Summary
Even though, at one point, the gaming industry was absolutely inundated with high-profile strategyPC gameslikeStarcraft 2,Warcraft 3, and theCommand & Conquerseries, it’s been a while since a new strategy game release has really disrupted the market. The general term “strategy game” covers a wide variety of different titles and often bleeds over into other genres like city builders (often categorized as simulations) or MOBAs.
True strategy games, like Grand Strategy, 4x, or RTS (obviously my favorite), are much harder to come by, especially when speaking AAA development. Though there are some stellar exceptions over the years, the majority of the strategy game landscape resembles a barren wasteland with nothing in sight. That was, until recently, as a few exciting indie strategy games are being developed and should be released within the next year.
10 Best Strategy Games For PC You Can Play Right Now, Ranked
Finding the right PC strategy game in a sea of options can be difficult. These superb titles will make narrowing things down a lot easier.
There Are Several Great-Looking Strategy Games On The Horizon
In Beta Or Under Development
When looking at dominant strategy games of the last decade, there are a handful that really stand out. Titles likeTotal War: Warhammer 3andCivilization VIare probably two of the biggest games. That said,Civ VIcame out all the way back in 2016, and the originalTotal War: Warhammeralso came out in 2016,making both titles nearly decade-old games. Though both have received updates, withWarhammerspecifically receiving two sequels since 2016, the point remains thatthere aren’t that many fresh AAA strategy games.
Luckily, a new batch of developers are working on strategy titles with a new twist to appeal to a more modern audience. Titles likeStormgate,Battle Aces,Supervive, and even the upcomingmobile MOBADragon Ball: Project Multiwill finally be adding some fresh options to the strategy lineup for players. This is a breath of fresh air where many modern developers are seemingly intentionally staying away from the genre.
What Are The Most Exciting Upcoming Strategy Games?
Civilization 7, Stormgate, Battle Aces, DORF, Supervive
Although it hasn’t reached the heights prior to the 2010s,strategy games from smaller development companies are making a resurgencevia indie developers.Frostpunk 2is releasing on September 20 and is a follow-up to the enjoyableFrostpunk— which, in essence, is more of a city builder than a strategy game, but it is worth a mention. The biggest upcoming strategy game is the latest title in the iconicCivilizationfranchise inCivilization 7. Returning to its roots, it’ll be taking on a more realistic tone with a variety of enhancements.
More akin to its RTS roots is a game calledStormgate, whichI covered back in 2023when little was known about the title developed by Frost Giant Studios. That game is probably the closest thing to a spiritual successor toStarcraft, with three factions that feel similar, and it is currently free to play in Early Access on Steam.
Stormgatecurrently sits with Mixed reviews, with most users pointing toward the monetization strategy. The developers have said they are dedicated to bringing the game up to par as it develops in Early Access.
Another neat game that has some potential to gain a following isBattle Aces, which essentially takes out the macro portions of an RTS game. Part auto-battler with much more unit control, the game has already undergone a beta with recent development updates posted as recently as July 2024.Manor Lordsis another city-builder with RTScombat mechanics that has the potential to grow into something bigger.
DORFis another game that draws inspiration fromCommand & Conquerand is slated to come out soon. Last but not least,SUPERVIVE, which was previouslyProject Loki, is another game that describes itself as a top-down squad-based hero battle royale but is really akin to other “strategic” MOBA-lite titles likeBattlerite.
The Decline Of Strategy Games
I Reached Diamond On The Starcraft 2 Ranked Ladder
For people who haven’t lived through the rise, peak, and fall of what was the hype aroundStarcraft 2, it’s hard to express how big the game was at one point. While the fandom of players never reached the pinnacle that it did in a country like South Korea,in terms of esports,Counter-Strike&Starcraftwere the two biggest games in the spacefor a time. This would eventually give rise to esports communities like the ones that would form aroundLeague of LegendsandFortnite, but these first games stand as the foundational building blocks of the industry.
HaloandSuper Smash Bros Meleealso had strong competitive communities.
Starcraft 2was initially released in 2010, making it now 14 years old, and arguably reached its peak around the time thatHeart of the Swarmwas released in 2013. Although the competitive community persisted for years, esports prize pools were already starting to dwindle asLegacy of the Voidwas released in 2015.
I lived through this era with my own Twitch stream andStarcraftclan, where we put on streamed tournaments before that was a thing in the current game. This was an exciting time when names like Maru, Byun, Scarlett, and BoxeR dominated the scene and were known even outside of theStarcraftfandom.
Before its time, there were plenty of other alternatives. Speaking specifically to RTS, there was theCommand & Conquerseries,Warcraft,Rise of Nations, theAge of Empiresand its spinoffs, and a number of other smaller RTS titles. In terms of grand strategy and 4X, there were also other options too. Beyond the aforementionedCivilizationseries, there were alsoEuropa UniversalisandStellarisgames.
Age of Mythology: Retold - Release Date, Confirmed Gods, & Changes From The Original
Age of Mythology: Retold is the long-awaited revival of a classic strategy game spinoff. Here’s what to expect from the upcoming remake.
Why Did Strategy Games Decline?
A Lack Of Interest And Rise Of New Genres
The fall of strategy games can’t be pinned on exactly any one thing. Rather, it was (and still is) a confluence of factors that make setting a significant budget for a strategy game one that most AAA studios stay away from. According to aQuanticsurvey in 2024,gamers are generally less interested in strategic thinking in their games. The data surveyed 1.57 million gamers, and the desire to play highly strategic games has declined significantly over the past nine years, with67% of gamers caring less about strategic thinking and planning than the average in 2015.
Company of Heroes 2was a highly anticipated RTS, but sadlyCOH3failed to deliverupon its release.
While a more cynical view could view this as anoverall societal issue and reduced attention span(which the report also touches on), part of the decline could also be a result of gaming just becoming more diverse. Now, there is a more diverse variety of games and genres. AlthoughSim Cityis the grandfather of city-builders, a greater variety of city-builder games and offshoot production games likeFactoriolets people scratch that macro-management itch that makes up half of RTS gameplay.
Conversely, MOBA games likeDota 2andLoLtook the micro elements of RTS but gave players a lot less to micro-manage on the screen, making it more palatable to those who didn’t want to read tutorials or drill builds to climb the ladder. Add to this the emergence of new genres and countless titles for an affordable fee, and strategy games don’t feel like the only option anymore. 4X and Grand Strategy games require your entire attention as well, much like RTS games, so that could also be a contributing factor to their decline.
I get it. Drilling build orders to be a few seconds ahead of your opponent so you could implement the 3 Rax strat isn’t fun for probably a large swath of players. Being overwhelmed with immense micro-management and performing over 100 actions per second creates a massive barrier for people who are not looking to perfect a skill or play one game for years. That said, I do hope that more developers are willing to take a chance and develop more strategyPC gamesso I can finally scratch my strategy game itch.
