What are the Best Turn Based Strategy Games: Turn-based strategy (TBS) games provide a deep, thoughtful gaming experience where players take their time to make strategic decisions. They often involve managing resources, commanding armies, and planning moves ahead of opponents. The following table lists some of the best turn-based strategy games, along with detailed explanations to help you understand why they are highly recommended.
| Game Title | Platform | Description | Key Features | Why It Stands Out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civilization VI | PC, Console, Mobile | Build an empire through ages, from the Stone Age to future. | Deep cultural, economic, and diplomatic systems | Infinite replay value with endless combinations and strategies |
| XCOM 2 | PC, Console | Lead a resistance against alien occupation on Earth. | Tactical combat, base-building, unit customization | Challenging tactical combat, rewarding progression |
| Total War: Warhammer II | PC | Mix of turn-based campaign and real-time battles. | Fantasy setting, diverse factions, large-scale battles | Combines turn-based strategy with large, epic real-time battles |
| Fire Emblem: Three Houses | Nintendo Switch | Tactical RPG in a fantasy world; choose one of three factions. | Character development, relationships, tactical combat | Rich narrative with character-driven strategy |
| Into the Breach | PC, Nintendo Switch | Use mechs to defend cities from alien monsters. | Unique timeline mechanics, small squad tactical battles | Compact, highly tactical gameplay, easy to pick up |
| Heroes of Might & Magic III | PC | Classic turn-based fantasy with kingdom-building. | Exploration, hero progression, resource management | Timeless classic with great balance and depth |
| Advance Wars | Nintendo, Emulator | Light-hearted military tactics with colorful graphics. | Simple but challenging unit-based strategy | Fun, approachable, perfect for new players to TBS games |
| BattleTech | PC | Lead a mercenary company using mechs in a future setting. | Mech customization, tactical depth, mercenary management | Deep tactical combat with a rich lore |
| Phoenix Point | PC, Console | Fight against evolving alien forces using human soldiers. | Evolving enemy AI, tactical combat, base building | Deep, evolving tactical challenges and squad progression |
| Gears Tactics | PC, Console | Prequel to the Gears of War series with tactical combat. | Fast-paced tactical action, rich story-driven missions | Combines Gears action with tactical strategy |
Detailed Explanations of Top Turn-Based Strategy Games:
- Civilization VI:
- Platform: PC, Console, Mobile
- Description: Civilization VI is a grand strategy game where you build and lead a civilization from prehistoric times to the modern era. Players engage in diplomacy, develop technologies, wage wars, and cultivate culture.
- Key Features: Deep city-building mechanics, complex diplomacy, and vast tech trees.
- Why It Stands Out: Its open-ended nature and endless replayability make it one of the most enduring and engaging strategy games. Players can experiment with different leaders, playstyles, and victory conditions for a unique experience each time.
- XCOM 2:
- Platform: PC, Console
- Description: XCOM 2 puts you in command of a resistance force against an alien occupation. Players must make tactical decisions during combat while managing the development of their base and soldiers.
- Key Features: Tactical turn-based combat, permadeath mechanics, and a variety of customizable units.
- Why It Stands Out: XCOM 2 is known for its challenging gameplay and satisfying progression system, where each choice matters. The risk-reward nature of combat, coupled with the ability to customize soldiers, adds a personal touch to the game.
- Total War: Warhammer II:
- Platform: PC
- Description: Combining turn-based grand strategy with real-time tactical battles, this game is set in the fantasy Warhammer universe. Players control vast armies, manage provinces, and engage in large-scale battles.
- Key Features: A rich fantasy setting with unique races, epic battles, and a mix of turn-based and real-time gameplay.
- Why It Stands Out: The combination of turn-based campaign management with large-scale, real-time battles offers a unique blend of strategy elements, making it perfect for those who enjoy both grand strategy and direct combat.
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses:
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Description: Set in a fantasy world, players become a professor at a military academy, training students and preparing them for tactical battles. The game combines strategic combat with character development and relationships.
- Key Features: Strong narrative, deep character interactions, tactical combat with RPG elements.
- Why It Stands Out: The rich storytelling and character depth add a lot of emotional weight to every decision, making it a highly engaging tactical RPG with branching storylines and character development.
- Into the Breach:
- Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch
- Description: This game challenges players to defend humanity from alien threats using giant mechs in a turn-based environment. The compact battlefield size keeps the gameplay tight and tactical.
- Key Features: Timeline reset mechanics, small but intense grid-based battles.
- Why It Stands Out: Its simple mechanics make it accessible to newcomers, but the depth of its tactical decisions makes it challenging for veterans. The gameplay emphasizes planning and predicting enemy moves, offering a rewarding experience for strategists.
- Heroes of Might & Magic III:
- Platform: PC
- Description: A classic turn-based strategy game set in a fantasy world where players lead heroes, build armies, and conquer territories. Heroes explore, gather resources, and battle opponents on a hex-based map.
- Key Features: Resource management, hero progression, tactical grid battles.
- Why It Stands Out: Its deep strategy, balanced gameplay, and variety of factions make it an enduring favorite in the turn-based strategy genre, with nostalgic appeal and exceptional replayability.
- Advance Wars:
- Platform: Nintendo, Emulator
- Description: A turn-based tactics game where players command military units across battlefields. Despite its simple visuals, it offers deep and engaging strategy.
- Key Features: Diverse unit types, accessible yet challenging gameplay, colorful graphics.
- Why It Stands Out: Advance Wars combines simplicity with strategic depth, making it approachable for newcomers while still offering challenging scenarios for experienced players.
- BattleTech:
- Platform: PC
- Description: BattleTech is a turn-based game where players lead a mercenary company of giant mechs in tactical combat. The game is set in a rich sci-fi universe with a strong focus on narrative.
- Key Features: Deep mech customization, tactical squad-based combat, rich lore.
- Why It Stands Out: BattleTech stands out due to its rich customization options and a well-crafted storyline that adds depth to each tactical decision, making it an engaging experience for players who enjoy both management and combat.
- Phoenix Point:
- Platform: PC, Console
- Description: Created by the original developer of XCOM, Phoenix Point offers a similar tactical experience but with an evolving alien threat that adapts to the player’s strategies.
- Key Features: Tactical combat, evolving enemy AI, base management.
- Why It Stands Out: Its dynamic enemy AI and evolving threats make Phoenix Point a challenging experience where players must continually adapt their strategies, adding a fresh twist to traditional tactical combat.
- Gears Tactics:
- Platform: PC, Console
- Description: Gears Tactics is a fast-paced, turn-based strategy game set in the Gears of War universe. Players lead a squad against monstrous enemies in tactical combat missions.
- Key Features: Rich story, fast-paced tactical battles, cover-based mechanics.
- Why It Stands Out: Gears Tactics brings a unique blend of action and strategy, maintaining the fast-paced, cover-based gameplay that Gears of War is known for, while adding depth through tactical decision-making.
Conclusion:
Turn-based strategy games offer a mix of strategic planning, deep thinking, and engaging gameplay that rewards patience and foresight. Whether you’re looking to conquer a fantasy world in Heroes of Might & Magic III, lead a futuristic resistance in XCOM 2, or manage an empire through the ages in Civilization VI, there’s a turn-based strategy game for every type of player. Each of these games offers unique mechanics and challenges, making them some of the best in the genre.