Summary
The strategy genre has emerged as one of the most popular types of video games in the world, as the combination of tactical maneuvering and challenging systems has beguiled gamers for decades. Whether it’s a turn-based affair or a real-time experience, the genre of strategic gameplay mixed with compelling systems and stories is one of gaming’s most beloved styles of design, and has produced some truly excellent experiences over the years.
The best strategy games often rely on intelligent game design systems mixed with a fun world, and these games have both of those things in abundance. And among all of them, they also explore a wide variety of universes, from full-on science fiction to historical fantasy, showcasing the huge number of diverse experiences to be had. These games have been ranked based on their fun factor and moment-to-moment gameplay.
Loosely based on the comic book of the same name produced during the 1990s,Midnight Sunsis a turn-based strategy game developed by Firaxis, feeling like a mix of the world of Marvel Comics andXCOM.Midnight Sunsallows players to build a team comprised of some ofMarvel’s most iconic characters, echoing just how much fun it has been to do so in earlier games likeUltimate Alliance andX-Men Legends.
Utilizing a fascinating battle system that relies on deck building and collecting cards to use in combat,Midnight Sunsis one of the most fun ways to experience the vast, expansive Marvel Comics world in video game form. The cards don’t weigh down the combat system in the slightest, instead becoming an intuitive method of both team-building and in-game actions. In addition to its excellent combat and mission design,Midnight Sunsalso features a fabulous story that leans into the absurdity of the comic book world in the best possible ways.
After successfully rebooting the classicXCOMfranchisewith 2012’sEnemy Unknown, Firaxis went to work on a sequel that launched in 2016, improving on every aspect of the first game in some pretty substantial ways. Set fifty years after the events ofEnemy Unknown,XCOM 2is set in a world where humanity has lost and lives under a dictatorship ruled by an alien empire, setting the stage for a massive rebellion and one of the franchise’s most engaging narratives.
Combat inXCOM 2is massively improved overEnemy Unknown, utilizing wide-open maps and destructible cover. Mission design is also fantastic, as scurrying through a world under totalitarian control adds a sense of urgency to the whole affair, with each victory feeling special in its own way.XCOM 2is a huge, outrageously fun experience with incredible map design, addictive combat, and a dystopian world just waiting to be saved from the clutches of tyranny.
Star Warsand video games have been a match made in heaven for decades, as both of them have been at the forefront of cutting-edge technology at the same time. And when it comesto Star Wars video games, one of the most fun titles that fans of the galactic space opera can find isEmpire at War, a real-time strategy experience set between the events ofRevenge of the SithandA New Hopethat chronicles the ongoing conflict between the Imperials and Rebels.
Empire at Waris still a wonderful way to explore theStar Warsuniverse, as it pays special attention to what makes the franchise so much fun, as its setting allows it to celebrate both the original trilogy and the prequels. Battles feel large and expansive, as the maps range from the jungles of the Wookiee home world, Kashyyyk, all the way to the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim. It is insanely fun to move iconic units around, as well as take part in huge skirmishes that make one feel like they are living in theStar Warsuniverse.
Paradox Interactive has become one of the most prominent developers of strategy games in the industry, as their commitment to high-quality titles in the genre cannot be overstated. Focusingmostly on historical settingsand real-life scenarios, one of their most celebrated franchises has always beenEuropa Universalis, which truly reached its zenith with the fourth entry, launched in 2013. And even over a decade later,Europa Universalis 4is still one of the most fun, endlessly compelling strategy games on the market.
Starting in the year 1444,Europa Universalis 4features over 500 different playable nations and features a hugely addictive set of gameplay systems. Each moment feels important, as every nation operates distinctly from the other at the same time. Keeping one’s nation secure with trade routes, military power, and a huge laundry list of other systems can be intimidating, but finding a groove with the game will lead to one of the most fun, satisfying strategy game experiences one can find today.
It’s safe to say that no statementdescribes theCivilizationfranchisequite as well as “just one more turn,” the rallying cry that has identified the series ever since it first debuted in 1991. And with the fifth entry, released in 2010, Firaxis and series creator Sid Meier sought to introduce the franchise to an entirely new audience, crafting what is still one of the finest grand strategy games of all time and a worthy entry point for anyone new to the series.
Civilization 5’s biggest change was limiting players to one unit per tile, erasing the stacking mechanic from previous games, and altering many aspects of the franchise’s DNA. It created a streamlined, far more efficientCivilizationgame that focused almost entirely on what makes the series fun, which is maintaining a kingdom and expanding it outwards in whatever way the player sees fit. Whether that’s through military might, science, or any of the game’s other winning conditions,Civilization 5feels hyper-focused on these systems in a way that makes it the most fun to play out of the entire franchise.Civilization 5is also well-supported in the modding community even today, meaning that the game is constantly relevant even over a decade later.
Alongside its numerous other strategy franchises,Crusader Kingsis some of Paradox Interactive’s best work, as the series combines political intrigue with thequest to build a dynastythat will last for eternity. And withCrusader Kings 3, Paradox continued that tradition, resulting in one of the best strategy games ever made, as its reliance on deep gameplay systems and impeccable design is simply phenomenal.Crusader Kings 3often feels like a historical novel come to life, as the commitment to a world filled with betrayal, political posturing, and player choice is simply outstanding.
The quest to maintain a dynasty is reliant on both player choice and the hurdles that the game throws your way, as death results in the player taking control of their heir to continue. Having no heir ends the game, so it’s up to the player to determine how to position their legacy, asCrusader Kings 3allows for numerous ways to go about it. It’s these systems that makeCrusader Kings 3so much fun, as it allows the player to be exactly the kind of royal family they want to be, for good or ill. It is still updated consistently to this day, as expansions and updates come out rather frequently, offering a ton of content for anyone looking to jump in.
