Best Strategy Games in 2025: From XCOM to Crusader Kings

When you hear “strategy,” you might think of math class, debates, or maybe your chess club rival. But strategy has always been about one thing: winning smart. Whether it’s kings in suits of armour, generals with stealth bombers, or sci-fi fleets clashing in space, the battlefield of strategy gaming turns thinking into action.

From ancient wars to futuristic galaxies, the battle royale genre may dominate streaming, but strategy games have their own loyal army of fans. They challenge you to conquer, plan, and outsmart instead of just button-mash. And in recent years, the genre has grown wildly, mixing superheroes, zombies, and even fantasy worlds into some of the best strategy games ever made.

What Are Strategy Games?

Strategy games are a genre of video games that emphasize careful planning and tactical decision-making. Players typically manage resources, build units, and engage in combat against opponents. These games require critical thinking and foresight, making them popular among gamers who enjoy challenges and complex gameplay dynamics.

A Quick History of Strategy Games

The roots of strategy gaming stretch deep into human history. Long before Fortnite, players were already hooked on commanding armies in games like Rise of Nations, which let you start in the ancient world with knights in armour and end up dropping stealth bombers on your enemies.

Classics like Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri (1999) took players into space colonization, while Company of Heroes and Dawn of War showed how brutal World War II and Warhammer 40,000 battlefields could be.

Key designers shaped this path: Soren Johnson led Civilization IV and later created Old World, a title praised for its blend of grand strategy and turn-based play. Studios like Creative Assembly built the Total War series, combining massive real-time battles with a strategic layer of politics and empire management.

Over the years, remasters, expansions, and sequels — from the remastered collection of Age of Empires to modern hits like XCOM 2: War of the Chosen — proved that the genre always finds ways to stay fresh.

XCOM – Tactical Combat at Its Best

Few games deliver pressure quite like XCOM. Every move in this tactical series could mean life or death for your squad, with missions that test patience, planning, and guts. Expansions like War of the Chosen added even more intensity, making XCOM one of the most iconic tactical strategy games of all time. If you want to feel the weight of every decision, XCOM is where you start.

Warhammer Strategy Games – Grimdark Battles Come Alive

The **Warhammer **universe isn’t just about tabletop armies — it’s home to some of the most exciting games ever made. Titles like Dawn of War and Total War: Warhammer mix massive armies, terrifying creatures, and grimdark worlds into epic clashes. Whether you prefer tactical skirmishes or huge campaigns, Warhammer titles give you endless ways to fight for dominance.

Tactical Games – Smarts Over Firepower

Tactical games zoom in, focusing on smaller squads and smarter gameplay instead of huge empires.

• XCOM remains legendary, especially the expansion War of the Chosen, which raised the stakes with alien bosses and permanent soldier deaths.
• Unity of Command delivered a clever puzzle-meets-WWII experience where supply lines mattered as much as firepower.
• Jagged Alliance built a cult following with mercenary management and tough fights behind enemy lines.
• **Tactical Breach Wizards (2024) **added a quirky twist: police, hackers, and magic in a turn-based tactics world, with a rewind mechanic to test crazy strategies.
• Marvel’s Midnight Suns (2022) mixed superheroes with tactical combat and deck-building systems, making it one of the more creative tactical RPGs in recent years.

RTS – The Heart of Action Strategy

If tactics are small-scale chess, RTS (real-time strategy) is pure adrenaline. Titles like StarCraft defined the best RTS, with alien factions, competitive multiplayer maps, and even a map editor that let fans create custom modes (including the one that inspired Dota).

Other great RTS entries include:

• Supreme Commander, famous for gigantic battles that needed a zoomed-out “strategic view.”
• Sins of a Solar Empire, a “RT4X” hybrid where empires span galaxies.
• Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, which put you in charge of massive space fleets in the Warhammer universe.
• Company of Heroes, a gritty WWII RTS praised for realism.

RTS titles thrive because they balance base game excitement with DLC expansions, creative maps, and intense online play.

StarCraft – The RTS Gold Standard

When it comes to StarCraft, the phrase “legendary” barely scratches the surface. This real-time strategy juggernaut defined esports and remains one of the best RTS games of all time. With unique factions, competitive multiplayer maps, and a powerful map editor, StarCraft is more than a game — it’s a community. Teens who want to sharpen quick thinking and resource management skills will find no better training ground.

###Battlefleet Gothic: Armada – Space Warfare on a Grand Scale

For fans of sci-fi, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada brings the Warhammer 40,000 universe into space with gigantic fleet battles. Instead of ground combat, you command warships, juggle resources, and unleash firepower across galaxies. Armada 2 expanded the experience with more factions and multiplayer modes, making it a must-play for anyone who loves large-scale tactical warfare.

Grand Strategy – The Biggest Picture

Then there’s grand strategy games — where you’re not just fighting battles, you’re running entire empires.

• Crusader Kings III is a fan favorite, filled with political intrigue, medieval drama, and dynasty-building. Want to conquer China or marry off your heirs? It’s all possible.
• Old World, from Soren Johnson, mixes turn-based civilization-building with character-driven choices.
• Endless Legend offers a fantasy twist, where unique factions shape how you play.
• Creative Assembly’s Total War series blends epic real-time clashes with empire management.

These games often cover everything from World War II campaigns to far-future colonization. They reward patience and planning — making them some of the favourite titles for players who like complexity.

Best Strategy Games List – 2025 Edition

Here’s a quick best strategy games list mixing classics and modern hits:

• Midnight Suns – Marvel heroes + tactical combat.
• XCOM 2: War of the Chosen – punishing and brilliant.
• Unity of Command II – WWII supply and logistics mastery.
• Tactical Breach Wizards – magic, police, and hacking.
• Rise of Nations – sweep of human history in one game.
• Supreme Commander – large-scale RTS brilliance.
• StarCraft II – competitive RTS with strong multiplayer.
• Sins of a Solar Empire – galactic empire RTS.
• Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II – Warhammer space fleets.
• Company of Heroes 3 – WWII RTS excellence.
• Jagged Alliance 3 – mercenaries behind enemy lines.
• Dawn of War (Warhammer 40,000) – grimdark tactical battles.
• Crusader Kings III – medieval drama + grand strategy.
• Old World – Soren Johnson’s modern historical take.
• Endless Legend – fantasy grand strategy masterpiece.

For teens, these games are more than just gaming. They’re lessons in problem-solving and adaptability.

So next time you’re browsing for your next obsession, remember: your favourite strategy games aren’t just about battles. They’re about proving you’ve got what it takes to think ahead, command wisely, and maybe even outplay history itself.

Conquer Entire Worlds with Strategy Games

At the heart of strategy gaming is the thrill of learning how to conquer challenges, whether it’s storming castles in medieval war games, building vast empires, or outsmarting rivals in online matches. These titles go far beyond button-mashing — they hand you the tools to plan, build, and dominate.

From ruling dynasties in Crusader Kings to commanding massive space fleets in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada or even exploring galaxies worthy of Star Trek, these games prove that victory comes from brains, timing, and foresight, not just brute force.

Breach and Innovate with Modern Tactical Games

Not every strategy game focuses on massive wars or sprawling empires — some shine through clever twists and creative mechanics. Indie titles like Tactical Breach Wizards reinvent the formula by blending magic, hacking, and turn-based tactics into fast, replayable missions.

These kinds of breach-style strategy games encourage players to experiment, rewarding bold ideas and sharp problem-solving as much as discipline and planning.

They’re proof that the strategy genre never stands still — it evolves with each new idea, offering fresh ways to challenge your mind. If you’re ready to try unique strategy titles and discover your next obsession, head over to GetJar today and download games that push your skills to the next level.