You know that feeling. You just finished a hundred-hour journey through a vibrant kingdom, the credits are rolling on a massive Akira Toriyama-designed landscape, and suddenly, the real world feels incredibly grey. It sucks. Dragon Quest has this weird, cozy magic that most modern RPGs just don't have anymore. It’s like a warm blanket, honestly. But once you’ve platinumed Dragon Quest XI S or revisited the classics on your phone, what’s next? You want that turn-based comfort, the puns, the colorful monsters, and the sense of a grand adventure that doesn't feel like it’s trying too hard to be "edgy."
Finding games similar to Dragon Quest is actually trickier than it looks because most developers shifted toward action-combat years ago. Final Fantasy went full sci-fi and real-time. Tales of Arise is great, but it’s basically an anime movie you play in fast-forward. If you want that specific "Hero’s Journey" vibe with menus and turn-based strategy, you have to look in some specific corners of the JRPG world.
The Blue Dragon connection is the closest you'll get
If you haven't played Blue Dragon, stop reading and go find a way to play it. Seriously. It was developed by Mistwalker, which was founded by Hironobu Sakaguchi (the father of Final Fantasy), but it feels more like Dragon Quest than almost anything else. Why? Because Akira Toriyama did the character designs. Seeing those iconic big-eyed protagonists and goofy monsters in a 3D space feels like coming home.
The game uses a "Shadow" system where your shadow turns into a giant monster to fight for you. It’s classic turn-based stuff. It’s bright. It’s whimsical. It has a soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu that absolutely slaps, even if the boss theme has literal deep-voiced lyrics that might catch you off guard the first time. It was an Xbox 360 exclusive back in the day, but it’s backward compatible now. It’s the closest "lost" Dragon Quest game we have.
Why the Bravely Default series captures the "Old School" soul
Square Enix realized at some point that people actually miss the 1990s. Bravely Default and its sequels are the result of that realization. While the name is a bit weird—it refers to the "Brave" and "Default" mechanics in combat—the soul of the game is pure traditional JRPG.
You’ve got jobs. You’ve got crystals. You’ve got a world map that you can actually explore.
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The art style is like a pop-up book come to life. In Bravely Default II, the towns are hand-painted and gorgeous. The combat allows you to "bank" turns by defending (Defaulting) and then spending them all at once to attack four times in a single round (Braving). It adds a layer of strategy that keeps the grinding from feeling too mindless. If you loved the job system in Dragon Quest VI or IX, this is your next stop. It’s crunchy, deep, and rewards you for breaking the game with weird ability combinations.
Monster Hunter Stories is Dragon Quest Monsters in disguise
Don't let the "Monster Hunter" tag scare you off. This isn't the hardcore, boss-climbing, weapon-sharpening stress fest of the mainline series. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is basically a love letter to the Dragon Quest Monsters spin-offs.
You play as a Rider. You hatch eggs. You collect "Monsties."
The combat is a rock-paper-scissors turn-based system. It’s incredibly vibrant and focuses heavily on the bond between you and your creatures. It has that same "gotta catch 'em all" pull that Dragon Quest V had when you were trying to get a Slime Knight to join your party. It's surprisingly deep, too, with gene-splicing mechanics that let you pass powerful moves between different monsters. It’s comfy gaming at its finest.
The "HD-2D" revolution and Octopath Traveler
Some people argue that games similar to Dragon Quest need to be 3D, but I disagree. The heart of the series is in the storytelling and the world-building. Octopath Traveler II is a masterpiece of modern-retro design. It uses the HD-2D engine—pixel art characters in a 3D world with high-end lighting and depth of field.
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It tells eight distinct stories. Some are dark, sure, but many have that whimsical, episodic feel of Dragon Quest VII. You go to a town, solve a local problem, and move on. The turn-based combat is snappy and rhythmic. It’s less about one "Chosen One" and more about a group of travelers just trying to exist in a big, beautiful world. It’s a bit more difficult than your average DQ game, but the sense of discovery is identical.
A quick note on the Persona/Shin Megami Tensei detour
People often recommend Persona 5 Royal to Dragon Quest fans. I’m torn on this. On one hand, the turn-based combat is the best in the industry. It’s stylish, fast, and satisfying. On the other hand, the vibe is totally different. Dragon Quest is about rolling hills and castles; Persona is about Tokyo subways and teenage angst.
If you want the combat but hate the school setting, look at Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. It’s much more focused on the world and the monsters (demons, in this case). It’s "Hard Mode" Dragon Quest. You talk to enemies to recruit them, combine them to make stronger ones, and explore a ruined world. It’s bleak, but the mechanical DNA is definitely there.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
If you like Dragon Quest because it feels like an adventure from your childhood, Ni no Kuni is mandatory. It was a collaboration between Level-5 (who actually developed Dragon Quest VIII and IX) and Studio Ghibli.
Yes, the Studio Ghibli.
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It looks like a movie. The music is orchestral and sweeping. The story follows a young boy named Oliver who travels to another world to save his mother. It uses a mix of real-time movement and menu-based commands for creature battling. It’s got that specific "Level-5 polish" that made the PS2 era of Dragon Quest so iconic. The sequel, Revenant Kingdom, goes more toward action-RPG territory with kingdom-building elements, but the first one is the pure JRPG experience you’re likely hunting for.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the weirdest (and best) tribute
This is the wild card. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (and its sequel Infinite Wealth) is literally a Dragon Quest game set in modern-day Japan. The protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, is obsessed with Dragon Quest. He literally views the world through the lens of an RPG.
When a fight starts, he imagines his bat as a legendary sword and his enemies as weird monsters.
It’s hilarious, heartfelt, and features a full turn-based combat system. You have "jobs," but they’re real-world jobs like "Chef," "Idol," or "Construction Worker." Instead of casting a fire spell, a chef might blow pepper in an enemy's eyes or use a blowtorch. It captures the humor and the "everyman hero" vibe of Dragon Quest better than almost any fantasy game on this list. It’s a love letter to the genre that manages to be its own entirely unique thing.
Taking the next step in your JRPG journey
You don't need to jump into another 100-hour commitment immediately. Start small. If you have a Switch or a PC, check out the demos—most of these titles, especially Dragon Quest-adjacent ones like Octopath or Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, have generous demos that carry over your save data.
- Check your hardware. If you’re on a modern console, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is often on sale and offers the best bang for your buck in terms of sheer content.
- Look for "Classic" DNA. If you want the Akira Toriyama art style specifically, Blue Dragon or even the Chrono Trigger remaster are your best bets, though Chrono Trigger is a bit more fast-paced with its Active Time Battle system.
- Don't ignore the indies. Games like Sea of Stars or Chained Echoes were made by people who grew up on the same JRPGs we did. They strip away the bloat and focus on the core loop of exploration and turn-based strategy.
The "Dragon Quest itch" is a specific one. It’s about the joy of the grind, the chime of a level-up, and the simple satisfaction of a well-placed "Sizzle" spell. While you wait for Dragon Quest XII to finally emerge from the shadows, these titles will keep your party full and your inventory stocked.