"tactics"

2018 · Turn-Based Strategy · PC / Steam

Into the Breach takes a small number of pieces, a tiny grid, and a simple set of rules, then generates an almost infinite number of fascinating problems to solve. Every turn matters, every mistake is yours, and the satisfaction of finding the perfect sequence of moves to neutralize what looked like an impossible situation never gets old. Players expecting a traditional tactics game may bounce off the puzzle-like structure, and some runs can start feeling similar once you've mastered the core systems. But for anyone who wants a strategy game that respects both your intelligence and your time, Subset Games built something close to perfect. The free Advanced Edition update only cemented that reputation.

2023 · Tactical RPG · PC / Steam

Jagged Alliance 3 is the revival fans waited over twenty years to see, and Haemimont Games delivered a game that earns the franchise name. The tactical combat is deep and flexible, the mercenary roster overflows with personality thanks to excellent voice acting, and the strategic layer of managing contracts, equipment, and territory creates real tension. Some tonal clashes between humor and the serious setting don't always land, and the weapon variety doesn't match its predecessor. But as a modern interpretation of the series that defined mercenary tactics games, this is a confident and addictive return to form.

2018 · Real-Time Tactics

Bad North is a masterclass in minimalist game design that proves you don't need complex systems to create genuine tactical tension. The procedurally generated islands, the clean visual style, and the permanent consequences of each battle combine into a roguelite loop that respects your time while punishing your mistakes. The simplicity that makes it so approachable is also its ceiling, and players craving deep strategic systems will eventually exhaust what the game offers. For everyone else, this is one of the most elegant strategy games available on mobile, and the premium pricing with zero in-app purchases makes it an easy recommendation.

2016 · Turn-Based Tactics · PC / Steam

XCOM 2 delivers some of the most tense and rewarding tactical combat in the strategy genre, where every decision carries weight and every soldier lost feels personal. The procedurally generated maps and deep mod support give it legs that extend far beyond the main campaign, and the War of the Chosen expansion elevates the whole experience to another level. Technical performance has been a problem since day one and never fully went away, and the RNG-driven combat will occasionally make you furious in ways that feel unfair. But when a plan comes together against impossible odds, or falls apart in spectacular fashion because of one missed shot, there's nothing else in gaming quite like it.

2020 · Tactical RPG

War of the Visions delivered the mobile Final Fantasy Tactics experience many fans wanted, with gorgeous art and strategic grid-based combat, but buried it under one of the most demanding grind structures and convoluted upgrade systems in the gacha genre.

2019 · Turn-Based Tactics · PC / Steam

Phoenix Point has some of the best individual ideas in the turn-based tactics genre, from its free-aim targeting system to its mutating enemy factions and multi-faction diplomacy. The problem is that those ideas sit inside a game that struggles to hold everything together, with a late-game difficulty spike that frustrates, mission variety that runs thin, and a campaign that overstays its welcome. There's a fascinating game buried in here for players willing to dig through the rough spots, but it never quite reaches the potential its ambitions promise.