Over the years, the popular genre of strategy games has evolved and pushed to new limits, with many flocking to popular titles such as Civilization and the Age of Empires to lose themselves in the challenges these games bring.
There’s no doubt that strategy games bring us a cerebral experience, demanding our focus and critical thinking that’s way beyond your average FPS game. Despite the primary focus of war in most of such games, many modern takes bring a lot of variety to the table, including city management strategies and factory planning.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the top 5 most challenging strategy games that will keep gamers glued to their chairs for hours.
5. Civilization
There’s no doubt that Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise is likely the best-known turn-based strategy game we’ve ever seen. Since the first title hit the shelves in 1991, we’ve seen tons of board games, spin-off expansions, and multiple sequels creating a whole franchise.
Everyone still holds high regard for the fourth mainline game in the series as the best one in the series. Civilization 4 brings some fantastic music accompanying its visuals and unit designs. The game bounces the standards set by the previous entry and finds the perfect balance between enemy AI and gameplay.
Civilization 4 made great leaps in modernizing the franchise. Beyond just AI upgrades, we got a brand-new interface, an introduction to Barbarian cities, and a variety of victory options. It’s indeed a quintessential game in the series.
4. Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos
Even though Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos is now more thought of as a prequel to the popular World of Warcraft, the game was undoubtedly a phenomenal entry in the strategy genre on its own. The title brought us a variety of armies to control, including orcs, humans, night elves, and the undead.
Each faction in the game presents its own units, military style, and technology. Gamers are tasked with quickly gaining control of the land and resources while also carefully balancing the construction of buildings and various units.
Blizzard tried making a reimagined version of the game for current-generation systems with its Battle.net system under the name Warcraft 3: Reforged. However, this version of the popular game has been reviewed much less than the original.
3. Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty
Despite being more than a decade old, the popular sci-fi strategy game Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty continues to hold on to its massive popularity, with regular fans flocking to the free-to-play title on Battle.net. Its original popularity was the core reason for today’s bloom of the esports scene.
It’s one of the most complex games in the genre out there, and gamers require a considerable amount of thought and experience to flourish.
Selecting from one of the free factions, Zerg, Terrans, or Protoss, players must look for the perfect balance of resources between structures and units while also developing technologies to fend off advanced enemies.
Whether it’s taking a risky approach or slowly developing a powerful army over time, there are way too many complex decisions that can decide your fate.
2. Desperados 3
Desperados 3 is another incredible strategy game that was released all the way back in 2020. However, what’s unique about this title is that it puts a lot of emphasis on stealth and assassination throughout the entirety of the game.
In another big departure from typical strategy titles in recent years, this game sends you back to the Western era, which is packed with outlaws and cowboys. The game’s unique plotline follows John Cooper, a bounty hunter who is after his father’s murder.
Sure, the game can feel a bit standard at times for those who are well accustomed to the Western genre. However, the way it mashes up the plotline with strategy elements brings a gameplay that’s truly unique and can’t be found anywhere else.
1. Age of Empires
The Age of Empires series kicked off in 1997, and for more than 20 years at this point, the various titles released in the series have certainly contributed to the genre’s rise. Each game in the franchise brings a great deal of historical accuracy and advanced AI that makes playing the computer a challenging experience.
It’s no secret that Age of Empires 2 is thought to be the best of the bunch, so the release of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition was truly a dream come true for all the fans of the series.
One of the best parts about the game was the AI improvements. In the definitive edition, gamers and AI compete on an equal footing. All expansions are present, featuring even the newer ones that continue to be developed. It’s, without a doubt, the ultimate way to experience this franchise.
What do you think of these 5 different games? Do you enjoy the strategy genre? Let us know in the comments what you think!
