Your TOP 10 strategy games ever

[Silva]

Title. This lock in is making everyone crazy so let's vent off a bit.

I'll begin.

1. Sid Meier Alpha Centauri
2. King of Dragon Pass
3. Crusader Kings 2
4. Colonization (classic)
5. Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8
6. Shogun 2 Total War
7. Master of Orion 2
8. Europa Universalis 4
9. Endless Legend
10. Age of Wonders 1

 

[Falksi]

In no particular order

X-Com 1994
X-Com Apocalypse
X-Com Enemy Within
Hard West
One of the Civilization games, changes depending on mood
One of the Total War games, changes depending on mood
Dune 2
Wow 3
Lemmings
Sim City
X-Com 2

 

[coldcrow]

Sacrifice
Civ 4
Pandora
SMAC
Dominions
MoO3 (modded)
Endless Space 2
M.A.X.
Netstorm

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

X-com: UFO Defense
WinSPMBT
Myth 2: Soulblighter
Close Combat: Last Stand Arnhem
Master of Orion 2
Colonization!
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Supreme Commander
Pike & Shot
Fantasy General

 

[Edija]

No particular order and we're obviously listing rts, 4x, whatever games together.

1. Distant Worlds Universe
2. Tiberian Sun
3. Stronghold Crusader
4. Earth 2150
5. Company of Heroes
6. Dawn of War
7. Seven Kingdoms 2
8. Warlords Battlecry 2/3
9. Age of Empires 2
10. SMAC for the presentation, would be great if it actually had AI.

 

[rvm1975]

VGA Planets
Dominions
Master of Magic
Civilization
Age of Wonders
Endless Legend / Space

 

[index.php]

OpenXcom
Star Ruler 2
Populous 3
Settlers 2
Rise of Nations
Cultures 2
Civilization 2 and 4
Master of Orion 2
Dungeon Keeper
HoMM 2 and 3

 

[Catacombs]

King of Dragon Pass

Why is this so high on your list?

 

[Silva]

10. SMAC for the presentation, would be great if it actually had AI.

SMAC's AI is poor indeed but so is 99% of all strategy games, no?

I mean, at least SMAC can put a challenge if you play it Ironman mode.. and Transcend diff.. with Planet Cult.

Why is this so high on your list?

Because I find it damn good? For real. One of the best games ever IMO. It does something quite unique, which is mixing strategy/simulation with engrossing storytelling.

 

[Reality]

Command and Conquer 3
Company of Heroes 1
Age of Empires 2
Command and Conquer Red Alert 1
SMAC
Company of Heroes 2
Majesty Fantasy Kingdom sim
Caesar 3
Master of Magic
Starcraft 2

 

[Morblot]

1. Master of Orion 2

MoO2 is my desert island game. I love it. I've easily spent more hours on it than any other single game ever. (The Football Manager series as a whole might have stolen even more of my life. )

The rest I can't put in any order of preference:

• Civilization III
• HoMM III
• SMAC
• Starcraft
• UFO: Enemy Unknown

Honorary mention to Eador: Masters of the Broken World, which managed to be incredibly addictive for a while despite being a repetitive bug-ridden mess of a game.

 

[Edija]

1. Master of Orion 2

MoO2 is my desert island game. I love it. I've easily spent more hours on it than any other single game ever. (The Football Manager series as a whole might have stolen even more of my life. )

The rest I can't put in any order of preference:

• Civilization III
• HoMM III
• SMAC
• Starcraft
• UFO: Enemy Unknown

Honorary mention to Eador: Masters of the Broken World, which managed to be incredibly addictive for a while despite being a repetitive bug-ridden mess of a game.

How does Eador: Masters... compare to Genesis if you've played that as well? I see that people like Genesis and stream it to this day, but I don't see the second and third game getting as much attention.

 

[Morblot]

How does Eador: Masters... compare to Genesis if you've played that as well? I see that people like Genesis and stream it to this day, but I don't see the second and third game getting as much attention.

I haven't, sorry. I read some reviews back then that said Genesis is unplayable on newer machines, so I bought MotBW instead.

 

[mondblut]

Why is this so high on your list?

Because I find it damn good? For real. One of the best games ever IMO. It does something quite unique, which is mixing strategy/simulation with engrossing storytelling.

There is no strategy/simulation though. The only remotely strategy-like portion was the town screen, and even that was dropped in updated version I think. KODP is a visual novel with some modifiers that might or might not affect random rolls. Like disco disco minus walking.

 

[mondblut]

On topic:

Celtic Tales
Dominions
Master of Magic
Master of Orion 2
Crusader Kings 2
Medieval 2 TW
Civ 4
Patrician 3 if it counts
HoI 3
...Birthright, I guess

 

[octavius]

Lords of Midnight

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Civilization 2
Civilization

Master of Orion

(Open)Xcom

Heroes of Might&Magic 3
Heroes of Might&Magic 2

Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic
Age of Wonders

 

[Eirinjas]

In no particular order:

Fantasy General
Warlords 3
Lords of the Realm 2
Heroes of Might & Magic 3
Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim
Europa Universalis 3
Age Of Wonders
Civilization 3
Stronghold
Seven Kingdoms: Ancient Adversaries

 

[Martyr]

Medieval: Total War
Alpha Centauri
Hearts of Iron 2
Dominions 2
Europa Universalis 3
Civilization 2
Civilization 4 BTS
Master of Magic
Celtic Tales
Master of Orion 2

 

[Gregz]

X-Com is not a strategy game.

1. Master of Magic
2. Dune 2
3. Master of Orion 2
4. Age of Empires 2
5. Civilization 3
6. HoMM 3
7. Warcraft 2
8. Dungeon Keeper 2

 

[Binky]

Only 10? How 'bout 25? One game per series & no particular order.

• Civilization
• Colonization
• Dune 2
• Master of Orion 2
• Alpha Centauri
• Heroes of Might and Magic III
• Europa Universalis III
• Rome: Total War (with the Europa Barbarorum mod)
• King of Dragon Pass
• Myth
• Sacrifice
• Emperor of the Fading Suns
• Master of Magic
• Celtic Tales
• Kohan
• Majesty
• X-Com
• Conquest of the New World
• Fantasy General
• Stronghold
• Six Ages
• Dungeon Keeper
• Age of Wonders
• Beasts and Bumpkins
• Imperialism

 

[Falksi]

X-Com is not a strategy game

How'd you figure that mate?

To me you play the game using turn bast strategies to beat the opposition.

 

[Gregz]

X-Com is not a strategy game

How'd you figure that mate?

To me you play the game using turn bast strategies to beat the opposition.

Which is like a turn based isometric rpg. Diablo I was designed from the ground up to emulate X-com combat. It was even going to be turn based, originally.

Most of the games listed in here are simple 4X. There are exceptions (King of Dragon Pass), but few. RTS or TBS; doesn't matter.

Strategy is almost always: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. X-com has some of those elements, but also many rpg elements. It's an excellent hybrid.

 

[Falksi]

X-Com is not a strategy game

How'd you figure that mate?

To me you play the game using turn bast strategies to beat the opposition.

Which is like a turn based isometric rpg. Diablo I was designed from the ground up to emulate X-com combat. It was even going to be turn based, originally.

Most of the games listed in here are simple 4X. There are exceptions (King of Dragon Pass), but few. RTS or TBS; doesn't matter.

Strategy is almost always: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. X-com has some of those elements, but also many rpg elements. It's an excellent hybrid.

Not sure I agree tbh, but fair points.

We'll leave defining RPGs for another day

 

[jackofshadows]

- Starcraft
- Warcraft III
- Dune 2
- Heroes of Might and Magic III
- Endless Legend
- Emperor - Rise of the Middle Kingdom
- Evil Genius
- Dungeon Keeper
- Sid Meyer's Civilisation V
- Stellaris

 

[warci]

in no particular order because they're basically completely different styles of games
Graviteam tactics
UFO enemy unknown
Men of war assault squad 2
Dune 2
Lost patrol (strategy-ish game I guess?)
North and south (also a bit of a stretch, but great fun)
The settlers

crap, can't even think of 10