best pc strategy games download 10 Best Strategy Games Of All Time For PC in 2021. We all know very well that the latest generation of consoles has been solidified themselves as great machines to play games. However, some genres seem exclusive to PC, like MMORPG or strategy; hence, we will tell you the best strategy games for PC. List of 10 Best Strategy Games Of All Time For PC. The latest generation of consoles has been solidified themselves as great machines to play games. However, some genres seem exclusive to PC, like MMORPG or strategy; hence, we will tell you the best strategy games for PC. 1. Among US. Among US is an online multiplayer game that came into existence after a popular mobile game – PUBG Mobile. It’s a game that supports four to ten players. As the match starts, one team player gets the ‘Imposter’ role. Players must complete the tasks around a spaceship while an imposter lurks among the crew. The ultimate goal of the imposter is to sabotage the work of other crew members and kill each of them. On the other hand, the other players need to complete all tasks or discover and vote the imposter off the ship. 2. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Well, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is probably more popular than any other game on the list. It’s an online multiplayer shooting game that you can play with your friends. The unique graphics and addictive gameplay make the game very interesting and exciting. It has multiple modes ranging from team deathmatch to classic 10vs10 mode. Also, the latest version has a battle royale mode that requires strategy implementation to survive and win. 3. Valorant. If you love playing Counter Strike-type games, you will love Valorant for sure. It’s an online FPS video game made by Riot games. The game has 11 characters, and each of them has its supernatural abilities. You need to use player-specific abilities and strategies to kill other players during a match. The game is still new and has a limited user base. 4. Civilization VI. Civilization is one of those mythical sagas since the good one of Sid Meier is the Artificer. It is a saga that invites us to create cities and expand our empire, both on the map and in time. It is one of those games that allow us to be engaged and spend quite good hours playing. Hence, it is one of the best strategy games available for PC. 5. Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War III. PC players much love the Dawn of Warhammer and, it is a saga that, during the years in which StarCraft had no games or directly between the expansions, filled that gap. However, lovers of strategy games in real-time will find a great game in the three installments of the saga as there are base construction, resource management, heroes, very different units, and a lot of spectacular action. History, like StarCraft, is significant, so it’s worth starting from the first. Without any doubt, as it is one of the best real-time strategy games, and you do not need to have any knowledge of Warhammer to enjoy it. 6. Ashes of the Singularity. If you love technology and its complications, you probably follow benchmarks or processor performance tests. If so, surely you have heard about this game. It needs fairly advanced hardware to work correctly and is so demanding with the CPU that its benchmark is used to measure the processors’ power. It was the first game developed for DirectX 12, so it juices out high-end hardware. Now, what is it? It is a combat strategy that encourages us to develop large-scale combat, with hundreds of units on screen, creating a brutal action. 7. Company of Heroes 2. The Dawn of War saga’s creators brought you in 2013 this spectacular game of war strategy set in World War II. The Company of Heroes saga is a delight for users who love this contest since everything is faithfully represented, from the battlefields, which are deformed with projectiles’ impact, to some dynamics and units. For example, when a projectile falls on the ground, a crater is created, and if we send infantry units to the area, they will be covered, as in a “natural” trench. Moreover, armored vehicles work with fuel and heavy units to overcome the enemies. We can shelter crews in abandoned houses to shoot from a safe place and, in short, create strategies using the terrain. 8. Age of Empires 3. Now comes one of the PC strategy games’ strongholds, a mythical game that is still very much loved by many PC users. The Age of Empires saga, although it is not at its best, is one of the titles that helped to define the genre of the strategy in real-time, and in this HD edition, we will find the best of the genre. Base construction, obtaining resources, population control, and creating units to fight are the foundations of this saga, and not only that, but even this also allows us to enjoy 18 civilizations, each with its unique companies. Age of Empires 3 features significantly improved visuals, a remastered soundtrack, two new game modes, and two new civilizations. 9. Total War: Warhammer II. We continue with more Warhammer but in a different genre. From the strategy of management and combat in real-time with bases and heroes, we move on to the system that focuses on diplomacy and pure and simple action on a large scale, with hundreds of units on screen. The Total War saga is well known on PC and one of the mythical ones within the strategy, and this game with Warhammer units, based on the Warhammer Fantasy Battle table game, is one of the best that we can find in compatible matches. It can destroy, since we have before us a title based on the control of battalions and in which the strategy passes by where to locate the units and how to move them across the playing field, seeking to corner the enemy. Each race has its own units; they are all different from each other, and it is necessary to adapt to the complex battle system, but once we have it controlled, we feel like a real general. 10. Warcraft III. This is the third version of the Warcraft saga, and in this part, in addition to the three-dimensional engine, we had the opportunity to play with the heroes. It is a game in which we must collect and build to create troops. Still, there is a hero, or series of heroes in each mission, that allows us to drive ourselves crazy for enemies, as these heroes go evolving and teasing with the RPG to obtain and equip objects and use skills. It has enough races and a campaign for each one of them, and the important thing is that to enjoy this campaign, it has the online mode. Undoubtedly, it is one of the best strategy games for the PC. So, what do you think about this? Share all your views and thoughts in the comment section below. If you liked this article, do not forget to share this article with your friends and family. The best turn-based strategy games on PC. Turn-based strategy games bring out the more cerebral undertones of the genre – the break afforded by ‘turns’ allows us to think, ponder and plan our moves with as much expert precision as we can muster. Witnessing that mater plan unfold can create untold levels of satisfaction, and suddenly you fancy yourself the master tactician. This genre is also home to the ‘one more turn’ trope – that feeling of near-addiction that compels you to click the ‘End Turn’ button just one more time to see what happens. Maybe you’re waiting to see the outcome of a daring attack, maybe you’re just trying to click through some downtime. We also have the best strategy games on PC if you’re looking to expand beyond petty concepts like ‘turns’. This is a living list, in the sense that there are many worthy candidates and not enough room to fit them all in. Every so often (especially as new games come out), we’ll give this article a refresh and an update to bring give other titles their turn in the spotlight. Also, don’t be alarmed that games like Civ 6 aren’t on the list: You can check out our guide to the best 4X games to see our thoughts on that particular niche. the best Turn-Based Strategy Games. The best turn-based strategy games on PC are: Gears Tactics Panzer Corps 2 Unity of Command 2 BattleTech Battle Brothers Wargroove Frozen Synapse 2 Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector The Battle for Wesnoth XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. Let’s take a look at some of our favourite turn-based strategy games… Gears Tactics. There have been quite a few challengers to XCOM’s turn-based tactical throne in recent years. Some have been good, some not so good. As much as the Gears of War third-person shooter franchise is well regarded, we’re still surprised at how good its turn-based tactics spin-off is in Gears Tactics. Set before the events of the original Gears of War, this game is essentially a series of tactical battles strung together by a narrative and some light progression mechanics. Try now: Gears Tactics is on Game Pass for PC. There’s no strategy layer, and while there’s some persistence for main characters it mainly revolves around loot and some basic skill-trees. It’s not perfect, but it’s imperfections stand to further highlight just how solid the rest of it is. One innovation they’ve tried to carry over from the shooter series is the ‘boss battle’ elements. These do work in the tactical sphere, but can still be a bit clunky. Still, if you’re looking for some to scratch that turn-based tactics itch, this is one of the best newcomers in a while. Read our Gears Tactics review for more. Panzer Corps 2. This one’s a bit more on the hardcore side, but when it comes to historical turn-based strategy games, the Panzer Corps franchise is king. Panzer Corps 2 builds on the original game’s success and couples it with a brand new 3D engine. The scale is a bit abstract – a single tank can actually represent hundreds of vehicles – but it allows you play sweeping campaigns on maps that can represent chunks of entire countries. Related: Want more WW2 Games? We’ve got you covered. It’s a combat-focused game, so you don’t need to worry about building units, but you WILL have to worry about keeping your forces supplied as they blitz across the map. Tactical options such as encirclement, supporting fire & breaking down units into smaller ‘mini’ versions for a decent flank means you’ll have plenty of options with which to take that key objective. It’s not so far removed from a hex-based, WW2-themed Advanced Wars. Unity of Command 2. An excellent strategy game that doubles up as a viable gateway to the world of digital war games, Unity of Command 2 does everything its predecessor did and more. By changing up the scenario design and adding in new elements like HQ’s and more meaningful meta-campaign, few repeats of the same mission will play out the same, although UoC has always had a trace of ‘puzzle’ DNA within it, which is still true but not to the same extend as the first game. Related: Here are the best war games on PC. Unity of Command 2 takes players to the more known waters of the Western front, starting with the closing stages of the battle for North Africa, before moving on to the invasion of Sicily, Italy before finally allowing you to re-live the Normandy campaigns. As you play through the grand campaign, your army units and HQs will grow and improve over time, and there’s also a light card mechanic that allows you to play a limited number of special actions that can make or break an offensive. BATTLETECH. BattleTech is a meaty, ruminative turn-based mech battler that does as much justice to its FASA tabletop roots as it does to making a ponderous, complex miniature game come alive in digital form. Its depth and sprawl is the product of thirty-odd years of lore and gaming, and its one of the best mech games out there right now. This is a game that demands commitment, selling the idea of MechWarrior combat being anything but brief. There’s plenty of crunch to encounters on the tactical level, with heat and weapon management coalescing with environmental factors and position. Mechs are beautifully detailed, evoking just the right mix of old Ral Patha miniatures and the thankful modernisation of MechWarrior Online’s artistic precedent. We also have a mech build guide to help people get to grips with the wealth of options. Buy now: There’s never been a better time to try BattleTech. At the time of writing, active development of BattleTech has ended as the studio moves to other projects, but they did release a lot of free content and three major expansions: Flashpoint, Urban Warfare & Heavy Metal. Battle Brothers. Battle Brothers is ostensibly the Game of Thrones: Bron Simulator. A deliciously low-fantasy mercenary manager that is refreshingly free of trope- ridden kings and kingdoms, OverHyper Studios’ hex-based combat game is immediately accessible, balanced by brutality and permadeath. There’s a hand-crafted quality to the game, appealing in much the same way as Unity of Command 2. Grim little busts of ugly mercenaries plug their way across swamps and forests, paper-dolled with whatever arms and armor you assigned, engaging in violent combat with all manner of armies. What’s most impressive about Battle Brothers is the impact with which it conveys every hit, stab, slice and shot. Related: The best medieval games on PC. Each successful attack is incredibly visceral, making sure you know that there are no do-overs in the Battle Brothers world. By the end of each encounter, the field is littered with loosed arrows, blood and corpses. Those who died are indeed gone for good. And those that survive just may live a little longer. Wargroove. While not the ultimate Advanced Wars PC game we could have asked for, this highly anticipated turn-based tactics title certainly did not disappoint when it released in February 2019. An excellent visual design coupled with a rich tactical experience across all the factions meant that this was a game that was easy to learn, challenging to master, but never anything less than a delight to play. The real strength of Wargroove however is its built-in future proofing. There’s plenty to do and try out straight out of the box, but a powerful and robust editor means that there will be some fantastic user-generated content coming down the pipe in the months ahead. People are already recreating maps and entire campaigns from other classics like Fire Emblem and Advanced Wars, so we can’t wait to see what the else the community does with the game. Read our Wargroove review for more. Frozen Synapse 2. Indie sensation Frozen Synapse is very much deserving of its accolades. A simultaneous turn-based breakdown of CounterStrike at its heart, Mode 7 Games condensed the fundamentals of the first-person shooter — movement, stance, speed and vectors — into five-second parcels of plotting direction and behaviour. While the sequel didn’t try to mess with this simple and effective formula too much, it did try to instil a sense of purpose with a ‘big picture’ strategy layer. Frozen Synapse 2’s main offering is a grand-strategy layer. You run a private security firm in a procedurally generated city, and your goal is to grow, keep the other organisations in check, while also deal with a mysterious new foe that’s appeared on the scene. Take contracts, hire recruits to fill out your squads, and fight your enemies in battlegrounds that vary depending on where the action takes place. The initial offering is functional and imperfect, but it’s already proven to be a great way of offering an excellent tactical experience with meaning and persistence. Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector. We’re thankfully not short on Warhammer games, and the good news is they’re getting better. Battlesector is a pretty decent attempt at distilling the tabletop game into something that is authentic, but still had the flair and spectacle of a digital game. It’s similar to a previous entry on this list – Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach. It’s been developed by the same studio that brought you Battlestar Galactica Deadlock, one of our favourite strategy games of all time. The game is pretty, it works quite smoothly, and overall represents an excellent foundation to build upon, as you’ll note in our Battlesector review. It’s got some noticeable drawbacks too – the scenario design leaves much to be desired, and the campaign isn’t that replayable. You’ve also only got the two factions to play with at the moment as well. It offers an excellent vehicle for you to live out your Space Marine fantasies, but if you’re not a 40K fan your mileage will vary. It’ll take time to become truly great. Speaking of good Warhammer games, the recently released Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground is also surprisingly good as well. The Battle for Wesnoth. What kind of turn-based list would it be without some sort of open-source or free elder statesman of the genre? Just inching out People’s General, The Battle for Wesnoth is a sprawling suite of tactical turn-based hexery. The game itself is accommodating, the community modules vast and varied, and heck, it’s even been ported to phones. Wesnoth feels like it’s at an aesthetic cross-roads between traditional Japanese SRPGS and western heavy-hitters like Heroes of Might and Magic. Related: We’ve got an excellent list of free games to play on PC. Light enough to run on the most dismal of systems, and not costing a brass razoo, The Battle of Wesnoth is truly the people’s game. XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. XCOM 2 might have had some initial technical niggles around launch, but thereafter has been patched up to shine as intended. Coupled with War of the Chosen, XCOM 2’s pot-stirring expansion that throws antagonistic human factions into the mix, there’s little reason not to have Firaxis’ second tilt at this magisterial series in your library. Buy Now: There’s a great deal on XCOM 2 if you want it. Secondary objectives also add an interesting tension to the game, as well as the looming threat of a grand alien program that cooks away in the background, harbouring a fail-state if left to mature. War of the Chosen elevates XCOM 2 from admirable sequel to essential addition to the long- running franchise. The story might put humanity on the back foot, but XCOM has never been more ahead. If you’re looking at reading more, we’ve got a guide to all of the XCOM 2 DLC available, as well as some tips and tricks to help you get started. For veteran players, we’ve got an XCOM 2 class guide, as well as a guide to the best XCOM 2 mods. More Turn-Based Strategy Games. From recent releases, to recommendations and previous entries on this list, here are some other great turn-based strategy games to check out: Empire of Sin Möbius Front ‘83 Space Hulk Tactics Phoenix Point Corruption 2029 Six Ages: Ride like the Wind Crying Suns Narcos: Rise of the Cartels Invisible Inc. Into the Breach. We’ll update this list over time as more turn-based strategy games release that deserve a top spot. Get involved in the conversation by heading over to the Strategy Gamer forums. To stay up to date with the latest strategy gaming guides, news, and reviews, follow Strategy Gamer on Twitter and Facebook. We sometimes include relevant affiliate links in articles from which we earn a small commission. For more information, click here. The best survival games on PC. The appeal of survival games is simple to understand: fighting to stay alive is hard-coded into our DNA, so it's easy to see why we'd become engrossed in experiencing it in games. The best survival games on PC push players to their limits, presenting them with tough problems and challenging them to find creative solutions. In such a popular genre, which games provide the best survival experiences? Below you'll find our favorite examples of simulated survival on PC, whether it's among the stars, deep underground, and in other dangerous environments packed with monsters, mutants, zombies, dinosaurs, or the deadliest enemy of all: other players. Here are the best survival games on PC. Valheim. In a sentence : Exploration and base-building in the Viking afterlife. Status : Released in Early Access on February 2, 2021 Link : Official site. It didn't take long for Early Access co-op Viking survival game to draw a crowd, and it's easy to see why. A massive procedurally generated world, fearsome boss fights, and excellent base-building systems mesh wonderfully with survival elements like cooking and crafting. Solo play is great, but it really shines in co-op, and players can busy themselves with base construction or set out on perilous journeys across the sea to find dangerous new continents. Subnautica. In a sentence: Survival, crafting, and building—underwater. Status : Released January 23, 2018 Link : Offical site. Explore an alien, underwater world while piloting your hand-crafted submarine through mysterious submerged landscapes. From beautiful coral reefs to deep-sea caves and trenches, you'll gather resources and sustenance, build habitats and a fleet of subs, and craft new tech to help you survive the depths. It's hard not to compare it to Minecraft, yet developer Unknown Worlds has put their own unique stamp on the survival genre. Grounded. In a sentence : You're tiny and trying to survive in someone's back yard. Status : In Early Access since July 28, 2020 Link : Offical site. Obsidian shrunk you down and dropped you in a normal backyard, but due to your size it might as well be a jungle. Surrounded by killer spiders, hungry birds, and annoying ants, you can build a base by chopping down blades of grass and forage for food and drink by roasting aphids and collecting drops of dew. It's a beautiful and somewhat wonderous environment from the perspective of a someone the size of a bug. Frostpunk. In a sentence: Survival, city-building, and crisis management in a frozen world. Status: Released April 24, 2018 Link : Official site. Frostpunk is a blend of city-building, society simulation, and survival in a grim and frozen world. With a handful of cold, hungry, unhappy people, you'll need to construct a working city inside a snow-filled crater heated only by a massive coal furnace. Gather resources, hunt for food, and manage your citizens by giving them hope for the future. It's a harsh and beautiful survival game that confronts you with difficult choices at every turn. Escape from Tarkov. In a sentence: A brutal and hyper-realistic shooter all about hoarding and managing loot Status: In beta Link: Official site. Escape from Tarkov is a savage evolution of survival games with just a pinch of battle royale thrown in for flavor. Instead of playing in a persistent world, you spawn on a map with a few other players and several dozen enemy NPCs. To survive, you have to reach an exfiltration zone on the other end of the map, but you also get to keep anything you loot to sell on a player-driven marketplace or use in subsequent rounds. It's a lot like poker only way scarier. What really sells Tarkov, though, is it's hyper-realistic gunplay and ridiculously deep gun customization. Outward. In a sentence: A fantasy RPG with strong survival elements Status: Released March 2019 Link: Official site. Sounds strange to say it, but this fantasy RPG where you can never actually die is one of the best recent survival games around. In Outward you're not only challenged by mystical monsters but the world itself, in which you must keep yourself fed, hydrated, and healthy. In the arid deserts heat will sap your endurance, in the marshy swamplands the water can poison you, and with no fast-travel or quest markers or even your own location shown on your map, each excursion is an exercise in preparation, patience, and survival. RimWorld. In a sentence: Sci-fi colony management simulation inspired by Dwarf Fortress Status: Released October 17, 2018 Link: Steam. It's been five years of Early Access, but RimWorld has finally reached version 1.0. In this management and survival sim you oversee a colony of randomly generated people stranded on a procedural alien planet. Expand the base, keep your colonists healthy and sane, and deal with disasters thrown your way by RimWorld's AI director, which can include anything from disease outbreaks to alien attacks to weather events. The toughest challenge may be just making your colonists simply get along with each other: each one has a distinct personality, desires, and moods. In a sentence: Survive on a raft while building it into a floating fortress Status: In Early Access Link : Steam. It sounds almost idyllic, floating through the world serenely on a raft, building and expanding upon it as you fish flotsam from the ocean with a grappling hook. There are sharks, though. Hungry ones, and if they can't eat you they'll settle for eating your floating home. You'll need to somehow find food and fresh water while keeping your raft afloat and growing. Luckily, you can play co-op with a pal and double your chances for survival. The Long Dark. In a sentence: Atmospheric survival in a Canadian post-apocalypse. Status: Released August 1, 2017 Link : Official site. With a focus on atmosphere and environmental survival, The Long Dark stands out in an increasingly crowded genre. You play as a bush pilot stranded in the frozen wilderness after a mysterious global calamity. There are no zombies, no mutants, and no other players: it's just you fighting against the elements, the wildlife, and your own human fragility. Oxygen Not Included. In a sentence: Keep a handful of 3D-printed colonists alive in a dangerous and expanding underground colony Status: Released on July 30, 2019 Link : Official site. The best games are those that are easy to learn and difficult to master. Oxygen Not Included fits that bill: jumping into it and learning the basics is a snap, but fully understanding it takes a lot of time and effort. While it's adorable, the colony-builder is also deep and complex as it simulates its harsh subterranean environment. You'll need to manage your colonists hunger, happiness, cleanliness, and naturally their clean and breathable oxygen as they dig out caverns, gather resources, build machinery, and try to turn a harsh environment into a comfortable underground home. Ark: Survival Evolved. In a sentence: Survival, crafting, and building—with dinosaurs. Status : Released August 29, 2017 Link : Official site. Dropped nearly nude on an expansive map filled with dinosaurs, you'll have to contend with extreme heat and cold, starvation and dehydration, and fellow humans (though you can play solo as well). Craft weapons and gear, build a base, tame and ride dinosaurs, and join with (or battle) other players. Ark's free Primitive Plus DLC adds tons more depth to crafting and farming. Don't Starve. In a sentence: Survive a cartoon wilderness filled with beasts and monsters. Status: Released April 13, 2013 Link : Offical Site. With charming artwork yet punishing gameplay, Don't Starve is an addictive challenge and one of the best survival experiences out there (and in a rare turn of events, one of the few games here to graduate from Early Access). The crafting is complex and satisfying as you attempt to survive busy days and deadly nights. Fight (and eat) animals, practice both science and magic, and keep an eye on your mental health so you don't go insane. The standalone expansion Don't Starve Together even lets you play with pals. Duskers. In a sentence: Real-time strategy roguelike in which you explore creepy abandoned spaceships using drones. Status : Released May 18, 2016 Link : Duskers may not feel entirely like a survival game, given that it's a real-time strategy roguelike about steering a fleet of drones through spooky derelict spaceships. But the reason you're exploring is to scavenge parts, collect fuel, and repair and upgrade your drones so you can continue traveling through space in hopes of finding safety and an answer to the unexplained event that seems to have left the universe uninhabited (by humans, at least). Its a tense and nail-biting experience as you must keep moving through increasingly dangerous situations in hopes of gathering enough resources to survive. Further reading: In a sentence: Online zombie survival in the Eastern European countryside. Status : Released (but still not finished) December 13, 2018 Link : Steam Store. Yes, it was a long road out of Early Access, DayZ's technically still isn't done. But the survival elements of DayZ are strong, with complex nutrition, hydration, and health systems that go beyond merely eating, drinking, and bandaging wounds. Scavenge a sprawling and decaying persistent open world, engage in tense interactions with other players, customize weapons and craft gear, and try not to die: if you do, you start again with nothing. Starbound. In a sentence: Terraria in space. Status : Released July 22, 2016 Link : Steam Store. From visiting distant galaxies in your customized starship to building a home and farming crops, Starbound satisfies as both a sprawling survival adventure and a cozy pastime. The 2D pixelated sandbox is a joy to explore, and along the way you'll meet friendly alien NPCs and battle surprisingly tough bosses. There's a story-based campaign and side-quests, but no real feeling of pressure to complete them except at your leisure. You can also play with friends on dedicated servers or simply by inviting them into your game via Steam. Further reading : Starbound review. In a sentence: Naked men running around hitting each other with rocks. Status : Released February 8, 2018 Link : Official site. Join or battle other players—or attempt to go it alone—starting with primitive tools and weapons and advancing to firearms and massive bases. You'll have to contend with wild animals, hunger, and thirst, but this is a very PVP-intensive survival experience and your main threat will come from the dozens of other players on the servers. Rust left Early Access in Early 2018, but continues to add new features. Minecraft. In a sentence: Build things, destroy things, fight monsters. Status : Released October 7, 2011 Link : Official site. You may have heard of it. There are many different ways to play Minecraft: alone, in creative mode, with friends and strangers, as an explorer, or with custom game modes on specialty servers. As a survival game, it's still excellent, with well-implemented hunger and thirst systems and incredibly robust crafting and building. Dive into its blocky and beautiful world and you may never want to leave. Further reading: The Forest. In a sentence: Plane crash survivor angers cannibal tribe. Status : Released April 30, 2018 Link : Steam Store. After picking through the wreckage of the plane crash that stranded you here, you'll quickly discover you're not alone. You share a mysterious island with a tribe of terrifying cannibals, and while you struggle to stay fed and hydrated, build structures from simple tents to log homes, and construct traps to snare animals, you'll have to defend against the hungry and determined locals. The Forest is built in Unity 5, which provides stunning visuals and effects. There's even a VR version. Terraria. In a sentence: Side-scrolling Minecraft. Status: Released May 16, 2011 Link : Offical site. A wonderful, expansive, addictive, and not to mention inexpensive survival crafting sandbox. Explore randomly generated worlds, gather resources, and enjoy a simple yet satisfying crafting system. Tunnel through vast caverns, battle monsters, befriend NPCs, build yourself a palace, and play alone or with friends in co-op. Terraria has been around for years, but it's stood the test of time. This War of Mine. In a sentence: Struggle to survive in a war-torn city. Status : Released November 14, 2014 Link: Depicting war not from the perspective of an elite soldier but from that of a group of civilians simply trying to stay alive amidst the chaos, This War of Mine is a different and more desperate kind of survival game. You'll face tough choices as you manage your survivors' health, both physical and mental. Scrounging for food and supplies during the night is tense and harrowing, and no matter what you find it never seems to be enough. It's not just a survival game but a harsh and unblinking look at the reality of war. Further reading: Unturned. In a sentence : A free-to-play multiplayer survival sandbox. Status : Released July 7, 2017 Link : Steam store. It costs you nothing to play Unturned, but this isn't some slapped together free-to-play title. Its creator (a teenager) has released scores of updates to the zombie-based survival sandbox since 2014, which makes it easy to see why it's been downloaded by millions of players since its initial release. Despite Unturned's blocky visuals it contains deep and satisfying crafting, skill, and survival systems, plus there's a massive and exuberant community surrounding it. Hey folks, beloved mascot Coconut Monkey here representing the collective PC Gamer editorial team, who worked together to write this article! Top 15 Best RTS (Real Time Strategy) Games for 2020. Real Time Strategy games have had a huge fan following since their inception. The USP of such games is that there is no specific way to complete a mission. The players themselves have to devise strategies and plan out their approach to ensure victory. There are numerous RTS games out there that have received critical acclaim. But, what about the games that are hitting stores in this year? Take a look below at the best RTS games for 2020. Best RTS Games. Check out the list below for the best Real time strategy games. 1. Total War: Arena. Total War: Arena is the upcoming free-to-play Team-based real time strategy game from The Creative Assembly. The game is in closed alpha and closed beta stage now, and will be released soon. Total War: Arena mixes genres such as multiplayer online battle arena and real-time strategy together and features 10vs10 (PvP) battles. Each player can control up to 3 different units of warriors, each led by a historic commander. With the redesigned multiplayer mechanics, team-based gameplay, and powerful backstory, Total War: Arena is one of the best RTS games to play this year. So, do you want to discover the authentic stories of world’s most courageous Heroes? Are you ready to take on the Epic Hero battles? Well, you must be, because Total War: Arena is going to release on Steam soon. 2. Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak. The prequel to Homeworld is finally here after 17 long years. But it is definitely worth the wait. Set in the dying world of Kharak, players must join Rachel S’jet to uncover the mystery surrounding an anomaly which could be the answer to Kharak’s restoration. Survive the desert by making meaningful choices regarding resources, fleets and technology research. Take part in different combat styles that need to be changed depending on the environment. Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak offers both Single and Multiplayer modes and lets you enjoy an authentic story. With all the massive and ever changing environments, Tactical Combat, improved mechanics and a wit challenging gameplay, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is truly one of the best RTS games to play. Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is available to play on Windows PC and Mac OS X via Steam. 3. Soldiers: Arena. Soldiers: Arena reinvents the gameplay with its innovative approach to the Real-time Tactics and Strategy genres. It offers a gameplay influenced by three of the all-time popular games Soldiers: Heroes of World War 2, Faces of War, and Men of War. Set during the bloodiest periods of history, the World War II, Soldiers: Arena allows players to take control of the different nations each with their own tanks, infantry, vehicles and various types of weapons. It is one of the best real-time strategy games and features a highly interactive environment wherein almost anything can be destroyed or set on fire. Arena also has an advanced AI in the game which makes for a very realistic battle experience. With a variety of different elements combined, Soldiers: Arena offers Direct Control mode, beautiful atmosphere, and realism, unique Modular damage system, Advanced system AI, and a Conceptual user interface as its most promising features. You can have Early Access to the game’s content on Steam. Relive the most historic and violent period that mankind has ever witnessed on PC. 4. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is a Single and Multiplayer Real-time Strategy video game by Tindalos Interactive. The game is set in Warhammer 40K universe and allows you to embark on a journey of surreal space exploration. Released in April 2016, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, pits together Chaos, Eldar, Orks and the Imperium against each other in epic space battles. Each of the four factions has their own skills and strengths that need to be explored deeply to become victorious. The main highlight of the game is the plethora of customizations that are available for the ship as well as upgrades for the crew and captain. The ship’s weaponry, defense systems, and sub-systems must be carefully taken care of so as to be prepared for an attack anytime. With a variety of amazing upgrades, beautifully portrayed events, a powerful backstory, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is one of the best RTS games to play this year. Do try it out for an epic Strategy, Combat, and objective-oriented experience. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is available to play on PC via Steam. 5. Total War: Warhammer. Total War: Warhammer is Creative Assembly’s brilliant take on the Turn-based Tactics and RTS genre. It offers a combination of Total War Series’ gameplay and Factions from Warhammer Fantasy series games. This innovative amalgamation makes the Total War: Warhammer stands out as one of the most rewarding titles of this particular genre. It also features a huge game world filled with all kinds of monsters, warriors, and heroes. Warhammer is the 10th installment in the Total War series and players can control any of the four factions – the Empire, the Greenskins, the Dwarfs or the Vampire Counts. Warhammer brings back the tried and tested elements of the previous games like city-building, unit-building and diplomacy settings. However, there are a huge number of animations and over 30 different types of skeletons and body types added to the game as customization options for characters. For all those who’ll love to see TBS and RTS altogether, Total War: Warhammer would really be a massively entertaining. Total War: Warhammer is available to play on Windows PC and Mac OS X. Also Check: Upcoming PS4 Games. 6. Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty. Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty is a Militaristic Sci-Fi Real-time Strategy video game by none other than the popular Blizzard Entertainment. It’s a direct sequel to the 1998’s groundbreaking StarCraft video game. The story of Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty revolves around three distinct races of beings. These races include Terrans, Protos, and Zergs. Set four years after the events of StarCraft: Blood War, the game centers around a Terran character named as Jim Raynor. It focuses on the exploits of Raynor against Dominion. Packed with both new and old features, characters, and a story similar to the previous games, Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty offers variety in game content. From epic battles to colonizing the regions, dethroning the powerful rivals to controlling a whole civilization, Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty is a remarkable RTS game to play. Furthermore, the game offers beautifully crafted visuals, enhanced mechanics and an immersive gameplay to enjoy. Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty is available to play on Mac OS X and Windows PC. 7. Ashes of the Singularity. Ashes of the Singularity is a Multiplayer Real-time Strategy video game by Oxide Games. It’s a Standalone title in the series followed by an expansion pack named as Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation. This expansion pack adds up a bit more detail to the game such as more troop units, maps, skills, structures, and several new upgrades to the game interface. It offers 16 players co-op multiplayer experience with PvP, exploration, and resource generation aesthetic. Boasting to be the first ever native 64-bit RTS game, Ashes of the Singularity features maps of unprecedented size and amazing details. Players can build huge armies, research on new technology and destroy anyone who stands against them. The most intriguing part of the game is that it requires a minimum of 4 cores from the CPU. It helps develop the most complex strategies by the AI. It is surely going to hit players with a different level of challenge they have never been into in RTS games. With a variety of innovative features, beautiful visual details, and a remarkably addictive gameplay, Ashes of the Singularity is worthy of being part of the best RTS games niche. It’s available for Microsoft Windows only. 8. Cossacks 3. Cossacks 3 reinvents the classic Cossacks Franchise and offers an incredible RTS experience. The game follows the lead of 2001’s Classic and proves its worth as the best remake of an RTS game ever. With the typical Cossacks games formula, Cossacks 3 takes you back to a historic era between the 17 th and 18 th centuries. It offers 12 playable nation types, 70 different types of troop units, over a hundred new technologies to discover, hundreds of different types of historic structures, and brings back some old features as well. Cossacks 3 offers support for up to eight players for PvP combats with revamped core mechanics and a mix-up of old school and new features. Exploration, Customization options, thousands of content mods, vivid graphics, and an immersive gameplay, Cossacks 3 is a whole new package of next-gen RTS gaming. Furthermore, Cossacks 3 offers Randomly Generated game maps, 5 single-player campaigns, DLCs (Downloadable Content), loads of cool upgrades and an addictive gameplay to enjoy. Cossacks 3 is available to play on Windows PC only. Do try it out as one of the best RTS games and enjoy the ultimate fun. 9. Offworld Trading Company. Offworld Trading Company is a Sci-Fi Single and Multiplayer Real-time Strategy (RTS) video game. Set on Planet Mars, Offworld Trading Company offers a versatile content made up with the amalgamation of features such as Building, Management, and exploration. This might be one of the most unique real-time strategy games on the list because it doesn’t have any form of combat. Offworld Trading Company comes from the lead designer of Civilization IV, Soren Johnson. It allows players to dig into the untapped resources of the red planet, Mars. Players have to manipulate the market and research about new technologies to drive the opponents out of business and become the supreme leader. The market is real-time and is driven by the actions of the players. The game doesn’t have any form of combat and handling money carefully is the key to success. For all those who love Strategy games with Sci-Fi elements, non-violent gameplay, hardcore PvP battles, Offworld Trading Company would definitely prove as a great entertainer. Offworld Trading Company can be played on Windows PC and Mac OS X platforms. 10. Warcraft 3. Warcraft 3 is a Fantasy Real-time Strategy video game. This remarkable title is the direct sequel to the popular Warcraft: Orcs and Humans. Set in the Fictional Universe of Warcraft 3 offers both Single and Multiplayer play. The game focuses on two major races known as Humans and Orcs. The Single-player campaign is based on the events of the original StarCraft. The Multiplayer play allows you to brawl against the fellow players instead of matches against the game AI. The gameplay of Warcraft 3 follows the standard formula as the previous games in the series. The inclusion of multiple environments such as Mountains, rivers, cliffs, seas and other great features makes this particular game one of the best RTS games of all times. Exploration and resource collection are the two most important elements of the game. Building settlements, defenses and forging weapons created with the resources such as gold, lumber, Food, etc. lets you enjoy the game in detail. Warcraft 3 offers a variety of different troop units, amazing upgrades for both characters and equipment, and lets you enjoy a well-written story. You can enjoy playing Warcraft 3 on Windows PC and Mac OS X based systems. 11. Supreme Commander. Supreme Commander is an immersive RTS (Real-time Strategy) video game by Gas Powered Games. It’s a spiritual successor to the popular Total Annihilation released back in 1997. The game is focused on using Bipedal giant battle mechs called Armored Command Units or ACUs. The primary objectives of the game are to build bases, upgrading the units to higher tech tiers and conquering the enemies. In addition, Supreme Commander offers three main factions that the players can choose between. The Three factions include Cybran Nation, United Earth Federation, and Aeon Illuminate. Supreme Commander offers a variety of missions including the Skirmishes that can be set on a variety of victory conditions. Various objectives are assigned to players in the very start of the missions. The game has a limited number of Campaign missions. Once the player is able to finish a mission and completes all the objectives, the map expands. Freedom of exploration, plenty of room for the gameplay and objective-based play, are among the most noticeable elements of the game. 12. Age of Empires 3. Age of Empires 3 is one of the best Real Time Strategy video games available in the market globally. It offers tons of factions for the players to choose between. In addition, 14 different empires are also part of the game and players are free to choose any one of them to build and reign over. Unlike most of the RTS games on this list, Age of Empires 3 features locations based on real life countries and also the historical military units. Players can start the game with one civilization, go through the dark ages, research new technologies and build new trade routes. Building massive armies, training them, waging wars against the opponents and defending your own settlements are some of the most prominent objectives of Age of Empires 3. If you want a game that’s based on more realism than any other you see circling around over the web, Age of Empires 3 will probably be your best choice. It’s indeed one of the best RTS games to play. 13. Company of Heroes. Company of Heroes will probably strike you as an oldie as compared to the other games on the list of best RTS games. It’s an award-winning RTS game that features a World War 2 era setting. The Relic Entertainment did a really good job by focusing more on the game’s realism. That is why you’ll see a lot of historical references to the game. You’ll see plenty of historical locations and armies from the past as well. In addition, the game offers beautiful graphics, advanced combat mechanics, tons of playable factions, and multiplayer play. The ragdoll physics makes it even more interesting and probably one of the best RTS games you’ll ever play. It isn’t much of a heavy strategy game unlike others and allows you to easily master and enjoy its gameplay. Company of Heroes is an amazing World War 2 era game that offers way more realism than any other made on this subject. So, do try it out if you haven’t yet. It’ll amaze you with all the stuff it has to offer. 14. Stronghold. Stronghold or also referred to as Stronghold HD is a historically rich Real-Time Strategy video game by Firefly Studios. The main focus of the game remains on exploration, conquest, and expansion of the world by military means. Economic strategy, development, research, and defense are some of the most prominent elements of the game. It offers both Military and Economic campaigns in order to let you fully enjoy a realistic experience of a Strategy game. It’s set in a medieval era in Britain around the year 1066. As a lord of the kingdom, it is your duty to stabilize the economy in the region, create and train a massive military to defend your kingdom. Invade, and destroy the enemy strongholds, and complete the missions with all the objectives. Stronghold offers various game modes, and lets you have full control over the kingdom. Developing skills, re-conquer the lost lands and keep on growing until all the neighboring barbarian kingdoms are part of your massive kingdom. 15. Star Wars: Empire at War. For all those who love Real-time Strategy games but they want a more familiar setting, Star Wars: Empire at War will definitely interest them greatly. With a Star Wars theme, the game offers a movie like an experience and uses locations from Star Wars movies as well. This, in turn, makes the game more interesting. It features the main campaign mode in which players can choose from the Rebel Alliance to the Star Wars empire. Players will face scenarios such as protecting the emperor, destroying the mega weapon Death Star. Players can choose a totally different faction as well and complete the campaign based on the objectives specifically provided for that particular faction. Star Wars: Empire at War also offers the Skirmish mode and it greatly resembles the classic RTS elements with a unique twist. You have the liberty to simply stick to a land or go traveling in the space and be part of the massive battles. As one of the most unique and challenging RTS games, Star Wars: Empire at War will definitely be worth your time. Do try it out. Hope you liked our list of best real time strategy games. If you think there are better RTS games and we skipped them, drop us a comment below and we will check them out. The Best PC Strategy and Tactics Games for 2021. Brainpower, not itchy trigger fingers, help you excel in these excellent games. Sometimes twitchy video game genres, such as fighting games and shmups, don't provide the kind of challenge you're craving. Fast-paced, action focused titles have their place, no doubt, but every now and then you need the exhilaration that comes with squashing enemies with your brain. That's when strategy and tactics games prove appealing. There's a fine line between the strategy and tactics genres. Strategy games typically task you with managing all battle aspects, such as harvesting energy sources and building bases or troops. The StarCraft games are excellent examples. Tactics games, on the other hand, typically focuses on maneuvering troops and other combat elements. Gears Tactics represents the category well. The games in either category can operate in a turn- based or real-time fashion. But enough talk—it's time to play some games. These are the best strategy and tactics titles that PCMag has reviewed. Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock. For decades, the Battlestar Galactica property has thrilled sci-fi nerds, with both the original 1978 series and the 2004 reboot achieving cult classic status. The Black Lab Games-developed Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock sets itself on ground left relatively untouched by either series, inserting you into the throes of the first Cylon war. The turn-based tactics game puts you in command of the entire colonial fleet and the disposition of its forces. Though some tactical elements occasionally feel unbalanced, Deadlock does justice to the franchise by delivering incredible space battles and intriguing lore. Gears Tactics. Mainline Gears of War games are cover-based shooters that put you in the boots of muscled soldiers who defend humanity from the mutant horde called the Locust. Miraculously, Xbox Game Studios' Gears Tactics—the franchise's first venture into the turn-based, tactics genre—preserves many series hallmarks, including wild melee executions, cover-heavy environments, and waves of overaggressive enemies. Action points, travel lines, range cones, and the ability to recruit new troops give the game its tactical elements. Cheap enemy spawning leads to frustrating moments, though. Halo Wars 2. Halo Wars 2 is a real-time strategy game set within Xbox Game Studios' popular Halo universe. Utilizing a rock-paper-scissors-styled combat system, Halo Wars 2 tasks you with developing bases and armies to combat hostile alien forces. Once you familiarize yourself with your units and resource production, it's just a matter of building the right troops for the job at hand, whether that means capturing enemy bases, defending your own base, or surviving the enemy waves. Halo Wars 2's simple design makes the RTS experience accessible for both newcomers and veterans, but the game doesn't do much to invigorate the genre besides adding the esports-friendly Blitz mode.