Strategy games are a niche genre, historical strategy games even more so. Nonetheless, they've got a devoted following and can occasionally break into the mainstream in unexpected ways. History buffs and armchair generals alike can flex their tactical muscles and recreate their favorite historical battles... or see what happens when events take a different turn.
We've chosen the best strategy game for several eras of history. Whether we've picked them for their stellar gameplay, historical immersion, or both, try one of these can't miss campaigns the next time you feel like rewriting history on the battlefield!
8 💛 Antiquity - O💧ld World (2020)
Developed by members of the team behind Civilization 4, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Old World takes the classic 4X f🃏ormula and focuses it on the very earliestไ human empires. Players will found and expand cities, fight barbarian hordes, and manage their relationships with other empires in their bid to be remembered as the greatest.
Old World introduces a character system, so the egos and personalities of generals, priests, and rulers - both historical and fictional - wil🌠l open up new choices and restrict other options. Players new to the genre might find themselves a bit in over their heads, but for strategy aficionados Old World is practically a requirement.
7 😼 Classical Period - Total War: Th꧑ree Kingdoms (2019)
There would be a very strong case to just fill this list with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Total War games, given the series' longstanding reputation for outstanding mass battles and capturing the flavor of each period. For my money, though, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Three Kingdoms is the best of the bunch.
Total War:Three Kingdoms embraces the heroic legend surrounding the conflict, making larger-than-life characters just as important to overall strategy as thousands of troops in formation. The game is also visually breathtaking - even in the midst of a battle, it's always worth taking a moment to watch two heroes fight a duel straight out of a martial-arts movie.
6 🐽 Medieval Period - Age Of Empires 2 (ꦏ1999) / Crusader Kings 3 (2020)
This is the only tie on this list - the Middle Ages are one of the most popular settings for historical games, and these titles are at the top of their class, albeit for different reasons. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Age Of Empires 2 is the greatest historical RTS ever, to the point that it's never even been topped by its own franchise successors. The Definitive Edition still draws players from around the world, and is receiving updates and balance changes to this day that support AoE2's small but thriving esports scene.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Crusader Kings 3 is the ultimate historical sandbox, letting players delve into the intrigues of the medieval world. Fighting wars, hatching plots, and building romances are just some of the things you can do as you watch your character age,♑ change, and eve🀅ntually die, leaving their successor to take the crown and continue the game.
5 Early 🐟Modern Period - Europa Universalis 4 (2013ജ)
The Early Modern period covers a lot of time, along with some big changes across the world. Rather than focus on a single point within that era, Europa Universalis 4 covers the entire four hundred years.
Managing trade routes, developing new technologies and ideas, and founding (or resisting!) colonies across the globe make up the gameplay in EU4, not to mention wars ranging from simple border conf🅺licts to enormous coalition wars.
This game really puts the "grand" in grand strategy - if you're looking for a game that you can easily sink hundreds upon hundreds of hours into, it's hard to go wrong with EU4 and its endless possibilities.
4 Industrial Per🤪iod - Grand Tactician: Civil 𒉰War (2021)
There have been plenty of games about the American Civil War, and one of most recent newcomers is shaping up to be the best. WIth tactical depth that's easy for casual players to grasp but nuanced enough to keep hardcore fans satisfied, it's an excellent choice regardless of your skill level.
In addition to the historical campaigns, there are also plenty of what-if scenarios to be had, from European intervention to turning points in pivotal battles. You'll also need to manage the troop composition and equipment of your armies, specializing them to best carry out their orders.
3 First World War - The Great War: Western♉ Front (2023)
The First World War can be tough to translate into a strategy game - after all, much of the war was a deadlock that saw thousands of soldiers die in the trenches for very little - if any - gain. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Great War: Western Front manages to capture this wit🎃h a focus on the💟 strategic layer.
Managing casualties, resources, and troop placements is often more important than winning battles over the same stretch of ground. While it's technically possible to win the war by capturing the enemy capital, you're much more likely to claim victory by draining the other side's resources until they can no longer fight.
2 ꦍ 🅷 Second World War - Company Of Heroes (2006)
Real-time strategy has fallen off in popularity with the rise of MOBAs, and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Company Of Heroes is the last major game in the genre from its glory days. With a focus on cover, terrain, and objective control, Company Of Heroes was a breath of fresh air in a field where every game was trying to be the next 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:StarCraft.
Company Of Heroes 2 and 3 are both excellent games in their own right as well, bu𝕴t ne🍬ither had the same impact on players as the original.
1 ✤ Modern Era - WarGame: Red Dragon (2014)
The WarGame series is not for the faint of heart, with tons of complexity and a steep learning curve. Once you get past all that, though, it's an incredible rewarding tactical experience that lets players bring the full arsenal of modern militaries to bear. Whether you're playing the alternate-history campaigns that (thankfully) never came to pass in the real world or proving your mettle in WarGame's competitive scene, it's hard to find a deeper tactical experience anywhere else.
Red Dragon is the best game in the series, with an enormous array of playable nations and realistic units. If you're going to get into the franchise, this is really the ideal place to dive in.