what are some great strategy games from the last 2-3 years to pick up during the sale? I'm open to most types of strategy games except for things that play like a reskinned excel document.
Am on top of Meta HQ shining the Grognard sign into the night sky to call
Aaron D.
It's like the batman symbol but it's a beardy old nerd about to school you on the inaccuracies of representation of the Prussian Empire in modern wargaming.
Off the top of my head i'd say the next two are good introductions as they are a little bit more like "Puzzle" games than pure strategy games but not as "puzzly" as Panzer Corps where there tends to be only one "optimal" solution to the maps.
I'd probably choose UC2 over UC1 because of the improvements but both have good reputations.
Yeah, UoC2 is my go-to suggestion for an introduction to the wargame genre. Best way to get your foot in the door, imo.
Esp. after they totally overhauled the tutorial a couple months back.
Speaking of which, CK3 is a bit deep-end of the pool, but the new imbedded-hyperlink info panels and a whip-smart tutorial to make it far more accessible than previous outings.
Like the idea of Crusader Kings but are too intimadated? Plebby Quest is a CK-lite from a S. Korean team that is feature-rich but approachable. Killer charming/funny story spread over 3 campaigns.
Swinging in the opposite direction, Shadow Empire makes CK look like checkers on the complexity front. Unabashedly deep 4X/wargame hybrid with CK-leader relationship management influences. Made by one guy. Not for the feint of heart! Near the top of my current overall GOTY list.
C&C Remastered is a wonderful package with a ton of content. Lovingly put together with a lot of extra bells & whistles. If you're new to the RTS genre it's a friendly introduction as it was part of the vanguard that started the entire genre and back then the game mechanics were more focused & straightforward.
Also consider the killer
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition if you're interested in this angle.
Super-interesting settler/RTS hybrid with a cool story & presentation.
Cute RTS with an interesting setting.
Speaking of story, Frostpunk is unforgettable. Bring a tissue.
Battletech brings killer grid-based combat into play. Super deep gameplay systems in building out your mech.
I'll always stan for Troubleshooter. It's an XCOM-like out of S. Korea from a small team with a ton of heart. Deep story elements w/ FFT:A job systems & Pokemon collection influences.
While we're on XCOM-like, you don't get much closer to XCOM than XCOM itself.
Humankind is landing in a couple months and it looks like the first true Civ-killer to come along in quite some time. Believe you can play the beta now with a purchase.
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Honestly I could go on for days as the Strategy field is so wide & diverse. Are you in the market for a particular type of strat experience?
There's so many offshoots.
Into colony management? ACS is a wonderfully deep RimWorld-like with RPG elements.
How about automation/production line strat? DSP is a killer Factorio-like.
Looking for more action? D3 sports awesome real-time ( w/pause) tactical engagement.
Into SCP monster management? Lob Corp. is another gem out of S. Korea that just saw a complete English translation overhaul making it far more approachable.
Under the radar gem that's like a board-game version of State of Decay.
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Okay, now I'm really out of gas.
More suggestions in my back pocket, so swing back by if you want to drill down deeper with a more focused search.