Even well into 2023, the RPG genre has cemented itself as one of the biggest mainstream video game genres, with many games of the modern era boasting immense replay value as well. The genre is known for generally requiring hefty time sinks to just finish the main storyline, so these games have to be particularly impressive if they're going to keep players coming back for more.
Thanks in part to the various subgenres, though, everything from strategic CRPGs to monster-collecting JRPGs can use unique game designs to bolster their replayability. Larian Studios' latest juggernaut, Baldur's Gate III, is already incentivizing multiple playthroughs, while Bethesda's Skyrim is as addicting today as it was in 2011.
10 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
One of the more recent groundbreaking RPGs in terms of the genre's history in gaming, Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one of the most enduring titles in the industry. Following a Tolkien-like story of a hero trying to stop Alduin from reigning a draconic doom on the world, players can mold their Dragonborn protagonist as they see fit.
Skyrim offers an astonishing level of agency to players in their role-playing, partly thanks to the free-flowing character progression system and dialogue options to alter the game's many stories. What's more, the fan base has ensured that the game holds up in 2023 thanks to a staggeringly deep level of mod support.
9 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt arguably still stands as the developer's crowning achievement. The titular monster hunter Geralt of Rivia embarks on a sprawling quest to rescue his surrogate daughter and stop an Elven rapture that proves to be one of the most well-written stories in RPGs.
Even playing as a set character, the way players can curate Geralt's combat style and make a slew of consequential dialogue choices to shape the game's stories are easy reasons to revisit The Continent. Now packed with a reinvigorating next-gen patch and boasting some of the greatest DLC expansions since the practice started, The Witcher 3's cinematic dark fantasy epic is even more satisfying to replay.
8 Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Though the developers have some rebuilding to do, BioWare was hitting its stride with the original Mass Effect trilogy, establishing itself as perhaps the greatest sci-fi RPG series in triple-A gaming. While it's ultimately three titles comprising this single package, the series has never been a better collective experience, thanks to the recent Legendary Edition remaster.
In addition to snappy third-person shooting and compelling storytelling, it also helps that the original Mass Effect games don't have daunting runtimes by RPG standards. Combining that with a well-written cast of characters and branching story paths, it becomes clear why this cinematic trilogy is so rewarding, even on repeat playthroughs.
7 Baldur's Gate III
Already one of the best tactical CRPGs available, Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate III has been a triumph for the subgenre. Featuring a sweeping high-fantasy tale that's rewarding for newcomers and seasoned veterans alike, players tailor their protagonist and form a party as they seek to uncover the mysteries behind the Mind Flayers infecting them.
As a Dungeons & Dragons video game, it's only fitting that Baldur's Gate III's narrative and gameplay design features dozens of branching paths that can alter combat, story outcomes, and character relationships. Characters can be crafted in a meticulously detailed fashion, so much so that repeated playthroughs with unique protagonists are almost inevitable.
6 Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver
Even though it wasn't the first of its kind, Pokémon has effectively become the poster child of the monster-collecting style of JRPGs. One of the best pairs of remakes and mainline Pokémon games in general, HeartGold and SoulSilver masterfully reimagine their Game Boy Color progenitors.
It helps that Pokémon games are breezy RPGs to casually play through, not to mention their incentives to build diverse teams of charming creatures with unique abilities. However, HeartGold and SoulSilver went above and beyond as remakes, modernizing old-school combat mechanics while adding fresh content — like the greatly expanded Pokédex — based on what the Nintendo DS generation introduced.
5 Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Debatably the most popular tactical RPG series for the last several years, Intelligent Systems' Fire Emblem was rejuvenated with Awakening, and that trend continued with Three Houses. This installment saw players take on the role of teacher training a school of soldiers, which gradually devolved into a high-fantasy conspiracy.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses' strategic and well-paced combat does well to encourage players to come back and experiment with unit builds. However, the storytelling, branching narrative paths, and intuitive social-sim mechanics make this game endlessly engaging on revisits, providing players with a myriad of ways to mold their party and influence the story.
4 Elden Ring
Possibly FromSoftware's crowning achievement so far, Elden Ring raised the bar for the Souls-like action RPG formula. Set in another engrossing dark fantasy world, the game's Tarnished protagonist is compelled back from exile to restore the land's Golden Order.
Since Demon's Souls, FromSoft has done well to popularize its signature gameplay design, but Elden Ring is its most replayable game yet, thanks to amalgamated Dark Souls III and Sekiro mechanics. The game's combat and exploration have an exhilarating new layer of verticality; its open-ended progression offers freedom akin to the latest Zelda titles, and its character class/build system is more malleable than ever.
3 Stardew Valley
Many RPGs follow epic fantasy and/or sci-fi worlds set against the backdrops of world-ending threats. Meanwhile, developer ConcernedApe's Stardew Valley shows how the genre can also be endlessly rewarding through a more slice-of-life lens.
Though there's combat and dungeon-crawling thrown in, Stardew Valley's premise of revitalizing the run-down farm of the protagonist's late grandfather and integrating with the community around them is a noticeably laid-back experience. This relaxed gameplay loop invites endless replayability, especially with the game's life-simulator mechanics. Add to that ConcernedApe's dedication to post-launch support with features like multiplayer, and Stardew Valley becomes a consistently captivating experience.
2 Monster Hunter: World
Capcom's Monster Hunter has blossomed into its most lucrative franchise, with World breaking the series into the mainstream. A high-octane action RPG, Monster Hunter: World puts players in the boots of a prospective hunter to take on a series of jobs and study why Elder Dragons affect the ecosystems around them and migrate to the New World.
The preceding mainline installments in the series did well to lay the groundwork, as Monster Hunter: World puts great emphasis on its streamlined boss-fight and gear-crafting gameplay loop. It's simple in theory but immensely addicting in practice, with its stunning and diverse biomes encouraging some exploration before taking on a riveting boss monster in nearly every quest.
1 Fallout: New Vegas
Though not quite the same extent as Skyrim, Obsidian Entertainment's Fallout: New Vegas has earned lasting appeal in the RPG genre. Taking on the role of the Courier, players are tasked with finding the assailant who nearly killed them and stole the package they were transporting.
Fallout: New Vegas enjoyed a positive critical reception on release, albeit famously buggy, but post-launch support and a similarly dedicated modding community gave the game legs. With the breadth of role-playing options available in the main and side quests on top of the countless mods to curate the experience for the modern era, New Vegas is a versatile game even in 2023.