Turn-based combat
Combatants act in discrete turns rather than simultaneously in real time. The design win is unlimited thinking time: complexity that would overwhelm in real time — action economies, positioning, status interactions, multi-unit coordination — becomes tractable, so turn-based systems can be far deeper per decision. Designers choose it to foreground tactics over execution, to make combat accessible to players without fast reflexes, and because it is dramatically cheaper to build than real-time combat (no animation canceling, no netcode-grade timing). Core structural choices: strict alternation versus initiative order versus action-point pools; side-based versus unit-interleaved turns; and whether timed turns add pressure. Modern refinements attack its weakness, pacing: fast-forward toggles, simultaneous animations, and reactive interrupts (overwatch) keep the off-turn engaging. Pitfall: trash encounters — turn-based combat's overhead makes filler fights feel like paperwork, so every encounter needs a reason to exist.
- Dev effort: Medium
- Timing: Turn-based
- Common in: tactics, rpg