Top Strategy Games of All Time
Strategy games are the Great British Bake Off of the video game world. You need a modicum of intelligence and the ability to think ahead in order to perform to the highest level. You don't think Mary Berry simply bungs a load of eggs, butter, flour and sugar into a bowl and a beautifully decorated Prinsesstårta cake suddenly appears. No chance. The key to creating this wonderful Swedish layer cake is to plan ahead.
Many a strategy game begin with base building, but you need to know your build order to ensure your time on is used efficiently so not to give your opponents the upper hand. This process can take hours to master, often with the aid of a trusted notepad which lists in exact detail the order in which moves should be made.
Command & Conquer and StarCraft II are fine examples of where build orders are important, but even the likes of Total War and Civilization rely to a degree on making sure things are done in an order which works for your style of play.
So here are VideoGamer's Top Strategy Games of All Time.
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30.
CivCity: Rome
As a friendly introduction to city building CivCity: Rome is a satisfying enough way to while away the summer. For everyone else, keep moving forward to bigger and more exciting worlds. On holiday in Europe last year I took part in a guided tour of a once highly... more
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29.
Sword of the Stars
If you are looking for some light-weight strategy action then you could do a lot worse than Sword of the Stars. Imagine for a moment that you're an emperor or military commander in charge... more
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27.
Tom Clancy's EndWar
most PC gamers will find the experience too dumbed down to warrant investigation. On console EndWar is good. On PC it's in over its head. We love Advance Wars on DS. It's addictive, well presented and brilliant... more
- AD #1
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26.
Texas Hold 'Em
Texas Hold 'Em is a weighty Xbox Live Arcade game, even if you have to pay 800 Microsoft points. For those of you who downloaded the game in the first two days, you already know you've got a bargain. Back in January, Microsoft announced that due to corporate sponsorship,... more
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25.
Star Wars: Battle for Hoth
Star Wars fans will drop the cash on it regardless, but there’s enough here to satisfy the urges of serious tower defence players too. A quick history lesson for those who flunked Star Wars school: during the... more
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24.
Tiny Tower
Tiny Tower's real question is about the scale of its economy, then, and whether you can stomach playing a game that becomes increasingly desperate in its desires to part you with chunks of your money. One of the joys of iOS gaming is that the proliferation of the devices and... more
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22.
Triple Town
Three to play? I'm an aspiring sort, so I spend most of my days determined to get invited... more
- AD #2
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21.
Nexus - The Jupiter Incident
It's not Homeworld 2 and it never tries to be; judged on its' own merits, Nexus is a well-rounded and polished product. If space strategy is your 'thing', you should get this game. The space genre as a whole has suffered a rather large decline in popularity... more
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20.
Heroes of Might and Magic V
The future of turn-based fantasy gaming: Atmosphere, depth and stunning presentation. Who said turn-based strategies couldn't be sexy? Fantasy videogame developers must want to shoot Peter Jackson. Until the... more
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18.
Top Trumps: Doctor Who
Time Lords and Top Trumps. You might have noticed that this review looks slightly different to other... more
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15.
Anno: Create a New World
Anno is well executed and breezy, but not without its flaws. Wii owners won’t find anything else like it on their console. If only the real world worked like Anno. Plonk a Rat Killer down in among... more
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14.
Orions: Legend of Wizards
If you can set aside your pre-conceptions of what is expected from a CCG or RTS title then you’ll find yourself with an experience that’s entirely new and wholesomely rewarding. Combining genres can be a tricky old game. Do it right and you potentially... more
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13.
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe is a great fit for the PSP, an ideal portable game, and well worth picking up. Kids build forts; it's just something they like to do. Grab any old thing... more
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12.
Toy Soldiers
The tower defense game is a rare breed on XBLA, but Toy Soldiers waves the flag for its genre valiantly. The strategy is in depth and the shooting is solid. There's an endearing irony to Signal Studio's Toy Soldiers; a game that... more
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11.
The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom
Settlers 7 is a fabulous game. It's unique, challenging, refreshing, and all sorts of beautiful. If all-conquering internet phenomenon FarmVille is the natural evolution of... more
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10.
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together is a charming restoration of a classic game. Let us Cling Together? That's a really horrid caption, immediately conjuring... more
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9.
Awesomenauts
Awesomenauts is a fascinating first step in bringing the MOBA genre to console. At Gamescom 2011, Valve hosted a DOTA 2 tournament that boasted one million... more
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7.
Spiritfarer
Blending both adventure and management sim, the player cares for these characters and wanders into the wonder of this world, which lights up with each new island discovered. It explores the role of both parties in death; is it the responsibility of the spirit or the Spiritfarer to sew together the uncomfortable threads of loss? Thunder Lotus Games describes Spiritfarer as a “cozy management game... more
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6.
The Sims 2
The Sims 2 is worth getting ahold of under any circumstances - though it's far more likely to get ahold of you somehow. And I warn you: it won't let go. People insist on telling me that The Sims was the most unpredictable... more
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5.
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising
Advance Wars 2 is one of the greatest turn-based-strategy games ever made. If you own a GBA you really should own this game Advance Wars 2, the sequel to the excellent Advance Wars improves on its... more
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4.
Civilization IV
An exceptional game that will keep megalomaniacs off the streets for months to come. Civilization IV showcases the very best that the turn-based strategy genre has to offer. War, huh? What is it good for? Well, winning games of Civilization IV,... more
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3.
Advance Wars: Dual Strike
A mind-bogglingly addictive strategy game you can carry with you. Does life get any better than this? Think 'Nintendo'. Think 'handheld console'. Think 'sophisticated wargame'.... more
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2.
DEFCON: Global Thermonuclear War
If you love strategy games or simply like interesting gaming experiences, this is for you. So, here's to Global Thermonuclear war. Who knew it would be so much fun? DEFCON was always going to be an easy sell for Introversion. You just can't... more
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Card Hunter
Card Hunter is excellent. Card Hunter is a browser-based free-to-play game which surprisingly isn't... more