Quartet

About Quartet

Quartet is a turn-based RPG with a focus on strategic character management and interconnected narratives. Developed by Something Classic Games LLC, it launched on August 26, 2025, for PC, PS5, Switch, Linux, and Mac. The game follows four distinct stories, government conspiracies, airship wars, mystical visions, and an accidental mage, that merge into a single party of eight. The twist is its flexible combat: you control four active characters, swapping with four reserves to exploit action point regeneration. The core hook is chaining attacks through timed swaps, turning the battlefield into a puzzle. Think of it as XCOM meets a branching story, but with a slower pace and heavier emphasis on planning.

Gameplay

Each combat session pits your four active heroes against enemies in a grid-based arena. Reserves in your backline regenerate action points faster, letting you swap in to immediately act. This creates a rhythm, burn AP with a high-cost ability, swap to regenerate, repeat. Battles feel methodical, often taking 30-60 minutes. Outside combat, you play through four self-contained story arcs, choosing which to tackle first. Dialogue and exploration are minimal; the focus is on uncovering how each arc ties to the others. Character customization is light, with skills tied to class roles. The challenge spikes sharply in late-game encounters, where mismanaging AP can collapse your strategy.

What Players Think

PlayPile members rate Quartet 89%, citing its "clever swap mechanic" and "deep story interconnectivity." 78% of players finish the main story, with an average playtime of 42 hours. Community moods lean "strategic" and "puzzling," though some note the learning curve as a hurdle. Achievement completion is 67% (25 total), with "Master Swap" being the most skipped. Critiques highlight repetitive enemy AI and a lack of difficulty scaling. Positive reviews praise the "tense AP management," while negatives call the combat "grindy." 45% of players log in for 1-2 hour sessions, often returning to refine builds.

PlayPile's Take

Quartet rewards patience and planning but demands a commitment to its slower tempo. At $39.99, it’s a mid-tier RPG with mechanics that feel fresh but lack polish. Fans of tactical depth and narrative weaving will appreciate the payoff, but casual players may find the grind off-putting. The 25 achievements add replay value, but completion isn’t necessary to enjoy the story. If you thrive on optimizing turns and enjoy slow-burn plots, Quartet offers 40+ hours of calculated fun. Otherwise, it’s a niche pick that’s worth the price for its innovation.

Storyline

A series of train robberies leads to evidence of a government conspiracy. A mysterious deck of cards gives a young girl a vision of another world. A fleet of deadly airships burns a path across the Imperial frontier. The world’s unlikeliest hero manifests tremendous magical power. These stories intertwine in the world of Quartet. Before it is all over, the eight heroes will uncover how a secret, centuries-old conflict literally reshaped the world. Then they will have their own decision to make about the destiny of magic. Quartet begins with four separate stories, playable in any order. Those stories come together, giving the player a final party of eight characters. In combat, the player can deploy four of those characters at a time, with the ability to quickly swap in any of the four “reserve” characters. When a character swaps in, they immediately take their turn. While characters are in the reserves, they regenerate their AP at an enhanced rate. This allows clever players to hit the enemy with a never-ending stream of their best attacks, by swapping characters in at just the right moment.