Highlights
- Strategy games like Europa Universalis 4 offer a unique focus on the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era, providing a steep learning curve but a rewarding experience.
- Empire Earth stands out with its vast number of civilizations to progress through, starting from the Stone Ages and advancing to the future, making it an exciting and enjoyable RTS title.
- Age of Mythology offers a captivating fictional setting where multiple mythologies coexist, providing an exciting twist to the classic Age of Empires gameplay that fans will remember long after playing.
Strategy games are a blast to play through. These games let players focus on smaller-scale battles to control entire empires as they decide the best course of action to take for their civilization to flourish. Suffice it to say, fans will find the hours flying by as they strive to accomplish the many goals set by these titles, becoming masters of the game in the process.
10 Grand Strategy Games With The Best Religion Systems
While religion is often included in grand strategy games, sometimes it isn't done well. What games nail this aspect?
For the most part, most strategy games focus on been-there-done-that periods that are pretty prominent in most other titles. It's easy to see why this is the case. Given how niche this genre already is, developers would want their titles to be as accessible as possible. However, some imaginative strategy games focus on time periods that aren't all that ubiquitous in the gaming industry.
5 Europa Universalis 4
From The Late Middle Ages To The Early Modern Period
Europa Universalis 4
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- August 13, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Paradox Development Studio
- Genre(s)
- Strategy
Paradox Entertainment are the king of the grand strategy genre, developing a truckload of titles that focus on different time periods and let players uniquely interact with the game world. One such title that many fans can't get enough of is Europa Universalis, a series that fans can come back to and enjoy over and over again.
The transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era is something that many games don't really focus on which is a huge part of what makes games like Europa Universalis 4 such a blast to get into. The learning curve is steep, but players who spend a few hours with this title will find themselves striking up alliances, improving their commerce, and colonizing uncharted areas in no time at all!
4 Empire Earth
From The Stone Ages To The Future
Empire Earth
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows
- Released
- January 1, 2007
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar New England , Activision , Vivendi Universal
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
Players who love Age of Empires will find Empire Earth to be right up their alley. After all, the game covers most of the same gameplay loops that people would expect from an RTS title where building up settlements, gathering resources, and developing combat units is essential to victory.
However, what makes Empire Earth stand out from the rest of its contemporaries is the sheer number of civilizations that players can progress through in the game. Players start from the Stone Age, reaching the advancements afforded by the modern era before progressing into the future. It's wild, unhinged, and some of the best fun players can have in an RTS title if advancement is a source of enjoyment.
3 Age Of Mythology
A Fictional Setting In A World Inhabited By Numerous Mythologies
The Age of Empires series is easily one of the most recognizable and beloved strategy games ever made, and fans were glad to see a spin-off of this series that focused on mythology instead. Age of Mythology blew everyone's minds when it was launched, letting players enjoy the classic gameplay of the series with a mythological twist that was very welcome.
6 Great Quick-Play Strategy Games
If time is of the essence then be sure to check out these top-tier strategy titles.
The idea of numerous mythologies co-existing under one roof is what made Age of Mythology such a unique gem of a title. The campaign of this title is legendary, and the story of Arkantos is something that fans will remember long after completing both the main campaign, the expansion pack The Titans, and a new addition to the series that focuses on Chinese mythology, Tale of the Dragon.
2 Command & Conquer
A Mostly Realistic Near-Future
Command & Conquer Remastered
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- June 5, 2020
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy , Tactical
- Developer
- Petroglyph
Command & Conquer is considered by many to be one of the most unique RTS games on the market. The fleshed-out lore of this title's setting and a wealth of charming FMV cutscenes have made this title a blast to get through, with players loving how unique the warfare and economy in this game is.
One of the best achievements of Command & Conquer is just how realistic everything feels, despite taking place sometime in the near future. Warfare is prevalent, rebel factions are competent, and players need to employ all their strategies to ensure that they come out victorious in the game's many grueling stages.
1 Stellaris
Far Future Where FTL Travel Is A New Discovery
Paradox Interactive has mostly relied on established IPs for the bulk of its grand strategy offerings. So, fans were glad to see a new title developed by this company that focused more on intergalactic civilizations and space travel in the future. The end result is Stellaris, a game so captivating that hours can fly by without the player even realizing.
7 Grand Strategy Games to Play While Waiting for Civ 7
Civilization 7 is still some ways out, but the grand strategy genre has a lot of games for fans of the Firaxis flagship to discover.
Stellaris isn't an easy game to get into, and it's a harder game to stop playing once players finally get into it. Controlling one of several intergalactic species and adhering to their strengths and weaknesses makes each playthrough feel like a brand-new experience, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that players can spend hundreds of hours in Stellaris without even breaking a sweat!
