Yeah, sure, adding a lot of UI obviously adds a bit of work, but that’s the case for any engine right? It’s not much harder to do using Defold than in any other engine. Sure, Defold GUIs are pretty basic, but with extensions such as Gooey it becomes really easy to create a fairly complex UI.
An example of a turn based RPG (actually roguelike) made in Defold is Rogues’ Redemption:
Forum link: Rogues' Redemption - roguelike with pixel graphics
Source code: Rogues' Redemption - roguelike with pixel graphics - #39 by benjames171