Let's be honest: it was very difficult to distribute the games by position. Many of us have played thousands of hours of old strategy games on PC, and are ready to defend our favorite games and series to the last. It is also impossible to dispute the contribution of many classic projects to the development of the genre - the vast majority of modern strategies are based on the principles and mechanics inherent in the cult immortal films of yesteryear. We ask you to take the positions nominally: any game from the top ten deserves to be at the top of the top old strategies. So let's get started.

21. Tropico Series

Would you like to become a dictator? The real one: with a thick beard, a loud title and his own island state. Games in the Tropico series provide such an opportunity: here you need to lead the people entrusted to you to prosperity and at the same time not forget about your interests by setting aside part of the treasury in a separate bank account.

You will have to plan city blocks, issue decrees, carry out (or ignore) the wishes of citizens, and resist rebels and foreign armies. It is not easy to please everyone, and even take care of your well-being, but a true El Presidente will not stop in the face of any difficulties.

20. Supreme Commander Series

Game designer Chris Taylor, known for the Total Annihilation strategy, approaches the gameplay of his projects on a grand scale: here truly huge armies converge on the battlefield, and the camera soars into the stratosphere, giving the player a view of a large-scale war.

The dilogy (as well as an independent addition to the first part) Supreme Commander talks about the confrontation that unfolded between people, aliens and the descendants of earthly colonists, who formed a kind of symbiosis of the human race and AI. Battles are built on the classic rock-paper-scissors mechanics, and the dynamics of events are so high that in the heat of battle you will barely have time to switch between groups of units. Combined with the epic scale of warfare, this results in incredibly addictive gameplay.

19. Europa Universalis Series

History, as we know, does not tolerate the subjunctive mood, but the temptation to fantasize about “what would have happened if certain events had developed differently” is too great. The Europa Universalis series invites players to take control of one of the European countries and lead it through years and entire eras - to prosperity or decline.

Europa Universalis gives room for creativity. Here you can turn some Liechtenstein into a huge empire, create an alliance between countries that in reality have always been at odds, keep Napoleon from expanding to the east - or act strictly in accordance with the history textbook. Support for user modifications increases the replayability of games in the series to infinity.

18. "Perimeter"

An old strategy from the legendary Russian studio K-D LAB, which used destructible environments when it was not yet mainstream. Players have access to all the joys of terramorphing: the surrounding landscape can be rebuilt at will - level the site for the construction of buildings, dig an impassable ditch, and so on.

In addition to the mentioned change in relief, “Perimeter” can boast a couple of interesting features. For example, nanomachines, with the help of which you can flexibly transform units from one type to another. Or the Perimeter - a system of protective fields covering the base with a reliable energy dome. Finally, the setting: the game takes place in the so-called. The psychosphere is another dimension that gives earthlings practically inexhaustible energy, but at the same time materializes human fears and other negative emotions. In general, this game can be called one of the most unusual strategies for weak PCs.

17. Series “Cossacks”

The Ukrainian studio GSC Game World has worked on many franchises, but is known all over the world for only two - the legendary S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. and the no less legendary “Cossacks”. Previously, “Stalker” and games similar to it already appeared in our collections, but we have so far ignored “Cossacks”. Well, let's fix it.

The Cossacks series is remembered by gamers for its large selection of factions, large-scale battles, careful attention to the historical background, as well as the gradual change of eras, within which participants gain access to new buildings, technologies and units. Story campaigns covered certain historical events, and multiplayer made it possible to pit countries in battles that in reality had never fought among themselves.

16. Homeworld

15. Ground Control

A strategy that lacks base development, resource collection and research. All the player has to do is fight, trying to destroy the often superior enemy forces with a given number of units. By the way, they move from mission to mission, becoming stronger with experience, so it makes sense to take care of your troops.

The Ground Control dilogy tells about military conflicts unfolding between global corporations that colonize distant planets, and which, for the sake of the resource deposits located on them, are ready to literally destroy their competitors. At one time, the games looked simply fantastic, and even today they do not cause much rejection, thanks to the good detail of the units and the riot of special effects.

14. Series "Blitzkrieg"

Another series of games without base construction, but this time they can at least be captured, which can be very useful when the number of units is initially small. Blitzkrieg tells the story of World War II, offering players a look at the conflict from the perspective of all parties involved, including Nazi Germany. At the same time, historical campaigns were created in accordance with real events, so imagining yourself as a Fuhrer and taking over the world will not work here - the Reich always loses, and the USSR and the Allies win.

Considering the lack of resources and buildings for the production of troops, the player must be able to wisely manage what he has available. Therefore, the element of tactics comes to the fore: circle all units and send them to the enemy - which means that the mission is guaranteed to end in defeat. The Blitzkrieg series is still alive today: moreover, it introduces innovative mechanics into the RTS genre, such as neural network AI, which can learn and act unpredictably.

13. Heroes of Might and Magic series

A cult series of games that combine the genres of turn-based strategy and RPG. Here gamers will have to explore the map, fight numerous enemies, as well as obtain resources and develop their cities. All this is subordinated either to certain goals determined by plot events, or to the desire to conquer the entire territory on the map in multiplayer.

Every Heroes of Might and Magic fan has their own memories associated with the series. Sleepless nights trying to punish evil, epic online battles, developing fail-safe battle tactics, arguing (or even fighting) about the superiority of their favorite faction, creating their own maps in the editor - many still play the old releases of the franchise, not paying attention to the more modern ones projects. By the way, about the quality of the games in the series: the third and fifth parts of HoMM deservedly enjoy popular love, but the rest can be ignored.

12. Stronghold Series

11. Age of Mythology

10. Total War series

“Total War” from the British studio The Creative Assembly, which today includes more than 10 games and many additions to them. If you want to rule an entire country, participate in large-scale battles, destroy entire civilizations, and all this in different time periods, then Total War is exactly what you need.

9. Star Wars: Empire at War

A Star Wars game developed by Petroglyph studio (which employs the Westwood team that worked on Command & Conquer).

Experience in creating good strategies was not superfluous: the game makers presented an excellent game that combined a fantastic setting with the usual RTS gameplay. However, there are enough original mechanics in Star Wars: Empire at War: for example, there is no collection of resources, battles are divided into ground and space, and some special person can look at the “light” strong hero, capable of turning the tide of events in the opposite direction. Bonuses include excellent (even now) graphics and an impressive variety of locations with unique battle conditions for each.

8. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

Also space, but unlike the fairy-tale fantasy Star Wars, it is as dark and bloody as possible. Matching the setting is the game, which is still considered by many to be the best in the Dawn of War series - cruel, furious and dynamic.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War offers players the gameplay of classic RTS games, but also pays attention to the tactical component. So, there is the usual base building and resource gathering, but battles take place with the participation of relatively small squads of units, commanders and heroes who have powerful abilities. As for the plot, everything here is as epic and pathetic as possible, missions pit humans, space orcs, elves and followers of evil gods (in additions they are joined by a number of factions, each more amazing than the other), and events revolve around powerful artifacts and destructive weapons.

7. Age of Empires series

A popular series of real-time strategies in which you can take control of one of the nations and lead it through several eras to prosperity. If you are interested in the idea of ​​a state developing over several centuries, but don't like the slow pace of Civilization, then Age of Empires may be an ideal option.

In accordance with the rules of the genre, AoE offers to build buildings, mine gold, stone and wood, produce food, train an army and fight enemies. In addition, you need to research new technologies and accumulate resources necessary for the transition between eras - from the Stone Age to agriculture, bronze processing, iron processing, and so on. You can test your strength in single-player scenarios, where the opponent is AI, and in competitive multiplayer with other players. The publisher of the series, Microsoft, does not forget about modern gamers, so it is preparing remasters of all parts, with updated graphics and new content.

6. Civilization Series

Who among us would not want to take the place of the ruler of a country and lead it to world leadership? The global strategy Civilization makes it possible to do this: here you can choose one of the nations and lead it through several eras - from Ancient world until modern times. Throughout your reign, you will have to build cities and Wonders of the World, study technology, discover new territories, conduct diplomacy and trade with foreign leaders, and, if necessary, fight with hostile countries. All this is available in the single-player campaign and multiplayer, including on one screen, in hot-seat mode.

The Civilization series has six serialized parts, several additions and spin-offs. Of these, the first four parts are suitable for weak computers, but Civilization III is considered the best.

5. Command & Conquer Series: Red Alert

A real-time strategy based on an alternate history where Hitler was killed before the start of World War II (which prevented it from happening), and the Soviet Union gained enormous power and began to conquer Europe. Later, Yuri, a powerful telepath who strives for world domination, also joins this conflict. In Red Alert 3, players will have to join one of the factions (respectively, the USSR or the Allies, and in the third part of the series, also Japan, which also has its own plans for the planet) and go through a series of missions with various tasks, subordinated to the general plot.

The games in the Red Alert series tell a fascinating satirical story, and the cutscenes feature famous actors - Tim Curry, J.K. Simmons and others. As for the gameplay, it is built on the well-known “rock-paper-scissors” principle, but with a rather simplified balance, which often reduces battles to a regular tank rush. However, this can be fixed: fans of the series have improved the balance (and also added new story campaigns) with the help of mods, the best of which is considered Mental Omega for Red Alert 2.

4.Command & Conquer: Generals

A game that has nothing in common except the name with the Command & Conquer series, for which it was criticized by C&C fans. But, if you do not pay attention to this, we got a good strategy with an interesting plot about the confrontation between China, the USA and Middle Eastern terrorists, good balance and a “generals” system, thanks to which players, accumulating points during a mission, can unlock powerful abilities like calling an orbital strike or launching a nuclear missile.

The strategy Command & Conquer: Generals received only one addition, and the sequel, which was developed as a shareware project, was canceled (maybe this is for the better). But fans have not forgotten the game, releasing many mods for Generals that add new campaigns and make changes to the gameplay.

3. Tiberium Command & Conquer series

The original cycle of the C&C series. The overall plot outline is built around Tiberium, an alien substance that once appeared on Earth and began to spread across the planet. It heavily pollutes the territory, making it practically uninhabitable, but at the same time it is a very valuable resource, as a result of which it becomes the cause of wars between the military-religious brotherhood Nod, headed by the charismatic leader Kane, and the international UN troops united in the Global Security Council.

In addition to its compelling story, Command & Conquer also features well-developed gameplay that would influence the development of the genre for years to come. Alas, not all games in the series turned out to be of equal quality: the successful trilogy was followed by a not-so-outstanding fourth installment, after which no new releases in the franchise followed. But, as always, the fans save the day: if the original C&C games are not enough for you, you can always pay attention to custom mods, among which Twisted Insurrection for Tiberian Sun stands out.

2.StarCraft

The famous space saga from Blizzard, telling the story of the confrontation (and sometimes cooperation) of three factions - the Terrans (descendants of earthlings), the Zerg (space insects) and the Protoss (a highly technologically advanced race). The parties to the conflict are radically different from each other, but at the same time, the developers have brought the balance to perfection, without giving any of them significant advantages.

StarCraft is a perfect strategy game in all its aspects. Here is a plot full of pathos and epic with memorable characters, varied missions and the opportunity to play for each side of the conflict. There is a fascinating multiplayer, thanks to which the game has become a popular e-sports discipline. Finally, the project encourages creative people by allowing them to create their own maps and scenarios in a local editor. Today, StarCraft exists in two editions: the original game, which is distributed free of charge, and the remaster, which has improved graphics, sound and expanded network capabilities.

The WarCraft trilogy takes place in a fantasy universe where there are constant wars between humans and orcs, mixed with conflicts with elves, undead and other races. All games in the trilogy are distinguished by fascinating missions, many of which deviate from the usual base-building genre, an exciting plot, as well as interesting characters, among whom even the negative ones have clear motivations and can evoke sympathy (you don’t have to look far for examples - who didn’t empathize with the fate of Arthas ?). Not without dynamic multiplayer and an advanced map editor (which at one time served as a tool for creating DotA). To this day, WarCraft is deservedly considered the standard of the RTS genre, for which it receives first place in our selection.

Special nomination: Dune Series

When talking about old strategies, we cannot fail to mention the Dune series, which had a huge influence on the formation and development of the RTS genre. What can I say - it was Dune II from 1992 that is considered the first real-time strategy (although some dispute this opinion, giving the palm to the game Herzog Zwei).

The Dune series is based on the plot of the novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, and tells about military conflicts in the distant future that unfold between the ruling Houses of the descendants of humanity. However, familiarity with the original source is not necessary here: the games have a self-sufficient history, no less interesting than in the books. The gameplay will not be a revelation for a player familiar with strategies: building a base, extracting resources, producing an army and mercilessly destroying enemies. Today, these games no longer stand up to competition with modern projects (and with other heroes in this collection too), but every fan of the RTS genre should know about them.

This page of the website portal contains an extensive list of fantasy games in the strategy genre. Each of this catalog is carefully examined by us, and we are confident that all the games collected here are worth your attention! After reviewing the games in this category, you will definitely find the right game for yourself. Our list of fantasy strategy games combines the best and most memorable of all time. Games are conveniently divided by dates from 2017 - 2016, and early years. It is also worth paying attention to our TOP 10 fantasy games, for which we have selected only the best games of the genre.

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The amount of information on games may confuse you, but we have worked through it as much as possible, and you can easily select the game you need by watching videos and screenshots, or by reading the information in detail on the corresponding game page. The OnyxGame website has collected a large number of different game genres and sorted them into games on PC and other platforms. Now you will definitely find only the best computer games for yourself!

Strategy is a vital part of PC culture. Whether you enjoy fast-paced real-time combat or clever turn-based simulations, great strategy games immerse you in unique, expansive scenarios that give you the opportunity to rule empires, control space-exploring races, and command cavalry charges against enemy armies.

We present to you our selection of the best strategy games for PC. Whether you like real-time battles or turn-based battles, strategy games allow you to take part in large-scale events, rule empires, control powerful races and fearlessly fight against armies of thousands. That's why we love them. But we love some more than others.

As is the case with our selection of the best first-person shooters, we tried to make the list as diverse as possible and collect the most worthy representatives of the genre, which are still capable of taking your breath away today. The article will definitely be updated as new excellent strategies are released.

Do you agree with our choice? Would you like to add to this list? Share your suggestions in the comments.

Retired from the main list

The game exploits the lack of options very cleverly, often presenting the player with difficult choices. You can only scan six points at a time, while the game regularly throws up opportunities for battle. You need to look for new recruits; engineers must build new communication centers to establish contacts with new territories; resources are needed to improve weapons and armor. You can't get everything at once. You may have to be content with one thing from this list. Back in 1989, Sid Meier described the game as "a series of interesting decisions", and XCOM 2 at the moment the most accurate embodiment of these words ever to come out of the hands of Firaxis.

Red Alert is perhaps the least strategy-related title on our list. To win absolutely any battle, it is enough to be the first to build a technical center and send 25 mammoths to the enemy base, or simply send a Chinook, filled to capacity with ordinary Tanyusha girls, right behind enemy lines. In a sense, the lack of balance was one of the reasons for the enormous popularity of this title. And even now the chaos that is happening in the battles there on land, sea and in the air remains attractive. In addition, the game was made free.

By simplifying the XCOM formula, Firaxis has taken a shorter route to the things that have always been at the core of the series. At its core, this is a squad action game in which you take care of your favorite and unique squad with all your might. Whether you're putting your fighters in bulky war machines or giving them the names of your friends (or both), Enemy Within excels at other strategy games by requiring you to take your decisions very seriously.

For this iteration of Sid Meier's game of global domination, Firaxis built a new engine from the ground up. It was the first game in the series to use 3D effects and featured the unique voice of legend Leonard Nimoy. In the wide list of innovations and improvements, smarter, more aggressive AI stood out as a separate line. It's worth noting that this is where modding the game became easier, resulting in some excellent additions created by players. Civilization fans can argue for hours about which entry is the best in the series, but my favorite is the four.

The trick of FS is that both opposing sides make their moves at the same time. You have to not only plan the movement of your squad of cyber soldiers, but also predict the actions of the enemy. Before confirming a move, the game allows you to look at the actions being performed so that the player can avoid the very obvious ones. In one of my best games, I deliberately sent a soldier into enemy fire to distract the enemy while the rest of my soldiers flanked. Study move previews to act with impeccable precision and avoid losses.

Described as a cross between a board game and XCOM design, BattleTech is a deep and thoughtful turn-based strategy game with an impressive campaign system. You control a group of mercenaries, wisely distributing available funds and updating your collection of battle suits and robots.

In battles, it is necessary to aim at specific parts of enemy robots, taking into account the strength of their armor, the rate of fire, the angle at which the fire is fired, and the features of the environment. It's all a bit tricky to figure out at first, as the game isn't particularly beginner-friendly, but if you like strategy games that are rich in detail or are already familiar with this universe, then BattleTech will definitely appeal to you.

The real-time strategy Northgard, set in the Viking Age setting, borrows a lot from projects such as Settlers and Age of Empires, and also invites us to immerse ourselves in a unique expansion system that allows us to gradually increase the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe territories under our control.

Weather also plays an important role in gameplay. You need to prepare especially carefully for winter, but if you select the appropriate branch in the technology development tree, the winter on your lands will be warmer than on enemy territories, which will give you a strategic advantage. The frankly boring story is compensated by the excellent design of story missions and incredibly exciting battles in the battle mode.

An almost perfect tactical action game with robots and chic design from the creators of FTL. In Into the Breach you have to fight off waves of Vek monsters on maps divided into 64 sectors, where various fortresses and plot-important objects are located. Of course, the easiest way to get rid of Vek monsters is to wipe them off the face of the earth with the help of your robots and air attacks, but to do this you will have to think strategically and keep enemies away from your buildings.

Civil buildings provide you with electricity, which serves as a kind of health scale here. Every time an enemy attacks such a building, you are one step closer to defeat. Once you run out of electricity, your team will travel back in time and try to save the world again. This is a fairly complex, compact and dynamic adventure. As you discover new types of robots and upgrades for them, you will gradually learn new ways to fight a merciless enemy.

The first Total War: Warhammer showed that Games Workshop's fantasy universe was perfect for the large-scale battles and amazing battlefield detail that Creative Assembly is known for. In the second part, many improvements awaited us - in the interface, appearance and skills of the heroes, as well as the armies of various factions.

The four factions presented (Skaven, High Elves, Dark Elves and Lizardmen) are strikingly different from each other, and when creating them, the authors thoroughly studied the background of the rich Warhammer universe. If you have long wanted to get acquainted with the world of Warhammer, but did not know where to start, then this game is perfect for you. And if you already have a wonderful original, then one large-scale campaign awaits you, the action of which takes place on a single giant map.

The War of the Chosen expansion brings to the game both a number of minor little things and quite interesting elements like colorful, chatty enemies that appear in random order as you progress through the main campaign, each of which has strong and weaknesses. You'll also find new types of enemy soldiers, thousands of cosmetic changes, zombie-like enemies inhabiting abandoned cities, the ability to create propaganda posters, and much more.

As a result, each campaign in War of the Chosen ends up being a little overcrowded, but all the changes are so well executed that no XCOM 2 fan should pass by.

At first glance, the name of the game sounds simply blasphemous. More than ten years after the release of the last Homeworld, they decided to turn the game they remembered for its spaceships and movement in three-dimensional space, in another ground strategy about tanks? Is this also a prequel? However, despite all the concerns that arose, Desert of Kharak turned out to be successful in all respects.

Not only is it an amazing RTS that sets itself apart from the rest of the genre's contemporaries, but it's also a great representative of Homeworld, reimagining the series and clearly capturing its magic.

The best game in the series at the moment, which has so many different details that it seems as if it was immediately released complete with a couple of additions. The region system allows you to build huge cities and motivates you to think through your actions several steps ahead. The amazing design of the game deserves special praise - yes, it takes a while to get used to the local cartoon style, but over time it becomes clear that this decision benefited the project.

It will be very interesting to see what new additions will bring to this already rich game, which is the absolute peak of the entire legendary series.

“I hope future patches and additions will fill the gaps,” one journalist wrote on the day of its release. And although the sci-fi project from Paradox still has room to grow, the high level of updates and their regular release are definitely beneficial for the game.

For example, with the Utopia expansion, the game's internal political system underwent significant changes (not to mention a hundred other small innovations), which gave us another hundred hours of gameplay. In addition, it is now possible to build Dyson spheres around stars in order to pump energy out of them, dooming nearby planets to icing. A cruel but fascinating sight.

Endless Legend was one of the unexpected breakthroughs last year. Following on from Amplitude's Endless Space, EL's fantasy 4X strategy game was very good, but still didn't fully realize the developer's potential. Its release went unnoticed thanks to the entry into the market of the high-budget Civilization:, but EL rightfully became best game in the genre since the fourth Civilization.

It is deeper and more diverse, it has amazing asymmetrical factions, subraces, heroes, quests, etc., etc. And she looks, besides, simply gorgeous.

As much a social experiment as it is a strategy game, Neptune's Pride pits people against each other in the battle for a star system. The rules are simple: develop your systems, build ships and send them to conquer new systems. The war unfolds slowly, over a week or so, and requires attention, which can slightly spoil your real life.

Simple but elegant mechanics encourage the making and breaking of alliances, which can result in an insidious attack on your systems by yesterday's friends. Naturally, at about three in the morning, while you are watching the second dream. Available game, producing a ton of amazing drama.

I still love the first two Red Alerts, because there are practically no bad titles in the C&C series from Westwood, but everything is perfect in this part: it has the most interesting campaigns, the best units, wonderful maps and, of course, great cutscenes.

The factions differ from each other in all respects and have much more uniqueness than they had in the original game - take, for example, the Soviet octopuses and dolphins, acting on the side of the allies. Here the authors found the perfect balance between self-irony and sincerity in cutscenes, and therefore the game was both captivating and brought a smile at the right moments.

Which, alas, cannot be said about the natural disaster represented by Red Alert 3 from EA.

If you've ever dreamed of conquering space at the head of an armada of customizable colossus starships, this strategy game is for you. It has smart, creative AI, and one full game can take weeks to complete.

You will have to monitor the economy, technology, diplomacy, culture, build up military power, forge alliances, fight in wars and dominate other nations of the galaxy. Reminiscent of the games in the Civilization series, but only larger and, in some places, much deeper.

Mechanically, Homeworld is a phenomenal strategy game with a fully three-dimensional game space. She was among the first representatives of the zharn to tear it out from one single plane.

What's more, the game boasts gorgeous atmosphere and sound design, from the Adagio for strings in the opening missions to the heart-pounding drumming of the multiplayer battles. If you like the rebooted Battlestar Galactica, be sure to play Howmeworld.

The scale of battles in Supreme Commander is rivaled only by Total War. So you give an order to a specific engineer, then spin the mouse wheel - and you watch the battlefield from a bird's eye view. And a couple of seconds later you are already looking at the face of another soldier, several kilometers from the first. Even my head is spinning.

The clash of armies, consisting of slender columns of hundreds of robots, rewards the player with the most amazing firefight that the processor can handle. SupCom is one of the very few RTS that combines sea, land and air in one battle. And even more - with artillery, tactical nuclear weapons and experimental robots of titanic proportions.

In addition to being the successor to the best competitive strategy game of the past decade, SC2 has earned accolades for reimagining the traditional RTS campaign structure. Heart of the Swarm is a good example of this, but it was the “human” Wings of Liberty that started it: an intricate adventure that brings a mixture of working formulas to the table with each new mission.

From a scenario of defending against a zombie invasion to a planet being flooded with lava every few minutes, SC2 forces the player to relearn all of their basic elements.

Not the most obvious candidate for this list, Tooth and Tail attracted us with its simple take on an RTS (and the game was clearly created for controllers), which retained all the components of a great strategy. The game is even closer in spirit to Pikmin than Halo Wars - units here gather around your character and carry out simple orders, and the creation of units occurs automatically, based on the population limit and available resources.

Battles last no more than 10 minutes, and the action takes place against the backdrop of a well-written political conflict between factions of anthropomorphic animals.

A game that is remembered today as the founder of Warcraft III, Warcraft III is primarily an inventive and ambitious strategy game that introduced many players to cinematic fantasy.

Here, for the first time, RPG elements were introduced in the form of heroes and neutral units, which had not been seen before in any strategy, and the large-scale campaign told an amazing story that completely captured the player thanks to impeccable execution. As a bonus, funny phrases were included from units that responded to the call.

The series' transition to full 3D marked the crossing of a milestone beyond which the gradual accumulation of problems led to instability at Empire's release and long-lasting AI problems that plagued players in later games in the series.

The original Rome presented us with a simple but exciting look at ancient warfare, and did it masterfully. A magnificent excursion into one of the most curious eras military history, interesting to this day.

It was tempting to put the first part of Dawn of War on this list, but it was decided to stick with its experimental sequel, which replaced large squads with a handful of the coolest space scumbags with sets of killer abilities.

To deal with the Orc hordes, you have to control these genetically modified special forces, coordinating their actions with the attacks of the Stormtroopers, the targeted fire of the Scouts and the cover of heavy weapons squads. And the Last Stand co-op mode was great too.

SSE uses some 4X strategy techniques, but makes them work in an RTS wrapper. This is a game about star empires that grow, prosper and fade away in the distant space of the distant future. Well, and about how the huge starships of these empires emerge from hyperspace towards the burning worlds.

Diplomacy is also available, but these are huge starships! Play the Rebellion expansion and see how these same ships grow to truly incredible sizes.

CKII is a political strategy. It's not only about the player leading his troops into battle, but also about the wedding of his imbecile niece. Each character matters, each has their own goals and desires. Yes, it is difficult (blame the feudal system for this), but you can get your own personal drama, right here and now.

The situation often drives the player into a corner, into hopeless situations, forcing him to do terrible things for the sake of power. Once I had to execute a newborn baby so that his older and smarter sister could rule. The Middle Ages were still a time.

The ominous blue map of the world in DEFCON was the perfect setting for a creepy tale of the outbreak of nuclear war. First, you prepare for Armageddon by stocking warehouses with supplies, placing launch silos, nuclear submarines, and setting up missile defenses. This organizational stage of the game itself is interesting for its strategic component, but the real cool thing about DEFCON is when the missiles are sent into the sky.

Blurring blurs of explosions, counting victims as city after city turns into radioactive ashes. When the dust settles, few will care about the formal victory. The multiplayer, where a complete nightmare is happening, is simply amazing.

Some games try to distance themselves from the emotional side of a war that only recently ended. But not Company of Heroes. It's intense, complex and brutal.

Of course, the game uses pure Hollywood techniques (the mud plumes of artillery fire are carried straight from Saving Private Ryan), but the result is the most intense strategy game in the world, perfectly capturing the tactical imbalance of World War II.

The deep strategic component and transparent turn-based combat system made Xenonauts a model among reboot games. If you're an old fan of the X-COM series, forget about your ancient discs and fossil graphics from twenty years ago. The best way to remember the glory days is to turn on Xenonauts. If you are not familiar with X-COM, this game will give you the chance to enjoy the origins of the series with improved mechanics and details.

After Rome, the series quickly went to a dead end, carrying a heap of problems. But Shogun 2 still managed to be the game that Total War fans wanted to see again. A gorgeous setting, polished mechanics and the honor of your leader, balancing between Buddhism and Christianity. Real differences between the clans (Chosokabe archers are the best!), and some particularly fun special units, like the Kisho ninja bombers.

Shogun 2 also offered the cool thing of a two-player co-op campaign, a great (if slow) way to conquer a continent. The follow-up to TWS2, Rome 2, was extremely ambitious, but never achieved the balance and mechanical polish that Creative Assembly achieved in Shogun 2. The second expansion, Fall of the Samurai, offered players a fantastic campaign set in the era of gunpowder, the very mid-19th century. Guns, swords, ninjas - everything your heart desires is there.

In 2012, strategy expert Tim Stone described the game as a "fresh and friendly" wargame, praising the game's impressive AI. To defeat computer generals, you will have to take full advantage of the advantages of the battlefield and diversify your tactics.

A simple and accessible interface reduces the barrier to entry, which is usually high in wargames. And after studying the intricacies of the system, you will discover incredible depths of mechanics.

Age of Empires gave us the opportunity to experience centuries of progress in half-hour play sessions, but RoN went further by cleverly introducing elements turn-based strategies like Civilization. Instead of directly leading your troops into battle, you expand the state by building new cities.

When the borders of countries collide, a technological race begins between nations, a war for influence, punctuated by missile strikes and spear throws. Can you ever get tired of crushing archers and knights with tanks and stealth bombers?

The list could not do without this game, even taking into account the fact that Rise of Nations developed all the ideas contained here to the maximum. Age of Empires II still looks quite decent on PC today thanks to the HD re-release, for which add-ons are still being released. The latest was Rise of the Rajas, released at the end of 2016. Not bad for a game that's almost 20 years old.

Create huge armies, upgrade them, collect resources and enjoy exciting campaigns in this RTS. And if you get tired of the proposed campaigns, you can always download amateur add-ons or even create your own scenarios. We are looking forward to the release of the fourth part of the game.

From the early 90s to the mid-00s, strategies dominated the minds of players, receiving well-deserved honor and respect. Alas, their golden age is over: RTS (real-time strategy) cannot compete in entertainment with the next Battlefield, with the dynamics of Overwatch or the plot of Witcher 3. Therefore, gamers have to be content with another replay of the good old classics or wait for the release of the new “Civilization”.

However, not everything is so pessimistic. Our rating of the best strategies will allow us to identify the most worthy representatives of the genre, as well as learn about the latest releases that have given some classic strategies a second life. We hope this TOP 10 will be informative. If not: comments and voting at the bottom of the article will help.

Rating of the best strategies

Stronghold was released during the golden era of RTS - in 2001. At the time, most strategy games tried to emulate either C&C or Warcraft, but Stronghold had other plans.

The game had a well-developed economic component. Although the quantity available resources not far from the standard “wood/iron/gold/stone/food”, an unusual parameter appeared - “Popularity”. It provided an influx of new residents to the city and depended on many factors: taxation, variety of available food, entertainment.

To hire soldiers, it was not enough to build a barracks. It was necessary to erect buildings that produced weapons. Provide gunsmiths with the necessary building materials. Wait until the limping grandfather, with an imposing gait, delivers a planed bow to the arsenal... Now you can hire one archer. And so with all types of troops! You can’t just set up a barracks and “click” any units - this was preceded by the organization of a full cycle of production of weapons and ammunition. It is not surprising that the game had a number of economic missions that were not inferior in complexity to military ones.

A typical, serene morning in Stronghold Crusader

However, it was not the first part that gained particular popularity, but its sequel: Stronghold Crusaders, which appeared the following year, 2002. As the name suggests, the game was dedicated to the confrontation between the Arabs and the Crusaders. Unfortunately, the castle attack/defense mode disappeared (the only thing worth paying attention to in the first part), but more units appeared, some of which could be hired for gold without producing weapons. Only desert warriors were hired for money, while European soldiers had to continue to be equipped with weapons of their own production.

The game remains popular to this day thanks to multiplayer and the release of the Crusaders Extreme add-on. This is also facilitated by a simple but quite diverse system for constructing fortifications: Stronghold allows you to surround the castle with battlements and high towers, equip them with defensive weapons and archers, install additional traps and dig a moat with water.

The first part of Command & Conquer was released in 1995, becoming at that time a real breakthrough in the genre and posing serious competition to Warcraft and Dune. Many now familiar gameplay features looked revolutionary at that time:

• Selecting and directing a group of units with just one click;
• The presence of neutral units, buildings and other objects with which you can interact (read “smash into trash”);
• System for dividing units by class. The principle of “rock, paper, scissors” appeared - the first type of unit is effective against the second, but vulnerable to the third, etc.;
• The game began to use videos and animated screensavers. Paired with a cool soundtrack, they allowed players to “get into” the history of the C&C universe, and not perceive it as just another nameless chessboard to hone your tactical abilities;
• The presence of only one resource, Tiberium, is what all the wars in the universe of this game are fought for.

C&C turned out to gain popularity with all that it implies: many gameplay elements were spread across other games, becoming familiar elements of most strategies. In addition to the classic C&C series, which still delights its fans with new releases, two “alternative” versions of the game universe have appeared over time. These are Command & Conquer: Generals (2003) and the Red Allert line of games that have become very popular.

• Red Allert

The Soviets, as it were, convey ardent greetings to old man Einstein

Red Allert deserves its own article. This game has absorbed an incredible amount of madness and cranberries on the theme of the Cold War and the confrontation between NATO and the USSR. Here brief description background history of the game universe: after seeing enough of the horrors of World War II, in 1946, old man Einstein decides to build a time machine and go back in time to destroy Hitler. As a result, the scales swung in the other direction: Comrade Stalin decides to build his own, communist Reich, and Europe, together with its allies, still has to fight.

Judge for yourself how successful the game was: 35 million copies were sold worldwide. An entry appeared in the Guinness Book of Records stating that Red Allert is the best-selling RTS in the world. Red Allert 2 and Red Allert 2 were released in 2000 and 2001: Yuri's Revenge, which still remain classic choice oldfags. However, for fans of more modern graphics, there is a third part of RA.

Warhammer is a vast fictional universe on which many books, comics, films, computer and board games are based. However, there are two versions of this universe: Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000. In the first case, as the name suggests, Warhammer is faithful to the canons of fantasy and pleases fans of Tolkien and other “elves.” And Warhammer 40,000 creates a kind of mix of fantasy and fantasy, pushing the confrontation closer to the stars.

There are about 20 games related to Warhammer 40,000. But only one of them is always associated with the word “Warhammer” by any strategy fan: this is the one and only Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, released in 2004.

Strategy, in the usual sense of the word, is not given much space: the focus is on tactics. Buildings are built quickly, and there are only 2 resources: energy, for which you need to build generators, and special points that you can get by holding checkpoints under enemy pressure.

From the very first minutes, the creators of the game directly state: leave all this fuss with base construction and economic development for the nerds. The WH40K universe was created solely for the purpose of forcing armored paratroopers to fight various monsters (from orcs to more exotic creatures). So no long-term economic development is expected in it: only battles from the first to the last minute.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 looks like it was created for Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear: with a cry of “Power!!!”, the player will scatter all the enemies in his path. Tactics? No, I haven't heard.

In 2009, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 was released, which received high ratings from players, was thoroughly praised by many gaming publications, but... suddenly turned out to be not a strategy. Loyal fans of the first part were horrified to discover that the long-awaited Dawn of War 2 began to resemble a Diablo-type RPG more than it did 5 years ago. True, this did not prevent the game from finding its fans, who claim that the multiplayer has retained everything necessary elements RTS and quite satisfying.

7. Total War

It's funny that Total War and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War are located next door in the ranking of the best strategies, because just in May of this year Total War: Warhammer was released - the first TW dedicated to the Warhammer universe. True, not Warhammer 40,000, but Warhammer Fantasy - so it will, first of all, appeal to fans of fantasy worlds. However, let's talk about everything in order - after all, the release of this game was preceded by 9 other parts, which brought TW worldwide fame.

The main distinguishing feature of Total War is the successful combination of turn-based mode and RTS: the level of each of them is selected separately. The main action takes place on global map a world in which everything happens step by step. But battles are loaded separately and rapidly develop in real time. Players will have to wisely use the terrain and different types of units, which allows them to gain an advantage even over superior enemy forces.

The first TW came out in 2000. But the series became famous worldwide thanks to its third part, Rome: Total War, which used a 3D engine. As the title suggests, the story took place during the Roman Empire. In addition to the “classic” European nations, Arab empires (Egypt) and even barbarians were available in the game. Depending on the side chosen, not only the units, but also the architecture of the cities differed. Subsequent TWs were never able to surpass the popularity of this part.

In 2013, Rome: Total War II was released - initially buggy, but later brought to mind with the help of numerous patches. Perhaps inspired by Civilization, the developers of Rome 2 added the ability to win not only through conquest, but also through culture and trade. However, this is not the only part worthy of attention: Napoleon, Attila, Shogun 2 and the previously mentioned Warhammer are also interesting in their own way.

If I had managed to create a product as successful as Warcraft, I would have rested on my laurels for 20 years, wasting all my money in some completely senseless way. But the guys from Blizzard are not like that: having received a well-deserved ovation after the release of Warcraft 2, Blizzard got to work on a space RTS. True, as a result, they still ended up with Warcraft: the beta version was mercilessly criticized and perceived as “orcs in space.” Fortunately, the developers listened to the criticism and completely redesigned the graphics engine and setting. Thus, in 1998, the legendary StarCraft was born.

The game features 3 races: Zerg, Protoss and Terrans, which are borrowed from the Warhammer 40,000 universe (Tyranids, Eldar, Imperial Guard). However, the similarity is extremely superficial: when StarCraft was born, it followed its own path of development - the universe of this game acquired its own characteristics and now has little in common with Warhammer.

In most strategies, in order to maintain a fragile balance, all nations have the same set of units and buildings + several unique buildings/soldiers, which add some variety, but do not fundamentally affect the tactics of the game. StarCraft doesn't care about these canons. All 3 races are completely different:

• Zerg far from technology and science, they achieve superiority solely in quantity.
• Highly spiritual protoss are the complete opposite of the zerg: each protoss considers himself an important person with a rich inner world, therefore it costs a lot of resources, but also hits, respectively, painfully and strongly.
• Terrans(from the word “terra”) represent people in the game. They are the “golden mean” between zerg and protoss.

The beautiful lights of Star Craft 2 lure gullible schoolchildren and cause a skeptical smile from oldfags

Such striking differences between the races gave the game a solid advantage over other RTS, earning it a reputation as a “smart” strategy in which you don’t just need to “produce” as large an army as possible, but think through your actions in advance, demonstrating strategic and tactical skills. Microcontrol also plays an important role: if the Protoss are not particularly demanding on precision control, the success of the offensive operations of other races, especially the Zerg, directly depends on the speed and accuracy of the player’s reaction.

StarCraft II was released in 2010. Modern graphics and excellent multiplayer allowed the game to return to its former glory and take its rightful place in e-sports. Although oldfags claim that the unique balance of the first SC has been partially lost, StarCraft 2 received high ratings from a variety of gaming publications (an average of 9 out of 10) and gave it a second life.

5.Age of Empires

In 1997, the first part of Age of Empires was released: the same Warcraft, only in profile. Instead of fantasy races, the game featured 12 human nations that could develop from the Stone Age to antiquity. This game did not make a splash in the gaming world, but on the whole it was received favorably, which inspired its creators to start working on the second part.

2 years later, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings was released, which became truly legendary. It eclipsed not only the first part, but also many of the then “whales” of this genre, winning over a decent army of fans. In 2000, the add-on Age of Empires II: The Conquerors appeared, which added 5 new nations with unique units, as well as additional missions and technologies to the game. It was this part of the game that became the most popular in the Age of Empires series. What is the reason for its success?

• Diversity of nations. There were 18 nations in The Conquerors, many of which were quite exotic: Huns, Teutons, Saracens, Celts, Persians, Aztecs, Mayans, etc. In fact, it was this game that started the fashion for strategies with many different civilizations.
• Opportunity for development. The second “feature”, which was implemented for the first time among strategies in AoE 2, is the transition from one historical era to another. All this was accompanied by a fairly extensive tree of technologies, for the research of which it was necessary to build various buildings and spend resources.
• Balance. Of course, the nations differed not only in color and different design of buildings. Each of them had its own bonuses and unique units. Some had an economic advantage, others had stronger cavalry, others had excellent siege weapons, others had long-range fleets, etc. All this variety was fairly balanced with no clear favorites. As a result, Age of Empires 2 attracted many fans of online battles.

As it turned out, a beautiful picture cannot replace interesting gameplay

Age of Empires III was released in 2005. She wasn't bad, but she didn't come close to the success of her predecessor. As a result, after several addons, Microsoft gave up and, to the delight of fans, returned to Age of Empires 2. In 2013, they released Age of Empires 2: HD edition, and then 2 more addons: The Forgotten (5 new nations, including the Slavs) and The African Kingdoms (4 more nations and “African” campaigns). So today, AoE 2 continues to develop and delight fans with new additions.

4. Cossacks

The success of Age of Empires attracted the attention of many game makers: they stopped trying to create their own "Warcraft" and switched to "Age of Empires" (which was undoubtedly inspired by Warcraft). So the guys from the Ukrainian company GSC Game World created an RTS, which conceptually has a lot in common with AoE.

The game "Cossacks", released in 2001, turned out to be so successful that in the eyes of many domestic strategists it overshadowed "Epoch" for a long time. If you believe "Gaming Mania", then at one time "Cossacks" became the best-selling domestic game (more than 1 million copies).

"Cossacks" continued the idea of ​​numerous gaming nations. In the second addon of the first part, which was called “War Again,” 20 different countries were available. And if in “Epoch” there was not a single Slavic nation, then in “Cossacks” not only Russia, but also Ukraine was available (which is logical, following from the name and geographical location of the developers). There were also more sophisticated nations, like Piedmont and Saxony.

Unlike other strategies, in “Cossacks” resources were spent not only on acquiring units, but also on their maintenance. Without food, famine began, and mercenaries, purchased for gold, rebelled as soon as the treasury was empty. To use firearms, iron and coal were needed - without them, riflemen and artillery were defenseless.

Also in the game it was possible to capture some enemy buildings, artillery and peasants (except for Ukrainian ones, with them as usual: will or death). Compared to Age of Empires, Cossacks seemed more dynamic, allowing you to create an incredible number of some crazy and fearless units - in a network game, the battles of such hordes looked epic and exciting.

• Cossacks 2

In 2005, “Cossacks 2” was released: despite the high ratings of many gaming publications, the game did not evoke the same enthusiasm as the first part. Absolutely everything in it has been redesigned: it has become more realistic and thoughtful. No “disputed” nations, raids by hordes of fearless madmen and upgrades of ancient guns to such a degree of efficiency that even Kalashnikov becomes envious.

The battles in “Cossacks II” forced you to take into account the terrain, reload your guns for a long time and monitor the morale of the soldiers, who could become cowardly and rush into chaos. It sounds like a good idea, but in the online game there is no trace of the former fun left.

• Cossacks 3

And on September 21, 2016, the long-awaited “Cossacks 3” was released, which no one had even dreamed of. And everything would be fine if it weren’t for the number 3 in the title - everyone was expecting a continuation of the series, but they received a remastering of the first part. The old game was transferred to a new graphics engine, the gameplay was completely taken from the original “Cossacks”. Add to this a decent number of bugs that GSC Game World actively corrected after release using various patches, and you can understand why many gamers felt deceived. Still, GSC should have announced that the game is a remastering of the first part to release, not after him.

3.Heroes of Might and Magic

The first part of the turn-based strategy Heroes of Might and Magic was released back in 1995. Its predecessor was King's Bounty, which appeared back in 1991. But universal love and recognition for HoMM came gradually, covering Heroes of Might and Magic III somewhere closer to 1999.

The action of all “Heroes” takes place in a certain fantasy universe. There are races, but the player is not tied to them: the hero can conquer castles of any factions and hire any available units. So the most diverse and wild brethren can gather under the same banners: elves and skeletons, centaurs and dragons, people and elementals.

Battles take place on a field divided into tiles (hexagons). Units of the same type occupy one cell, regardless of their number. The moves are carried out in turns, while the hero looks at this action from the outside, from time to time trying to help his army by casting various spells. Gradually, the hero gains experience, learns new skills and collects various artifacts that make him better and higher.

HoMM IV came out in 2004 and was received, to put it mildly, ambiguously: there were too many innovations. The main and key innovation concerned the heroes: from passive observers, they turned into active participants in battles who could move, cause damage and be attacked like other units. Heroes could travel without troops at all: alone or in a gang of 7 characters. Having pumped up properly, a lone hero could independently take out a large army.

There was also the other side of the coin: if you managed to kill the enemy hero at the beginning of the battle, you could get a solid advantage. For example, it made sense to organize a sabotage attack on the enemy, kill the leader of the army and retreat - the headless army lost the opportunity to capture mines and castles, which forced it to retreat and drag the lifeless carcass of the commander home.

All these innovations have given rise to countless opportunities for controversy and hollivars: since 6 years have passed since the release of the third part, a new generation of gamers has appeared who had never seen “Heroes” before - they liked HoMM4. But those who grew up on the previous parts experienced mixed feelings.

• Heroes of Might and Magic V

The debate between supporters and opponents of the fourth part was stopped by the release of Heroes of Might and Magic V, which took place in 2006: yesterday's opponents joined forces in a common impulse to express complaints about cartoon graphics for anime fans. If you close your eyes to the picture, the gameplay of “Heroes 5” was a modernized copy of the third part - obviously, the developers did not experiment in order to make money on the nostalgia of fans of the series.

This is where the classic “Heroes” ends and something completely incomprehensible begins. HoMM 6 and 7 have turned into some kind of alternative product, so far from the original that even “Heroes 4” looks like a standard of kosher against their background. Therefore, most fans of “Heroes” prefer to play the earlier versions, from 3 to 5. But the Third HoMMs remain the most popular. Moreover, the HD version of this game was released in 2015.

2. Civilization

The first “Civilization” appeared in the shaggy year of 1991 and, as they say, was a digital version of the board game of the same name from the early 80s. Since in those days ordinary mortals did not have computers, few people suspected the new strategic toy: mainly employees of research institutes and other interesting enterprises.

Nevertheless, the game turned out to be quite successful: what engineer could resist the temptation to try on the role of Stalin or Gandhi after a busy work shift? The presence of the Civilopedia, a detailed gaming encyclopedia, distinguished Civilization from other strategies of that time.

• Civilization II

In 1996, Sid Meier and company released the second part of Ziva, which, thanks to the increased prevalence of computers, became a completely successful commercial product. Despite the mediocre graphics, the game had cool moments: for example, during the construction of a wonder of the world, a video clip of a real newsreel was played. You could see the launch of Apollo or a nuclear rocket, filming of the Sistine Chapel or Notre Dame de Paris. In subsequent parts, cinema was replaced by regular animation.

• Civilization III

2001 was marked by the release of Civilization III: the first Civ with nice graphics. Even now she looks quite attractive, but in 2001 this picture caused real delight. The gameplay has also undergone certain changes. In Civ 2, players tried not to collect many units on one cell, because... in the event of an enemy attack and the death of one of them, everyone who stood on the cell died. In Civ 3, nothing like this happened: in order to clear the cell of enemies, it was necessary to destroy them all.

Therefore, the obvious and only tactic of waging war in the third Civ: creating a so-called stack - a crowd of motley units on one cell. From time to time a leader would appear who could unite 3 units under his banner. This formation was called an army and was a kind of thick unit with 20HP. With the help of the army it was possible to cut out almost anything.

City Window - the best thing in Civilization III

The signature feature of the second and third Civs was the situation in which a technologically backward unit, having more combat experience, could easily destroy some miracle weapon of the future. For example, it was normal for a spearman to tear an enemy tank to shreds with a precise blow, or for an archer to shoot down an enemy bomber with a properly drawn bow. Particularly amusing was the fact that the plane was shot down equally successfully not only by an archer, but also by a swordsman. In subsequent parts this problem was partly solved, but in the first Civs such events gave rise to many attacks of hysteria.

Civilization III had a number of innovations that migrated to all subsequent games in the series: various resources on the map, the Golden Age, cultural influence on neighboring cities, with the help of which it was possible to assimilate a neighboring settlement, a technology tree (in previous parts you had to memorize or write down the sequence discoveries of various sciences).

• Civilization IV

Civilization IV, released in 2005, acquired a three-dimensional image. Players who were accustomed to the third Civa were wary of the unusual graphics, which were so different from the previous part. Religion and espionage appeared in the game (the Beyond the Sword addon), and aviation actions became more realistic: planes carried out raids from the city and could not be shot down by some harsh spearman. The problem of accumulation of a large number of units on one cell was partly solved precisely by aviation or artillery: all units in the stack received damage from their attack.

2010 came and Civilization V was released. Square cells were replaced by more convenient and practical hexes: with them, state borders got rid of the strange linear angularity and became more believable. The system of accumulating a huge number of units on one cell was completely demolished: now only one military unit could be placed on one hexagon. At the same time, they were made more efficient and stronger.

The maintenance of certain units required the expenditure of strategic resources: horses, iron, oil, coal or uranium. Without them at hand, the state risked being left without cavalry, battleships, nuclear weapons and aviation, which not only added realism, but also forced players to carefully manage resources instead of riveting in incredible quantities whatever they wanted.

The tactic of building as many cities as possible also became obsolete: large empires received penalties for culture and science, and the population began to show discontent. So several different tactics emerged: developing through 4-5 cities with more population, or building more settlements, but with fewer inhabitants in the cities. Victory became possible with just one city (greetings from Venice).

Another innovation: the emergence of city-states that do not claim world domination. Friendship with them brought various bonuses: resources, science, culture or religion points, units and additional votes in Congress.

It is worth noting that many of the functions, as in previous Civs, were added in addons: religion and espionage, caravans, the ability to pass various resolutions in Congress and the UN - all this was not present in the initial version without addons. Therefore, reading reviews about the game, it is not difficult to see how the anger of fans of the series gradually gave way to mercy.

Civilization VI was released on October 21, 2016. Among the notable innovations: 2 technology trees, cultural and scientific, which open independently of each other. Cells around cities must be built up with special areas: scientific, cultural, military, religious, industrial, etc. It’s definitely not possible to build everything - there won’t be enough cells. Moreover, each wonder of the world also requires a separate tile.

It is difficult to describe all the innovations and features of the sixth Civa due to its freshness. But the game has already received the highest ratings from various gaming publications, and reviews on Steam are, by and large, very positive. And this despite the fact that usually the first version of Civilization turns out to be somewhat damp and only over time, with the help of several add-ons, it turns into a masterpiece. But, apparently, the sixth Civilization may become the first representative of the series that is good from the very beginning.

The plot of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans is tied to the confrontation between humans and orcs. As in the film, orcs fall out of a portal into the human world and a struggle begins between them for a place in the sun. However, the first part did not attract much attention - all the glory went to its sequel, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, which was released just a year later. But just look at the changes in the schedule that have occurred in this short period! Add interesting videos and a good plot to a pleasant picture, and that’s it - a masterpiece is ready.

As if “before” and “after” - the year was not in vain

• Warcraft III

But we had to wait a long time for the continuation of the banquet - seven whole years. And the first reaction of the gaming community was ambiguous: too many suspicious innovations appeared in the game:

• 3D engine;
• 2 races grew into 4 (night elves and undead were added);
• Quite a lot of neutral units and monsters appeared on the maps;
• Heroes were added to the game, who accumulated experience, upgraded skills and cast all sorts of things (why not RPG?);
• The videos have become even brighter and more beautiful;
• The plot is even more twisted and pathetic.

The pinnacle of the evolution of the third part was the release of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne in 2003, which gave birth to the memorable DotA game (I’m unlikely to discover America if I remind you that DotA was created in the regular map editor of Warcraft 3 and was not considered as a full-fledged independent game).

Was Warcraft the father of the RTS genre? Of course not. Can we say that this is the best strategy in the world? I'm sure many will disagree with this: C&C and Civilization, HoMM and Total War have solid armies of fans. But, undoubtedly, Warcraft made a significant contribution to the strategy genre and, since it ended up in first place in our rating, it means... *there should be a life-affirming thesis here, but I don’t have a single similar thesis related to Warcraft. Sorry, guys. There will be options - write in the comments*

I strongly welcome you! I have selected the best fantasy strategies for you. There are both real-time and turn-based strategies. The list is constantly updated with new games. You can also suggest your options in the comments.

The player controls one main character and his army, which must be collected by purchasing new units. Leveling up and improvements for your character are also available, which significantly increases the likelihood of winning battles. It is possible to siege and capture enemy castles. King's Bounty places more emphasis on tactics and combat than on exploration and development.

Heroes of Might and Magic series

Release date: 1995-2015

Genre:

The gameplay is filled with travel and constant turn-based battles with opponents. The player will be able to besiege enemy fortresses and fight with magical races. For victories, the hero receives experience and valuable resources that can be spent on purchasing new units, as well as upgrading his troops. The series includes seven full-fledged games and many additions that further expand the gaming universe.

Disciples Series

Release date: 1999-2012

Genre: turn-based strategy, fantasy, RPG

Turn-based strategy games in a dark fantasy setting. Disciples takes place in the fictional world of Nevendar, where there are constant wars between factions and clans. The supreme gods also cannot come to an agreement, so the game world is a fantastic alternative to the Middle Ages.

The entire series of games is distinguished by a unique strategic component. The game lacks balance between races, so the tactics of each specific battle differ depending on the terrain and initial resources. This means that each battle will require a new strategy and be completely different from the previous one. It is worth noting that the first two parts turned out great, especially the second. But the third part slightly disappointed many players.

Age of Wonders

Release date: 1999-2014

Genre: turn-based strategy, fantasy, RPG

“Age of Miracles” is a fantasy turn-based strategy with role-playing game elements. The action takes place in a fictional world filled with magic and mythical creatures. The elf race accepts the nomadic remnants of humanity into their kingdom, but after a short peaceful life, people make a bloody coup and seize power. The surviving elves can only take revenge.

The game features a wide variety of playable races and large-scale turn-based battles. There are twelve types of troops to choose from, which differ in their skills and battle tactics. The player will be able to improve and upgrade his heroes and armies using development branches or special artifacts.

The Fantasy Majesty 2: Kingdom Sim

Release date: 2009

Genre: real time strategy

Real Time strategy in a medieval fantasy setting. The player will be able to feel like the ruler of the developing kingdom of Ardania, which needs to be strengthened and protected from multiple external threats.

In addition to the strategic component, the game contains individual combat units - heroes. They need to be pumped up and improved like any RPG. This symbiosis of strategy and role-playing game creates a unique gameplay and adds more dynamics to any battle, because the player takes control not only of units, but also of the hero.

Demiurges 1 and 2

Release date: First 2001 Second 2003

Genre: Turn-based strategy, card

Card strategy game in a fantasy setting. The plot tells about a fictional universe in which there is an eternal struggle for power between four factions. Each of them has its own goals and intentions, but only one of the parties can receive the power of the Supreme Lord of Ether.

The gameplay of Demiurges can be divided into two parts. In the first, the player conducts tactical turn-based battles, giving orders to squads of units. The second part is a turn-based card duel between two magicians who use defensive or offensive spells. Depending on the chosen faction, heroes and units will differ in their skills and magical talents.

Warcraft III

Release date: 2003

Genre: RTS, strategy with RPG elements,

The game is built on the enmity of four races - humans, orcs, undead and dark elves. Each faction has its own units, structures and battle tactics. In addition to this, the player will be able to summon heroes - especially powerful characters who significantly influence the outcome of the battle (I would even say they decide). In e-sports competitions, professional players in this game usually play only one of the races, which they have studied well. The death of a hero most often leads to defeat, as the player loses experience and money.

Rising Kingdoms

Release date: 2005

The plot of the strategy game tells about the world of Ayo, which was divided into three militant parts after the fall of an alien warship. Three factions wage a constant war for power and their own interests, using technology, magic and alien weapons.

There are three races in the game, which are strikingly different from each other. This creates a rare balance that requires the use of new tactics and strategies that depend on the terrain and the type of troops fighting. Another difference is the huge range of available units, which are great for some situations and completely useless in others.

Heroes of Destroyed Empires

Release date: 2006

Genre: real-time strategy with RPG elements

Strategic role-playing game in a fantasy setting. The plot develops in the fictional world of Aquador, which survived a nuclear disaster. The race of people disappeared without a trace, but they were replaced by Kryals, Undead, Mechanics and Elves, who wage constant wars for power.

The gameplay borders on the strategy and RPG genres, because in addition to managing groups of units, the player will be able to take control of a hero - a special character who can be developed as he gains experience. This innovation brings more variety to battle and creates unique battle tactics based on heroes.

Warlock: Master of the Arcane and Warlock 2: The Exiled

Release date: First 2012 Second 2014

Genre: Turn-based strategy

Global turn-based strategy in the fantasy world of Ardania. The player plays the role of a powerful magician who wants to create a large-scale empire and unite all nations and continents under his flags. But to do this, you will have to build developed cities and assemble the most powerful army.

During the passage, the player will be able to learn new spells, upgrade technologies and create new landscapes. There will also be representatives of magical races who can be captured or lured to your side through diplomacy. The game is distinguished by a well-developed development system, many units and buildings, as well as excellent humor. The original game received the expansion Warlock 2: The Exiled, which adds a new storyline and lots of additional content.

Divinity: Original Sin

Release date: 2015

Genre: Turn-based strategy, RPG

"Deity: Original Sin" - Turn-based tactical strategy. Two hunters of a forbidden magical teaching called the Source travel to the city of Cysil. They were tasked with investigating a murder that was carried out using destructive magic. During the investigation, the heroes find themselves in events that will allow them to track down a whole cult of adherents of the Source. The game is in the top of all time.

The RPG component is represented by the ability to create two characters, choosing their class and basic parameters. The main advantage of Divinity is the fully interactive world and its environment, with which you can interact and use it in battle. Items can be combined to create barricades or weapons. The game is available in single or cooperative modes for both two and four players.

Endless Legend

Release date: 2014

Genre: Turn-based strategy, RPG

Endless Legend - Fantasy 4X strategy with RPG elements. The planet Auriga is in a constant struggle for power and control of territories between eleven races. Each group pursues its own goals and wants to gain complete domination over the planet.

The gameplay is reminiscent of classic strategies with the development of the city, the creation of an army and the capture/defense of possessions. But the game has a strong emphasis on diplomatic relations and a huge game map with a large number of neutral cities. Some settlements can be conquered by troops or simply negotiated alliances.

Armello

Release date: 2015

Genre: strategy, board, RPG

Digital adaptation of a strategic board game with a role-playing component. The plot of the game tells about the kingdom of Armello, whose ruler is gradually dying of illness. This event becomes the reason for a war for power between warring animal clans.

The game has a unique design and execution, all the characters are anthropomorphic animals fighting for power. The gameplay is a classic board game, where each move is determined by rolling the dice. Healing or attacking spells are available, which are activated when using special cards.

Legends of Eisenwald

Release date: 2015

"Legends of Eisenwald" - Role-playing game with a tactical component. The plot of the game tells about a medieval world interspersed with fantasy. The heir to the throne returns to his native land after long wanderings and discovers his possessions captured by the enemy army. His main task is to return power and liberate his subjects.

The player will have a non-linear plot and dangerous adventures in the medieval world. There are three classes to choose from, which determine the tactics and style of play. In the process of passing, main character will gather a squad of warriors and personally deal with their leveling up and selection of equipment.

Elvenar

Elvenar- turn-based online strategy, which takes place in a fairy-tale fantasy world. The game is a classic strategy, very solidly flavored and diluted RPG elements. The result is a very serious allusion to the famous game series “Heroes of Might and Magic”.

PLAY

There are 2 races in the game: humans and elves, each of which has unique abilities, the first is similar and high-quality graphics, which you can see by looking at the screenshots of the game. Who is this game suitable for? Yes to everyone! To all those who were and remain fans of the “Heroes of Might and Magic” gaming universe. For those who are looking fresh breath in my favorite game genre of turn-based strategies. For those who love high-quality graphics and animation.

Click the buttons and tell your friends! Adds +100 to mana +1 to charisma + 5 evasion.