Games about the creation of the state on the PC. The best 4X PC games are ready to launch - conquer your enemies

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10th place - The Political Machine 2016

• Year of issue: 2016
• Developer: Stardock

The Political Machine 2016 is an election race simulator from Stardock, the fourth game in The Political Machine series, in which the player leads an election campaign to be elected President of the United States. The goal is achieved by traveling from state to state in which the player receives money and ratings to achieve the ultimate goal.

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9th place - Urban Empire

• Year of issue: 2017
• Developer: Kalypso Media

Urban Empire is a successful combination of urban and political simulator. The city in the game is ruled by the Mer dynasty, around which their rivals constantly weave intrigues. The player will have to build infrastructure, create entire districts, use the power to pass certain laws for the city, participate in political processes and even bribe their rivals. The city begins its development in the 1820s and has experienced 5 different eras, each of which implies its own dangers and opportunities.

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8th place - PeaceMaker

• Year of issue: 2007
• Developer: ImpactGames

A political simulator in which the player has to choose a side in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It is necessary to react and make social, political and military decisions. Critics note that the game is very realistic and forces the player to delve into the essence of the situation.

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7th place - President for a Day: Corruption

• Year of issue: 2015
• Developer: Serious Games Interactive

President for a Day: Corruption - a strategic simulation of the president of one of the African countries. The responsibilities of the player will include the solution of various social, economic and military problems. How to resolve them depends only on your actions.

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6th place - Crisis in the Kremlin

• Year of issue: 1991
• Developer: Sphere Inc.

According to the plot, we have to play for the General Secretary of the CPSU (incorrectly called the President during the game) in the period from 1985 to 2017. The player can choose reformer Mikhail Gorbachev, nationalist Boris Yeltsin, or conservative Yegor Ligachev as the protagonist. The game contains political anecdotes quoted by the chairman of the KGB, depicting the plight of the Soviet people in a humorous light. There are many inscriptions in Russian to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the game.

5 Victoria II

5th place - Victoria 2

• Year of issue: 2010
• Developer: Paradox Interactive

Victoria II can be played as any of the 271 countries in the world between 1836 and 1936. The player has access to a number of tools that have both direct and indirect effects on the internal processes taking place in the state. Unlike the previous game in the series, Victoria II has virtually no strictly predetermined historical events tied to a specific date. Instead, a system has been introduced according to which certain events occur when certain conditions are met. The entire working-age population of the world in the game is represented as separate groups, each of which has a certain profession, nationality, religion, literacy rate and political views. Each resident of the country can migrate, get a job (or lose it), change a profession, and also has certain needs for goods. The entire population is divided into 12 types.

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4th place - Tropico 5

• Year of issue: 2014
• Developer: Haemimont Games

There are four different eras available in Tropico 5, ranging from the colonial era, world wars, cold wars, to modern times, allowing you to progress from the 19th to the 21st century. El Presidente now has a dynastic family that will be present on the island. In addition, functions in the areas of trade, research, upgrades and exploration have been redesigned. Through multiplayer, diplomacy allows players to share resources, builders, and electricity. In addition, they can help each other with money. Finally, players can compete and even declare war on each other.

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3rd place - Super Power 2

• Year of issue: 2004
• Developer: GolemLabs

The game has the planet Earth with almost all states at the beginning of 2001. In SuperPower 2, the map is spherical and extended. Many elements of the game are realistic. The population, GDP, geopolitical relations and military equipment are identical to the present, which is in service with the respective countries. As in real life, states are members of various international organizations, these are the UN, the CIS, NATO and others, less well-known. In addition to the traditional focus on military units for global strategies, SuperPower 2 has macroeconomic regulation tools: the Central Bank refinancing rate, income tax and corporate tax, which is different for economic sectors.

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2nd place - Democracy 3

• Year of issue: 2013
• Developer: Positetech Games

There is no foreign policy, all diplomacy comes down to humanitarian aid, laws on foreign investments and others like them. There is no war at all (although there are armed forces, and occasionally it happens that the steepness of the army affects the outcome). The main essence of the game is to satisfy all segments of the population, while keeping the budget in the black.

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1st place - Power and Revolution: Geopolitical Simulator 4

• Year of issue: 2016
• Developer: eversim

Power and Revolution - the fourth part of the game in the line computer games in the Geopolitical Simulator strategy genre, in which the player takes the role of the head of state or the leader of an opposition party. The player's responsibilities include both solving economic problems, as well as social and military ones. Of the pluses, players note a detailed world, where everything is interconnected; new scenarios and game mode for the opposition. Of the minuses - an outdated engine and a large number of bugs.

In each of these games, one unchanging algorithm works: expand, explore, exploit, destroy. The order of actions may change, but the goal remains the same - power, control and domination.

We present to your attention the best global strategies on the PC - this selection will be interesting both for neophytes who have not heard of anything other than Civilization, and for oldfags who can put aside their well-worn imperial wands and look for a new position.

15. Anno 2205

14. Age Of Wonders 3

Role-playing game, turn-based tactics and global strategy in one magical bottle. It can be called a fantasy analogue of "Civilization", but unlike the brainchild of Sid Meier, peaceful ways of victory are not provided here. If you want to win - if you please, long and stubbornly fight with the elves, dwarves, orcs and other fabulous lads. The fighting takes place on separate tactical mini-maps in the spirit of King`s Bounty, and in a massive format. In practice, this means that when attacking one hex, all neighboring armies are pulled onto the battlefield, which ultimately results in a bloody battle, often with siege weapons. Not without spells - there is a whole library of them. Both banal curses and blessings and exotic things are used, such as calling on the head of the enemies of global warming.

13. Warlock II: The Exiled

Another fantasy clone of "Civilization" with a map of hexagons, focused on the military component. The game has both a classic global map and an unusual "Exile" mode, in which the world is presented in the form of tiny fragments connected by portals. Starting development with one fragment, you need to capture a whole chain of worlds, while fighting off crowds of monsters from parallel worlds and magicians competitors. On the PC, this project was released relatively recently - in 2014, and not just like that, but under the wing of Paradox Interactive - a company that ate a dog on global strategies. Yes, Warlock II: The Exiled has problems (the stupid AI stands out in particular), but this game definitely deserved its place in the top thanks to its unusual setting and powerful editor.

12. Star Ruler 2

A galactic epic with a giant map, animated starship fleet battles and meticulous micromanagement. The volume of all kinds of tabs, tables and parameters looks simply intimidating, so only experienced commanders are recommended to meddle in this strategy. And this despite the fact that it is impossible to control specific planets in the game (this rule does not apply to resource extraction). The mechanics of Star Ruler 2 constantly pushes the player to expand the boundaries of the empire, so it’s just not possible to take and sit on the defensive here. Space battles take place mainly in automatic mode, but if you wish, you can personally take part in them as a commander in chief. Despite some secondary character, the rating of Star Ruler 2 is quite high, not least thanks to the original (card) diplomacy system.

11. Space Empires V

It's not even a game, it's more of a simulation of a galactic civilization with hundreds of aspects in physics, culture, economics and cosmology. There is about the same amount of entertainment here as in an astronomy textbook, but this is exactly what Space Empires 5 is attractive for. Already at the stage of generating the universe, your eyes will be filled with the number of settings, and if you are somehow brought into the user manual, then there you will find 300 pages of small text. This turn-based strategy game features a huge tech tree, a powerful ship editor, and solid diplomatic mechanics that don't involve pure alliances or implacable foes.

10. Hearts of Iron 3

Compared to space grand strategy games, this game fits in a relatively short period of time - from 1936 to 1948. But during this time, you will be able to completely redraw the map of Europe, and maybe the world, and it is not at all necessary to play for the main figures in the Second World War. The project is distinguished by amazing attention to detail and, in fact, is a visual historical guide to the events of this period. The military operations in Hearts of Iron 3 are so massive that you need to resort to the help of AI, although in the most critical areas you will have to take matters into your own hands. Another reason to download the game is an extremely detailed technology tree, which, if desired, can be used to track the entire path of development of technology and theories of military operations.

9. Crusader Kings 2

Simulation of a wise ruler, the events of which unfold in the period from 1066 to 1453. Paradox Interactive went on a bold experiment: instead of leading a nation state, we are offered to manage dynasties, which, upon closer examination, are a huge snake ball consisting of intrigues, grievances, inheritance disputes and dynastic marriages. At the bottom of the food chain are counts with small plots of land, dukes are higher, kings are even higher, and at the top the emperor rules. To feel comfortable in this mess, you must simultaneously be a master of political acrobatics, a virtuoso spy and a brilliant military strategist. This is not the best strategy from Paradoxes, but definitely the most unusual.

8 Endless Space 2

A global strategy can be beautiful - this is proved by the developers from the French studio Amplitude. Based on the classic 4X rules, these guys have created a game with great visual style and music. Space looks amazing here, and even creating outposts on planets allows you to enjoy their ethereal landscapes. The game was released in 2017, so it is very demanding on hardware, especially in the later stages, when the galaxy is almost completely explored. The only fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey is the inability to directly influence the course of battles. Perhaps this feature will be added in the third part.

7 Endless Legend

The action of the strategy takes place in the world of Endless Space 2, but not in space, but on one of the planets. Here you will find a dark mix of fantasy and technology, eight original races and understood rules borrowed from Civilization. Each race has its own plot, which develops over the course of the game and is replete with references to the history of Auriga and the confrontation of local inhabitants. Wars here are not limited to maneuvers on the global map - when two armies collide, a turn-based tactical mode is activated, vaguely similar to Disciples. Separately, it is worth noting the army constructor, in which you can equip units with various equipment, and the change of seasons, which significantly affects the performance of races on the global map.

6. Stellaris

This time, Paradox Interactive has taken and dragged the branded elements of global simulations into space, adding to the list of innovations a random technology research and a successful idea with administrative sectors that are controlled by autonomous AI. Otherwise, Stellaris is a fine example of 4X strategy, with a huge map, colossal fleet battles and a flexible diplomacy system. If you don’t know what it’s like to become a vassal of a stronger empire, live under its yoke for several hundred years, picking up scraps from its table, and then gobble up your master, then this game will explain everything to you in a popular way.

5. Galactic Civilizations 3

This game returned built-in on the PC 10 years after the release of the previous part (in 2015), but it did not lose its branded features. Complicated as jigsaw puzzles, planetary building, race ideology system with perks, ship design with a flexible system of defense and attack modules, time-tested automatic battles - Stardock simply took and improved everything that could be improved. The result is an excellent 4X strategy that can compete on equal terms with modern projects. Recommended for those who like to tinker in the ship editor and fans of grandiose space battles.

4. Master of Orion 2

A magnificent example, in fact, standing at the origins of the genre. It has everything a sofa strategist needs: a race designer, ship building, a variety of technologies and a strong (even by today's standards) artificial intelligence. To some, the game will seem archaic (and not surprising, because it was released in 1996), someone will not be satisfied with a small map, someone will smile condescendingly at the sight of primitive wall-to-wall ground battles, but all these are trifles that are not worth attention. Master of Orion 2 is an iconic 4X strategy game with near-infinite replay value, a must-play for all fans of the genre.

3. Total War: Warhammer 2

When one studio perfects the only series in its repertoire for decades, the result is obvious. Every game in the Total War cycle (with the possible exception of the Napoleonic Wars) is better than the last, and Warhammer 2 is the crowning achievement of the developers. Even if you do not take into account the magnificent picture and extremely realistic battles on tactical maps, there are still a thousand reasons to download this game. For example, the largest global map in the history of the series, a full-fledged storyline, or a huge variety of races. Yes, only 4 basic factions are available for the game: elves, dark elves, lizardmen and skaven, but the old races from the first part have not disappeared. An excellent occasion to check who is stronger, gnomes, ratmen or vampires.

2.Civilization VI

The sixth part of "Civilization" did not bring revolutionary changes to the series - the Firaxis studio is slowly but surely moving the series forward without sudden gestures. It's still the same good old "civa" with a scientific race, the expansion of cities and extremely active diplomacy. Of the innovations, the most noticeable is the zoning of cities, which in turn leads to their specialization. As usual, there are several ways to win here: cultural, scientific, diplomatic, military. The latter, of course, is the most interesting, but also the most difficult, since it requires a huge investment of resources and time. If you're new to the cycle, Civilization VI is a good opportunity to try your hand at being a historical ruler.

1. Europa Universalis IV

In the list of the best global strategies, this game naturally takes first place. Compared to other games in the genre, Europa Universalis IV is much more complex, wider and more realistic. Political intrigues, espionage, dynastic connections, a well-thought-out economy and a trading system... you will not find a more complete simulator of a medieval ruler. This is the pinnacle of Paradox Interactive's activities and has served as a model for other 4X strategy developers since 2013. Yes, the threshold for entering the game is extremely high, but if you have the strength to break through hundreds of incomprehensible buttons and tabs, you will have a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the intricacies of medieval European politics.

26.08.2018 Pavel Makarov

One of the first strategies with the development of civilization is Sid Meier's Civilization, released in 1991. The game was developed by MPS Labs and published by MicroProse. The player had to deal with the development of the selected people. As the game progresses, you need to study technology, engage in diplomacy, participate in wars and develop the economy. The setting included the historical period from the primitive system to the near future.

Civilization became the game that founded the genre of turn-based global strategies with elements of economic, political and scientific development. Sid Meier's Civilization was the first to use the concept of a "tech tree". In this article, we invite you to get acquainted with contemporary representatives genre of games in which you need to develop your civilization.

Sid Meier's Civilization V

Release date: 2010
Genre: global turn-based strategy with the development of civilization
Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K

The player's task is to lead his civilization to one of the types of victory. Types of victory in Civilization: military, diplomatic, scientific and cultural. Turn-Based Strategy (TBS) develops on a global map consisting of hexes. Part of the hexes is reserved for various resources and improvements. The other part is under the Wonders of the World, city-states or controlled by competitors.

Two major expansions have been released for the game: Gods & Kings and Brave New World, bringing significant innovations to the game mechanics. Numerous additions with new civilizations and game maps have also been released.

A feature of the game is access to a huge number of mods, which can be downloaded through the menu. Fans have created many scenarios, civilizations and maps, the variety of which is able to satisfy the most demanding taste.

Some of the shortcomings can be called the weakness of the AI ​​​​(however, it is common for most strategies), but this pales against the background of the many advantages of this wonderful game. Incredible popularity facts: over 10 million copies sold and a Metacritic rating of 90 out of 100 on Metacritic.

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings

Release date: 1999
Genre: tactical strategy with medieval kingdom development
Developer: Ensemble Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

This game is a sequel to one of the classic RTS series. She has won numerous awards. 2 million copies were sold in the first quarter of sales. The score on Metacritic was 92/100. The player is available to manage 13 civilizations with their own specifics. In addition, The Conquerors added five more. There are also 5 companies in the game. Civilization passes through four eras, each of which opens up access to new divisions and improvements. The gameplay consists of building cities, collecting resources, creating armies. As a result, it is necessary to defeat opponents by destroying their armies and destroying buildings.

In 2013, the game was re-released in an enhanced HD format with significantly improved graphics. Later, three more DLCs were released in this format with new civilizations, maps, and scenarios.

Forge of Empires

Release date: year 2012
Genre: online strategy with city development
Developer: InnoGames
Publisher: InnoGames

If you're not ready to get so caught up in the weaves of Sid Meier's Civilization, but want to take people from the Stone Age to a sci-fi-like world, then Forge of Empires is a great option for you. There is only one city on your shoulders. The game is available both for PC in the browser and for Android and IOS mobile platforms.

An important part of the gameplay is the interaction with players around the world. Neighboring settlements can make shoots at you, but you are not born with a bast, you can answer!

Cossacks 3

Release date: 2016
Genre: tactical strategy with base development
Developer: GSC Game World
Publisher: GSC Game World

A remake of the 2001 classic RTS. The player can manage 12 countries, with 70 types of military units, 100 technologies and over 140 historical buildings. The gameplay is set in 17th and 18th century Europe, with appropriate units and weapons.

Cossacks 3 — screenshots

The peculiarity of the game is the huge crowds of armies rushing around the map and destroyed by the thousands in brutal fleeting battles. To win, the management of armies must be combined with skillful management - the extraction of key resources and the construction of the necessary buildings.

For our time, the gameplay of Cossacks 3 is somewhat outdated, but it can deliver pleasant minutes to fans of the classics.

Total War: Rome II

Release date: year 2013
Genre: global strategy with the development of ancient civilization
Developer: Creative Assembly
Publisher: SEGA

Total War is one of the most famous PC game series, familiar to every strategy fan. In this genre, only the Civilization series is at its level. Rome II is the eighth game in Total War, and one of the most successful. It combines a strategic mode on the global map, in which macro-management of resources, movements, assignments, with a tactical one, in which battles take place.

The company begins in 272 BC. and is expected to last 300 years. The game has 117 different factions fighting on a huge map in 173 regions covering Asia, Africa and Europe.

The main types of troops of the Ancient World (cavalry, infantry, elephants, etc.) fight directly on the battlefield, taking into account the historical specifics of different factions (Greek phalanx, Roman legions, etc.). Different types of battles are available (siege, river battles, etc.), in which thousands of units fight.

Except exciting game Rome II offers a lot of material on the history of the ancient world, especially its military part.

Stronghold Kingdoms

Release date: year 2012
Genre: online strategy with the development of the medieval state
Developer: firefly studios
Publisher: firefly studios

What is it like to manage medieval castle? Stronghold Kingdoms tries to give a simple but honest answer to this - this MMORTS (a genre that combines real-time strategy and multiplayer functionality) gives a simplistic but complete idea of ​​​​how to maintain your fortress with knights and dysentery.

One of the characteristic features of the game is that your successful passage depends not only on defeating computer antagonists, but also on interactions with other real gamers over the network.

Rise of Nations

Release date: 2003
Genre: turn-based strategy with RPG elements and non-linear storyline
Developer: Big Huge Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

The game is similar in mechanics to Total War, combining strategic actions on the global map with the direct command of troops in combat mode. Visually, it is much poorer than Total War, and in the field of combat and strategy it is inferior to this classic.

The player takes control of one of 18 nations, which leads to victory through 8 historical eras of development. About 100 different units are available to him, and each faction has its own unique fighters.

In 2014, a re-release of the game was released, with updated graphics and multiplayer.

Europa Universalis IV

Release date: year 2013
Genre: global strategy with the development of civilization in the Renaissance
Developer: Paradox Development Studio
Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Grand strategy from Paradox, one of the leading strategy developers.

The game covers the period from the late Middle Ages to the Early Modern Age.

Gaming takes place taking into account real historical events (geographical discoveries, etc.). The player must skillfully combine trade, diplomacy, colonization and military action to achieve victory.

The game is characterized by a strong strategic component, characteristic of Paradox, with a relatively poor military part. There are no tactical battles, and the game is played only on the global map. In this form, the game is similar to chess.

The "trick" of Europa Universalis IV is that the process depends on random events, both positive and negative, that are generated every year.

Vikings: War of Clans

Release date: 2015
Genre: MMO strategy with the development of the Viking settlement
Developer: Plarium
Publisher: Plarium

If you often watch videos on YouTube, then you have long known that, if strategies from the nineties and early zero are dear to your heart, you should definitely try Vikings: War of Clans. Such intrusive monotonous advertising can turn away any desire to try out the game.

But for some reason, it is played by several times more people than the Vikings ever existed. And all because it is thoughtful military strategy, in which you equally get pleasure from profitable alliances with other players, and from the thoughtless plunder of their lands.

Release date: year 2012
Genre: global strategy with the development of your own dynasty in the setting of medieval Europe
Developer: Paradox Development Studio
Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Another grand strategy from Paradox, covering the Medieval period from 1066 to 1453.

The peculiarity of the game is that it is a simulator of a dynasty, not a civilization or a state. The player, using wars, marriages and murders, works hard on the global map to achieve the success of his dynasty and eliminate competitors.

14 DLCs have already been released, adding new dynasties, events and expanding the period of the game.

The game is similar in strengths and weaknesses to Europa Universalis IV: a powerful strategic component with advanced AI is combined with a poor military part.

Throne: Kingdom At War

Release date: 2016
Genre: MMO strategy with the development of a medieval kingdom
Developer: Plarium
Publisher: Plarium

The world of Throne: Kingdom At War can be described as an abstract bewitching Middle Ages without the Inquisitions, but with knights. In the game, you create a Hero, and everything depends on him - he improves your possessions and manages your soldiers in battles.

Once upon a time in the fictional kingdom of Amaria, a wise monarch ruled over everything. But his death plunged everything into chaos, and the Hero is one of the fighters for control over his possessions. You can explore new lands and conquer the recalcitrant. Anything until you yourself are overthrown.

Release date: 2010
Genre: global strategy with the development of civilization in the era of modern times
Developer: Paradox Development Studio
Publisher: Paradox Development

Another global strategy from Paradox. The game is more focused on assiduous fans. The player needs to spend many hours on political and economic decisions.

The player controls the state, combining its political, diplomatic, economic, military and technological aspects. The period of the game is 1836-1936. The game covers the entire Earth, with over 200 playable countries.

Victoria II is more focused on the development of economic relations. The game has complex system with more than 50 types of goods and factories, the prices of which are determined by millet and supply. In the area of ​​politics and diplomacy, the player interacts with 8 different types of governments and 7 ideologies. The military component, for which 20 types of land and sea forces are responsible, is of lesser importance than in analogues.

Grand Age Medieval

Release date: 2015
Genre: real-time strategy with the development of the economy of the medieval state
Developer: Gaming Minds Studios
Publisher: Kalypso Media Digital

Not quite a successful attempt to cross RTS with TBS. On the global map in real time is the government. The emphasis is on the economy, the battles are of lesser importance. Factions almost do not differ from each other, the battles are very boring, the only highly developed part is trade. To build a strong economy, you need to carefully track the prices of goods, compare alternatives, deal with logistics and trade protection.

Grand Ages Medieval can be called a trading strategy, to which war and other components have been screwed “for show”.

Medieval II: Total War

Release date: 2006
Genre: global military strategy in the setting of medieval Europe
Developer: CREATIVE ASSEMBLY
Publisher: SEGA

The fourth game in the Total War series, one of the pinnacles of the strategy genre.

The game covers the period of the Middle Ages; 17 fractions are available in the company. In the process, it is necessary not only to fight competitors, but also to take into account global events corresponding to historical periods. For example, the invasions of the Mongols and Timur. Religion plays an important role on the global map. For example, the Pope can excommunicate you from the church and declare a crusade against you. If the population of the recently conquered territories professes a religion different from yours, then there is a high probability of rebellions.

The system of agents responsible for the spread of religions, espionage and other components of victory has also been fully implemented. Decisive battles are best done manually, and not set to auto-calculate, and here you can see that the game engine has been improved in Medieval II. The soldiers received individual content and a variety of combat techniques. This visually distinguishes the battles from the "clone wars" of previous games in the series.

In addition to our article, we suggest watching a detailed video review of other strategies on the PC with the development of civilization, including settings from the primitive period to modern days.

Warhammer 40,000 series

Release date: 1992-2011

Genre: Real time strategy

The Warhammer 40,000 series is the most popular and one of the best selling games. Fans are constantly waiting for the release of a new game. The most famous is Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. The player chooses the race (Imperial Guard, Space Marines, Tau, Necrons, Orcs, Chaos, Eldar with each game new races appear) for which he wants to play, after which he selects the place on the planet or planets that he wants to capture and fights with the race that owns this earth.

The battle takes place in real time on the terrain where the battle takes place. Players capture special points that give influence and build generators that give energy, structures, troops are built on these resources, and improvements are made. Each race has its own troops, super units and heroes and abilities. The goal of the game in the campaign is to capture all the lands and become the patron of all lands.

Civilization Series

Release date: 1991-2013

Genre: Global turn-based strategy

In Civilization A complete model of the development of mankind has been created from the most ancient times to the present The player must create and develop his mighty empire, among other competitors, the condition for victory can be a military victory over everyone, victory on points, The game ends in 2050 either culture or build a spaceship and fly to Alpha Centauri. The strength and development of civilization consists of the development and creation of new cities, the creation of production in the cities of troops, scientific and military research. Also in the game you can create wonders of the world.

For civilization to flourish, the player must be able to focus and balance between scientific progress, military buildup, replenishment of the treasury, development of infrastructure and culture, diplomatic contacts and trade with other civilizations. The player can take part in the historical events that took place, manage leaders such as Stalin, Napoleon, Ramses II, Catherine II and so on. Which of the series is the best is hard to say. Someone says that the part is the best, someone that the fourth. Graphics enthusiasts say that the fifth is the best of this series.

Warcraft III

Genre: real-time strategy with RPG elements

Popularly known as "Varik" was one of the most anticipated games, with over 4.5 million pre-orders and over one million copies sold in less than a month, making it the fastest selling PC game ever. publications awarded the game the titles "Best Game of the Year" and "Best Strategy of the Year". The game also received high ratings from the players.

There are 4 races in the game: Alliance (Humans), Undead, Horde (Orcs) and Night Elves. Each race has its own unique heroes who gain experience and new level. With each level, new abilities of the hero open up. Also, heroes can buy or pick up items from killed mobs that improve the combat characteristics of the heroes and the troops surrounding them. On different maps players capture gold mines and extract forests, use these resources to build a base and units and improve their characteristics.

Heroes of Might and Magic III

Genre: Turn-based strategy with RPG elements

Heroes of Might and Magic III is a turn-based fantasy game, the third part of the series has become a cult and gained a lot of fans around the world. Despite the already outdated graphics, it is still played by thousands of players around the world. The fourth and fifth parts of the game have already come out with better graphics and improved gameplay, so if you are not a fan of the old games and love the graphics, then it is best to play the last parts.

The player travels across the global map as heroes who control mythical creatures, exploring new lands, capturing cities and fighting enemies. On the map, the player moves only one hero and can only go a certain distance or take one or more actions, after which he skips the move and the computer-controlled enemies make their move. When attacking enemies, you move into combat mode, the army of enemies and your army of creatures stand opposite each other, moving combat units in turn, you need to destroy the enemies. With the development of cities, you can open up new opportunities and spells. Hire troops.

StarCraft II

Genre: real time strategy

StarCraft II is the second part of the cult first part released back in 1998. The second part of the game became the most anticipated game of the year due to the great popularity of the first part and fully justified its hopes among the players. Many gaming Russian and foreign portals gave the game ratings of over 9 points out of 10. In the rating of players it received 9.3 points.

The plot of the game and all the actions take place in the distant future, or rather the XXVI century in a distant part of the Milky Way galaxy. The three races of Terran, the Zerg, and the Protos oppose each other. Players extract two types of resources, minerals and Vespene gas, which they then use to build buildings and hire combat units. The main task is to destroy the enemy base. Each type of unit has its own strengths and weaknesses, so to destroy certain types of enemy troops, you need to hire troops that destroy them well.

Total War series is the best Rome: Total War

Genre: turn-based grand strategy, real-time strategy

Total War Russian Total War is a series of games that already has seven games and various add-ons. Different games cover different time historical periods and states. The most popular and cult is Rome: Total War, released in 2004, in which the action takes place in Ancient Rome during the period of the Republic from 270 BC. e. up to 14 a.d. e. For example, Shogun: Total War takes place in Shogun: Total War Japan in the 16th century, where ruling dynasties oppose each other. Empire: Total War - during the European colonial wars and so on.

The gameplay of the game is very similar to Civilization. The player controls troops, cities and settlements on a global point. After completing all actions, the player skips a turn, after which the AI-controlled competitors make their move. If you or your enemy attack each other, then you move to the tactical map, where you control all your troops in real mode, attacking them and placing them in convenient positions on the map.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 1,2,3

Release date: 1996 and 2000

Genre: Real time strategy

Red Alert is a game that was released in the last century and captured the minds and souls of gamers around the world, thousands of people still play it, more than 30 million copies sold. The game is set in an alternate history where Allied forces are defending Europe from the aggressive Soviet Union. The player can choose one of two belligerents: the Alliance or the USSR. Accordingly, the goal of playing for the Allies is to stop Stalin until he captured the whole world, for the USSR - to achieve the complete capture of Europe. Depending on the side chosen, the player's victory results in one of two alternate endings.

Battles in the game take place both on land, on water and in the air. Each side can have its own base and can train ground forces, air Force And Navy. Each side also has unique features. The game mechanics is that now even a simple infantryman can destroy a tank. A tank can easily destroy a machine-gun pillbox, a small group of grenade launchers can just as easily cope with a tank if it is not covered by anti-personnel equipment or its own infantry, which forced the use of various types of troops in battle.

Europa Universalis game series

Release date: 2000-2013

Genre: turn-based global strategy,

Continues a series of global strategies Europa Universalis. Like the previous games in the series, the third part invites you to lead one of the states of the world . The essence of the game: to develop national ideas that give the game power certain advantages; as new state technologies are discovered, it becomes possible to choose one of the national ideas. The action of the game takes place in real time, but the reaction speed of the player is not required, since at any time the game can be paused. The game takes place on a schematically depicted world map, divided into more than 1500 sea and land provinces.

The player can take control of any country that existed during this historical period (about 200 states in total). Under his control are the country's economy, the formation of armies and fleets and their management, diplomacy, the introduction of new technologies, the internal policy of the state, the change of state religion and the colonization of new lands.

A feature of the game is the binding to real history(I note that in the third part of the series it is no longer tied to history and the gameplay is more free); there are historical rulers predetermined for each country, each of which has certain abilities that affect the game, generals that actually existed (such as Suvorov or Napoleon I Bonaparte), pioneers, explorers and navigators (such as Columbus, Yermak and Fernand Magellan ), as well as historical events that usually take place in the same country and at the same time as in real history (for example, in 1517 an event occurs that makes it possible to convert to Protestantism)

Company of Heroes 1.2

Release date: 2006

Genre: Real time strategy

The gameplay of Company of Heroes is very similar to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. The player commands entire squads of fighters, but there are separate unique units. Each squad has a life scale (not a separate fighter) and if the life ends when the squad is damaged, then the entire squad dies. The player can equip infantry units with various weapons, choosing which weapon is more promising in battle. After the death of the squad, weapons remain that can be picked up and equipped with them by another squad. This applies even to stationary weapons such as anti-tank guns, heavy machine guns and mortars.

Each side in the game is divided into three unique directions - infantry, airborne and armored for the Americans and defensive, offensive and propaganda for the Germans, advancing in which gives access to new units and attacks (for example, a raid of attack aircraft). Another important difference is that squads and units in the game have three levels of experience. After destroying an enemy, a new level is obtained that increases damage, speed, health, armor or view range of a unit, depending on its type.

There are three types of resources in the Game: weapons, fuel and personnel. Personnel are used to build buildings, recruit new combat units, both infantry and armored vehicles, fuel, in turn, to build buildings and armored vehicles, and weapons are used to provide units with additional weapons, such as a grenade launcher, for artillery and air strikes, or for so that your technology gets new opportunities. Replenishment of resources is carried out using checkpoints.

Age of Empires III

Genre: Real time strategy

Age of Empires III is a strategy game that has earned worldwide acclaim for its innovative and addictive gameplay. Age of Empires has received great ratings on gaming portals and magazines. A feature of this game is a well-designed artificial intelligence (the enemy is controlled by a computer). The player controls one of the powers (Great Britain, Prussia, Holland, Spain, Portugal, the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, France), which set off to conquer the new world (America).

The main action takes place in the colonies, on the map familiar to such games, but now each power has its own city in the Old World. It serves the sole purpose of helping its colony. There are three resources in the game: food, wood and money. Which produce various buildings. Transitions between eras, five eras: research, colonization, fortresses, industrial and empire era. Military academies train, bandage, send soldiers to the colonies. The infantry depends on the nationality of the city, for the Spaniards it will be rodelieros, and for the Russians - archers and Cossacks. The academy is also improving the parameters of the troops.

Battles take place in real time. The maximum number of a detachment and a group of soldiers marked with a "frame" is 50 units. Shooting infantry has four formations: a regular rank, which is convenient for firing in a volley, a sparse formation, which reduces losses from artillery fire, hand-to-hand combat, and squares. The melee infantry has three formations, two of the same, the actual melee and square, and a circular formation to cover the shooters. The cavalry learned three formations - all the same melee and square combat, as well as the offensive mode at a reduced speed, but with damage inflicted over the area.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Genre: Strategy, Turn-Based Tactics, Tactical RPG

The game is a remake (remake) of the popular and old game X-COM: UFO Defense released back in 1993. Aliens attack the planet Earth and start an alien invasion. The game is played on behalf of the commander of the secret international organization XCOM (anti-alien unit), which has the most advanced technologies, weapons and scientific developments humanity. It employs the best specialists in the world - the military and scientists. The organization must lead fighting against aliens threatening the existence of human civilization.

The player is provided with the central base of XCOM, from which the strategic management of the organization is carried out: monitoring the actions of aliens on the global map of the world using a satellite network, distributing funding for the development of scientific and technical potential, arming and deploying interceptors to destroy flying saucers, as well as conducting combat operations against aliens by the forces of existing fighters in ground skirmishes. The base is presented to the player in the form of an "ant farm" - a cut of the ground, allowing you to look at the premises "from the side".

In a Tactical battle, fighters perform up to two actions in turn - running, shooting, throwing a grenade, using a first-aid kit. Each fighter has only three characteristics: accuracy, willpower and health points.
After the first promotion in rank, a soldier receives a specialization. It can be an attack aircraft, a sniper, a heavy infantryman or a support soldier.

home world

Genre: real time strategy

Well-developed graphics and three-dimensional game space - the implementation of six degrees of freedom (you can consider the battlefield, the combat fleet from different angles) of the movement of game objects and the presence of thoughtful fleet control in three dimensions. A rich and complex plot that gradually unfolds directly during the game. In the next game mission, the player receives the fleet with which he completed the previous one.

At the beginning of the game, the player can choose a fleet of two races Kushan or Taidan: this does not affect the further plot in any way, only combat units change. A key feature of both the Kushan and the Taidan fleets is the presence of a main mothership that acts as the main base of operations. The mother ship has its own weapons, and a hyperdrive that allows you to overcome a significant amount of space.

The entire space fleet is divided into a combat fleet and a support fleet. The support fleet includes special ships such as a resource collector and controller, a research ship, a probe, a stealth ship detector ship, a gravity well generator. The combat fleet is divided into classes: Small ships - fighters, corvettes, Heavy ships - frigates, Superheavy ships, Flagships.

Stronghold game series

Release date: 2001-2014

Genre: real time strategy

The game system of all games in the series is based on the economic simulator of a medieval city or castle. The games have a number of unique settings that are unique to games in the Stronghold series. So, in the first Stronghold, the “popularity” parameter was introduced for the first time, affecting the working capacity and population. Combat system standard for strategies - direct control of groups of units. The economic component is one of the main ones in the games of the series. There are quite complex and long production chains. As a rule, in the games of the series, more attention is paid to the economic rather than the military component of medieval castles.

All games in the series, except Stronghold Kingdoms, have campaigns (a series of story-related missions) and a map editor mode. Stronghold has a single campaign, other games have multiple campaigns.

In all games, except Stronghold and Stronghold Kingdoms, it is possible to play against computer opponents on the selected map. Stronghold and Stronghold 2 have a siege mode (besieging or defending a castle without running an economy). In the first games of the series (up to and including Stronghold 2) there is a free building mode (keeping the economy without war).

Spore

Genre: Real time strategy, god simulator

Spore game is a simulator of the evolution of life on the planet, as well as a strategy and space simulator. The goal of the game is to develop a creature from a microorganism to an advanced space race. During the passage of the game, it is possible to make changes to the creature, improving its characteristics. Also, as it develops, the player will independently create various equipment and buildings, or choose ready-made options from the catalog.

At the beginning of the game, a microorganism living in the aquatic environment falls under the control of the player. At this stage of the game - To survive, the microorganism needs to eat pieces of meat or algae, and also try not to be eaten by other carnivorous creatures. By eating food, the cell grows and turns into a microorganism. After that, the creature is selected to the ground, where it also develops. Over time, under your leadership will be a tribe, civilization and space that you will have to manage.

Ground Control 1.2

Release date: 2000, 2004

Genre: Tactical Real Time Strategy

This game was at the forefront of its genre and won numerous awards. Ground Control features 3D graphics and a freely rotating camera, allowing the player to view the fight from any angle. The game completely lacks the collection of resources, the development of the base and research. The goal of the player is to manage a limited number of combat units and perform various tasks with their help.

The main goal of the game is to destroy the opponent's troops and buildings using the terrain features and the strengths of your own army. Combat units include various types of armored vehicles, aircraft and soldiers delivered to the battlefield by orbital shuttles. After the start of the next mission, the player cannot call for reinforcements, which requires careful selection of combat units and their configuration before the battle.

The most important element of the game is the requirement for a tactical approach in any situation. Each unit has its own distinct strengths and weaknesses. Combat units are grouped into squads. The player can only issue orders to units, although the units themselves will fight and take damage separately. There are four categories of units: infantry, armored vehicles, support, and aviation. The player can choose the configuration of each individual unit prior to battle. For example, a Craven Corp tank squad can exist in four configurations: reconnaissance, light, main, and heavy. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, so different configurations are suitable for different tasks.

Tiberium Command & Conquer Series

Release date: 1995-2010

Genre: Real time strategy

A series of successful computer games that has the highest sales among strategy series. The action of the game takes place in an alternative temporal reality, conditionally modern ours, in which a war is going on around the world between two global groups - the UN international troops united in the Global Defense Initiative, and the military-religious Brotherhood of Nod, led by its charismatic leader Kane, fighting for the possession of an alien substance tiberium, slowly spreading throughout the planet.

The gameplay of the game is based on the principle - to collect resources to build a base to destroy the enemy. The only source of money (credits) in the game is tiberium. Another important resource in the game is electricity, produced only by power plants. Various structures and units produced by the player, together form a technological tree, in which access to technologically more advanced, and, accordingly, more expensive structures and units. The base can be protected by various structures, which include defensive fortifications.

Paradox Interactive continues to create complex worlds in the realm of grand strategy and grand strategy. Europa Universalis and Crusader Kings, created by these developers, impressed the audience and gained a large number of fans around the world. Having applied all their experience, the developers went to the stars, along with their next project - Stellaris, inviting players with them to a grander gaming theater than before.

Stellaris is a highly customizable real-time strategy/grand strategy hybrid. From the very beginning of the game, you can customize your interstellar people, starting from their appearance and the flag, to philosophy and demeanor. Some form of customization is present in many aspects of the game. The manner in which you explore nearby planets and star systems, study the sciences, expand your race's dominions, and interact with other races. Gradually, Stellaris accelerates from a somewhat slow start to a large and all-encompassing race for control of the universe.

The game does not forget its roots. Stellaris borrows socio-political and economic systems from other Paradox games, forcing players to balance between internal struggle and outside influences and pressures. Stellaris is great to play solo, but multiplayer is where the game really shines. Playing online, against friends and foes, is a great pastime that stretches into many hours of fun from the game.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is one of the modern offerings in the Warhammer 40K universe, a tactical RTS with spaceships. Abandoning the ground combat of previous games in the Warhammer 40K universe, Battlefleet Gothic turns its attention to the stars to fight a desperate war against galactic enemies.

Acting by the standards of the lore of the Warhammer 40K universe, the journey through the story takes the player under control of a fleet of Imperial warships, the story will push you head-on head-on with familiar opponents: Chaos Indivisible, Orcs and Eldar. Survival in combat depends on the timely use of tactics, relying on the slowdown mechanic known as the Tactical Cogitator. Meanwhile, your task is to wisely spend all the resources on armament and customization of your ships in order to get the maximum performance in your chosen tactics.

In addition to single player, the multiplayer mode will allow you to use many ships of different factions and participate in multiplayer battles. With every victory and defeat in single player and multiplayer, you earn "Fame", which you can spend on upgrades and improvements, and defeats in the campaign affect your progress through the story campaign. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is a bit difficult to learn, but from this game you can get the most interesting and comprehensive Warhammer 40K experience, not to mention that the game as a whole is an outstanding tactical spaceship RTS.

Best Strategy Where Montezuma (Aztec Emperor) Can Fight Gandhi (Indian Philosopher)

Civilization is a turn-based strategy game about human history: you guide a race of people from the stone age to modern times and beyond. This is a global strategy (capture, explore, use and destroy) and the best thing is that you start from scratch and grow to a global power. Or die trying to do it.

The decisions you will face in the game are political, economic, military and even social. You can become a friendly neighbor or an invader. The center of trade and tourism, or the state focused on the industry. Freedom of choice is the best asset of the game - where will you move? What are you going to do? Which path will you take to win? There are now more than 20 factions in the game, and each has a specific play style, but you will always have freedom of action.

Civilzation is a well established series of games. The game has a strong set teaching aids and tooltips to help you make decisions. Combat is better than ever, thanks to Civilzation V's reimagining of the grid system. Having Steam Workshop support means you'll have an endless stream of mods and maps.

This is the game series that coined the term "one more turn and sleep" - this strategy is addictive, it's an addictive and fun game.

Best Total War Strategy

Total War is a game about managing an entire empire in between armed clashes on the way to dominance. Now you are busy with taxes and building baths, and the next moment you are firing cannons and headlong rushing at the enemy.

The game takes place in two different modes: empire management in turn-based strategy mode, and tactical battles in real-time strategy mode. The key to victory is the interaction between the two modes, for example: mount a cavalry charge against the enemy army, knowing that it is commanded by the opponent's king and his assassination will cause the collapse of the empire.

Whenever two armies meet, the game switches to tactical combat mode. You play as a general, a hero - you control your units, draw up battle formations and strategy, and fight your enemy to the last man. Not always the best option is the choice - the right terrain and the right tactics, a slight superiority in strength can withstand almost any difficulties, and the most powerful army can be defeated with the help of a good ambush.

Total War: Shogun 2 is by far the best game in the series. If the period covered (16th century feudal Japan) isn't to your liking, try Napoleon: Total War, a game centered on the famous general's campaign. Total War is a deep, tactical and thoughtful game: it can take you a week or so to complete a campaign in Total War.

Buyer's guide: Sega often discounts Total War, and you can get Shogun 2 and its expansions on Steam for less.

Nearly a decade and a half after the game's release, the original Stronghold is still the best game in Firefly's castle builder series. The combination of RTS with creative, strategic building, missions and combat sometimes detracted from the game's trump card - a simple but effective medieval building kit.

The campaign isn't particularly memorable and the combat is slow and can be confusing, but playing the free-building mode is a very addictive experience, like playing Lego or sand-sculpting in childhood sandboxes. Of course, the tide always destroys the fruits of hard work, but watching everything fall apart is part of the fun.

Buyer's guide:Stronghold HD is available in Steam

The best strategy to kill your spouse

Crusader Kings 2 is a bloodthirsty bastard of Grand Strategies. You play as a medieval lord trying to gain more power, influence and territories in historically accurate medieval Europe. The game offers complex game mechanics instead of beautiful picture. You control the economy, the army and the people.

The personality element is what makes Crusader Kings 2 a very compelling game. You are part of a family dynasty, not an abstract nation. You can marry and have children, when you die, your heir will take the reins and everything will start again. In between all of this, you can use intrigue or brute force to increase your holdings, but the key is that you develop a real personal connection with your characters, your avatar. You will mourn his death, you will applaud his every triumph.

As a count or duke, you can stage a coup and rebel against your Lord to increase your power. As a king, it is quite easy to lose the Realm due to an invasion or rebellion. But as long as a member of your dynasty is still alive, you will always have a chance to win everything back. Don't be put off by the apparent difficulty, the more you play, the more you'll learn.

Buyer's guide: Choose to purchase a bundle with most add-on packs, including the latest (Old Gods).

The best strategy for e-sports fans

Starcraft II is a sci-fi strategy game about armored cowboys fighting against xenomorphic aliens and space elves. This is a classic real time strategy where you collect resources, build an army and kill enemies before they kill you, you will need to make quick decisions and click quickly.

Multiplayer is a huge part of Starcraft II. People will become your enemies; they will be able to click the keyboard faster than you and give orders faster than you. You will probably lose a lot of nerve cells, but you will get better gaming entertainment and you will be good enough to compete against players at the level of esports.

The single-player campaign is also quite interesting - Blizzard combined the frantic action with RPG elements, and the story of the exploits of the mercenary Jim Raynor. You will fight in a series of missions, many of them will have unique objectives - for example, try to collect resources on the map periodically filled with lava, defend against waves of zerg during the allotted time period. In between missions, you explore a kind of RPG hub where you can talk to people, research new technologies, and decide which mission to visit next. It's very difficult to implement an interesting story in the real time strategy genre, and many are limited to cutscenes and dialogue in missions, but SCII, by forcing you to interact with the world outside the battlefield, actually makes the game story interactive.

Buyer's guide: Blizzard is one of the few companies that doesn't actually "make" DLC. Starcraft II has one expansion at the time of writing, Heart of the Swarm, with a second expansion (Legacy of the Void) due out at some point in the future. The expansion as a whole brings a few new units and tweaks to the multiplayer, but mainly advances the single player story. In the original game, you played as Terrans. In Hearts of the Swarm, you play as the Zerg. In Legacy of the Void, you will play as Protos.

The best strategy for playing dress-up with your dolls

XCOM was an unexpected hit. turn-based strategy that will require you to repel an alien invasion in a dynamic single-player campaign. It's a remake of the classic X-Com, and as a remake, it's one of the best.

You send teams of up to six soldiers into battle against small gray aliens, robots, insects, and more. Tactically intense firefights on city maps, countryside, aboard alien ships, and it's all about easy strategy. The player's base is presented as an ant farm where you will research new technologies, perform autopsies, and request funding from a shady government agency.

In a word, it's fantastic.

The character customization is really cool. You can give your wars names and faces as you play the campaign they grow in your mind, they get backstory and fake accents. It is up to you to live or die for these soldiers, and you feel their every step, feel every plasma bolt that hits them, you feel their pain as your own. When they drop dead, mourn, and a new guy is sent in as a replacement... well, he (or she) won't get a name until he proves himself.

Tactical combat is the essence of the game, and if you've never tested your commanding skills against real people, then XCOM invites you to try them out in multiplayer.

This real-time strategy game set in World War II throws you right into the middle of a fight taking place during the Allied invasion of Northern France. Starting with D-Day, you will make your way through several maps divided into tactical zones. You must establish a base of operations, protect resources, and fight for a just cause.

It's tricky - you have to make sure all the corners are covered and that your front line is safe, because if there are gaps, nothing will stop the enemy from wreaking havoc behind your lines. Infantry can build defenses and/or garrison buildings, and engineers can set traps or lay obstacles. Tanks and other vehicles will provide you with brute force, but they are quite expensive to build en masse. As a commander, you have support abilities that give you an additional advantage.

This game is the highest rated strategy game of all time - the single player campaign reminiscent of the movie Band of Brothers makes the story campaign more than just an online tutorial and the online community itself is well developed. The two factions (or four if you have the add-ons) are well balanced so that you will need more than just maneuvering or simple ranged combat with the enemy. In the nine years since the first release, the modding community has flourished, which means that you can get even more interesting gameplay.

Buyer's guide: Company of Heroes has two expansions - Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valour. Opposing Fronts is the only add-on really worth buying. At the moment, a sequel has already been released, covering the Russian and Eastern fronts.

The best strategy where elephants and sports cars can collide in battle

Age of Empires is a classic real-time strategy series that is easy to learn, charming and can challenge the player if desired. You choose your civilization, create your city and your army, and fight against other civilizations on the map. You advance through various "ages" or tech levels to upgrade your troops and buildings.

This game is half resource management, half tactical combat like Warcraft or Starcraft. You always start the game with your city center and a small number of civilians, but by the end of the match you can grow into a metropolis with walls, fire towers, and a large army. Age of Empires came out before the beginning of the era multiplayer games on the Internet, so the main component of these games is single-player campaigns and battle with artificial intelligence. Representing a series of specially created maps (with customizable goals), with famous person or a group of people from history. These missions don't have to be historically accurate, but they draw you into the story, and each battle provides a unique scenario for the confrontation.

Age of Empires 2 spans an abstract time period starting in the Middle Ages and progressing all the way to the early Renaissance. How do you like: Duke's Celtic raiders with his Persian elephants and medieval pikemen near Japanese fortresses? And those who know cheats can always play with sports cars with machine guns installed.

Buyer's guide: In January 2013, Microsoft released an "HD" version of Age of Empires 2 , Includes the base game and the expansion.

The best hybrid of Wargame (Wargame) and RTS

Wargame game. It will save you from unnecessary worries associated with the construction of bases and will allow you to focus solely on the battles. You command your own customizable army of tanks, infantry, artillery, and even combat helicopters and planes. The battles take place in highly detailed parts of the European countryside, which can be up to 150Km2.

Attention to detail is what drives WarGames, and it's what makes WarGame: AirLand Battle a brilliant game. Your tanks may be marching down the highway or trampling various crops in the fields, your infantry may be crawling through the forests or holding an important crossroads... but tanks need fuel, and weapons need bullets. If you don't support your troops with supplies, with a logistics system, your fireteam will literally get stuck.

For a high-level strategy game, there's a surprising amount of atmosphere. If you bring the camera close to "ground level", the camera will be shaken by artillery shells crashing into the ground. The forests will burn around you, and if things are going really bad for you, retreating, the skeletons of fallen tanks and infantry fighting vehicles remain behind to burn out.

Wargame offers - a brilliant dynamic single-player campaign. You can play as NATO or the Warsaw Pact and fight for control of Scandinavia using real-life combat units, off-map support... even randomized political events. If you prefer to play with real people, there is a great online community. Also, Wargame has a lot of multiplayer maps in stock, and there is support for battles in 10 vs 10 matches.

Buyer's guide: At the time of writing, the Wargame series consists of three games, the latest being Wargame: Red dragon, with alternative history about the conflict in Asia

Best Strategy for Ambitious Caribbean Dictator

Tropico is essentially a city builder, but what makes it cool is its charm. You play as a dictator with a Caribbean banana republic theme and it's up to you to guide your island from humble beginnings to greatness.

How you do this is up to you. You can exploit the natural resources of your island and turn it into an industrial center, or you can use the natural beauty of the island and try to become a holiday destination for clueless white tourists. Or both. In Tropico, there are many options for where to place a residential complex or a factory, whether to assign pensions or call for military service. You bring immigrants to the island and they all need housing and jobs and you will have to build your economy and services. Throughout the game, your actions are wonderfully reported on the Tropico radio talk show, the host tries to make even the crappiest of your actions positive.

As your island grows, you will be able to start doing business with - America, Russia, or even China and Europe, everyone will want to influence you. They will offer you money and wealth if you only let them build a military base on the island, or let them export their waste to you. If you are not careful, you will have to deal with an uprising or an invasion. Either way, your regime will be overthrown.

Tropico is just a fun game: it's a city builder with a healthy dose of economics, commerce and politics.

Best Space RTS

Sins of a Solar Empire - this global real-time strategy focuses on building a big space empire. You have planets to colonize and develop industry and trade on, but when things get tough there are always groups of ships throwing bullets, lasers and missiles at each other in an endless struggle for dominance.

The game has a lot of things typical of the Sins series: your scouts will rush from planet to planet in search of new worlds to conquer. Your merchant fleets will move goods from place to place, turning the wheels of the economy, and your mighty battle fleets will rush from one crisis to another, because if pirates aren't knocking on your door, some other faction has come to lay claim to your property.

There is no single player campaign in the game: you just play an endless number of skirmishes against the AI ​​using wide range cards from a set, each with its own quirks and strategies. You can also create your own map using the editor and of course you can start the game online and play against real people.

Buyer's guide: Sins of a Solar Empire has three expansions. Lastly, Rebellion is a standalone expansion that includes all previous updates and features. There is also a DLC for the game called "Forbidden Worlds" which adds new planet types, new vehicles and several heroes.

The best strategy game with nuclear weapons

DEFCON is a game about a war that cannot be won - a nuclear war. You are presented on a simple vector map of the world (in the style of the WarGames movie and other classic films), you are given a bunch of military equipment, and the world begins to slowly count down to Armageddon. You must make the best use of everything you have to come out on top in the soon-to-be-formed desert world.

Simplicity and abstractness of Defcon is its greatest advantage. You cannot stop all missiles and you cannot win every conflict. Regions will be destroyed, entire fleets will be lost, but... all you see is statistics on the screen. You gain points for killing more people at once, you lose points for every percentage of your original population. The player with the most points at the end will receive the "victory". Congratulations.

Defcon is an interesting game, but what makes it so addictive?! This is that the game is actually a battle of wits, akin to chess. The match will always start with DEFCON 5, and will count down the level of danger in the allotted time. The closer you get to DEFCON 1, the more you are allowed to do, but basically it all comes down to the good placement of your assets - your fleet and submarines, bombers and fighters, missile silos, radars. You and your enemies (up to 6 players or AI can play in the same match) will do the same actions, so you will need to have a premonition and the ability to guess the opponent's next move.

The game lasts no more than 45 minutes by default, although you can adjust this setting. The game is great fun for pure strategists and loads quickly and easily. We highly recommend playing against other players.

Buyer's guide: There are no add-ons or DLC, and the game itself is very cheap.

This space grand strategy will throw at you: space bugs, slaver raids, asteroids, even alien probes... and lo and behold, you accidentally meet another space empire. This is a dangerous universe and Sword of the Stars reflects this wonderfully and also gives the player an exciting and challenging game.

This living universe really works wonders in the early stages of the game, where traditionally almost nothing happens in 4X before you encounter other factions. In addition, Sword of the Stars does something you don't often see in this genre of strategy games, it doesn't make all playable factions equal. Of course, everything starts with the same resources and planets, but each race behaves in a unique way - they have their own unique methods of traveling through space. It also binds the technology system to the factions: the game's technology tree is randomized for each new match, and each race has preferences for certain technologies.

Ship customization takes up most of the game, and you will spend some of your time just tweaking different ship designs. Like the Total War series, this game goes into real-time strategy mode when the shooting starts. You can give orders to your fleet, set battle formations, and watch as two groups of ships grind each other into space dust. Nice.

The Soviet Union is invading America and it's up to you to push them back. Gone are the days when you had to build a base and manage resources, you have command points and goals. If your units are destroyed, you can use your command points to call in reinforcements, and you must use your unit's strengths wisely, along with an impressive array of off-map abilities.

The single-player campaign is very cinematic and really pulls you in with the story. I almost wanted to join the Red Army after seeing the result of the Soviets storming West Berlin, and there is one scene in the middle of the game... well, I'll leave it up to you to figure it out for yourself. You basically play as a US Army officer helping to repel an invasion, but the Soviet Assault add-on adds missions from a Russian perspective, and this is critical to the backstory.

The game is a great example of tactical combat, taking advantage of the terrain, micromanaging troops, and it gets even better when you go online to play. Players can fight in matches with up to 16 players, and unlike a solo company, you must choose one of four roles for yourself, this will affect the units and auxiliary abilities available to you. Some roles are likely to be weaker against certain tactics, so you need to make sure you work alongside your teammates.

However, there is still no such problem that would not be solved by carpet bombing.

Buyer's guide: At the game World in Conflict there was only one addition - Soviet Assault. The add-on adds new missions to the story company for the USSR.

Best Large Scale RTS

Supreme Commander was the game that broke the PC, the demands on the processors were so high. This game is about the war of the future real-time strategy robo, it simplifies the management of resources and focuses more on building a beautiful war machine. You start with one indispensable device - the command machine, from which you build factories that produce units, they are necessary in order to wage war on your enemies.

The Player's army can potentially reach 1000 units, on land, at sea and in the air. You must carefully orchestrate a ballet of production, movement and attack, grinding your opponent down while keeping your command unit, as well as your factories and power grids, safe so that they can create more death machines. It's a brilliant and stunning game, and it's not for casual gamers.

Oddly enough, it was one of the few games that officially supported dual monitors, which meant you could have a scalable map on the second screen. This is a godsend that allows you to keep your eyes on the "big picture" of combat and is recommended if you're going to play seriously. There are few games that allow you to play on the same scale as Supreme Commander, and when you go to war on the Internet, that's when the real difficulties begin for you. Games like Starcraft require fast thinking and reaction speed, but they only allow you to manage with a couple of dozen units at most. Supreme Commander requires you to deal with a thousand units. Think about it.

Buyer's guide: There is no DLC for this game, only a standalone pack of the Forged Alliance expansion. It's better to get Forged Alliance, it fixes a lot of problems in the base game and also introduces an additional faction.

Best licensed strategy

If you are a fan of Star Wars, then this game is for you. Empire at War lets you take charge of the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance and fight for galactic dominance. You take command of a mighty fleet and army; even send notable heroes like Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader into battle. You can also build a Death Star.

Undoubtedly, best element games are tactical space battles. Up to four players can fight on one map (the map can have hazards like asteroids or gas clouds), each player with their own space station, and the goal of the game is to simply knock out your opponent by destroying their bases . Large ships, unlike small ones, have the ability to target, and can shoot down our weapons or shields, and many ships (and heroes) have special skills that can help turn the tide.

In addition to space battles, you can participate in land battles, lead a squadron of hover tanks or AT-AT walkers. This game is similar in mechanics to Total War in that it has a separate campaign interface where you manage an empire and your forces and then boot into the battle screen separately. The only difference is that everything happens in real time, and there are no queues.

It's a pretty big game that will be even better for you if you're a fan of the Star Wars universe.

Buyer's guide: There is no DLC, and only one expansion, called Forged Alliance - adds a third faction, completely different from the two that already exist, and also adds new units, abilities, etc.

A long time ago, when Westwood Studios was masterfully creating real-time strategy games, they wondered "what if there was no Nazi Germany?" The script they designed in the original game red alert, wherein Soviet Union becomes omnipotent and freely conquers all of Europe. The original game sets the bar high, featuring two surprisingly diverse sides to the conflict, a dangerous arsenal of weaponry, and a heavy techno/metal soundtrack and story told through live video footage between missions. The second game in the series hits an even higher bar, arguably higher than almost any other Westwood Studios title.

Red Alert 2 followed the idea that the Allies defeated Stalin and his troops, after which they installed their puppet government in the USSR. Unfortunately for the Allies, the Soviets did not take their humiliation very well. They rebuilt their forces and attacked the Americans on all fronts. The game's plot is a bit contrived, but it sets the backdrop for an incredible series of playable campaigns for the Soviets and Allies, complete with plenty of impressive technology for both sides.

If that's not enough, you can go online and invite up to 7 of your buddies into battle. The game allows each player to choose a nation, with their own special units bringing an extra layer of strategy to each skirmish. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 didn't become Westwood Studios' swansong, but it may have been their main work. After Red Alert 2, they'll have other good games, but nothing captures the Westwood spirit quite like their second Soviet/Allied RTS game.

Best grand strategy

The mighty flagship from Paradox Development Studio. The Europa Universalis series has always been strong, impressive, intricate and with a sandbox approach to strategy. But with this confusion came many problems. Bugs, dumb interfaces, and poorly explained mechanics can turn players off before they annex their first nation.

Europa Universalis IV changed all that. The game is still a tough nut to crack and will require a lot of effort from players, but it is by far the most user-friendly game in the series. And while its myriad systems are still bewildering, it's entirely possible to just jump in and carve out a niche in history.

This is a game from the series "what if?". What if, if Italy swept through the Ottoman Empire with a huge mercenary army? What if England and France became best friends and divided Europe, and did not fight each other? What if Scotland ruled the world? What to do, if.

Buyer's guide: Europa Universalis 4 has a lot of DLC and unfortunately they are not all in one pack yet. You can buy them individually on Steam, however. Packs and other support items can be ignored if you wish, but it's still worth picking up Wealth of Nations and Conquest of Paradise.

Best 4X (Global) Strategy

The best game for 4X lovers with goblin fanatics and halfling wizards

Is the desire to resurrect and give the classic series a new life. This is a fantasy grand strategy.

There are a few scripted campaigns to play through, but the meat is in the randomly generated maps and customizable factions. Fundamentalist goblins can fight - with the help of holy war engines - elf industrialists, while armies of dire penguins march through the frozen wastelands. This is all amazingly stupid.

The game makes damn big fights. Multiple units can be linked together to create gigantic armies. Reminiscent of Total War sieges in terms of scope, but with well-thought-out turn-based combat and magic.

While diplomacy and city management are the weak side of the game, Age of Wonders shines during battles. An abundance of magic and special abilities, a diverse roster of units, and battlefields littered with obstacles make every battle a great puzzle.

Buyer's guide: You can buy Age of Wonders 3 on Steam, GOG etc., there is a DLC that expands the building mechanics and introduces the Hobit race.

The best strategy for Warhammer 40k

Dawn Of War is amazing. In many ways, it feels like a very traditional real-time strategy game, with a lot of building, strategy, and resource management. But looking at its predecessors, the game is similar to Company Of Heroes. We see Relic begin experimenting with morale, cover, units, and radically different factions.

Tension is at the heart of the whole game. The whole game is about advancing, capturing and holding territory. And all the time, resources are running out faster and generators are falling into disrepair. But war machine constantly need to be fed.

Addons expand the game by introducing more factions with their own unique mechanics. There are the dastardly Eldar, the bloodthirsty Orcs, the numerous Imperial Guards - each faction offers different ways to play the same game. A total of nine factions were added.

Dawn Of War 2 has received a lot of changes, with combat smaller and more focused on tactics over strategy. It's still good game but, moving away from the traditions of the genre, Dawn Of War has lost some of its magic.

Buyer's guide: The base game and all expansions were collected in Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War Master Collection.

Best sci-fi economic strategy

Anno 2070 has said goodbye to historical setting and Ubisoft's voluptuous economic strategy series is embarking on a post-environmental calamity of the future. The game is still about making money and expanding your influence on the islands, but instead of a medieval or colonial power, the game is floundering with an eco faction and polluting industrialists.

An unpleasant feeling of despair permeates throughout the game. The world is fighting to survive and in the hope of making a profit, the decisions that are made can put the world in an even worse position. And social and ecological problems add a new dimension of complexity.

Technology has a huge impact. The factions aren't limited to their island homes, and can build underwater as well, creating algae farms or dirty oil rigs.