As we venture into the world of virtual gaming in 2023, the universe of turn-based strategy games continues to expand, offering an even greater plethora of choices. While real-time strategies appeal to some, the intricate tactics and cerebral gameplay that turn-based strategy games afford can’t be underestimated. From maneuvering troops on the battlefield, to managing resources and developing your empire, these games provide an immersive experience that requires both careful thought and strategic foresight.
That said, navigating the vast landscape of available games can be daunting, which is why I’ve compiled a list of 20 of the best modern turn-based strategy games to play this year. This collection caters to a range of interests, from those who prefer fantasy settings to those who find joy in historical recreations. I’ve carefully selected games that not only captivate with their sleek mechanics and satisfying gameplay, but also ensure they’re accessible to both beginners and veterans alike. So, without further ado, let’s embark on this strategic journey!
Total War: WARHAMMER III – 17 Feb, 2022
Total War: Warhammer III is the definitive Total War experience for many players. While the story campaign focuses more on questing and beating opponents to specific goals, the optional Immortal Empires game mode lets you wage a war that spans the length and breadth of the Old World!
Not only is Warhammer III one of the best examples of turn-based strategy with real-time mass battles, but it’s also one of the only ways for fans to visit the classic Warhammer setting, which was removed from the tabletop game in 2015. On Steam.
Hero’s Hour – 1 MAR, 2022
If you’re looking for heroic fantasy warfare with a more indie vibe, Hero’s Hour lets players explore a pixelated, procedurally-generated map in the style of the old Heroes Of Might And Magic games. Unlike those classics, however, combat is resolved in fast-paced, real-time battles.
With limited movement per turn on the world map, you’ll need to plan your campaign carefully to conquer your foes. If this is the kind of game for you, the Rogue Realms expansion provides even more strange lands to explore!
The Heroic Legend of Eagarlnia – 13 Apr, 2022
Grand strategy games in the style of Romance Of The Three Kingdoms are fairly niche in the West, but they offer a deeply satisfying experience for players that stick with them. The Heroic Legend Of Eagarlnia drops players into a raging fantasy conflict and lets them take the reins from there.
With hundreds of recruitable heroes and endless opportunities to create your own stories, Eagarlnia offers tons of replay value, especially considering its low price.
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters –
5 May, 2022
The best Warhammer 40k games focus on the enormous battles of the 41st millennium, from ground engagements spanning entire planets to space combat between ships the size of cities. Chaos Gate: Daemonhunters instead highlights the superhuman power of the Space Marines and their deadliest enemies.
Commanding a squad of elite Grey Knights, you’ll choose which planets to save and which to abandon in the never-ending fight against Chaos. It’s one of the best 40k games to date, and a welcome addition to any fan’s collection of tactical combat games.
Songs of Conquest – 10 May, 2022 (E.A.)
If you long for the glory days of classic Heroes Of Might And Magic, you’ll absolutely want to check out Songs Of Conquest. From the lovingly-crafted pixel art to the blend of tactical and strategic gameplay, you’ll feel like you’re back in Erathia.
Songs Of Conquest is still in early access, but is coming along swimmingly. With a unique roster of units, a unique and flexible magic system, and an in-game economy that encourages critical decision-making, this game could be a new classic in the making.
Old world – 19 May, 2022
Old World is a compelling and curious blend of genres. Created by veteran developers who worked on Civilization IV, its 4X gameplay has a level of complexity that’s sure to please old-school gamers who want a bit more crunch in their campaigns.
Unlike Civ, Old World focuses just as much on interpersonal intrigues as it does on conquest and expansion. Similarly to Crusader Kings or Star Dynasties, you’ll need to appoint characters to key positions on your court – and their personal traits and ambitions could help or hinder your game!
Stones Keeper – 15 Sep, 2022
Part RPG, part strategy game, Stones Keeper is an indie title that’s sure to catch your attention if you’re a fan of either genre. From your floating castle, you’ll recruit and train a knightly order to explore the world and battle foes both human and monstrous.
Stones Keeper‘s hand-drawn art style helps set the tone of the game and bring its fantasy world to life. Best of all, there’s a free demo adventure that serves as a prologue to the main campaign, so you can try the game before you buy it!
Master of Magic – 13 Dec, 2022
The original Master Of Magic was a beloved strategy staple in the ’90s. Not only did it have a lush high-fantasy setting, but the level of power that players could achieve after filling up their spellbook was unheard-of.
The 2022 remake preserves much of the original’s classic gameplay, with updated graphics for greater immersion. Whether you’re raising endless swarms of skeletons or shattering the walls of an enemy castle with a wave of your hand, Master Of Magic is an old-school 4X game wrapped in a shiny new package.
Dwarf Fortress – 6 Dec, 2022
Even if you’ve never played Dwarf Fortress, chances are you’ve heard stories about the cult hit. The depth and detail of this fantasy castle sim are legendary, and with the full release of the game after twenty years of development, a new generation of players can tell their strange and wonderful tales.
The addition of graphics – as opposed to the ASCII placeholders that became beloved by hardcore fans during the game’s decades-long early access period – makes Dwarf Fortress more accessible than it’s ever been. Other games have tried to match Dwarf Fortress, but there’s truly nothing like the original.
Chaos Galaxy 2 – 6 Jan, 2023
If you like the idea behind The Heroic Legend Of Eagarlnia but would rather zip around the galaxy in spaceships and mechs, Chaos Galaxy is just what you need. Taking command of one of the game’s twelve factions, you’ll need to manage diplomacy and economy while deploying your admirals to conquer the galaxy!
Combat in Chaos Galaxy 2 is a bit more granular than in Eagarlnia, so if you thrive on a grid you’ll be right at home among the asteroids and explosions. The game becomes even more impressive when you find out one person made it!
Spellforce: Conquest Of Eo – 3 Feb, 2023
The SpellForce trilogy blended RPG gameplay with mass battles, spinning a high-magic tale of clashes between mighty wizards. Conquest Of Eo takes a different approach, creating a 4X/RPG hybrid that’s unlike anything you’ve played.
Between fostering relations with the kingdoms of the world, crafting new potions or runes, and fighting off rival wizards who encroach on your territory, SpellForce: Conquest Of Eo really lets you feel like an all-powerful archmage, influencing the world from atop your magic tower.
Terraformers – 9 Mar, 2023
Terraforming a planet would take a very, very long time. Terraformers condenses the process into a resource-management roguelike. By building structures and colonies across the surface, players can transform Mars into a fully-habitable paradise with forests, oceans, and more!
With each turn encompassing a year, you’ll make gradual changes to turn the red planet green. You can also try multiple builds, letting you transform Mars over and over again.
Wartales – 12 Apr, 2023
Shiro Games has some solid titles under their belt, the latest being Wartales. If you like the gritty, open-world mercenary sim gameplay of Battle Brothers or The Iron Oath, Wartales is a must… though you should expect to die a lot.
Games like this let you craft your own story. Whether your tale ends in a nameless grave on a battlefield or with piles of blood-soaked coins, it’s always going to be yours, with another unique story waiting to be told the next time you click New Game.
Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova – 27 Apr, 2023 (E.A.)
While it might not have the enduring legacy of Civilization or the popularity of Stellaris, Stardock’s Galactic Civilizations franchise has maintained a steady fanbase throughout the years. Whether you’re following the canonical conflict between humanity and the Drengin Empire or creating your own space opera, GalCiv offers plenty of fun for 4X fans.
Galactic Civilizations IV, like its predecessors, isn’t afraid to experiment; this time around, the series is using AI to create custom civilizations. It’s a great use of new technology, and it will be fascinating to see whether other games run with the idea.
Age of Wonders IV – 2 May, 2023
The beloved Age Of Wonders series took a detour into the sci-fi realm with 2019’s excellent Planetfall, and now it’s returned to its fantasy origins with Age Of Wonders IV. Improving on several of the gameplay systems from Planetfall and adding deeper empire customization lets players create worlds and histories of their own.
From the species of your empire to the powers of your ruler and even the world for which you’re fighting, Age Of Wonders IV lets players customize their game in a way that few 4X titles can match. It’s likely to get even deeper as the next year’s worth of DLC hits, but there’s still plenty of time to explore the options in the base game!
Myriads: Renaissance – 1 Jun, 2023
Myriads: Renaissance blends city-building with 4X gameplay, letting you build an empire among the clouds on floating islands! Merging landmasses to get more space, fighting off pirates, and seeing to the needs of your people are just a few of the challenges you’ll need to manage in this unique indie title.
The game’s free demo offers enough to leave you wanting more. With the full release of Myriads just a month old, now is a great time to give it a try!
The Pegasus Expedition – 20 Jun, 2023 (E.A.)
If you like Stellaris but want more story (and, naturally, more turn-based gameplay), The Pegasus Expedition could become your new favorite game. Commanding an expedition to escape the possible destruction of Earth, you’ll have to set up colonies in a new galaxy, learning to live alongside the alien civilizations already there… or defend yourself from them if it comes to that.
The Pegasus Expedition is an ambitious game, but those are the kinds of games that leave a lasting impression. It’s probably not for everyone, but if you like it you’ll love it.
Revival: Recolonization – 28 Jun, 2023 (E.A.)
4X games often present players with a pristine world ripe for the taking – one of the X’s is eXploit, after all. Revival: Recolonization changes things up, tasking players with carving out a spot in a post-apocalyptic world.
Not only will there be ruins of the lost civilization to be found, but the unstable ecosystem means that the map can create new challenges at a moment’s notice! The game is in the first stages of early access, but it’s definitely one to watch.
Jagged Alliance 3 – 14 JUL, 2023
What is perhaps one of the most beloved series ever, thanks to its first two chapters, has returned in style. Jagged Alliance 3, developed by Haeimont Games, has finally managed to give the series the luster it deserved and was missing, due to several missteps made by its spiritual successors through the last years.
This third chapter has convinced critics precisely because it manages to remain faithful to the mechanics that fans were attached to while innovating in many aspects. To learn more about the title, you can find my first impressions. Jagged Alliance 3 is available on PC through Steam and GOG.
Xenonauts 2 – 18 Jul, 2023 (E.A.)
Defending the Earth from an alien invasion by fighting life-or-death tactical battles across the globe might immediately conjure images of XCOM, and rightly so, but Xenonauts 2 takes this core conceit and injects it with some grim realism. In this alternate-history title, you’ll need to use modern armaments to fight off the aliens while keeping their existence a secret, all while the Cold War rages well into the twenty-first century!
Xenonauts 2 is much more than a game to hold you over while you wait for XCOM 3 to be announced. It’s a thriller all its own, and we’re excited to see the final product when it releases out of early access.
