Strategy video games are finally making a comeback, and I’m here for it

Even though, at one point, the gaming industry was absolutely inundated with high-profile strategy PC games like Starcraft 2, Warcraft 3And these Command & Conquer series, it’s been a while since a new strategy game release has really disrupted the market. The general term “strategy game” covers a wide variety of different titles and often bleeds over into other genres like city builders (often categorized as simulations) or moba.

True strategy games, like grand strategy, 4x or RTS (obviously my favorite), are much harder to get, especially when you’re talking AAA development. Although there have been some stellar exceptions over the years, the majority of the strategy game landscape resembles a barren wasteland with nothing in sight. Until recently, several exciting indie strategy games were developed and should be released in the next year.

There are some great looking strategy games on the horizon

In beta or under development

When looking at dominant strategy games of the past decade, there are a handful that really stand out. Titles like Total War: Warhammer 3 And Civilization VI are probably two of the biggest games. That said, Civil VI Came out all the way back in 2016, and the original Total War: Warhammer Also published in 2016, Making both titles nearly decade-old games. Although both have received updates, with Warhammer Specifically received two sequels since 2016, the point remains that There aren’t that many recent AAA strategy games.

Fortunately, a new batch of developers are working on strategy titles with a new twist to appeal to a more modern audience. Titles like Stormgate, Battle Aces, SurviveAnd even the upcoming mobile MOBA Dragon Ball: Project Multi Finally adding some fresh options to the strategy lineup for players. This is a breath of fresh air where many modern developers have seemingly deliberately stayed away from the genre.

What are the most exciting upcoming strategy games?

Civilization 7, Stormgate, Battle Aces, DORF, Survive

Although it did not reach the heights before the 2010s, Strategy games from smaller development companies are making a resurgence By indie developers. Frost point 2 is releasing on September 20 and is a follow-up to the enjoyable frost point – which, in essence, is more of a city builder than a strategy game, but it’s worth mentioning. The biggest upcoming strategy game is the latest title in the iconic Civilization Franchise in Civilization 7. Returning to its roots, it will take a more realistic tone with various improvements.

More similar to its RTS roots is a game called StormgateWhich I covered back in 2023 when little was known about the title developed by Frost Giant Studios. That game is probably the closest thing to a spiritual successor to starcraftWith three factions that feel similar, and it’s currently free to play in Early Access on Steam.

Another neat game that has some potential to gain a following is Battle AcesWhich basically takes the macro portions of an RTS game. Part of Auto-Battler with much more camera control, the game has already undergone a beta with recent development updates posted as recently as July 2024. Manor lords is another city-builder with RTS combat mechanics that has the potential to grow into something bigger.

DORF is another game that draws inspiration from Command & Conquer And is set to come out soon. Last but not least, SURVIVEWhat was before Project Lokiis another game that describes itself as a top-down squad-based hero battle royale but is really akin to other “strategy” MOBA-lite titles like Battlerite.

The decline of strategy games

I reached diamond on the starcraft 2 ranked ladder

For people who haven’t been through the rise, peak and fall of what the hype was all about Starcraft 2It’s hard to express how great the game was at one point. While the fandom of players never reached the peak it was in a country like South Korea, In terms of esports, Counter-strike & starcraft were the two biggest games in the space for a time. This would eventually give rise to esports communities like those that would form around League of Legends And FortniteBut the first games are the fundamental building blocks of the industry.

Starcraft 2 was initially released in 2010, making it now 14 years old, and arguably reached its peak around the time that Heart of the Swarm was released in 2013. Although the competitive community persisted for years, esports prize pools are already starting to dwindle as Legacy of the void was released in 2015.

I lived through this era with my own Twitch stream and starcraft Race, where we put on streamed tournaments before it was a thing in the current game. It was an exciting time when names like Maru, Byun, Scarlett and Boxer dominated the scene and were known even outside of the starcraft Fandom.

Before his time, there were many other alternatives. Specifically speaking to RTS, it was the Command & Conquer series, Warcraft, Rise of nationsThe Age of Empires and its spinoffs, and a number of other smaller RTS titles. In terms of grand strategy and 4X, there are other options as well. Apart from the mentioned Civilization Series, there were also Europe Universal And Stelleris Games.

Why did strategy games decline?

A lack of interest and promotion of new genres

The downfall of strategy games can’t be pinned on just one thing. Rather, it was (and still is) a confluence of factors that make setting a significant budget for a strategy game that most AAA studios stay away from. According to A Quantic survey in 2024, Gamers are generally less interested in strategic thinking in their games. The data surveyed 1.57 million gamers, and the desire to play highly strategic games has declined significantly over the past nine years, with 67% of gamers care less about strategic thinking and planning than the average in 2015.

Although a more cynical view might see this as an Overall social issue and reduced attention span (which the report also touches on), part of the decline could also be a result of gaming just becoming more diverse. Now, there is a more diverse variety of games and genres. Although Sim City Is the grandfather of cityscapes, a larger variety of cityscape games and offshore production games than Factorio Lets people scratch the macro-management itch that is one half of RTS gameplay.

Conversely, MOBA games like Dota 2 And lol Taking the micro elements of RTS but giving players much less to micro-manage on screen, making it more palatable for those who don’t want to read tutorials or drill builds to climb the ladder. Add to that the emergence of new genres and countless titles for an affordable fee, and strategy games don’t feel like the only option anymore. 4X and Grand Strategy games also require your full attention, much like RTS games, so this may also be a contributing factor to their decline.

I get it. Drilling build orders to be a few seconds ahead of your opponent so you can implement the 3 rocks strat is not fun for probably a large swath of players. Being overwhelmed with immense micro-management and performing over 100 actions per second creates a massive barrier for people who aren’t looking to perfect a skill or play one game for years. That said, I hope more developers are willing to take a chance and develop more strategy PC games So I can finally scratch my strategy game itch.

Source: Quantic