Summary

  • Dive into the strategic world of video games with XCOM: Chimera Squad, a unique spin on the classic series with original characters.
  • Marvel Snap offers a fast-paced card game where you can build a deck of Marvel heroes and defeat your opponents using abilities and iconic locations.
  • Two Point Campus lets you run a university to success, requiring strategic planning, staff training, and campus building for a different approach to strategy games.

Everyone loves a good puzzle, right? The thing is, sometimes you do🍃n't want a physical 10,000-piece puzzle but a virtual one with units or city districts or even unique characters. Strategy games with tactics and impactful choices deliver the perfect 💞experience to hone your decision-making abilities.

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168澳洲幸运5开奖网: 🅺7 Best Strategy Games With N🔯o Combat

Get your brain going without the need fo♔r violence.

The genre encompasses tons of different kinds of games, from grand strategy to tu♋rn-based to real-time and even narrative-based. All that matters is that the choices you make impact gameplay and that extends to all kinds of video games. Here are the best tactical strategy games for beginners.

Updated February 9, 2025 by Jacob Whaling: We've cleaned up this article, added a few new beginner-friendly tactical strategy games, and added spec boxes so you can get a nice list of details for each game.

1 ꧒ Age Of Empires 2 🐻

A Knight Rush in Progress During the Feudal Age in Age of Empires 2
Age of Empires 2
Real-Time Strategy

Released
🌄 November 14, 2💃019
ESRB
t
Developer(s)
🤡 Ensemble Studios
Engine
🍷 Genie Engine 🔴
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer 🍰
Platform(s)
PC, PS2
How Long To Beat
80 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
28 GB (Novem𒊎ber 2023)
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Age of Empires is how so many gamers got into the tactical strategy genre, and the still-un𝐆defeated king of the series is the second game, Age of Kings. This medieval treat built on the successes of the first entry and laid the foundations for sequels that would play with the formula in new and interesting ways - such as by introducing mytholog✅y into it.

Age of Empires 2 is likely the best entry point in the series thanks to its fantastic tutorial campaign that has you following William Wallace as ꦍhe fights back against the tyrannical English.

This is a perfect introduction to the game alone, but also many concepts that other stratཧegy games rely on, such as rꩵesource gathering and army building.

2 ꦛ Marvel Snap

4.0/5

Released
♓ August 22, 20𒁏23
ESRB
e
Developer(s)
🅠 🍨 Second Dinner
Publisher(s)
Nuverse
Engine
Unity
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer ജ
Franchise
Marvel
Platform(s)
PC, Android, iOS
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Marvel Snap is not simply a card game - it is an easy-toꦕ-learn and hard-to-master smorgasbord of Marvel heroes and villains🦹 that you can use to keenly hone your instincts and defeat your foes.

This game involves building a deck of Marvel supers and using their abilities in combination with various iconic locations to overcome your opponent's deck. The rounds are very short and it's easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of seeing a plan exec🌱uted flawlessly. It's also f♔ree, so you can't go wrong in giving it a go!

3 ꧒ XCOM: Chimera Squad

Soldiers and a close-up alien in XCOM: Chimera Squad.
3.5/5

Released
Aprilꦉ 24, 202ꦓ0
ESRB
T For Teen due to Blood, Language, Violence 🥀
Developer(s)
𓆉 Firaxis Games
Publisher(s)
2K
Engine
💜 Unreal Engine 3
Franchise
Xcom
Platform(s)
PC
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

The incomparable strategy franchise XCOM has many stellar entries in its catalog, including the most recent, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:XCOM 2: War of the Chosen.

However, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:XCOM: Chimera Squad is a different spin on the classic formula with original characters who have their own progression. Players can set up traps, customize characters, and create their ow♈n stories.

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168澳洲幸运5开奖网🍎: 17 Best Strateg🎃y Games On Nintendo Switch

If you love a challenge, check out these Ninte🍎ndo Switch strategy games.

For newer players,🃏 it provides a nice segue into the world of turn-based tactical strategy. Just don't blame anyone when you become addicted to the familiar yet alien world of Advent and Central.

4 🐻 Two Point Campus 🐼

5.0/5

Released
August 9, 2022 🐎
ESRB
T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Mild Suggestive Themes 📖
Developer(s)
⛎ Two Point St𓆏udios
Publisher(s)
Sega
Engine
Unity
How Long To Beat
20 Hours
PS Plus Availability
🍷 Extra & Premium 𝓀
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

While the vast majority of titles on this list deal with war, combat, and violence, there's definitely cause to include a game like 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Two Point Campus on this list. Wh🌟ile the students don't wield weapons (unless they're learning how to be dark wizards or knights), you'll still need to think strategically if you want to lead them to succes💫s.

Compared to its predecessor, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Two Point Hospital, this game requires more planning. Not only do you need to keep an eye on your expenditures, but you have staff that need training, timetables to plan, and entire campuses to build and decorate. A lot of the same skills and techniques are put to work in this game as any others on this lis꧅t.

5 Fin🤪al Fantasy Tactics ☂

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Tactical

Released
May 10, 2007 🦂
ESRB
t
Multiplayer
𒁃 Local Multiplayer
Platform(s)
Android, iOS, PSP
How Long To Beat
43 hours

This is the game that many people will think of when you say "tactical strategy" - and with good reason. This title is responsible for introducing multiple generations to the genre simply because it is a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Final Fantasy title, and it's a fantastic one, at that.

Newer players may need to look up a guide or two as they take their first grid-based steps around the world of Iva🔥lice, but once you have the hang of it, it's a very compelling game. It has a huge array of classes and abilities to experiment with, and secrets to find and take advantage of to discover with every new playthrough.

It's worth playing either the PS1 original or th♒e enhanced PSP version, titled Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions, which can also be purchased on iOS and Android mobile devices.⭕ It's especially fun on iPad!

6 Tactics Ogre: Reborn 🉐

A screenshot showing gameplay from Tactics Ogre
Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Tactical
Strategy
4.0/5

Released
𒈔 November 11, 2022 ༒
ESRB
T for Teen due to 𒁏Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Franchise
🅰 Tactics Ogre
Platform(s)
PC, PS5, PS4, Switch
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

This game, like Final Fantasy Tactics, is hailed as one of the greatest to ever be bestowed upon us in this genre. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Tactics Ogre follows Denam, a young man who joins a rebellion, meets a lot of very import🐈ant people, and like any protagonist worth their salt, ends up becoming on൩e of the most pivotal individuals in the world's history.

With a robust class system (narratively and mechanically, in this case!),𒆙 engaging fights, and a complex story that will certainly never fail to capture your attention, Tactics Ogre is a fantastic way to fall in love with this genre. The late 2022 remaster, Reborn, is arguably the finest way to play the game!

If you pick up Tactics Ogre: Reborn, you may want a guide on hand for recruiting every character. There's a lot going on. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Here's ours.

7 ♎ Dune: Spice Wars

A Support drone flying through the desert in Dune: Spice Wars.
Dune: Spice Wars
Real-Time Strategy

Released
September 14, 202𒁏3
ESRB
𝔉 Teen // Fantasy Violence🧸, Drug Reference
Developer(s)
Shiro Games ⛦
Publisher(s)
F🤡uncom, Shiro Games 𝄹
Engine
HashLink
Multiplayer
Online Mult�ও�iplayer
Franchise
Dune
Number of Players
1-4
Steam Deck Compatibility
Playable
PC Release Date
September 14ജ, 2023
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
Nov🐽ember 17, 2022 ജ
How Long To Beat
11 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
6.03 GB
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

While this game is going to be most accessible to fans of Dune in general, it's also an incredibly solid, fun exp❀erience for those with little-to-no history with the sci-fi mar𓃲vel. Spice Wars takes the 4X formula - explore, exploit, expand, and exterminate - and distills it down to its building blocks, providing an extremely solid base for a newbie to the series to explore.

4:55
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168澳洲幸运5开奖网: 21 Best RTS Games Of All Time

If y🐼ou're going to play an RTS game, it should be one of tဣhese.

It's a real-time strategy game, which may appeal to those who find turn-based fare slow and clunky. In addition, 🦹with various factions and different ways that you can win any individual match, the game has a ton of replay value.

8 Sid Meier's Civilization 6

Soldiers march towards each other near a border in Sid Meier's Civilization 6.

Released
ꦓ October 21, 2016 💫
ESRB
E10+ for Everyone 10+: Drug Reference, Language, ⛦Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes ▨
Developer(s)
ꦦ Firaxis Games
Publisher(s)
2K Games
Engine
Unity
Multiplayer
𝔍 𒆙 Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
Franchise
Civilization ജ
Number of Players
1-6
Platform(s)
PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Android, iOS
How Long To Beat
23 Hours
Metascore
88
PS Plus Availability
N/A
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Sid 🍰Meier's Civilization is another historical franchise in the strategy game world, and it is also turn-based. However, these games have more in common with city builders than they do XCOM or Starcraft. Players found their own civilizations, building new cities as they explore the map and meet other civilizations.

You can wage wars, broker peace treaties, take city-states, and more. It's an ideal way to get into the grand🍨er strategy games that the genre has to offer.

9 🍒 Crusader Kings 3

crusader kings 3 agricultural economy buildings
5.0/5

Released
September 1, 2020 ౠ🐓
ESRB
💦 T for Teens: Drug Reference, Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
Engine
Clausewitz Engine ⛦ 𓆏
Multiplayer
Onlinꦉe Multiplayer ꦬ
How Long To Beat
70 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
11 GB (November 2023) 🦋
Metascore
91
PS Plus Availability
Extra & Premium ൲

But then again, sometimes being thrown in at the deep end is the best way to become enthralled with a whole new genre. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Crusader Kings 3 is likely the most accessible, beginner-friendly grand strategy game in Paradox Interactive's impres🌜sive library.

That's not to say it's easy, but there's plenty there to keep you engaged without f🅺eeling like a wall of nonsense.

In this game, you take control of a noble during the medieval period,🐈 following their line as their titles and lands get inherited by their heirs. You need to manage your realm, your family, and the political dramas that evolve around you. No two games are the same and, despite the steep learning curve, this is many players' favorite for a reason.

10 🅺 Triangle Strategy ✅

Triangle Strategy Frederica Using Scorch on Barricades
4.0/5

Released
March 4, 2022 ✨
ESRB
t
Engine
Unreal Engine 4 🅘
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Just like Final Fantasy Tactics and its predecessor, Tactic Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Triangle Strategy sees you take the helm of a small party of characters who end up being pivotal in a grand-scale war between more than a few different nations. The game follows Serenoa, a young lord from♔ the kingdom of Glenbrook, a country recovering from a war that might just be starting up again.

The battle system is easy to get into, and it's the perfect entry point into the genre thanks to the game's flexible difficulty options and the way it encourages experimentation, wit🍷h little to no punishment for accidentally getting defeated. With multiple routes and decisions to make, it even has fantastic replayability value.