly Good Routes

Systems

The story of Fire Emblem Three Houses differs from the franchise standard, with a turn-based RPG experience centered on a school simulation during the first half. Yet the choices made there significantly influence the plot in the second half, leading to multiple different endings.

Images Grima possessing Robin, and Gharnef using magic at the top with an image of Loptr attacking Naga at the bottom

The Most Evil Fire Emblem Villains

The Fire Emblem series features countless villains, with some showcasing their villainy through sheer evilness.

In essence, no path leads to a truly good outcome where everyone finds happiness. Most decisions made by both players and NPCs reflect a morally gray zone that considers personal interests, ensuring the narrative can always drift toward darker directions.

3 Age Of Decadence

Players Enjoy Numerous Possibilities In This Narrative

Systems

Platform(s): Microsoft Windows
Released: October 14, 2015
Developer: Iron Tower Studios

In Age Of Decadence, a turn-based RPG that supports an evil route, the setting brims with political intrigue, moral ambiguity, and personal ambition. Every decision profoundly influences the narrative and surrounding world, enabling questionable actions that shape the fate of characters and factions.

From strategic assassinations with the Boatmen of Styx to intricate manipulations among rival guilds, each choice brings significant consequences. It is also possible to interact with supernatural entities or sacrifice allies, challenging moral compasses and mirroring the depth of stories that can be found all across the game’s setting.

4 Wasteland 3

Some Choices Are Complex And Impossible To View As Good

Systems

While Wasteland 3 does not offer a true evil route, it brims with moments where small decisions gradually steer the Colorado region toward greater chaos. In this frozen, war-torn landscape, seizing opportunities for personal gain often means feeding into instability and brutality. As alliances crumble and enemies multiply, each choice crafts a future stained with treachery, leaving behind a legacy defined as much by cruelty as by desperation.

For instance, the story centers on dealing with the Patriarch’s rebellious offspring, yet it is possible to form an alliance with Liberty Buchanan and persuade her to accept the protagonists into her cause. This leads to an ending where Colorado falls under authoritarian power. Other paths can be equally grim, resulting in widespread casualties across the region.

5 Fallout

Siding With The Master Is Merely One Of Many Evil Choices

Fallout

Systems

Released: October 10, 1997

The first two Fallout titles are renowned for storytelling and the freedom players have in forging unique paths. The original installment allows multiple decisions that result in an evil route, all while providing an excellent turn-based RPG experience. It is possible to join forces with The Master through the Unity and reveal Vault 13’s location.

6 Fallout Games With The Best Stories, Ranked

All the Fallout games feature interesting storylines, though some are better than others.

Throughout Fallout, morally dubious decisions constantly loom, from betraying allies to obliterating entire settlements for personal gain. One of the most striking examples is destroying Shady Sands, whether by enabling raiders or an army of mutants, demonstrating how the player’s legacy can be etched into the wasteland’s fragile setting. These actions show the game’s capacity to accommodate evil routes that genuinely alter the post-apocalyptic narrative and reshape the very foundations of this devastated world.

6 Baldur’s Gate 3

Multiple Opportunities For Acts Of Evil

A leading example of modern isometric RPGs that offer an evil route is Baldur’s Gate 3, celebrated for granting players extensive freedom, including morally questionable deeds. From the start, it is possible to experiment with selfish responses or even betray the trust of NPCs.

While leaning toward villainy might cut off certain heroic content branches in Baldur’s Gate 3, the developers have introduced updates that reward those opting for evil routes with exclusive endings. Moreover, playing as the Dark Urge, a unique origin featuring special interactions, enhances the experience of straying into darkness. By accommodating numerous sinister decisions and validating them with unique story arcs, this title cements itself as a flexible and immersive journey that encourages probing the boundaries of morality.

7 Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous

Some Mythic Paths Are Genuinely Evil

Released: September 2, 2021
Developer(s): Owlcat Games

In Pathfinder: Wrath of The Righteous, Owlcat introduced a Mythic Path system that can affect the story in numerous ways, including routes that lean toward evil. Thus, players have the option to follow a darker path while still gaining significant mechanical benefits for the protagonist.

Although the turn-based combat in this RPG is optional and can be disabled for faster battles, choosing an evil route leaves lasting narrative marks. Opting for Mythic Paths like Lich or Demon transforms the hero into a force of darkness, altering large portions of the storyline and adjusting it to these malevolent decisions.

8 Undertale

The Game Features Multiple Unique Routes

Released: September 15, 2015
Developer(s): Toby Fox

Undertale is an RPG that defies expectations, offering the freedom to shape the player’s journey. Relying on certain characters or distrusting them can yield unexpected outcomes, including a grim evil route, known as the Genocide Route. Such a choice propels events toward destruction, dramatically changing the narrative and interactions with underground inhabitants.

Its turn-based combat and bullet-hell elements create a unique challenge in Undertale, where each battle can end peacefully or violently, channeling a wide range of emotions. The result is an experience that celebrates player agency, whether inspiring heartfelt connections, delivering emotionally charged moments, or sparking deep reflection on morality. By rewarding or condemning actions through narrative outcomes, the game establishes itself as a masterpiece of consequence-driven storytelling.