Triangle Strategy is a 2022 tactical role-playing game developed together by Square Enix and Artdink. Square Enix published the game for the Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo released it internationally for that platform. The Windows version was also published by Square Enix and released on October 13, 2022. A virtual reality version for Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro, and Meta Quest 3 was released on October 31, 2024. Versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were released on August 20, 2025. The game was led by Tomoya Asano, a producer known for creating Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler.

Critics gave the game positive reviews, praising its combat system, story, music, and art style. However, some reviewers noted that the game included many cutscenes, which some players found excessive.

Gameplay

Triangle Strategy is a strategy game similar to Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics. Players take turns moving characters on a grid where they fight computer-controlled enemies. Each character has special abilities, movement limits, and uses a limited resource called Tactical Points to perform attacks. As characters gain experience by fighting, their abilities improve, and players can also strengthen their characters by upgrading their skills and class. Additional characters join the player’s team during the story, and if a character is defeated in battle, they are removed from the fight but cannot be permanently lost.

Players can position their units strategically to deal more damage. For example, attacking an enemy from both sides or from behind can increase damage. This strategy also earns Kudos points, which can be used to buy upgrades or special abilities called Quietus skills, such as reviving fallen characters or boosting movement.

The environment can be used to help in battles. A fire attack can set the ground on fire to slow enemies, and in some levels, players can destroy buildings to trap opponents. Terrain can also affect attacks, like using wet ground to spread lightning damage or wind to push enemies off cliffs. The game also includes exploration stages with no combat, where players can talk to non-player characters to find items, money, and story clues.

The story has multiple paths and four unique endings. At key moments, players use the Scales of Conviction to choose a story outcome by voting. Players can influence their team’s votes to change the story’s direction. Some characters can only be recruited through specific story paths. However, the game uses a collapsing timeline, where story choices temporarily change the plot before returning to a central story until the final decision, which splits the story into four endings. The choices players make affect the story, character roles, and party members.

The game includes a New Game Plus mode, which allows returning players to face greater challenges and see how their previous choices influenced the story and branching paths.

Synopsis

The game is set on the fictional continent of Norzelia. The story begins thirty years after the "Saltiron War," a war between three countries—Glenbrook, Aesfrost, and Hyzante—over limited supplies of salt and iron. The game follows Serenoa Wolffort, the heir of House Wolffort; Roland, the second prince of Glenbrook and Serenoa’s fiancée, Frederica Aesfrost, a noblewoman from Aesfrost; and Benedict Pascal, the steward of House Wolffort. Together, they try to manage the new conflict.

Thirty years after the Saltiron War, Glenbrook and Aesfrost agree to share the newly discovered Grand Norzelian Mine to improve relations. However, when Serenoa inspects the mine with Gustadolph’s cousin Dragan, assassins kill Dragan. Gustadolph then accuses Glenbrook of the murder and uses it as a reason to attack Glenbrook, killing King Regna and Crown Prince Frani and capturing Princess Cordelia. Roland becomes the only heir to Glenbrook’s throne. Gustadolph gives Serenoa a choice: hand over Roland or face destruction. This is the first of many decisions Serenoa must make, including whether to ally with Hyzante against Aesfrost or work with Aesfrost to stop Hyzante.

Eventually, Serenoa and his group drive Aesfrost from Glenbrook and begin rebuilding the kingdom. Roland faces the difficult task of ruling, as he punishes nobles who misuse funds. Serenoa’s father, Symon, is killed by royalists, who reveal that Serenoa is actually King Regna’s illegitimate son, secretly adopted by the Wolffort family. Frederica learns that her people, the Rosellans, are forced to work as slaves in Hyzante to harvest salt, as their ancestors knew about salt sources outside Hyzante, threatening Hyzante’s control over salt. They also discover that the Grand Norzelian Mine contains salt, which could break Hyzante’s monopoly.

Serenoa’s companions suggest different plans. Roland wants to ally with Hyzante to destroy Aesfrost and avenge his family. Benedict suggests working with Aesfrost to conquer Hyzante and end its salt monopoly. Frederica urges Serenoa to free the enslaved Rosellans and return them to their homeland, Centralia.

• If Serenoa chooses Roland’s plan, Frederica leaves the group. Serenoa and Roland ally with Hyzante, conquer Aesfrost, and kill Gustadolph and Svarog, unifying Norzelia under Hyzante. Salt becomes plentiful, but the Rosellans remain enslaved, and dissenters are punished. Frederica becomes a traveling nun to expose Hyzante’s corruption.
• If Serenoa chooses Benedict’s plan, Roland leaves the group. Serenoa becomes king of Glenbrook with Frederica as his queen. He allies with Aesfrost to conquer Hyzante, expose its false religion, and force its leader, Idore, to flee. Salt monopoly ends, but wealth gaps grow, leaving many poor, including the Rosellans. Roland becomes a monk to help the poor.
• If Serenoa chooses Frederica’s plan, Benedict leaves the group. Serenoa and Frederica lead a raid to free the Rosellans, but Idore pursues them. Serenoa sacrifices himself to kill Idore, allowing the Rosellans to reach Centralia. Roland and Frederica help them build a new home. Serenoa’s actions cause civil wars in Norzelia, and Benedict joins Gustadolph’s side.
• If Serenoa makes specific choices, he can create a new plan. He kills Gustadolph with Svarog’s help, defeats Hyzante, and exposes its religion. He unites Glenbrook, Aesfrost, and Hyzante as independent regions with equal power. The Rosellans are freed, salt is shared fairly, and peace begins. Serenoa and Frederica marry, with their friends and allies present.

Development

The game was first announced with the temporary name Project Triangle Strategy during a Nintendo Direct presentation on February 17, 2021. The presentation introduced the game as a teamwork effort between Square Enix and Artdink. Square Enix producer Tomoya Asano leads the development. He previously worked on games like Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler. Asano explained that the shift from traditional JRPGs to a tactical RPG was to create a story with more mature themes, which he believed fit better with a tactical RPG. On the same day, the first in-game footage was shown. The game uses the same "HD-2D" graphics style as Octopath Traveler, which combines SNES-style visuals with high-definition and 3D effects. The game was made using Unreal Engine 4. A free demo was released to the public when the game was first announced.

In September 2021, the game’s final name was revealed as Triangle Strategy. Square Enix also shared that they asked players who tried the demo for feedback and made changes based on common suggestions. Changes included adding more difficulty settings, alternate camera controls, and the ability to review past character dialogue. Improvements to graphics and loading times were also made. The game’s main story was originally expected to take about 50 hours to complete, but Tomoya Asano later said it should take "around 30 hours" to finish. The game was released on the Nintendo Switch on March 4, 2022.

Reception

Triangle Strategy received "generally favorable" reviews according to the Metacritic website. Kotaku praised the game's demo, noting its modern ideas in a classic game type and its setup of a complex story. Nintendo Life highlighted the game's challenging and enjoyable battle system, strong story, interesting characters, and high replayability, but mentioned the voice acting and dialogue had issues. GamesRadar+ said the battles were well designed but the story lacked character development, stating the fast pace left little time for characters to grow. Polygon criticized the story as too controlling, saying it sometimes interrupted the fun of playing. The Washington Post appreciated the simple RPG features but noted some players might miss character customization options. Nintendo World Report said the game used different environments in battles, making each area feel unique. Eurogamer said the game could feel slow because of long dialogue sections.

Triangle Strategy sold 86,298 physical copies in Japan during its first week. It reached 7th place in the United Kingdom the week after its release. By March 2022, the game had sold over 200,000 copies in Japan and Asia and more than 800,000 copies worldwide. In December 2022, Square Enix reported the game had sold over one million copies. Triangle Strategy was nominated for "Best Role-Playing Game" at The Game Awards 2022 but did not win, losing to Elden Ring.