Fans of the strategy genre often agree that 1982 was the year strategy games began. And that's because that same year, Utopia was released for the short-lived Intellivision gaming system. Furthermore, only one month after the release of Utopia, Cytron Masters was released for the Apple II and Atari 8-bit, further cementing the strategy genre into the gaming industry.
As the years passed, the strategy genre began to branch off to two sub-genres: turn-based and real-time, both of which offer a unique style of gaming. But some developers have brought their own vision into strategy games, deconstructing the genre into something that reaches beyond the norm.
6 Command & Conquer - Redefined Multiplayer
This series started in 1995 with the release of Command & Conquer (also known as Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn) and has expanded into 19 games that still hold up to this day. Players could choose between two factions (Global Defense Initiative and Brotherhood of Nod), each faction having its own strengths and weaknesses. As with other strategy games, players had to gather resources, build armies, and conquer hostile opponents.
Command & Conquer deconstructed the genre by presenting players with the ability to host four-player LAN multiplayer matches. On top of that, with the release of Command & Conquer Gold in 1996, players could play online multiplayer, which was a rare feature in the gaming community. Undoubtedly, Command & Conquer reshaped strategy games with its multiplayer, alongside its hilarious live-action cutscenes.
5 Crusader Kings 3 - Epitome Of Replayability
Most strategy games are quite straightforward in terms of gameplay, players gather resources, build their cities, and defeat their rivals. But, this kind of gameplay gets old quickly, especially when players already know which factions, units, and buildings are the best. Fortunately, Crusader Kings (technically a Grand Strategy game) spiced the genre up by making every match unique.
Crusader Kings 3 took it up a notch by adding hundreds of random events that can occur during gameplay. On top of that, every new playthrough has its own set of challenges, from intense holy wars to disease-stricken lands that the player must face. Without any doubt, the Crusader Kings series overhauled the strategy genre by introducing more random events, allowing players to replay it without getting bored. And if a player were to get bored, the modding community has created hundreds of different mods that allow players to transform the game into something completely different while retaining its core features.
4 XCOM 2 - Concept Of Risk-Reward
In most strategy games, players don't have to think twice when sending out their armies to conquer a rival player. After all, any lost units will quickly be replaced by another batch. But, that's where X-COM: UFO Defense (1996) changed the playing field since it limited the ways players would gain units, meaning players had to think twice before sending them into a battle.
The XCOM series continued to evolve its risk-reward mechanics until the point that almost every movement was determined by RNG. And in XCOM 2 all of those risk-reward features come together so that even the most hardcore fan will make rookie mistakes in their playthrough. And while seeing a unit miss a 99% shot is painful, XCOM 2 has proven once again that the strategy genre can continue to be deconstructed.
3 Shogun: Total War - More Complex Battles
In the early days of strategy games, gameplay features were quite limited, often restricted to point-and-click playthroughs with no complex tactics. But, with the release of Shogun: Total War in the early 2000s, the strategy genre would take another turn in terms of gameplay complexity. It blended elements found in popular turn-based strategy games with that of real-time ones, adding an extra layer of complexity.
Players could no longer simply send their armies out into battle, but instead would have to micromanage them throughout the entire battle. For example, if the enemy team had cavalry, players would need to ensure they place spearman in the front of the army, but if the enemy had archers they would have to order their soldiers to spread out. And while Shogun: Total War is far from being the best Total War game, it made a huge impact in future strategy games.
2 Company Of Heroes - Ever Evolving Map
Company of Heroes is often regarded as one of the best video games ever made (perhaps even the best real-time strategy game as well), even having its own film adaptation in 2013. This game had several distinctive features that made it stand out from other strategy games, like squad-based units and eight-player online multiplayer.
The most notable feature was the map elements that allowed players to use the environment to their advantage. For example, players could garrison squads inside structures, thus allowing them to have more cover during a firefight. Moreover, the terrain would change as the match progressed, from a beautiful green field to a crater-filled desolate wasteland. All of these features allowed players to have a glimpse of the brutality of war, especially World War 2.
1 Offworld Trading Company - Combat Isn't Always Needed
Casual players often view strategy games as war simulators since most of these games are combat-focused. That's why Mohawk Games decided to create a game that had no combat but still had the core elements that make a strategy game. Offworld Trading Company is an economic warfare strategy game that utilizes hostile corporate takeovers, espionage, and sabotage.
Players must try to control as many resources as they can with the goal of buying a majority stake in every off-world trading company. And while most of the "combat" isn't combat, players can hire mercenaries to protect their resources from being sabotaged by rival players. Without any doubt, Offworld Trading Company proved to gamers that strategy games aren't limited to warfare and can expand to other unique settings.