Best Of
10 Best Dragon Quest Games to Play
Choose ten Dragon Quest games, from classic RPGs and modern remakes to Builders and Monsters, with clear starting-point advice.
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Dragon Quest has enough branches that choosing a starting point can be harder than choosing your first party member. These ten picks include traditional turn-based adventures, monster collecting, and construction-focused spin-offs. Modern remakes are identified by name, and older releases are clearly presented as legacy choices. The goal is variety without losing the series’ welcoming character. A new version does not automatically replace every reason to enjoy an original, but availability and the edition’s features should influence what you choose next.
For more options, explore our Final Fantasy Games guide.
10. DRAGON QUEST TREASURES
Treasures turns a Dragon Quest adventure into a search for valuables with monster companions at your side. Exploring and bringing discoveries home give it a lighter structure than a long traditional campaign. It is a useful choice for players who enjoy the world’s creatures and sense of discovery but want something other than party-based turn-taking. Expect a spin-off with its own priorities. The recommendation is about treasure hunting and exploration, rather than a substitute for the tactical party development in the mainline games.
Official trailer — Nintendo of America. DRAGON QUEST TREASURES – Gameplay Overview Trailer – Nintendo Switch.
9. DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS
The first Dragon Quest Builders gives construction a clear story purpose. Instead of placing blocks simply because you can, you rebuild communities and use your growing understanding of crafting to help them function. That direction makes it a good introduction for players who prefer objectives in a sandbox. The sequel has broader systems, but the original remains worth considering for its focused chapter-based journey. Choose it if you want a construction game that teaches through practical problems rather than leaving you to invent every project yourself.
Official trailer — DRAGON QUEST. Dragon Quest Builders Launch Trailer – Build to Save the World!.
8. DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince
The Dark Prince centers its adventure on recruiting and combining monsters into a team. Experimenting with synthesis creates a different kind of party planning from selecting established human companions. It is a strong fit if meeting a new creature makes you wonder how it might contribute to a future lineup. This is a monster-collecting spin-off, with the corresponding emphasis on building and developing your roster. Choose it for that loop rather than expecting the same narrative structure or scale as Dragon Quest XI S.
Official trailer — Nintendo of America. DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince – Launch Trailer – Nintendo Switch.
7. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Dragon Quest VIII places its party in a colorful world that invites a leisurely journey. Its characters, towns, and traditional battles make it a useful example of the series’ ability to turn a simple premise into a substantial adventure. Edition matters: the PlayStation 2, Nintendo 3DS, and mobile releases do not have identical presentation and features. This is a legacy recommendation, so choose a legitimate release for hardware you own. Pick it for a classic party journey rather than expecting every convenience of a recent remake.
Official trailer — Nintendo of America. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King Launch Trailer.
6. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Dragon Quest V follows a life over time, giving its familiar RPG battles a more personal frame. Family, changing responsibilities, and monster recruitment create reasons to keep going beyond the next equipment upgrade. It is a particularly interesting choice for players who want the series’ storytelling to feel different from a straightforward hero’s journey. Available versions vary by platform and region, including official mobile releases. Check the edition before buying, and approach it as a classic with older design assumptions rather than a modern open-world RPG.
5. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake brings two foundational adventures into a shared modern presentation. Their appeal includes seeing how the series’ basic ideas work before the larger parties and more elaborate journeys of later games. This is one ranked package containing two games, not two separate entries used to pad the list. Choose it if you want a current route into the early Erdrick adventures. Pay attention to which game you are beginning, because their structures and party arrangements are different.
Official trailer — Nintendo of America. DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake – Launch Trailer – Nintendo Switch 2.
4. DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined offers a modern interpretation of an adventure built around discovering the stories of different islands. Its appeal is the way smaller tales accumulate into a much larger journey. Choose it if you like RPGs that give a place its own problem and history before asking you to move on. This is the Reimagined release, not the older PlayStation or 3DS edition. Comparing their exact changes is useful for returning players, while newcomers can approach this version as its own starting point.
Official trailer — PlayStation. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined – Launch Trailer | PS5 Games.
3. DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS™ 2
Builders 2 gives construction a social purpose through residents who make use of the places you create. Gathering resources and shaping an island are satisfying partly because the world responds to your work. Its story provides direction, while building gives you room to personalize the result. Choose it if the idea of a useful, lively settlement appeals more than decorating an empty landscape. Its multiplayer building features differ from the solo campaign, so check which part you and your friends want to share before arranging a session.
Official trailer — PlayStation. Dragon Quest Builders 2 – Launch Trailer | PS4.
2. DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake makes party composition a central pleasure. Choosing and developing your companions gives you a practical reason to think about what the group can do, while exploration follows a classic world-spanning adventure structure. The modern presentation gives the remake a clear identity without turning it into an action RPG. Choose it if you want an accessible route into a landmark entry and enjoy shaping a party yourself. It also provides useful context for the early adventures collected in the I & II remake.
Official trailer — PlayStation. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake – Launch Trailer | PS5 Games.
1. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age — Definitive Edition
Dragon Quest XI S is the easiest broad recommendation for players who want the series’ traditional appeal in a substantial modern package. Its party, towns, and turn-based battles give you a clear rhythm, while character stories provide reasons to care about the people traveling with you. The Definitive Edition is the version discussed here. Choose it when you want a long, welcoming adventure rather than an experimental spin-off. It rewards taking your time with the world instead of treating every stop as a brief interruption between battles.
Official trailer — Nintendo of America. DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition – Story Trailer – Nintendo Switch.
Which Game Should You Start With?
Start with XI S for a traditional modern adventure, III HD-2D Remake for custom-party exploration, or Builders 2 for creative construction. The Dark Prince suits monster collectors. V and VIII remain valuable classics, with the choice of official edition and hardware especially important for both.
