Strategy games are a genre comprised of many different, really cool games that all require you to use your brain, plan ahead and make good decisions with grace or speed, depending on the game. This genre has a ton of variety and a bunch of different games people would recommend, but which are the best?
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All of these tactical titles are great and worth checking out in their own right, but there is a surprising number one among the batch. Read on for our thoughts on the best the genre has to offer.
For this list, we’ve polled the Hardcore Gamer staff to give you the aggregated top picks from our editorial, so that’s what these entry choices represent!
10Tactics Ogre: Reborn
More Anime Than Ogres, To Be Honest.
A familiar sight for fans of Fire Emblem or Advance Wars,Tactics Orge: Reborn featuresisometric grid-based combat, making you switch your perspective around and think about height when making moves, while also being a unique-looking style for this type of game.
While it doesn’t have the flashiest animations, it does have deep combat systems, requiring the usage of ranged attackers, healers, magic users and watching out for enemies that might counter your attack. It’s worth a shot if you’re looking for grid-based tactics.
9Stellaris
Who Knew Space Travel Was Stressful?
Taking it from medieval to the space age,Stellaris has you taking control of an entire space-faring empire, tasked with colonizing and taking over as much of the galaxy as you can manage. It’s not easy, though, since you’ve got to keep track of a bevy of different tasks.
Upkeep is the name of the game with Stellaris, having to constantly make your civilization outperform any competitors, keep gaining money, keep colonizing more planets or just decide to spec entirely into being an unstoppable planet-busting machine. Either way, Stellaris gives you space to do a lot.
8Sid Meier’s SimGolf
Golf, But Much More Than Golf
Moving in entirely the opposite direction, we have Sid Meier’s SimGolf, a combination of golfing games and sim games like Rollercoaster Tycoon, where you have to strategically build golf courses to satisfy your patrons, making sure they’re pretty, fun and well-designed.
This game is, despite what you may think on first impression, detailed and expansive, offering tons of buildings and custom course elements to add, and ranking your golf courses based on difficulty, with better players spending more money on harder courses. It’s a solid time.
7Total War: Warhammer III
More War Than Hammers, To Be Honest.
Warhammer, as a series, is renowned and well-known, so it should be no surprise the third game made it onto this list. It’s not for the faint of heart, though, as it will throw you into situations with a ton of different factions and armies at play, making you figure it all out or lose.
Review: Tactics Ogre Reborn
Tactics Ogre Reborn is a remarkable tactical RPG and a landmark entry in the genre over 25 years after its original release.
It’s not the most simplistic gameplay, but you control one of five factions, with three fantastical races to play as, and fight other massive armies in real-time combat, traversing and conquering a massive map. It’s overwhelming at first, but with the deep lore, rich setting and intricate combat, it’s enough motivation to dive headfirst into it.
6Disgaea: Hour Of Darkness
An Absolute Demon Of A Game
Disgaea is a well-established tactics franchise, with the original being Hour of Darkness, a tactical RPG for the PS2 with similar mechanics to Fire Emblem, but with the unique twist of being able to throw your units across the stage by using other units to pick ‘em up.
These throwing mechanics are central to the game, letting you throw colored panels that act differently for different units, and nicely changing up the gameplay. There’s also a bunch of typical RPG fare, demon summoning and a charming style to entice you.
5Europa Universalis
Don’t Raise Taxes Too Much
True to its name, the Europa Universalis serieshas you taking control of a European nationover the span of a few hundred years, choosing to operate your country however you see fit. You could take the role of a warmonger or diplomat, ensuring either good relations or conquest.
It’s a realistic strategy game, with the other European countries typically having the same goals as you, meaning you need to plan your acquisitions and advancements, while also taking care of your own internal politics. It makes you tow a line between conquest and rebellion, and it’s great.
4Fire Emblem: Three Houses
One Of The Best In Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem is a series that doesn’tjusthave a billion characters in Smash,it also has good games. This series practically started the grid-based war tactics with a weapon triangle style of strategy games, and Three Houses adds teaching, cooking and tea time to the mix.
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The game makes you choose between three distinct factions, all with their own unique characters and story, and has you using their forces for different scenarios depending on your choices. It has a massive hub world, tons of stuff to do and is essentially three games in one.
3Into The Breach
Giant Mechs and Monsters. What Else Do You Need?
Coming into the top three with one of the most beautiful pixel art styles we’ve ever seen,Into the Breachhas you fighting off massive monsters with giant mechs on a grid-based battlefield, usually there to complete a certain mission objective as you progress through the story.
It’s also partially a roguelike, the scenarios you play out being procedurally generated, giving it a lot of replay value. It’s got a ton of polish, RPG mechanics and is one of the most well-refined indie strategy games out there. Definitely give it a shot.
2Age Of Empires II
The Definitive Country-Running Simulation
Age of Empires 2 is one of the best gamesin the critically-acclaimed series, with a definitive edition that came out just five years ago, having you take control of one of thirteen civilizations during the Middle Ages, with a ton of different features, a manageable learning curve and multiplayer.
It’s focused on real-time strategy, making you dedicate civilians, soldiers and all members of your society to either fight, gather resources or build up for the survival of everyone. It’s incredibly in-depth, making you think about everything as if you were the ruler of a country, and it’s great.
Gambling But Better
Alright, this one is nowhere near a traditional strategy game, but it is a gamethat requires a ton of strategy to get through, so it counts. Balatro is a poker roguelike with a lucid dream-like aesthetic that’s taken the world by storm the last few months and it’s not for no good reason.
This game has a large amount of content, a super fun gameplay loop, sound and visual design that are more satisfying than real gambling, and is one of the best roguelikes many of us have played in a while. It’s worth trying out if you somehow haven’t already.
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