The 18 Best Strategy Games 2022 for PC & Console

Do you love to explore strange worlds, spread out in unfamiliar terrain and face challenging opponents? Then our guide to the best games in the strategy genre in 2022 is just what you need.

We'll show you:

  • Which are the 18 best real-time and turn-based strategy games in 2022
  • What challenges await you in each game
  • Which games you can experience together with friends

XCOM 2

  • Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • Genre: Turn-based strategy
  • Expansions: War of the Chosen
  • Multiplayer: Yes

The aliens rule over Earth after the Terran defenses have been crushed. However, magnificent cities and a superficially orderly existence for the remaining humans are only a facade. In the role of the XCOM leader, you set up squads of soldiers who first have to establish a base on a spaceship and regulate its supply before you set out to uncover and ideally prevent the sinister plans of the aliens.

Apart from turn-based missions, in which you'll have to infiltrate the target area, eliminate enemies, rescue important people and achieve your objectives in a given time frame, a lot depends on your decisions away from the missions. With research, you'll improve your equipment and develop new advanced techniques to fight the aliens, train your soldiers, support resistance movements all over Earth and plan new missions.

All guides & articles for XCOM 2:

Civilization 6

  • Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Playstation 4, iPhone/iPad
  • Genre: turn-based strategy, building strategy
  • Expansions: Rise and Fall, Gathering Storm, many civilization packs
  • Multiplayer: In co-op or against each other

Sid Meier's successful series is already in its sixth round and returns to a somewhat more comic-like graphics. In Civilization 6 ()you choose a civilization and embody its leader, build your first cities, cultivate the surrounding land and explore the world.

While at the start of the game you'll have to defend your settlements mainly against barbarians, sooner or later other civilizations will become dangerous competitors that try to fulfill their respective agendas.

Whether you deal with your competitors by peaceful means or in a warlike way, the more peoples you discover, the more complex the turn-based strategy game and the options it offers become. By researching new technologies and constantly developing your dominion, through special buildings and the cultivation of efficient special districts, you create decisive advantages for yourself, depending on your chosen play style.

All guides & articles on Civilization 6:

Total War: Warhammer 2

  • Platform: PC
  • Genre: Real-time strategy & turn-based strategy
  • Expansions: DLCs with new races and commanders
  • Multiplayer: Available

With Total War: Warhammer 2 once again mixes the sweeping gameplay of the Total War series with the diverse world of Warhammer Fantasy. As the leader of one of four classic races - High Elves, Lizardmen, Dark Elves or Skaven - you try to gain control over the powerful arcane maelstrom during the respective race campaign. After many centuries of stability, the maelstrom is now threatening to run dry, and the battle for it will reveal which race is trying to avert the destruction or draw power from the catastrophe.

Alternatively, you can play on the entire map, where every nation and every leader is available for you to choose from. Use diplomacy, exploration & statecraft to prepare your campaigns. In addition, you'll recruit huge armies that you'll fight against enemies in real-time battles under the command of legendary heroes. Whether you join forces with rivals to form a powerful alliance or wipe out everyone who stands between you and your goal is entirely up to you, and offers high replay value in both single-player and multiplayer modes.

All guides & articles for Total War: Warhammer 2:

Crusader Kings 3

  • Platform: PC, will also be released on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2022
  • Genre: real-time strategy & turn-based strategy
  • Expansions: Royal Court
  • Multiplayer: Yes

In the global strategy game Crusader Kings 3, you decide the fate of your dynasty on a huge, medieval game world. Political intrigue, multi-faceted diplomacy and exciting real-time battles regularly present you with challenging decisions.

Each character in Crusader Kings 3 has attributes and unique character traits. As is typical for role-playing games, you develop your ruler and shape a unique personality through numerous events.

All guides & articles for Crusader Kings 3:

StarCraft Remastered

  • Platform: PC
  • Genre: Real-Time Strategy
  • Extensions: -
  • Multiplayer: yes

If you love real-time strategy and science fiction scenarios, you can't avoid Blizzard's classic "StarCraft". The classic game principle of the fight between the three races Humans, Protoss and Zerg has remained the same, but the graphics have been significantly improved and adapted to current screen standards. In addition, the sounds and dialogs have also been reworked to better showcase the epic heroes Raynor, Kerrigan and Tassadar. The expansion "Brood War" is also part of the Remastered Edition.

The single player campaign starts in the role of the humans. There you try to master the threat of the insect-like Zerg as well as internal intrigues in the Terran Confederation. In the Zerg campaign, you'll dedicate yourself to the conquest of the galaxy, leading an advance all the way to the long-hidden Protoss homeworld. Finally, in the Protoss campaign, after plenty of internal conflict, you'll beat back the Zerg, which continues in an extensive storyline in Brood War. In the multiplayer mode, you compete against your friends in various modes.

Command & Conquer Remastered

  • Platform: PC
  • Genre: Real-time strategy
  • Extensions: None
  • Multiplayer: Co-op & Versus

An RTS classic remastered: Comannd & Conquer Remastered combines game mechanics from the 90s with 4K visuals befitting of the times. The collection includes the first two spin-offs of the series, namely The Tiberium Conflict and Red Alert.

In Command & Conquer, the mass of units usually decides the outcome of a battle. Although the classic rock-paper-scissors principle also plays a role, it is implemented more inconsistently than in the StarCraft or Age of Empires series.

All guides & articles on Command & Conquer Remastered:

Panzer Corps 2

Platform: PC
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Expansions: Multiple DLCs with new missions
Multiplayer: Available

In Panzer Corps 2, you lead historically accurate World War II units across a tactical map and fight against your opponents in turn-based combat. Both the weather and the terrain play a decisive role in the outcome of the battle. Over 1,000 detailed units can be controlled in co-op games or against the AI.

Thanks to the random map generator, every battle is a new challenge. If you want to be creative, you can use the scenario editor to create your own campaigns and multiplayer maps.

Stellaris

  • Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • Genre: Real-time strategy
  • Expansions: Utopia, Apocalypse, MegaCorp, various story and race packs
  • Multiplayer: Yes

With a self-assembled race, you start out in an initially unknown galaxy, which you must first explore before you can conquer it. As you build your small galactic empire and research new techniques, you'll encounter neighboring races and establish diplomatic relations. As you explore the galaxy, you'll encounter ancient civilizations that have long passed their peak, but are still powerful enough to defend their homeworlds. You decide how to deal with peaceful space whales, the aggressive crystal beings or rogue pirates.

As the game progresses, you can forge alliances with friendly races or even form a federation of several races. Alternatively, you can conquer the galaxy and force inferior races under your rule by force of arms. You can also explore galactic anomalies with science ships, trade with peaceful NPC factions, or pursue longer-term quests to learn more about your people's origins and galactic history. With friends, you can either play against each other or try to conquer the galaxy together.

Brass Tactics (VR)

  • Platform: PC
  • VR: Oculus Rift
  • Genre: Real-time strategy
  • Extensions: -
  • Multiplayer: Yes

In a medieval fantasy world, you command your armies directly by hand thanks to VR goggles: you show your ranged units where to fire with the movement of your hands, assign a target to your melee fighters, or place powerful war machines on a tabletop battlefield.

You'll have to consider both different altitude levels and obstacles that can limit the movement of your troops. You fight either in a single player campaign against the AI or online against a human opponent.

All guides & articles on Brass Tactics:

Skyworld (VR)

  • Platform: PC, PlayStation 4
  • VR: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality
  • Genre: Real-time strategy
  • Extensions: -
  • Multiplayer: Yes

Skyworlds takes you to a fantasy world where you not only fight battles in real time against challenging AI opponents or friends in multiple modes, but also manage your conquered empire turn-based and upgrade existing troops.

This is because the demanding enemies will always present you with new challenges that can only be overcome with stronger units. Legendary units and troops with new ranged and magic abilities complement the lineup of melee fighters and air creatures.

All guides & articles on Skyworld:

Desperados 3

  • Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One
  • Genre: Real-time tactics
  • Expansions:Season Pass with three new missions
  • Multiplayer: No

In Desperados 3 you slip into the roles of a total of five playable characters of a western setting. Each of them with their own strengths, weaknesses and special abilities. In each level there are missions to complete, which are best completed secretly.

Since you'll usually encounter numerically superior opponents, it's advisable to isolate individual enemies or groups and eliminate them unnoticed. The showdown mode helps you to do this, as it allows you to plan and execute actions simultaneously.

All guides & articles for Desperados 3:

Gears Tactics

  • Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • Genre: turn-based strategy, tactical shooter
  • Expansions: None
  • Multiplayer: No

Gears Tactics is a turn-based tactics shooter in the Gears of War universe. With your leader Gabe Diaz, you assemble your individual squad, use cover & elevated positions to your advantage, and fight giant boss enemies.

Against the alien Locust, you'll need to constantly upgrade your squad through collected loot to stay up to the increasing challenge. All five classes can be skilled in four different directions in the skill tree, which provides great gameplay freedom. This is also necessary, because each enemy type requires a different approach.

All guides & articles on Gears Tactics:

Age of Empires 4

  • Platform: PC
  • Genre: Real-time strategy
  • Expansions: None
  • Multiplayer: Co-op, Versus and numerous other game modes

Age of Empires 4, the long-awaited successor to Age of Empires 3, was finally released in 2021 and was developed by the strategy experts at Relic Entertainment, who are responsible for the successful Company of Heroes series, among others.

You can enjoy the campaign of Age of Empires 4 without any previous strategy knowledge thanks to the simpler history mode. Professionals can let off steam in the multiplayer mode with one of the eight historical races. You'll start in the "Dark Age" and develop up to the "Imperial Age". To reach the latter era, you'll mine resources, recruit troops and wage skirmishes against enemies. Meanwhile, your people must grow and research technologies.

All Age of Empires 4 guides & articles:

The Banner Saga 3

  • Platform: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Switch
  • Genre: Turn-based strategy
  • Expansions: Survival Mode, Eternal Arena
  • Multiplayer: No

The Banner Saga 3 is the finale of The Banner Saga trilogy. As in the previous parts, the game is turn-based. The focus is on myths and stories from the Viking culture, as well as the familiar characters from the two predecessors.

On chessboard-like playing fields, you'll move your characters each turn and let them attack. You'll choose your party from a large number of playable characters and send them into battle against hostile tribes. The Banner Saga 3 also offers a variety of dialog options that will determine the course of your journey.

Into the Breach

  • Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia
  • Genre: Sci-fi turn-based strategy
  • Expansions: None
  • Multiplayer: Nope

In Into the Breach, you must fend off an alien threat with the help of powerful mechs. You fight against alien creatures on procedurally generated maps in classic turn-based strategy style. The "Faster than Light" developers Subset Games focus on challenging battles and strategic action.

In combat, you'll lead three different types of mechs into battle against the alien race Vek. On each map you have a target object that you must reach in a predefined number of moves. Besides, the civilian buildings on the map must be protected, since they supply your mechs with energy.

The game can be compared to chess, since in Into the Breach it's not the number of pieces that determines victory or defeat, but the positioning and map control of your pieces.

Old World

  • Platform: PC
  • Genre: turn-based strategy, building strategy
  • Expansions: None
  • Multiplayer: Available

In the historical turn-based strategy game Old World you lead one of the numerous ancient civilizations through the ages. In classic Civilization style, you collect victory points, develop new technologies, promote your culture or conquer enemy nations.

Old World also focuses on your dynasty, which is constantly presented with new challenges through numerous events.

All guides & articles on Old World:

Age of Wonders: Planetfall

  • Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One
  • Genre: Sci-fi turn-based strategy game
  • Expansions: Multiple DLCs with new campaigns and new playable races
  • Multiplayer: Co-op and Versus

The turn-based strategy game Age of Wonders: Planetfall takes its cues from great models like Civilization 6 or Heroes of Might and Magic. Planetfall offers less depth in terms of economy and diplomacy, but convinces with a more extensive combat system.

Over 200 units are at your disposal, all of which can be modified. During your conquests, you will also meet neutral nations that allow diplomatic options.

All guides & articles for Age of Wonders: Planetfall:

Iron Harvest

  • Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • Genre: Real-time strategy
  • Expansions: Operation Eagle (new campaign)
  • Multiplayer: Yes

Iron Harvest is set in an alternate universe of the 1920s. In real time you build your base, train units and build powerful mechs.

Iron Harvest leaves you with many strategic options in the battles, which is especially due to the destructible game world and the cover features.

All guides & articles on Iron Harvest:

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