Recs.
Updated
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Old school turn-based D&D-style combat with board game inspired exploration
Combat involves making choices from among each character's class skills and special moves inherent to each weapon. Those choices are tactical and can mean the difference between killing an opponent more quickly or taking more damage--sometimes deadly damage.
Overland movement is individual to each character, allowing you to decide whether to spread out to explore and discover more quickly (and possibly face combat alone) or stick together, exploring the world more safely (but taking longer to do so, possibly allowing the scenario's pressure-based mechanic to build up to uncontrollable levels).
Pro Fun alone, or with one or two friends.
The party is composed of three characters, each selected from among up to 11 different character classes or archetypes. With three players, each person controls all of the decisions of one character each. With two players, one person controls two characters while the other controls one. Each time you load the game, you can choose which player will play which character, allowing two-player groups to take turns controlling the extra character, if they so desire. The gameplay is turn-based, but each player's turn (whether during combat or exploration) resolves fairly quickly, keeping all players engaged. Items obtained and gold found are always able to be traded among characters - there's no "soulbound" mechanic here.
Pro The theme - "regular folk stepping up to become heroes" - is endearing and inspiring.
Players select characters from among "hometown hero" archetypes. You aren't Knights, Wizards, and Assassins that have taken up arms, but instead common folk such as Blacksmiths, Scholars, Minstrels, Hunters, and the like - even a Hobo, which can be unlocked through gameplay! There's a definite satisfaction taking a brave, but unskilled commoner and turning him into an extremely powerful hero who can take down deadly enemies such as demons, liches, and even gigantic dragons by the end of the adventure.
Pro Each adventure is a different experience due to RNG and rogue-like elements.
There are set "scenarios" with set win conditions that introduce differing pressure mechanics: game mechanics that force the players to act, rather than lounge in town or rest every time they lose a hit point or two. However, each time the scenario starts the world is different. Different items are available for purchase or able to be found, different mini-encounters occur, and different opponents will face you, whether in common encounters or infrequently-spawning boss-type creature encounters. Combined with 11 different unique classes and many viable party compositions, this adds a lot of replayability.
Cons
Con A string of bad luck--whether or not set off by an initial bad decision--can end the quest in defeat
There are RNG elements to this game, and sometimes a string of misses by your character or a string of hits by an opponent can put your characters in peril. These RNG elements can be mitigated by game knowledge: the various enemies' possible attacks, when to use precious resources and when to save them, when to flee combat, and so forth. However, that knowledge can take a few games to acquire. Fortunately, there are three different difficulty levels, so if you are more RNG-averse, you can select "Novice" for your first few games while you figure out how the game works.
Con There are few in-game "hint" systems, requiring you to learn by doing or rely on the Wiki.
The game is built on an "explore, experience, discover" model, and so the in-game hint system is minimal. Typically, you learn what an ability does, how an item works, or what a creature can do by experience. If you would rather have such information ahead of time, you'll need to rely on the game's Wiki page.