The best strategies of all time on PC (PC) and consoles: top RTS, TBS, economic strategies

Games Compilations Best Strategy Games of All Time

Best Strategy Games of All Time

Before you is a list of the best strategies of all time. We have gathered in one top the bright hits of recent years, as well as old and already forgotten strategies that can be launched even on a weak PC. Many games from our ranking have multiplayer and allow playing online.

There are several main types of strategy games. First of all, they are commonly divided into real-time strategies (RTS) and turn-based strategies (TBS). A vivid example of RTS is the Warcraft series from Blizzard, while TBS is represented by the Heroes of Might and Magic series.

The strategic genre is characterized by a large number of historical games. Events such as World War II are well-suited for strategies of various scales: from RTS like Company of Heroes to global games from Paradox such as Hearts of Iron. However, perhaps the best historical strategies are released in the Total War series.

Plants vs. Zombies

Strategy, In real time, Top-down view, Tower Defense (Tower Defense)

May 5, 2009

Players: 7.3/10

Metacritic: 85/100

A colorful strategy game in the tower defense genre, where an ordinary country house is under siege by an army of funny but extremely persistent zombies. The only...

Stellaris

Strategy, In real time, Futurism (Future)

May 9, 2016

Players: 8.3/10

Metacritic: 79/100

Stellaris is a real-time space strategy game. The local space is procedurally generated, and the local planets are inhabited by different alien races. At the...

Crusader Kings 3

Strategy, In real time, Historical, Top-down view, Simulation

September 1, 2020

Players: 8.5/10

Metacritic: 86/100

Crusader Kings 3 is a continuation of the series of global strategies by Paradox about the Middle Ages. When creating it, historically accurate customs and morals...

Cities: Skylines

Simulation, Strategy, Business / Management, Tactics

March 10, 2015

Players: 7.8/10

Metacritic: 79/100

Cities: Skylines is a city planning simulator with a developed management system and metropolitan management. As mayor, you'll have to take care of education...

Total War: Warhammer 3

Strategy, Online, In real time, Top-down view, Turn-based, Tactics, Cooperative (co-op), Fantasy, Grand strategy

February 17, 2022

Players: 8.3/10

Metacritic: 86/100

Total War: Warhammer 3 is a continuation of the fantasy strategy with turn-based movements on a global map and real-time battles. Far from the familiar world with...

Anno 1800

Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, Isometric, City Building, Sandbox, Exploration, Historical, Cooperative (co-op)

April 16, 2019

Players: 8.3/10

Metacritic: 81/100

Anno 1800 is a new game in the real-time management strategy series Anno. The events unfold at the dawn of the industrial age, during the times of great...

Sid Meier's Civilization 6

Strategy, Business / Management, Isometric, Turn-based

October 20, 2016

Players: 8.4/10

Metacritic: 87/100

Sid Meier's Civilization 6 is a management strategy game with turn-based battles and an isometric camera view. Cities in the new game of the famous series expand...

Factorio

Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, Top-down view, Futurism (Future)

February 25, 2016

Players: 9.1/10

Metacritic: 90/100

Factorio is a top-down sci-fi management strategy game. You have to prepare an alien planet for comfortable living of earthly inhabitants. You will be able to mine...

Europa Universalis 4

Strategy, In real time, Top-down view

August 13, 2013

Players: 8.5/10

Metacritic: 87/100

Europa Universalis 4 is a top-down global real-time strategy game. The game takes place in the period from the Late Middle Ages to the era of the Napoleonic Wars...

Frostpunk

Strategy, Business / Management, Post-apocalyptic, Indie, Survival

April 24, 2018

Players: 8.7/10

Metacritic: 85/100

Frostpunk is a management strategy game from the creators of This War of Mine. The game tells the story of people surviving in a snowy world and using steam...

Against the Storm

Strategy, Isometric, In real time, Simulation, City Building, Sandbox, Historical, Fantasy, Construction

November 1, 2022

Players: 8/10

Metacritic: 91/100

A city-planning simulator in a dark fantasy world in which you need to restore civilization and save it from deadly rains. Players take on the role of the Scorched...

XCOM 2

Strategy, In real time, Futurism (Future), Turn-based, Tactics

February 4, 2016

Players: 8.8/10

Metacritic: 87/100

XCOM 2 is a tactical turn-based strategy set in a futuristic setting and in the XCOM universe. The game continues the storyline of the first part, and the action...

Total War: Warhammer

Strategy, In real time, Fantasy / Medieval, Turn-based

May 24, 2016

Players: 8.1/10

Metacritic: 86/100

Total War: Warhammer — fantasy strategy with turn-based movements on a global map and real-time battles. The dreams of all Warhammer fans have finally come...

Anno 2205

Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, Isometric, Futurism (Future)

November 2, 2015

Players: 8.5/10

Metacritic: 72/100

Anno 2205 is a futuristic real-time management strategy game. Like previous games in the series, the new game focuses on the economic component, thanks to which...

StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void

Strategy, DLC, In real time

November 10, 2015

Players: 8.9/10

Metacritic: 88/100

StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void is an addition to the real-time strategy StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty from the developers of Blizzard Entertainment. The addon...

Sid Meier's Civilization 5

Strategy, Business / Management, Isometric, Top-down view, Turn-based

September 21, 2010

Players: 9/10

Sid Meier's Civilization 5 is an isometric strategy game with business simulator elements from developers from the studio Firaxis Games, Inc.. The main publishers...

Dune: Spice Wars

Strategy, Isometric, In real time, Grand strategy, Construction

April 26, 2022

Players: 7.5/10

Metacritic: 73/100

Global strategy from the creators of Northgard, set in the world of Frank Herbert's "Dune." Players lead one of the factions and fight for control over the planet...

Crusader Kings

Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Top-down view, Fantasy / Medieval, Historical

April 23, 2004

Players: 8.3/10

Metacritic: 73/100

Crusader Kings is an isometric strategy game with a dash of fantasy and history from the masters at Paradox Interactive. The game is published by Paradox...

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Action, Strategy, Isometric, Futurism (Future), Turn-based

October 8, 2012

Players: 8.2/10

Metacritic: 88/100

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete (Collector's Edition)

Strategy, Isometric, Collection, Fantasy / Medieval, Turn-based

June 17, 2004

Players: 8.9/10

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete (Collector's Edition) is a turn-based fantasy strategy game with an isometric view. The set includes the original “Heroes of...

Marvel's Midnight Suns

Strategy, Tactics, Isometric, Top-down view, Comics, Turn-based, Collectible card game (CCG)

December 2, 2022

Players: 6.6/10

Metacritic: 82/100

Turn-based tactics in the Marvel universe from the creators of XCOM: Enemy Within and XCOM 2. Marvel's Midnight Suns is based on the dark comic book storyline...

Total War: Shogun 2

Strategy, In real time, Third-person view, Historical, Turn-based

March 15, 2011

Players: 8.6/10

Metacritic: 90/100

Total War: Shogun 2 is a global strategy with turn-based movements on a global map and real-time battles. The end of the 19th century became a turning point in...

StarCraft 2

Strategy, In real time, Third-person view, Futurism (Future), Sandbox, Free game

July 27, 2010

Players: 8.4/10

Metacritic: 93/100

A cult classic real-time strategy game that tells the story of a massive conflict between three unique races: the human Terrans, the high-tech Protoss, and the...

FTL: Faster Than Light

Simulation, Action, In real time, Business / Management, Top-down view, Futurism (Future), Turn-based, Indie, Roguelike, Strategy

September 14, 2012

Players: 8.8/10

Metacritic: 86/100

FTL: Faster Than Light is a unique management simulator with role-playing elements in a sci-fi setting. The cruiser Kestrel was lucky to find out secret information...

Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos

Role-playing game, Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Fantasy / Medieval

July 3, 2002

Players: 8.9/10

Metacritic: 92/100

Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos is a legendary real-time strategy game with an isometric camera view in a fantasy setting. The game takes place fifteen years after the...

Crusader Kings 2

Strategy, In real time, Top-down view, Historical, Free game

February 14, 2012

Players: 7.4/10

Crusader Kings 2 is a free-to-play sequel to the global real-time strategy game. Like the first part, Crusader Kings 2 simulates the system of feudal relations in...

Command & Conquer: Generals

Strategy, In real time, Isometric

February 10, 2003

Players: 8.8/10

Metacritic: 84/100

Command & Conquer: Generals is a real-time strategy game with an isometric view. The plot takes place in 2020. Global Liberating Army (GLA) troops stage a terrorist...

Company of Heroes

Strategy, In real time, Historical, Isometric, Tactics

September 11, 2006

Players: 8.6/10

Metacritic: 93/100

Tactical real-time strategy from the creators of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. The main action takes place on the battlefields of World War II. In addition to...

Heroes of Might and Magic 5

Strategy, Isometric, Fantasy / Medieval, Turn-based, Tactics

May 18, 2006

Players: 8.7/10

Heroes of Might and Magic 5 is an isometric strategy game with a touch of fantasy and tactics from the masters at Nival, Inc.. The game is published by Ubisoft. In...

Anno 2070

Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, Third-person view, Futurism (Future)

November 17, 2011

VGTimes: 8.6/10

Players: 7.9/10

Metacritic: 83/100

Anno 2070 is a third-person strategy game with business simulator elements from the developers at Related Designs. The game is published by Ubisoft. Overall, the...

Anno 1404

Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, Online, Exploration, Cooperative (co-op), Historical, Medieval era

July 26, 2009

Players: 8.1/10

Anno 1404 — real-time exploration strategy for multiple players in a medieval setting. Classic city building...

Stronghold Crusader

Action, Strategy, DLC, In real time, Business / Management, Isometric, Fantasy / Medieval

September 25, 2002

Players: 8.1/10

Metacritic: 78/100

Evil Genius

Strategy, In real time, Third-person view, Top-down view

September 28, 2004

Players: 8.1/10

Metacritic: 75/100

Evil Genius is a strategy game in which the player will play as one of three evil geniuses who wants to gain world domination. In the game you can create your own...

Wargame: Red Dragon

Action, Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Historical

April 17, 2014

Players: 7.9/10

Metacritic: 78/100

Wargame: Red Dragon is a real-time tactical strategy game with an isometric camera view. The plot of the game tells about the confrontation between Western...

Dungeons 3

Strategy, God Simulator, In real time, Isometric, Top-down view, Fantasy / Medieval, Roguelike

October 13, 2017

Players: 8.1/10

Metacritic: 75/100

Dungeons 3 is an isometric real-time strategy game with elements of a management game in a fantasy setting. You will witness the conquest of the upper world by the...

Medieval 2: Total War

Strategy, In real time, Third-person view, Historical, Turn-based, Fantasy / Medieval

November 10, 2006

Players: 7.5/10

Metacritic: 88/100

Medieval 2: Total War is a continuation of one of the best global historical strategies, released in 2002. In the game you have to lead your army and try to conquer...

Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne

Role-playing game, Strategy, DLC, In real time, Third-person view, Fantasy / Medieval

July 1, 2003

Players: 8.3/10

Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne is a third-person role-playing game with strategy and fantasy elements from Blizzard Entertainment Inc.. The game is published by...

King's Bounty: The Legend

Role-playing game, Strategy, In real time, Third-person view, Fantasy / Medieval, Turn-based

April 25, 2008

Players: 8.2/10

Metacritic: 79/100

King's Bounty: The Legend is a third-person role-playing game with a dash of strategy and fantasy from Katauri Interactive. The game is published by «1C»...

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Futurism (Future)

October 21, 2000

Players: 8.7/10

Metacritic: 84/100

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Futurism (Future)

September 20, 2004

Players: 8.6/10

Metacritic: 86/100

Tropico 4

Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, Third-person view, Sandbox

August 30, 2011

Players: 6.6/10

Metacritic: 78/100

Tropico 4 is a continuation of the banana republic dictator simulator. You will take on the role of the newly elected El Presidente. The main task is to make candy...

StarCraft: Remastered

Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Futurism (Future)

August 14, 2017

Players: 7.8/10

Metacritic: 85/100

StarCraft: Remastered is a re-release of the classic real-time strategy StarCraft, which includes all content from the original game and the Brood War expansion...

StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm

Strategy, DLC, In real time

March 12, 2013

Players: 8.5/10

Metacritic: 86/100

StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm is a strategy game from developers from the Blizzard Entertainment studio. The game is published by Blizzard Entertainment; the game...

The Settlers: New Allies

Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, Isometric, Online

February 17, 2023

Players: 4.6/10

Metacritic: 54/100

A modern restart of The Settlers strategy series. The player controls groups of settlers and goes in search of a new home. Battles take place in real time. There...

Banner Saga

Role-playing game, Action, Strategy, Isometric, Fantasy / Medieval, Turn-based, Indie, Tactics

January 14, 2014

Players: 8.9/10

Banner Saga is a tactical role-playing strategy with turn-based combat and a top-down view. The game combines amazing visual style and Nordic atmosphere. Banner...

X-COM: UFO Defense

Strategy, Isometric, Futurism (Future), Turn-based

October 25, 1995

Players: 8.9/10

X-COM: UFO Defense — turn-based tactical strategy with an isometric camera view in a sci-fi setting. The game takes place in 1999. Concerned about the...

Cities: Skylines Remastered

Simulation, Construction, Isometric, Business / Management, Strategy, In real time

February 15, 2023

Players: 6.5/10

Remastered version of Cities: Skylines for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, where the player develops a city. The developers increased the number of buildable...

StarCraft

Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Futurism (Future), Sandbox

March 31, 1998

Players: 8.7/10

Metacritic: 88/100

StarCraft is a legendary real-time strategy game in a sci-fi setting from the creators of the Warcraft series. In the game, you will join one of three warring...

Europa Universalis

Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, Fantasy / Medieval, Historical

March 14, 2000

Players: 5.5/10

Metacritic: 86/100

Europa Universalis is a real-time strategy game with management elements. The game takes place on a schematically depicted world map, divided into more than 1,500...

Age of Empires

Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Historical

September 30, 1997

Players: 7.5/10

Metacritic: 83/100

Age of Empires is a historical real-time strategy game with an isometric camera view. You will find 4 basic campaigns for Egypt, Greece, Babylon and the Empire of...

Stronghold

Role-playing game, Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, Third-person view, Fantasy / Medieval

June 2, 1994

Players: 7.2/10

Tropico 3

Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, Third-person view, Top-down view, Sandbox

September 24, 2009

Metacritic: 77/100

Tropico 3 is a third-person strategy game with business simulator and sandbox elements from the developers of Haemimont Games AD. The main publisher of the game is...

Sid Meier's Civilization 4

Strategy, Business / Management, Isometric, Turn-based

October 24, 2005

Players: 9.3/10

Sid Meier's Civilization 4 is a continuation of the popular series of management strategies with turn-based battles and an isometric camera view. You have to take...

Казаки: Европейские войны

Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Historical

November 30, 2000

Players: 8/10

Metacritic: 74/100

Cossacks: European Wars is a historical real-time strategy game based on the European wars of the 16th-18th centuries. The game features more than 16 countries...

Black & White

Role-playing game, Simulation, Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, First-person view

March 26, 2001

Players: 8.1/10

Metacritic: 90/100

Black & White is a real-time strategy game with RPG elements. By taking on the role of a god, the player can use all supernatural abilities. A special role is...

Rise of Nations

Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Historical, Sandbox

May 14, 2003

Players: 8.4/10

Dungeon Keeper

Strategy, In real time, First-person view, Third-person view, Isometric, Fantasy / Medieval, Online

June 2, 2011

Players: 7.3/10

Dungeon Keeper is a real-time strategy game with an isometric view in the medieval genre. The game has several modes. In addition to training and multiplayer play...

Europa Universalis 3

Strategy, In real time, Business / Management, Top-down view, Fantasy / Medieval, Historical

January 23, 2007

Players: 7.2/10

Europa Universalis 3 is a top-down strategy game with a mixture of business simulator, fantasy game and historical game from developers from Paradox Interactive AB...

Dune 2000

Strategy, In real time, Third-person view, Top-down view, Futurism (Future)

October 31, 1999

Players: 8.1/10

Dune 2000 — top-down real-time strategy game. Emperor Frederic Corrino 4 issued a decree that the House that could produce the most spice would control its...

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2

Strategy, In real time, Third-person view, Futurism (Future)

February 18, 2009

Players: 7.5/10

Cossacks: The Art of War

Strategy, DLC, In real time, Isometric, Historical, Sandbox

November 15, 2001

Players: 7.4/10

Metacritic: 74/100

Cossacks: The Art of War is a historical real-time strategy game with sandbox elements. This game continues the story of the great battles of the 17th and 18th...

Disciples: Sacred Lands

Strategy, Fantasy / Medieval, Turn-based

September 27, 1999

Players: 8/10

Disciples: Sacred Lands is a strategy game with elements of a fantasy game from the studio Strategy First, Inc.. The game is published by GT Interactive Software...

Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth

Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Fantasy / Medieval, The Lord of the Rings

December 6, 2004

Players: 8.7/10

Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth is an isometric real-time strategy game set in the Lord of the Rings universe. The player will have to manage the army...

Settlers 4 (Gold Edition)

Simulation, Strategy, In real time, Isometric, Collection

March 21, 2002

Players: 5/10

Settlers 4 (Gold Edition) is an isometric simulation game with a dash of strategy from the developers at Blue Byte Studio GmbH. The main publisher of the game is...

Desperados: An Old West Action Game

Arcade, Shooter, First-person view

March 5, 2000

Players: 6.8/10

Desperados: An Old West Action Game — arcade shooter with a first-person view. This is a game in which the player takes on the role of the famous robber Jesse...

Казаки 2: Наполеоновские войны

Strategy, Simulation, Isometric, Historical

April 1, 2005

Players: 7.8/10

Command & Conquer: Red Alert

Strategy, In real time, Top-down view, Futurism (Future)

November 22, 1996

Players: 7.7/10

Metacritic: 90/100

Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a legendary top-down real-time strategy game set in a sci-fi...

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