Criminally overlooked JRPG Quartet just got a free mini-expansion, and you'd be a fool to miss it

I'm begging you to play Quartet, and now there's yet another good reason to do so. 2025 has been an incredible year for fans of turn-based combat, packed with some of the best JPRGs, both old and new. We've had bold, fresh faces like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Digimon Story Time Stranger, and Sea of Stars DLC Throes of the Watchmaker. Many classics have returned, including Final Fantasy Tactics, Dragon Quest 3 (with DQ1+2 on the way), and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. Despite that, I hope Quartet doesn't get lost in the shuffle, and its latest update is an excuse to make more noise.

The more I think back on Sea of Stars, the more I love it, especially when paired with its outstanding free expansion that launched in May. I've still got a way to go to see everything that Quartet has to offer, but I'm already feeling a similar deep-rooted love for the genre running through every pixel. Developer Something Classic has honed its skills in crafting turn-based RPGs since its debut with Shadows of Adam, and Quartet is its most impressive outing yet, mechanically, visually, and narratively.

The inspirations from classics such as Final Fantasy 6 and Chrono Trigger are worn on the sleeve, but Quartet also brings in the more freeform narrative structure employed by Octopath Traveler to great effect. Its tale begins with four independent stories that you can play in any order you choose. Ultimately, as their paths converge, you end up with a party of eight, and it's here that Quartet's combat really begins to shine.

You put four characters out in battle at once, but the remaining members of your team aren't just sitting idly on the bench. You can swap them in at any moment and attack immediately, and you're actively encouraged to do so because those in reserve replenish their action points at a faster rate. There's an FF10-style turn queue (I'm so glad to see the likes of Quartet and Expedition 33 bringing this back into fashion), and plenty of elemental weaknesses to uncover and exploit.

Exploration is worthwhile simply to see the environments, but there are all manner of hidden treasures to discover if you search every nook and cranny carefully. Character and enemy designs capture the classic '90s look but with a modern flourish, and the music rounds out the tone in just the right way. The story is estimated to run for 20-30 hours and, while I'm not quite at the climax yet, I'm fully invested in seeing how it plays out.

Quartet update 1.2 has just launched, and it adds two big features along with some welcome extras. There's a new sheep-stacking minigame to be found in chapter 11, and a bonus optional dungeon. The Cave of the Mighty Javelin unlocks after completing Agata's side quest, and you'll have a limited time to make it through, with some powerful gear available if you're able to overcome the trials within.

The update also introduces an auto-save feature that will trigger any time you use a heal point or visit a new map region. You can now toggle on 'battle cursor memory' to remember your last selected action, and 'battle party memory' to automatically restore to your default team composition after each fight. Card game opponents have been made smarter, but with a new reward if you overcome every challenge, and a missable item in Jerome's side quest can be recovered by revisiting the location it took place.

Quartet update 1.2 is out now. You'll find the game on Steam, priced at $19.99 / £15.99. There's even a demo you can download to try it for free, so no excuses.

It's also Steam Deck verified, and we'll help you choose the best gaming handheld in 2025 to enjoy it on. If you love a good throwback, here are the best classic PC games you can (and should) still play today.

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