When it comes to gaming anyone can run and gun but considering your strategy takes patience.

Strategy games are a test of our mental acuity. It’s all about being in charge, your minions will praise you for eternity, or at least until the next battle, if you guide them to victory.

Without further ado, here are some strategy game titles you may or may not have heard about, all of which come highly recommended.

15. Fallout Shelter

Fallout Shelter

A nuclear winter is cold, keep warm with Vault-Tec! From the incredibly popular Fallout series comes a game that puts you in the chair as architect and overseer. Construct a state-of-the-art vault to keep your vault dwellers happy and protect them from the horrors that roam the post-apocalyptic wasteland above. Create a brighter tomorrow with Vault-Tec!

What makes Fallout Shelter awesome:

• You really are the Overseer! Assign jobs, train soldiers and watch your dwellers flourish
• Just like in the series, junk is gold. Collect and convert it into useful items with the crafting tool. Don’t stop there though, change your vault dwellers’ appearance in the vault barbershop!
• You’re not contained to the vault. Send your dwellers above ground to explore the wasteland, collect valuable loot, earn caps or meet a gruesome death when you inevitably cross paths with that cute little deathclaw.

14. BATTLETECH

Battletech

The creators of the superb, original MechWarrior bring you the next-generation of glorious turn-based Mech battle. Pit giants against each other in a brutal, intergalactic civil war as you take control of a squadron of battle mechs and their pilots. Your tactics will be tested as the best commander will emerge victorious from the battlefield.

What makes BATTLETECH awesome:

• Use military tactics to outmanoeuvre your opponents on the battlefield. Everything is vital to success; terrain, positioning, weapon selection and most of all, special abilities.
• Customize your mechs like never before. Upgrades, repairs and salvage will determine who will have the biggest advantage going into the next battle.
• PVP and skirmish mode allows you to go head to head with your friends, destroy noobs online or simply work on your abilities against the AI.

13. AGE OF WONDERS: PLANETFALL

Age of Wonders: Planetfall

From the beloved Age of Wonders series comes Planetfall, a kickass turn-based strategy where you take the helm of one of six bonkers factions. From the militant Vanguard to dino-riding Amazonians, the future of their race is in your hands. It’s your job to wage war, navigate diplomacies and forge your way into a new utopia.

What makes Age of Wonders: Planetfall awesome:

• Explore new worlds, unravelling the unique backstories of shattered civilizations and rebuilding them to their former glory.
• Aside from online, PVP and skirmish mode, there is a rich single player campaign, a rarity in modern strategy games which tend to focus on the online aspect.
• The path to victory is not paved through blood alone! Achieve victory through diplomacy or even better, doomsday tactics.

12. HEARTS OF IRON IV

Hearts of Iron IV

Will there ever be a more engaging event than WWII? Not if our favourite gaming companies have anything to say about it. The realism that is present throughout, adds a level of intensity to game play unlike anything. Perhaps we feel more responsible for achieving success, perhaps we’d just feel guilty if we handed the old evil MVP Adolf Hitler the victory. Either way, WWII game titles have a magnetism that grabs attention before we even know if they’re any good, luckily this one is.

What makes Hearts of Iron IV awesome:

• Real time war simulation means preparation is key, don’t go in unprepared lest you want to walk out carrying your soiled undergarments.
• Negotiation or conquest; consider who you engage with carefully as you could get what you want through trade without costing your country lives.
• A free DLC adds Poland, a nation that deserves retribution.

11. Total War: WARHAMMER

Total War: Warhammer

Any gamer worth their salt has heard of WARHAMMER. An epic series with massive battles, mythical creatures and as the title suggests, total war! Seamlessly combining turn-based empire building with real time battles gives Total War a unique edge over other strategy games. For another, who doesn’t want to see who would win in a dogfight between a dragon and a griffon?

What makes Total War: WARHAMMER awesome:

• Command five completely different races, including dwarves, vampire counts and greenskins.
• Free DLC’s mean there is always more adventure awaiting.
• Individual quest chains yield fabled weapons, gleaming new armour and powerful magic to be called upon in battle.

10. Stellaris

Stellaris

The vastness of space can be intimidating, unless you’re Matthew McConaughey. In Stellaris you will journey to the furthest reaches of space, discovering new civilizations and hidden treasures. All the while a fulfilling narrative unfolds that will keep you more engaged than an episode of Murder She Wrote.

What makes Stellaris awesome:

• There is a “choose your own adventure” feel, as each race starts having just acquired the ability to travel through between the stars, your scientists will detect anomalies, leading you into a myriad of different quests.
• Adaptation is key, be careful when entering a new galaxy, you don’t know just how evolved the inhabitants might be, there is always diplomacy…
• Because each new galaxy is randomly generated, you never know what is awaiting. The same goes for your own race, how you evolve is completely in your hands.

9. Crusader Kings II

Crusader Kings II

Have you ever wanted to insult the pope while wearing a tunic? Then you’ve come to the right place! Crusader Kings II has more drama than a soap opera so watch your step or you may have a crusade to deal with.

What makes Crusader Kings II awesome:

• You choose the starting point, but it all ends in 1453, find out why!
• See through the words of your courtiers and vassals, they each have their own agenda.
• Arm wrestle the pope for control over the bishops

8. XCOM 2

XCOM2

The powerhouse sequel to XCOM Enemy Unknown; XCOM 2 sees the earth under alien control. Honestly, it feels like it already is sometimes. What was I saying about realism? Anyway, it’s up to you to rebuild XCOM, mount a powerful resistance and save the human race. No biggie.

What makes XCOM II awesome:

• The new open ended gameplay allows you to decide when to strike, when to garner support and when to combat enemy counter-operations.
• A new diverse cast of enemies gives the aliens different tactical advantages that you need to counter.
• From alien-controlled megacities to woodland battles, the campaign will take you around the world. Also there is multiplayer, meh.

6. FrostPunk

Frostpunk

This game is so badass, it actually requires you to enter you age before you can even buy it online. In a post-apocalyptic steampunk world (because why the hell not?) you are in charge of humanity’s final outpost. Will you be a kind benevolent ruler, or rule with an iron fist? You make the law and watch out, you may find your morals compromised for the good of your society.

What makes FrostPunk awesome:

• Even small decisions such as deciding the fate of a single citizen can have serious results at a later stage.
• New London is your base, but you aren’t stuck there. Explore surrounding areas to find resources and people who need help.
• A new-ish DLC has been released titled Endless Mode, adding new maps, game modes and much more so you can never stop playing! You may need a bucket…

5. FTL: Faster Than Light

Faster than Light

This is one for the diehard, classic strategy gamers. It’s not the most visually modern interface you’ll ever see, but what it lacks in style it makes up for in substance. When you’ve got your big boy pants on, give this title a try.

What makes FTL awesome:

• Very challenging gameplay with lots of replay-ability.
• Be the captain you want to be, with hundreds of text based encounters you will be challenged with many tough decisions.
• The randomized galaxy means each play-through will be a whole new world, with new races, planets and events that impact your decisions. The developer boast that no two play-throughs will ever be the same!

4. Banished

Banished

The best part of any strategy game is always the building. Next, imagine if you actually had to care for each identical little villager running about swinging a hammer. Banished is that game, people are your resource. You begin with only a small band of exiles and must start your own town, care for it’s people and make smart choices. Think Age of Empires meets The Sims on this one.

What makes Banished awesome:

• There are no skill trees or ages to progress through, you can build any structure provided you have the resources.
• There is no currency, you must barter your hard earned resources with trade ships. But beware, ships bring plagues!
• There are twenty different occupations for your townsfolk, and no single strategy is guaranteed success as the resources etc. will differ from one map to the next.

3. Sid Meiers Civilization V

Sid Meiers Civilization V

The flagship of turn-based strategy games. We have all at least heard about this series, if not then maybe you should go back to playing Farmville The Sid Meier series focuses on relatively fast time progression as you race to take your civilization from the dawn of man into the strange and unwanted future.

What makes Sid Meiers Civilization V awesome:

• This title can really be enjoyed from the newest noob to the OG veteran, with an interface that eases new players into the brilliant gameplay, there is no limit to the depths that can be reached.
• As one of the reigning kings of LAN parties, the multiplayer option is finely tuned.
• A hex-based gameplay grid creates interesting combat and build opportunities

2. Prison Architect

Prison Architect

Admit it, you’re already intrigued. This one is no more complicated than the title suggests, build and manage your own maximum security prison. You’re already salivating at the idea of your very own execution chamber aren’t you? Go on, explore the darkest corners of your soul.

What makes Prison Architect awesome:

• There is an actual story! With a really good writer behind it! Chris Hastings produced the script for this fantastic tale of human corruption and misery.
• Escape mode. So you’ve built the ultimate supermax? Now turn it on it’s head and try break out.
• A third point is moot by now, if you aren’t sold, you never will be. Go home.

1. RimWorld

Rimworld

This one is special, driven by an intelligent story generator, RimWorld is a sci-fi colony creation simulation. I’m not sure I even know exactly what that means, but what will happen is the AI will co-author the story and toss random events at you designed to twist your perfect plan into a pretzel. The best part is you can choose your story tellers personality! Have fun.

What makes RimWorld awesome:

• You’re never dealt the same hand. You start with the same three settlers (who are by no account settlers) but must then proceed to capture/take on/lure in new members into your society. So you’ll inevitably end up with a motley crew of weirdo’s.
• Your colonists backgrounds affects how they play. Good luck getting a nobleman to lift a finger to help farm, no matter how starving he is.
• Your colonists have their own personalities. They will live, love and laugh. Cheat, kill and fart. The best part being, their little issues could be the downfall of your blossoming society.

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