You could try StarSector from Fractal Softworks. Its not free but an awesome game for what you may be looking for.

Starsector (formerly “Starfarer”) is an in-development open-world single-player space-combat, roleplaying, exploration, and economic game. You take the role of a space captain seeking fortune and glory however you choose.

I got really interested in WoW Classic Hardcore Mode after watching a recent video about it. In this mode, when your character dies, that character is automatically deleted and you have to start a new one. I'm curious what it would feel like to play WoW again, but this time knowing that death is the end of my adventure. I think I may give it a shot one day.

I know you said it shouldn't require synchronous gaming. WoW of course wants you to be online with other people… but you don't have to be online with any particular people. There's always someone on to group up with. Hardcore mode is having a moment, so you should have no shortage of people to play with. I wouldn't worry about trying to schedule time to play it. I don't want a game that is like a job. Just play when you can, enjoy it as long as you do, and then move on to something else. I guess what I'm saying is that you should play WoW Classic Hardcore casually. 😅

Or you could play the true hardcore mode: play WoW Classic Hardcore until one character dies. Then shelve the game forever and move on to something else. 😆

Baldurs' Gate 1&2, Icewind Dale 1&2, Planescape Torment.

All have been redone to work on modern Windows.

You could check out the isometric RPG "Disco Elysium". The game is story and dialogue focused and very unique. Was my favorite game of 2022.

I'm loving this chill and beautiful 1996 scifi VN called "YU-NO"...amazing music too!

this classic was for PC-98 (a pioneer in many ways, it paved the way for others like Steins;Gate)

with Sega Saturn and Windows releases soon after (and fantranslated in english for PC),

but there is also a 2019 officially translated remake for Steam/PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch

sad that the creator and composer both passed away...they had such a groundbreaking vision...

I've really enjoy turn based isometric battle rpg games.

I think xcom2 was the peak but the shadowrun games really packed in the story.

They're pretty lightweight and kind of old so they're cheap and your laptop should be able to run them fine without a gpu.

If you try them and like them the mod scene on steam for them has 50x more content than the original game.

Neverwinter Nights and Shadowrun series. both are isometric RPGs, with the latter using turn-based combat.

Crosscode! it's an RPG game

What do you think of turn based games like XCOM? I've found I can enjoy the planning and execution of a plan more when I'm not stressing about actions per minute or micro managing a ton of things.

Hardspace:Shipbreaker

Do you have a console or is it just the laptop?