My money be on something. If you’re anything like me, sometimes you just want to kick back, chill, and really get your brain working. We’re talking about those games where you got to plan ahead, outsmart your opponents, build your empire, or command your armies. If that’s your kind of vibe, you’re in the perfect spot.
Today, we’re diving into the first 11 of the 22 best strategy games you can play right now.
Get ready to put your big brain to work. Let’s go.
1. Desperados III
The whole story for this game is like a cool old western epic. You play as John Cooper, a cowboy who teams up with a crew of unique specialists—like a runaway bride, a quiet doc with a silenced pistol, a strongman with a bear trap, and a mysterious magic-user. This team travels through dusty towns and muddy swamps on a mission of revenge. The gameplay is a brilliant mix of stealth and tactical planning. You control your team to sneak through enemy-filled areas, using each character’s special tricks to set up perfect takedowns. The standout feature is “Showdown Mode,” which lets you pause time and queue up actions for all your characters to execute simultaneously. Pulling off a flawless plan is incredibly satisfying.
2. Company of Heroes 2
This World War II RTS puts you in command of the Soviet Red Army, emphasizing tactical depth over mindless unit-spamming. You must care about cover, line of sight, and flanking maneuvers to survive. The Eastern Front setting is brutal, and the game reinforces this with a chilling weather mechanic—your soldiers can literally freeze to death in blizzards if you don’t find them warmth. The campaign has a darker, more grounded tone, and the competitive multiplayer is deeply rewarding for those who master its intricacies.
3. Endless Legend
A fantasy 4X game that stands out for its incredible faction diversity and gorgeous, painterly world. Each faction doesn’t just look different; it plays in a completely unique way, making every game a fresh adventure. It masterfully blends the classic “4X” formula (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) with engaging story quests and lore that pop up as you play, making the world feel alive and your choices meaningful.
4. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
Set in feudal Japan, this is a masterclass in real-time tactics and stealth. You control a team of deadly specialists with unique skills, navigating intricate levels like a deadly puzzle. The tension is high—one wrong move can alert the entire enemy camp. It’s all about patience, observing patrol patterns, and using your team’s abilities in perfect synergy to become an unseen mastermind.
5. Into the Breach
The ultimate turn-based puzzle disguised as a mech game. You control tiny mechs defending cities from giant monsters on an 8×8 grid. Every move is a critical decision, requiring you to think several steps ahead. The genius lies in using the environment and enemy attacks against them, like pushing a monster into the path of another’s strike. It’s incredibly tight, smart, and endlessly replayable.
6. Age of Empires IV
A triumphant return to classic real-time strategy. You guide a civilization from a small village to a massive empire, gathering resources, building armies, and rewriting history. It perfectly balances nostalgic Age of Empires vibes with modern sensibilities and smoother gameplay. Each civilization feels distinct, and the historical campaigns are both educational and thrilling. It’s the perfect game for those who love both base-building and epic battles.
7. Iron Harvest
Imagine a real-time strategy game set in an alternate 1920s where diesel-powered mechs stomp across European battlefields. This game delivers exactly that. It blends familiar base-building and combat with the unique twist of giant, customizable mechs that serve specific roles on the battlefield. The single-player campaign is full of personality, and the slower pace makes every tactical decision count.
8. Northgard
A unique Viking-themed strategy game that mixes city-building, exploration, and survival. The biggest threat? The brutal winter, which will test your preparation and resource management skills. You must expand your clan’s territory, manage happiness, and decide whether to be peaceful traders or fierce warriors. It’s easy to learn but hard to master, offering a chill yet deeply strategic experience.
9. Civilization VI
The quintessential empire-building game. Lead a civilization from the Stone Age to the Information Age through exploration, expansion, diplomacy, and conquest. The core gameplay is turn-based and addictive, famously giving you “one more turn” syndrome. The major innovation is the district system, where you build your city across the map on specialized tiles, adding a wonderful layer of spatial strategy to your planning.
10. Total War: Warhammer III
This game combines the grand, turn-based campaign of Total War with the insane fantasy spectacle of the Warhammer universe. You’ll command massive armies of demons, monsters, and magic-users on a strategic map, then dive into breathtaking real-time battles involving thousands of units. The sheer variety between factions and the epic scale of the conflicts make it a strategy fan’s dream.
11. SpellForce: Conquest of Eo
A turn-based fantasy game that focuses on deep empire management and tactical warfare. You play as a powerful mage building your domain, recruiting armies, and researching spells. The turn-based battles are thoughtful chess matches where positioning and ability use are key. The game excels at letting you craft your own path, whether through necromancy, pure military might, or clever diplomacy.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive into games 12-22, including epic historical simulators, deep sci-fi sagas, and story-generating survival masterpieces!
22 Best Strategy Games to Flex Your Big Brain – Part 2
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