What are the best PC turn-based strategy games ever? If there is a genre that certainly "steals" time without realizing it, it is certainly the one linked to strategic turn-based experiences. How many times have you started a game of Civilization and found yourself saving the game five hours later thinking you only played an hour? The reasons are many, derived both from the strategic component (which takes time to avoid gross errors and which could compromise the match) and for their ability to be able to entertain without being too tedious.
In this new ranking we have tried to have our say on the best turn-based strategy video games released on PC over the years, trying to alternate authentic gems of the genre with slightly more recent titles that have still convinced the players. In addition to this, in the ranking you will find various turn-based games, from 4X to those with a management component, this is because the sub-genres are really varied and it was clearly impossible to be able to catalog them in different rankings. However, it should be emphasized that unlike the RTS, the shift-based strategists have managed to maintain an important footprint in the market, a not so obvious factor in a constantly evolving sector.
Turn-Based Strategy
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The best turn-based strategy games on PC ever
15) Humankind
Year: 2021 Developer: AMPLITUDE Studios
14) Cyberstorm
Year: 1996 Developer: Dynamix Cyberstorm is a bit like that game that you don't remember existed until you casually review it in a YouTube video. If it is in this ranking it is because Cyberstorm was actually a great turn-based strategy player with a very interesting management component. While inspired by the counterpart signed "Battletech", the mechs all had original designs.
13) Battletech
Year: 2018 Developer: Harebrained Schemes The BattleTech universe is well known by enthusiasts , thanks to him we loved games such as Mech Warriors and Mech Commander, but it has been years since there have been new products on the brand and Battletech has, in part, compensated for this lack. Mitch Gitelman, producer of previous games based on the BattleTech universe, strongly wanted to collaborate in the development of a turn-based strategic video game called, precisely, Battletech. Although initially the community did not particularly appreciate some game mechanics, with the passage of time and updates, Battletech has become one of the best turn-based strategy video games of recent years.
12) Age of Wonders : Planetfall
Year: 2019 Developer: Triumph STudios Among the recent 4X strategic video games, Planetfall is the one that has impressed the community the most (also thanks to the Xbox Game Pass showcase). Its ability to be extremely vast from the point of view of customization and things to do makes it both interesting for those who love to have lots of content and also a little daunting for those who expect to understand everything right away. A complex, but certainly rewarding experience.
11) Gears Tactics
Year: 2020 Developer: Splash Damage
10) Europa Universal IV
Year: 2013 Developer: Paradox The Europa Universal series is one of the most beloved and long-lived strategic videogame sagas ever (the first chapter is dated 2000). Although a new chapter has not been produced for some time, the development team is spending a lot on the support of the fourth chapter, which currently sees eighteen (yes, you got it right) expansions, which have made it one of the most strategic products. supported of all times.
9) Panzer Corps 2
Year: 2020 Developer: Flashback Games If we were to think of a turn-based WWII video game, surely the first one that comes to us in mind is definitely Panzer Corps 2 and not so much for its popularity, but more for its incredible quality and gameplay mechanics. Despite being recent, the second episode of the series has shown that it has all the credentials to enter the top 10 of our ranking.
8) Into The Breach
Year: 2018 Developer: Subset Games Simple and immediate, Into the Breach has quickly become a very popular title among fans of turn-based strategy video games, also because of its inspired artistic style and its mix of different genres, including Rogue Like.
7) Master of Orion 2
Year: 1996 Developer: Simtex
6) Crusader Kings III
Year: 2020 Developer: Paradox By far the best turn-based strategy of recent production, Crusader Kings III is truly a product of extreme quality and capable of being accessible thanks to complex game mechanics, but mastered in a short time. Furthermore, it is definitely one of the turn-based strategy video games with a really present and well thought out narrative component. Too bad for the English language alone (for those who may not be sufficiently prepared), but it is really one of those modern experiences to try at least once (and which could really be all-encompassing in your daily life).
5) Heroes III: Might And Magic
Year: 1999 Developer: 3DO The name alone should bring back indelible memories. Heroes III: Might and Magic brings with it a load of incredible nostalgia, partly because of its unforgettable soundtrack and partly because on balance it represents one of the most accessible and balanced experiences in gaming history. If it is still widely played today (and certainly the most loved of the series) it is precisely for its immediacy, the same that made it modern as early as 1999.
4) Civilization V
Year : 2010 Developer: Firaxis Among the most recent Civilizations, the fifth chapter of the series is probably one of the most popular, both from a content point of view and from that linked to gameplay mechanics (albeit with the classic problems due to the concept of "diplomacy") . If you have played it at least once, it means that you will probably have around 500 hours of game cataloged by now.
3) XCOM 2: War of the Chosen
Year: 2017 Developer: Firaxis XCOM 2 : War of the Chosen is probably one of the hardest (literally) turn-based strategy video games we've ever gotten to play. Do not misunderstand, its difficulty is directly proportional to its technical and gameplay quality, in addition to the satisfaction it can guarantee once completed. Among modern products, it is certainly one of the best works the market has offered in recent years.
2) X-COM: UFO Defense
Year: 1994 Developer: MicroProse Despite many players only know the recent series, the X-COM brand has distant origins, precisely from the 90s. Without a doubt we are telling you about one of the best turn-based strategy video games on PC. During those years UFO Defense was an authentic masterpiece, but even today (despite an outdated visual component) it is still playable and fun as in that historical period. Perhaps it could be difficult to recover (given the presence of much more recent games), but it is certainly a pearl that must be given credit for having given an important imprint to turn-based strategists.
1 ) Civilization II
Year: 1996 Developer: MicroProse Sid Meier has taken part in gaming developments that have become legendary, but despite the Civilization series taking his name in all chapters, the second episode of the series has not seen his involvement. A rather ironic case, considering that Civ II is in effect one of the best turn-based strategy video games on PC ever and that in this particular ranking we wanted to reward with the first place. In part, the differences with the first chapter were small, but the soundtrack and the improvements in terms of content have made it among the most legendary works of strategy that history remembers.
