Highlights
- Turn-based strategy games offer developers creative freedom and have a dedicated fanbase despite being considered a niche genre.
- Games like Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis , Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon , Advance Wars: Days of Ruin , and Banner Saga are underappreciated gems in the genre that are worth revisiting.
- These games excel in gameplay, strategy, storytelling, and visuals, offering engaging experiences that deserve more attention from players.
The Turn-Based Strategy Games genre is one that has seen tons of recent interest with the likes of Fire Emblem, Mario & Rabbids, and the new Triangle Strategy making a big difference in the interest the genre accrued. Regardless, turn-based strategy games can be considered a niche genre, but they have tons of incredible games, be it Civilization 6 or Final Fantasy Tactics. The genre is essentially an empty canvas and gives developers a lot of leeway with what they can do with a game.
There are, however, gems that always slip through the cracks, or, were once lauded but quickly forgotten about. The games laid out below are not only incredible turn-based strategy games, but they also hold up well and are worth a re-visit.
5 Tactics Ogre The Knight of Lodis
Most hardcore fans of the genre know about the Tactics Ogre series, particularly the infamous release of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. Unfortunately, the Gameboy release The Knight of Lodis isn’t nearly as popular, which is a shame considering how good it is and how well it holds up to this date.
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Knight of Lodis acts as a prequel to Let Us Cling Together and focuses its narrative around Alphonse Loeher as he embarks on a perilous journey, realizing not only the atrocities his own country Lodis commits, but the morally gray area in which his combat unit operates in. The game focuses heavily on player choices in both the gameplay and the narrative. In terms of combat, it’s a standard, well-balanced strategy game with a solid difficulty curve and tons of customization options and party building, like its successor. Knight of Lodis is the sort of game players can easily sink hours into without even realizing it.
4 Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon
While it might be odd to say a Fire Emblem game is forgotten, it is true. A lot of the Fire Emblem titles that weren’t released on the Gameboy or the 3DS aren’t popular outside the fanbase. Shadow Dragon is one of those underappreciated games that was released on the DS but didn’t get much of the limelight. A remake of the original game, Shadow Dragon follows the infamous story of Marth as he comes to terms with the death of his family and the usurpation of his throne.
Fire Emblem: 7 Best Units In The Entire Series
While the majority of Fire Emblem characters will gradually grow stronger as the game progresses, these units were overpowered right from the get-go.
The characters in this game are admittedly underdeveloped due to a lack of support conversations. Where this game shines is the pure gameplay and strategy element. With five levels of difficulty, it poses quite a challenge. The enemy class types in the early game are quite unforgiving too. Moreover, the game features ambush reinforcement spawns that can be quite tricky to deal with. Overall it’s an underappreciated game worth checking out.
3 Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
The Advance Wars franchise as a whole seems like one the world has forgotten about. Whilst there has been a recent remake of the original two games for the Nintendo Switch, the lack of new releases and support is surprising considering how good these games are and the fact that they have a ridiculously loyal fanbase.
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin is definitely the most forgotten game in the series. Set in a different world, featuring different characters and a more somber tone, the game is set in a post-apocalyptic world and has a completely different feel to the rest of the series. Despite this, the gameplay is still very Advance Wars-esque and easily outshines most games in the genre. The new terrain, unit types, and production options all make the game tactically engaging and fun. Overall, this is a very underappreciated game and deserves more attention.
2 Into the Breach
Into the Breach was a massive success in 2018, indie developers Subset Games were able to craft an incredible turn-based strategy game. The game involves turn-based mech combat and players have to build up their forces, protect civilian buildings, and defeat giant monsters.
The combat is fast-paced, high-stakes, and fun, the music and ambiance works really well and the maps are engaging. Overall, this is a very solid game, and it is surprising that 5 years on it doesn’t have a sequel. This game is a must-try for genre newcomers and hardcore fans alike. It also has great replay value and some additional content.
1 Banner Saga
Banner Saga is one of the best recent turn-based strategy series out there. All three games are incredible, but the first one still stands out. Players are in control of Rook and his caravan, as he must make difficult decisions to keep his daughter Alette, and his people safe. Resources are finite and recruit-able allies even more so.
The Banner Saga is one of the most beautiful strategy games out there. The unique art style and the mesmerizing visuals work in tandem to portray a gloomy and melancholic world where survival is the only aim. The story is tragic, and the player's decisions carry a ton of weight. The Banner Saga is one of the best strategy games of the last few decades, and it deserves a lot more love than it gets.