Games have always been a medium of entertainment for every group of people based on genre. There are different categories of games based on age group, interest area, and emotional segments. Some games give you mental challenges; some give pleasure, fear, and panic. Strategy games for PC are a kind where you will need to deal with strategies and tactics. Players’ decision making skill is the main priority to give the result of the game. There will be a series of battles to score, and the total highest scorer will be the winner. A proper strategy game allows its’ players to choose from multiple designed-strategies.
Best Strategy Games For PC
The main element of a strategy game is the theme of having multiple paths to continue a game further. There is no defined win in such a game; instead, the whole process is based on how a player uses tactics to win in a progressive way. In this article, we are going to represent the 10 best strategy games for your PC to enhance your knowledge about strategy games.
1. Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock
If anyone is looking for strategy games for PC related to thrilling sci-fi themed, Battlestar Galactica should be a popular consideration for you. The game is about a deadly stalemate and a war to unlock it. But there is no victory despite all the massacre and encountering. Suddenly the deadlock is broken by Cyclone attack and annihilation. It is a battle of Cyclone War where you can apply your tactics and engagement to overcome the mission.
- It is a turn-based tactics game where you will get a colonial fleet and forces.
- Contains outstanding battles of space and intriguing lore.
- This game will put players on edge in every turn to be more engaged with the gameplay.
- Players will need to build fleers and protect the quorum.
- You will have to go deeper into the conspiracy to resolve it.
- Besides, this game offers much more and will take you into colonial politics turns.
Pros: One can stop the game anywhere they want in case of emergency and can pick-up the game back from that pause.
Cons: This is a paid game with add-ons. One can get confused with the story if they put the add-ons in the wrong order.
2. Civilization IV
From the name, we can guess that this is a game of time period. This game covers a theme of civilization from the Stone Age to the Information Age. It is a turn-based strategy game where players will have to build an empire. Besides, It is full of diplomacy, politics, culture, and history.
It deals with the possibilities of becoming the greatest leader. Over time the game develops with more engagement with the player. You can explore cities across the map and research new potentials to conduct a new masterplan to pursue your target.
- Can offer multiple tiles of cities to customize and to make the best use of local terrain.
- You will not only have to develop the environment but also discover new cultures.
- Civilization changes over time from primitive to modern culture.
- Expands on “one unit per tile” to form different strategies.
- On top of that, it provides the facility to compete with your friends in multiplayer games.
- Experienced and old players will get new plug-ins to build and tune in better ways.
Pros: A great game to entertain history lovers. Besides, the chance to know in-depth and explore the development schemes of military refinement makes this game really unique.
Cons: The multiplayer game system has some bug, and so people get kicked randomly from the game.
3. Crusader Kings II
Crusader Kings II is a game of the dark age of Europe where the main theme is to save dynasty and secure thrones. The pope calls for a Crusade to save Christians and protect the expansion. With new agendas and finding out the traitors, this game is full of thrilling experiences.
The player needs to be very careful about being deceived by traitors. You can teel twists throughout the game as you have to move forward with plots and schemes. It will give all the challenges to become a Crusader King exploring historical periods. It is considered one of the best strategy games of knights, unpredictable plots, throne, and dynasty.
- It starts from 1066 to 1453, and one can choose any period to finish the game until 1453.
- Each character gains prestige and glory if becomes successful.
- You will have to choose a Christian lord and has to make sure it survives through ages.
- Besides, unraveling the plots of the countries you choose will be required to make a further move.
- Enhance the domain of feudal to keep it intact and win the game eventually.
- One will need to protect the player from the onslaught of the Mongol Horde.
Pros: Up to 32 players can compete at a time in multiplayer mode to relive Medieval Europe.
Cons: This can be difficult for beginners, but you can always watch tutorials to learn.
4. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
Starcraft II is one of the free strategy games for your PC, which does not need any background knowledge of starcraft before start playing it. Each character has their own mission and task to complete. It is a game of campaigns, each having 20-30 missions along with branching missions. There are infinite ways to play it, having fore modes and three race campaigns.
It is a real-time strategy experience to become the greatest galaxy commander. The player has to construct a base and build an army to start the battle. Throughout the battles, strong schemes are needed to gain success in micro and macro-level units. It pushes the player to their limit of strategies and tactical capabilities.
- Allows players to make more content per campaign by a trilogy.
- Campaigns begin one after another, transforming units like Vikings and Helion.
- However, additional workers can also increase income and helps to conduct larger armies.
- One can choose one single unit to master or play all three of it.
- Each unit has a different style and scheme for players to have a different experience.
- Strategies include infantry and mechanical styles to give it a unique flavor.
Pros: While it has a strong storyline to grow character developments, the missions are far more realistic than a game.
Cons: The army is slow-moving along with vulnerable bio units.
5. XCOM 2
XCOM is one of the most popular strategy-based games for PC with the theme of aliens and humans. It shows the earth in a completely changed version where human surrenders unconditionally to aliens. XCOM 2 is the sequel of XCOM, where aliens rule the earth and plot against humans who disobey their order.
It is a mission to rescue mankind from the cage of aliens. Players need to fight against all odds and finds a way to eliminate aliens entirely by the proper scheme and tactical knowledge. There is open-ended gameplay where players have to guide the strike team and counter the enemy.
- Freedom of creating specific soldier teams combining their own skills.
- Although the gameplay is compact, it offers more tactical flexibility in combat.
- Also, the availability to rob enemies to collect powerful and necessary gears and artifacts makes this game incredible.
- A variety of enemies having different skills and power to make it more challenging for the player.
- Can explore new capabilities on the battlefield by using Scientists and Engineers of the team.
- Play missions around the world to the depth of alien installations. Also, combining maps and goals will be a part of the task.
Pros: Best game field to engage in multiplayer mode by mix and match where a squad of humans and aliens on auto maps.
Cons: Mistakes can make it tough to catch up with the avatar timer, and that can push a player to restart from entirely fresh.
6. Total War: WARHAMMER
Total War: WARHAMMER can be considered as one of the most addictive turn-based strategy game for PC with the theme of empire-building with colossal and real-time battles. Players get to play as legendary heroes battling with giant monsters, flying creators in the magical powers. It deals with five races: Bretonnia, the Empire, the Dwarfs, the Vampire Counts, and the Greenskins.
Every race has its’ own unique style and character on the battlefield. Players must use the units with the perfect strategy to make the best use of them. The deadly battle magic, fabled weapons, armor, and quest chains make it more thrilling for any player.
- It leads you to the period of politicking that goes on Chaos Hordes that makes the game more enjoyable.
- One can use the human-AI faction as well as a shield in a certain area of the game.
- You will have options to fly on the battlefield with flying creatures like dragons and griffons.
- Besides, this game does not come with race fiction only, and it has meaningful diplomacy.
- On top of that, the map includes 3-4 cities in each province, which helps to guide expansion.
- Although the gameplay is tricky, you can easily keep track of the progress of your own city development.
Pros: It gives an excellent vibe of a fantasy battlefield game with unique legendary propositions.
Cons: The camera becomes uncooperative in sudden intervals and a very steep learning curve.
7. Stellaris
Stellaris is a sci-fi grand strategy game for PC from Paradox Development Studios. It is a diversifying game combining alien races, galaxy elements, full of discoveries and unexpected events. Players will face different unique challenges with limitless possibilities in adventurous ways.
You will get exclusive Avatar and Forum Icon Galaxy with the game having exclusive alien races. This game will take you on the journey of spaces among the stars. Within the war, you will find treasures and galactic wonders eventually.
- The real adventure will evolve as players go further into the game.
- To explore and survey the surrounding, one must send science ships in the space field.
- Allows creating players’ very own civilization exploring new stars and species.
- You will be able to purge alien slime using multiple methods, and you can choose any of it according to choice.
- While it even provides the opportunity to brainwash some of the aliens, the player needs to be a spiritualist.
- Besides, the option to micromanage every aspect of an empire makes the gameplay interesting.
Pros: It has plenty of wonderful mods, including l Star War Full conversion Mod to make the game even more interesting to its players
Cons: It is not a turn-based game, so there is no extreme surprise to be waiting
8. Ashes of the Singularity
Among the strategy games for PC, Ashes of the Singularity is a real-time strategy game on a grand scale battling experience across the galactic empire. Players should know how to manage and control a battle in a larger base to do well in this game. You have to deal with hundreds of units having a war against each other.
It gives you an experience of an unusually sized map with details and powers. The player is a Post Human Coalition and has to deal with the new menace. It is a battle against the new enemy called Substrate to save human existence.
- It has both the option of playing with multiplayer mode or single-player battling against a powerful, non-cheating AI.
- One can play both in skirmish more or champaign mode while playing on a single player.
- You have to deal with crucial decisions like technologies to research, armies to locate and economy to manage, and unit to construct.
- The gameplay is not only smooth but also comes with customizable controls that can add an extra edge.
- The storyline and character buildup are pretty good, along with very impressive graphics.
- While it is easy to learn, build an army by holding mineral sites is super simple.
Pros: The massive battlefield and armies give a vibe of a real commander when you play it
Cons: The learning curve is huge, and also most of the units seem similar because it has 2 factions only.
9. Warcraft III: Reforged
Warcraft III is a real-time strategy game of resource gathering and unit buildings to battle against enemies. The “Fog of War’ can cover the areas on the map if at least one unit does not exist after the exploration. The units are called “creeps” with AI control. When players defeat creeps, they win points, items, and gold.
It has the option to play both day and night so that players can utilize the best use of light and night time. The five campaigns are segregated into different character race factions. However, some specific characters are identified as “heroes” in each race’s campaign.
- It comes with an epic story that includes visual overhaul, night elves, orcs, undead, and human.
- While you will have to play as one of the four distinct factions, building a base for the battle is also required.
- Has to build an army and recruit powerful heroes to guide the troops on the battlefield.
- Besides, to win the game, you will need to destroy the base of the enemy.
- Can play in multiplayer more with more than 60 players at a time.
- It can be considered a lengthy and engaging strategy game, including 62 missions with custom maps.
Pros: The depth of any character, structure, and environment brings the game more life with updated animation. Besides, the controls are highly customizable to provide the best user experience.
Cons: Although the gameplay is a bit outdated, it is still playable, but the absence of a wide variety of features is the major downgrade of the game.
10. Ride of Nation
Rise of Nation is one of the best games for PC, with a real-time experience that spans all history. While the storyline starts with an ancient age, it goes up to the modern era of technologies. It includes different wonders of the world like the Pyramid, Eiffel Tower and builds armies across the world.
This game is about conquering nations with extreme battleship and bombing activities in different nations of the world. It contains 18 nations with military units having special abilities in each team. It is a World conquering campaign with various scenarios from diverse nations.
- Not less than a hundred military units on the ground, sea, and air will be battling.
- From a small city to an information society, buildings will have upgrades and technologies over the time period.
- On top of that, it comes with a wide variety of map types, including the Amazon Rainforest to the Himalayas to the Nile Delta.
- Also, the 14 wonders of the World like the Terracotta Army, Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower give special bonuses to the player.
- Resources are only available in the actual age of that specific resource, which makes it more competitive.
- The challenge is to keep a balance between offensive and defensive forces.
Pros: It is classic gameplay with excellent RTS along with the controls, pretty graphics, and an incredible soundtrack.
Cons: Some of the nations have construction bonuses, but there is no nation with overpowering, which might feel boring to the player.
Our Recommendation
Strategy games are doing great as time goes by with more modern technologies. Most of the strategy games are either with the theme of the historical background or with the theme of aliens and the modern human race; whatever the theme is, the most important quality to overcome these games is the skill of tactics and strategies. You have to keep a target in mind and know how to lead a group of followers to meet the purpose.
Although you can play any games you want, we like to recommend you XCOM 2. It does not have a great plotline only; the freedom of showing your own skills throughout the game sets it apart from the competitors. It has all the twists and turns of discovery and science, which we think will be perfect for entertaining your strategic skills.
Finally, Insights
Strategy games are a popular PC game genre that keeps you occupied with maps, military groups, and building a base for the battlefield. It is one of the most diverse games to polish skills to make master plans. It helps to know about the history of different periods or sci-fi elements along with the fantasy. Although the genre was first invented in 1938, it is still as popular as it was years ago.
Be it a turn-based or a real-time game, and these games are a great medium of entertainment among PC games. Go through the features, pros, and cons to get a gist about the games. You can visit the websites as well to acquire more knowledge before making a decision.
