Importantly, it’s a very different ranking to our ownbest strategy gameslist, which is great!
Just one thing before we get started, though.
I’m not gonna lie.
Invisible, Inc. relegated to no.50 is an absolute disgrace.
Shame on you all.
Invisible, Inc.
49.
Endless Space 2
dglenny:Clearly defined factions and asymmetric mechanics and a great big my-goodness-I’m-so-powerful-now.
Shame about the last DLC, but let’s just agree to ignore that.
Warcraft II: Tides Of Darkness
47.
Age Of Empires III
46.
This really felt like space.
Elaine:It’s the perfect blend of RTS and 4X with a very approachable learning curve.
Sid Meier’s Civilization II
44.
Age Of Empires
41.
Dune II
40.
Tom:Its free, open source, Windows and GNU/Linux native, and niche.
Every unit and defense is easily pickable from the view, and even out of view by listening.
Dr0ppy:The medium pace and the big team fights are amazing.
Age Of Empires IV
38. lglethal:It is the perfect blend of risk-reward gameplay.
Absolutely Perfect Game (especially when expanded with mods!).
OPJayhawk:It’s a game that defined the whole genre; so ahead of its time.
FTL: Faster Than Light
35.
Age Of Mythology
34.
Total War: Shogun 2
33.
Battletech
32.
Supreme Commander 2
31.
Medieval II: Total War
deguerra:Mods.
I dont think I’ve put more hours into any other single game.
One of the finest RTS’s out there.
The attention to detail is enormous and until today unsurpassed.
Also, of course, the personalities and their interactions.
Characters who are the definition of vanity or simply hate one another or who cheer each other up.
And, of course, Deidranna and her advisor Elliot, “the idiot”.
Even more so with the 1.13 mod.
Herzog:Elliot, you idiot!
MikeZone:It never gets old and always evolves for the better.
Blah64:Massive map filled with many playable factions with varying forms of gameplay.
Campaign map lets me watch numbers go up.
Battle map lets me watch epic battles of coordinated units.
Sid Meier’s Civilization IV
24.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Old_Man_Gaming:The firstXCOMafter the expansion is brilliant.
All while obeying my strategy game rules - failure is the player’s fault and every choice feels crucial.
When XCOM calls I always say, ‘Yes, Commander’.
Heroes Of Might & Magic III
Zewwy:Absolute timeless game that just keeps giving.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
21.
The end result: a game where you will still be learning new things in your thousandth hour!
Micro and macro management, adjustable resource sharing within teams…
They have it all.
A must see for someone who appreciates classics.
Grumpy:Beyond All Reason, the real-time strategy game that has me hooked for hours on end.
Dubhdara:It’s got that 90s style action!
BAR is also super deep and has loads of things to master.
Just pure competitive goodness.
Frank Klepackis iconic music makes it even better.
The remaster is a solid update and makes modding possible.
It’s an action game that just happens to be shown from above.
Homeworld (my #2) had the better story, but COH wins thanks to its online play.
It was the first RTS I ever comfortable enough with to try my hand at competitive multiplayer.
COH2 offered real UI and technical improvements but I can’t put it ahead of the original.
Looking forward to COH3!
Cartras #6379:Iconic, standard setting, enduring.
Polished and updated/expacs (in its time).
The standard by which all strategy games have been judged ever since.
Ask any fan of SMAC what their favorite quote is and they’ll give it to you.
HKEY_LOVECRAFT:The almost infinite replayability.
The literal ‘living world’ that hosts the tug-of-war between the factions.
The faction leaders' personalities and associated AI.
The ‘wonder’ videos.
The best diplomacy/negotiation options in any title EVER.
The fact that it’s a Civ game where terrain actually matters.
The drones need you.
They look UP to you").
All of these comprise the reason that this is my favorite strategy game of all time.
Rowland:Great science fiction characters and world building inside of a great turn-based strategy engine.
Homeworld
Plato_Karamazov:Homeworldis awe-inspiring, terrifying, and exhilirating in equal measure.
The skirmish mode will be improved in HW2, but there has never been a better RTS campaign.
Greg Claydon:Homeworld was like nothing else when it released.
That moment in the third mission sticks with me even now.
Grant:As precise and intricate as a Swiss watch.
When cities get toppled, it’s because you stuffed up and you know it.
Can micro a small army with great affect or play defensively and manage the battle field at large.
Don:Gaming comfort food.
I never tire of playing this game even if the end-game is a bit of a slog at times.
Just boot up history again with a new map, a new leader, and new opponents.
A classic that keeps getting better.
quarrel:One… more… turn…
12.
(I even got a job and 2 kids).
Jack:I love the emphasis on the humans behind the strategy.
What other game could give you something like that?
Oh, did I mention that the guy was a nudist for the last half of his life?
1000+ Dog Names!)
it’s one of the best story generators out there!
It’s just perfectly tailored to my tastes.
No other strategy game makes me feel as personally invested in its characters.
Con:4D dwarf eugenics skullduggery.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
Dash323:Red Alert 2was the first game I ever played online.
The feeling I got as a 12-year-old out-smarting another unknown human and winning was pure euphoria.
Oh, and the campaign is awesome too.
I’ve probably played through it at least 10 times.
Guilherme Carvalho:Amazing campaign, thrilling online multiplayer, easy to learn but hard to master.
The perfection of the C&C formula.
Supreme Commander
Soulgamer:Supreme Commanderperfectly balances scale, complexity and fun in an engaging and even realistic way.
Many have tried, but no other game has managed to achieve this to the same extent.
Chris:Still the best large scale mass wargame ever.
Mist-e-Fire:Very balanced and tactic game.
It feels there is meant strategies and counter strategies to adopt
9.
Its unequivocally the greatest strategy game ever.
juan_h:It’s so relaxing.
The BraveNew Worldexpansion really elevated it as well, particularly in multiplayer.
With custom empires, you might create a game that offers a large amount of replayability.
Especially so when playing with friends.
StarCraft
ElderBeagle:My cousin and I playedStarCrafton his brand-new Gateway PC.
I can still hear the Protoss Zealots saying, “My life for hire,” in my head.
I’m sure we were terrible at StarCraft, but for one summer break it was all we played.
Siege tanks deploying sound highly satisfying in the “boys love tanks” way.
The visceral feeling of the Zergs purple goop and the Protoss' sounds.
Great design, well balanced, cool campign, fun LAN, really amazing cinematics for that time.
StarCraft II just wasn’t as spot on for me as the first was.
EarthWormJim:It’s simplicity through its sci-fi story.
Character evolution and outstanding narrative.
The perfect trinity with its diverse units and complementary races.
Talen10:Zergs go brrr.
It was the total package.
The world’s first MOBA (DOTA) started off as a custom map for Warcraft III.
And of course, without Warcraft III there likely wouldn’t have been a World Of Warcraft.
But the best thing is the online multiplayer, and in particular the custom maps.
Pokemon Defense) Tug of War (e.g.
Warcraft III was the main game I played for years.
jesseowengauthier:Epic scale of battles and focus on macro vs mirco.
Keepvogel:The epic scale, fluid economy and variety of conceivable strategies is mind-blowing.
Glavius:The first RTS to combine massive unit counts, huge maps, and a great multiplayer experience.
Tucker Wilkin:It’s an RTS with creativity and thought put through it.
Forged Alliance Forever has a respectable size of players who are equally as dumb as I am.
I can feel them make roughly as many mistakes as I can.
Oh, no, no, no, baby, you fucking LOSE LOSER."
It emphasizes map control with resources.
It creates interesting, albeit sometimes frustrating, strategies to win.
But most importantly, it isn’t fucking Brood War.
As well as the sci-fi setting, naturally.
Nothing else has ever even come close.
XCOM 2
Zach#1630:XCOM 2balances well the aspects of play vs. tactics/strategy.
That said, the game still allows for satisfaction when you manage to pull off clever strategies.
The game is also not afraid to be silly.
Sonowz:A brand-new gold standard for AAA turn-based strategy games.
Noah:I have 600+ hours on XCOM 2.
Exaal:Super-stylish with great turn-based battles and tons of replayability!
The DLC only makes it better with even more fun and gear that feels great to play with!
Sorbicol:A game all about the tactical combat.
Always a challenge but never unfair, except when the RNG comes out to play.
But thats the challenge - learning how to cope when that happens.
Also home to some of thegreatest modsever made.
StarCraft II
Iandra:Despite not being a pro player,StarCraft IIremains an endearing replayable love.
Oasx:It’s a really fun and great looking game, and the best esport ever.
niilzon:The most responsive, with great campaigns.
No other game dominates its category/niche as heavily as Starcraft does to RTS games.
Overcooked:Remains excellent to watch others play, and an excellent esport despite its age.
Don Reba:Giving the first place to StarCraft II for the amazing professional competitive scene it fostered.
p2004a:It held up extremally well over time, it’s timeless and still fun to this day.
rpsiscool:Age Of Empires II is a timeless classic and one of the few nearly perfect games.
The units are fun, the maps varied and the scope of the game was unheard of on release.
Huge battle with hundreds of units, online multiplayer with battles that changed galaxy map (Boneyards server).
Jordan:A game that felt ahead of its time.
Fully 3D terrain and units.
Awesome FMV intro (for the time).
Excellent orchestral soundtrack that changed from ambient to intense when combat started.
A very neat economy where you didn’t have to accumulate the full unit cost before beginning construction.
