Choosing the best strategy game is not easy. This is a difficult question, since the genre has been around for over 20 years and has over a thousand different series. In addition, it is divided into many subtypes and directions. Therefore, disputes about the best versions are still relevant. However, there are undeniable leaders whose stories have been viewed by millions of users around the world.
In terms of classification, this list contains games where strategy is the main objective. In other words, a particular project may contain elements from other categories. As Sid Meier (famous developer and designer of computer applications) would say, these games are a series of interesting choices that can lead to victory or defeat in the battle with the enemy. It is noteworthy that many applications also affect historical events.
This list also contains some cool strategies that are still playable. They are of interest to many users in the world much more than modern digital publications, which are only trying to match current trends. The list includes games from different time periods. Their stories are alsodiffer in events and directions. However, they all share a common genre.
StarCraft II
Minimum requirements to run:
- CPU - 2 cores at 2 GHz.
- RAM memory - from 2 GB.
- Hard drive - 5 GB.
- Video card - 512 MB.
The list of cool strategies opens with Blizzard's space sequel. Two of his additions ultimately cause controversy among fans of the original. Mods showcase some of the most interesting story-driven and entertaining, creatively designed missions in the universe. You can travel from planet to planet and explore the area with the help of reconnaissance drones. The game contains many different units and equipment. When settling the planet, you must create a base and go to the extraction of fossil resources.
In multiplayer, attention is focused on combat techniques. It makes the game StarCraft special and memorable. But do not forget about economic issues. Without the extraction of resources and the development of bases, the player will not be able to lead his army to victory. The plot is still relevant and dynamic.
This is not the best team battle. Today, the emphasis is on sports cyber discipline, where teams fight for titles and valuable cash prizes. Esports is gaining momentum outside of South Korea thanks in large part to Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void and this game.
Cities: Skylines
System requirements:
- RAM - 1 GB.
- CPU - frequency 2.1 GHz.
- Video adapter - 2 GB.
- Hard drive - 10 GB.
SimCity is one of the original cool strategies, and Skylines is the best embodiment of the main idea that the programmers have taken to scale. The developers have created a practical simulator of a city architect, who must also implement social and political projects.
One of the coolest strategies offers many tools to optimize the transport network, underground, railway line or sewer system. Decor, zoning, and free-form brushes give you great control over the look and feel of every city block. Like any truly large-scale construction project, it is presented as a dynamically developing city that requires attention around the clock, excluding holidays and weekends.
Ultimate General: Gettysburg
Run parameters:
- CPU - 1 core 1 GHz.
- RAM - 512 MB.
- HDD - 500 MB.
- Video - 218 MB.
Ultimate General is a convenient, easy to manage tactical Civil War genre of one of the coolest strategies that takes into account the terrain, line of sight and the state of units in such a way that you can delve into the gameplay without complicating it. Users can explore the area for hours and discover new locations.
The multiplayer of this cool PC strategy game is a lot of fun, but the campaign is especially impressive. The damage done to the shelves is carried over from one part of the scenario to another, and the story of the battle is seen as a constant adventure. You can choose differentdevelopment lines and sides. As the campaign progresses, new units and buildings are unlocked. The user must pay attention to each task. There is a need to constantly develop and improve existing settlements with the passage of the plot. As the users themselves note, the storyline is big and will help pass the time well.
Stardew Valley
Key features for the game:
- CPU – 1GHz.
- RAM - 256 MB.
- Video - 32 MB.
- Hard disk space - 150 MB.
It's hard to fit this cool PC strategy game into one genre, but ConcernedApe's farming sim has a strong tactical side that requires players to plan for the changing conditions of different seasons, decide which crops to plant, where and when to maximize profits. This is quite interesting from the economic point of view. Users learn how to properly allocate resources.
In this cool strategy game, you can manage your resources. Time is demarcated between different activities. The app also features a dating sim, dungeon crawl, and some RPG elements. But even if you look at the game only in terms of strategy, it deserves a place on this list. You can launch it at any time, and in order to pass the time, go through several missions.
FTL: Faster Than Light
Minimum device requirements:
- Processor - 1 GHz.
- Video card - 64 MB.
- HDD - 200 MB.
- RAM - 64 MB.
Cool RTS hybrid strategy game /roguelike. FTL constantly creates tense situations in the story, especially when users order their team to find the shield generator, repair hull breaches, and repel boarding. The dynamics and volume of the platform make it possible to run the application on mobile devices.
Each playthrough can vary greatly in tactics and tone, depending on the type of ship you choose and the types of aliens you need to escort. In addition to attack calculations, battles between ships, players in this cool Android strategy game constantly have to spend time in parallel searching for new galaxies, creating buildings and improvements, mining resources and finding units. At the same time, in the process of activity, enemies constantly attack the fleet.
WarCraft III
Minimum requirements to run:
- CPU - 2GHz.
- RAM memory - 512 MB.
- Hard drive - 3 GB.
- Video card - 256 MB.
So far, no great strategy game has featured such a fast-paced, thrilling epic fantasy story as Reign of Chaos and its expansion, The Frozen Throne. Today, you can compete in it on mobile platforms. Previously, battles were only on PC. Recently, the developers have notified that they are preparing an update of the legendary version, which should completely reboot the storyline.
The cool strategy game for Android and PC Warcraft has really come to life and evolved beyond the ongoing conflict between orcs, humans and their allies. Even though the game neverconsidered competitive because of the characters, the app also had one of the most colorful and inventive scenes thanks to its full featured mode and easy use of all the details. Among the cards available was a small experiment called "Defense of the Ancients", which gave life to one of the biggest mega hits of the genre in modern games, namely Dota 2.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II
System requirements:
- RAM - 512 MB.
- CPU - 2.2GHz.
- Video adapter - 256 MB.
- Hard drive - 3 GB.
There is a constant tension between Dawn of War II, with its tighter, more team-oriented gameplay, and the original Dawn of War, which felt a bit more like a traditional RTS. Users enjoyed the second part of the cool turn-based strategy a little more. If you focus the campaign on a small group of elite Space Marines and their personal squads, everything looks like a futuristic version of a war movie, where each hero has an unforgettable personality and excellent fighting qualities.
The game should have made the most of the opportunities offered and solved the challenges of each level regarding enemy fences, shelters and unique turns. This has become an indicator of the games of this genre. The multiplayer side of Dawn of War II was not as good as the original, which prevented the game from gaining a solid foothold among users.
Age of Mythology
Parameters required for launch:
- CPU – 1 GHz.
- RAM - 256 MB.
- HDD - 120 MB.
- Video - 32 MB.
Age of Empires is considered a cool strategy for weak PCs, and at the same time is a veteran. For a long period of existence, the application has become known all over the world. The era of mythology began a new branch of the storyline. An inspiring, immersive series that spanned Greek, Egyptian and Norse mythology has truly grown into a great project with a well-developed core and significantly different, fun-to-play civilizations. Cities in the story can turn to the deities for help. Access to them is opened only if the player develops the story sufficiently and completes the necessary missions related to the construction of the main temple.
She also had a unique feature. At the time of the release of this series, it was considered a strategy game with cool graphics. Rarely do RTSs mix faction themed and mechanical elements. However, in this application, this is necessary in order to receive mythological power. The fairy tale units for each faction looked great and were a lot of fun, while the mortal monster hero's series of attacks made it possible to change the tide of battle and create new attack forms.
Master of Orion II
Main PC specifications for the game:
- CPU - 1.1 GHz.
- RAM - 512 MB.
- Video - 32 MB.
- Hard disk space - 100 MB.
In recent years, Space 4X has become a somewhat oversaturated genre for cool old strategy games. However, the developers have made the game better than Master of Orion II, includinga recent reboot under the same franchise. In addition to introducing elements such as creating your own alien race based on a list of selectable traits and engaging in climate space battles involving superweapons and on-board action, it touched on a lot of what makes these types of games so compelling to this day.
By today's standards, this may not be the most attractive strategy, but it is still much more interesting and enjoyable to play than competitive applications of the same direction. Master of Orion is often imitated and duplicated, but even after 10 years, it remains a relevant game. In addition, there are a large number of amateur additions. They allow you to open the story in a new way and go through additional campaigns.
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
Minimum device requirements:
- Processor - 2.3 GHz.
- Video card - 64 MB.
- HDD - 1 GB.
- RAM - 128 MB.
Many of the other games on this list could well be called tactical (rather than strategy) when compared to Supreme Commander's compelling storyline. He revived a type of RTS that has a high level of awareness, focusing on resource control and production, as well as knowing how many troops will be needed in this place in five to ten minutes to catch the enemy by surprise and win the fight.
The Forged Alliance expansion improved the core gameplay and fixed some issues with the original, giving players somethingwhich remains one of the best multiplayer RTS that you can download to test your tactical skills in the fight together against rivals. Co-op battles open up the series in a new way and offer more interesting locations for fighting.
Rise of Nations
Minimum requirements to run:
- CPU - 1.8Hz.
- RAM memory - 512 MB.
- Hard drive - 3 GB.
- Video card - 256 MB.
This large-scale cool strategy on Android and PC has managed to completely surpass Age of Empires in development throughout the history of RTS. Innovative and interesting territory mechanics have added a new dimension to regular combat, creating new roles for fortifications, new risks and opportunities for offensive tactics, and an overall approach to total map control.
Players are provided with a location that needs to be developed. At the same time, it is necessary to improve society and discover new technologies. The series has been updated for 15 years now.
Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault
System requirements:
- RAM - 1 GB,
- CPU - 3Hz.
- Video adapter - 1 GB.
- Hard drive - 5 GB.
Relic has managed to bring the hidden and human side of World War II to life and translate it into a cool strategy on the phone and computer. Players are presented with several campaigns to choose from on the side of enemies and allies. Additionally, you can find new units and generals. The game is notable for the fact that the userbecomes a real general.
Its main mission is to carry out the necessary tasks set by the management in order to achieve the desired result. Technically, the application looks decent. Spectacular special effects were created and the plot was well developed.
Mount & Blade: Warband
Run parameters:
- CPU – 1, 2 HZ.
- RAM - 512 MB.
- HDD - 2 GB.
- Video - 256 MB.
This is a strategy game built on multiple difficulty levels. Every detail has been worked out, from the choice of troops, to how the user commands them from the saddle in combat and works his way through the political groups of Calradia through vassals, marriage, conquest and betrayal.
This is a brilliant and well-crafted feudal game. However, not all battles in it are spectacular and large-scale. To get the desired army, you need to complete arcade tasks, achieve a position in medieval society and get the coveted title.
Total War: Warhammer II
Basic PC requirements to play:
- CPU - 4 cores at 3 GHz each.
- RAM - from 4 GB.
- Video - 2 GB.
- Hard disk space - 25 GB.
The types of situations a user can find themselves in while playing Total War: Warhammer II are straight out of a fantasy-obsessed director's wildest dreams. Dragons attack from the sky and release a stream of fire to send a horde of scattered orcs.
Knights in shiningthe first to crash into the writhing wall of leper zombies. Demonic abominations have fallen into a snowy grove inhabited by secretive wood elves. The variety of units and armies is amazing, and the gigantic map of Mortal Empires, which combines all the races from Warhammer and Warhammer II in one epic campaign, is one of the seven wonders of the strategy game.
Sid Meier's Civilization V
Minimum device requirements:
- Processor - from 2 cores to 2, 2 GHz.
- Video card - from 1 GB.
- HDD - 10 GB.
- RAM - 2 GB.
The ability to have only one unit per field square is one of the best changes ever made to the legendary Civilization series. This is evidenced by thousands of positive comments from players. After the revision of the unit and vehicle management system, the application has changed significantly. Now the series is considered the coolest strategy for android and personal computer.
But despite the controversial changes in the military side, Civ V represents the pinnacle of the series and the most complete version thanks to two great additions: Gods & Kings and Brave New World. The list of playable civilizations is huge. It features some of the smartest and most strategically unique factions ever introduced, such as Venice, which can only found one city.
XCOM 2
Minimum PC requirements to run:
- CPU - 4 cores at 2.5 GHz.
- RAM memory - from 4 GB.
- Hard drive - 30 GB.
- Video card - 2 GB.
This is one of the coolest strategy games developed by Firaxis in the XCOM series. It shows one of the greatest success stories among all the numerous reboots that users have seen in the world of this genre over the past few years. The battle is tense and dynamic. Rewarding both caution and the ability to deal with the changing, sometimes disastrous consequences of a tactical situation in a cool manner.
The graphics in the base game are a little behind. But the Long War series of mods have greatly improved this. Additionally, new changes have been developed and the influence of each of the system factions has been expanded. XCOM 2 introduced interesting new and specialized soldier types, a host of fun and tough enemies, and a more desperate, challenging campaign scenario compared to its direct predecessor.
Europa Universalis IV
System requirements:
- RAM - 2 GB.
- CPU - 3Hz.
- Video adapter - 1 GB
- Hard drive - 6 GB.
Created by Paradox, Age of Discovery and Early New World expansions are the most interesting and grandiose expansions. Users note the high quality of graphics and a well-designed plot. Therefore, the game is included in the list of the coolest strategies on the PC. Although it was released almost 10 years ago, the developer still maintains it and makes the necessary additions. Therefore, calling it a cool but forgotten strategy is still premature.
Readable, responsive interface takes very complex underlying systems and makes themintuitive and relatively easy to interact with. A gorgeous world map, lots of dynamic events based on real history, and an innovative trading system really make the user feel like they are leading their nation through the centuries that the modern world began to take shape.
Free and paid content since launch has highlighted regions of the world that were usually ignored by strategy apps about this era, ensuring that playing as Khan Kara Del or the Sultan of Oman is also fully functional. This attracted the attention of millions of history buffs.
Total War: Attila
Run parameters:
- CPU - 4 cores of 2.1 GHz.
- RAM - 4 GB.
- HDD – From 15 GB.
- Video - 2GB.
Great PC strategy games rarely use real life historical scenes. The Total Wars series spanned many eras and presented a host of contenders for the top spot. The Attila version takes the lead mainly because of its overview of an extremely interesting and little studied era of history, namely the turbulent time between the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the rise of medieval Europe. The campaign mechanics used for this is full of beautiful graphics and presents many exciting scenarios and win-win solutions, really giving the feeling of surviving the apocalypse and wars of the time.
Climate change is pushing the barbarians out of the northern reaches, causing them to squabble over territory as the Empire crumbles. Every tribe mustface the key question of where and when to deploy their nomadic band to form a territorial kingdom that they hope will last forever.
All this time, the Huns have been coming from the East as harbingers of the biblical Armageddon, forging unlikely alliances and collecting tribute. It is the most dynamic and immersive campaign Total War has ever offered, skillfully simulating the real historical causes inherent in an era often portrayed as a simplistic narrative of bloodthirsty barbarians feasting on the corpse of Western civilization.
StarCraft: Brood War
Key features for the game:
- CPU - 2.2 GHz.
- RAM – 1 GB.
- Video - 512 MB.
- Hard disk space - 4 GB.
The top cool strategies include an earlier version of StarCraft. Leading the way, no traditional RTS has ever surpassed this sci-fi classic from Blizzard. The masterful balance between its three distinct factions is a key element, but it's far from the only reason to love the Brood War series.
Interestingly, some technical limitations in the game at the time of its release led to the fact that later high-level users began to develop and find new skills of characters and units, which are still surprising when playing.
The game is included in the eSports disciplines. Watching a Brood War championship match can be just as entertaining as watching a match in a stadium or sports arena whereworld class stars. It also proved to the world that esports is in demand, becoming a massive mainstay of South Korean popular culture and paving the way for many competing games to come after.
This isn't often discussed, but StarCraft and its expansion are also some of the best in any Blizzard game. While StarCraft 2 has been heavily criticized for being too redundant and sloppy in its storyline, the developers have redeemed themselves by gifting users with add-ons like Terran, Zerg, and Protoss. They opened up new possibilities and fixed old bugs.
Crusader Kings II
Minimum device requirements:
- Processor - 3.3 GHz,
- Video card - 512 MB.
- HDD - 5 GB.
- RAM - 2 GB.
The feudal simulator has very little to do with StarCraft and is the coolest strategy game in the world today, according to users. This is a great, fun and really special strategy game of all time. A plot that focuses on individual characters with their likes, dislikes, quirks, virtues and desires as the engine of progress that drives everything really makes history.
Drama emerges naturally from the most seemingly innocuous places. Each generation presents new worthy novels, that is, tales of enmity, infatuation and ambition. The plot involves something large-scale, for example, the geopolitics of the Middle Ages. Careful study of it makes the gameaccessible and understandable to all.
In closing
The presented games demonstrate how popular, in demand and diverse this genre is. It is noteworthy that many versions of these games can be played both on mobile platforms and on personal computers. Users around the world meet in online battles in the evenings to compete who is the best tactician or strategist. Therefore, we can expect soon that most of the games described above will have a worthy sequel. And we will hope that each subsequent version of the already beloved strategy will be better than the previous one.
