Strategy Games - ranked by preference

Release Date: June 20, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Squaresoft
Developer: Squaresoft
Genre: Strategy - RPG

The first time that I played Final Fantasy Tactics, I hated it. Due to expecting a faster pace, I thought it was slow and boring...A few years later, I gave it another chance, knowing full well what I was getting into, and I absolutely fell in love with it. Think of it as a chess game with boards of various shapes and sizes - the strategy is that deep and rewarding...and can easily result in 100+ hours put into this gem. Final Fantasy Tactics became the best game of its kind when it came out, and 20 years later it still hasn't been knocked off of its throne.

Release Date: September 14, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Subset Games
Developer: Subset Games
Genre: Strategy

It took about 10 months of me hearing how good FTL is from various friends before I finally caved in and played it. It just didn't sound like a game for me. When I finally sat down and dedicated some time to playing it, I didn't want to stop. FTL is a real-time strategy-based rougelike that has you traveling through space, fighting other spaceships, fighting enemies that have boarded your ship (or enemies while you board there's), and buying new weapons and power-ups to help you survive the mission at hand. It's simple, but dang it, it's addicting. One of my friends put it best when he said that he got more playtime out of this $10 game than most big-time releases...As of this writing, he's plugged about 104 hours into it. FTL is a great example of how an indy game can be just as good, and even better than, most of the large publishers and developers can make...Even without the fancy, schmancy graphics.

Release Date: January 15, 2009 (JP)
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Atlus
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

Devil Survivor is a strategic take on the Shin Megami Tensei formula. Rather than fight random battles, however, in Devil Survivor you move around turn-based strategy style, similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. Like most recent games in the Megaten franchise, Devil Survivor has an option to fuse demons together to create more powerful allies to aid you in battle. It's a refreshing change to the often run-of-the-mill strategy RPGs that tend to pop up these days. There's a reason Atlus ported it over to the 3DS - it's that good.

Release Date: August 23, 2011 (NA)
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Atlus
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

Yes, it's a re-vamped version of a Nintendo DS game, but a very good Nintendo DS game. It helps that I'm a Megami Tensei fan, but the game itself is just a very solid, enjoyable experience. I beat it and immediately wanted to play through again...I don't get that feeling much these days, so the games that do leave me with that feeling have a special place in my heart.

Release Date: September 9, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

Advance Wars brought turn-based strategy to the Game Boy Advance early in its life - and a quality strategy game at that. Playing very similarly to the TurboGrafx-16 classic Military Madness, Advance Wars is a strategy game revolving around taking over your enemy's home base in each battle. Even if you wipe out all of their troops, the battle is not over until you take over their main headquarters. To make things better, if you're tired of battling the computer, you can always grab a link cable and go head-to-head with a friend. Until Final Fantasy Tactics Advance appeared on our GBAs, this was, without question, the best strategy game on the handheld.

Release Date: February 9, 1989 (JP)
Publisher: Hudson
Developer: Hudson
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

Military Madness was probably the best turn-based strategy game to be published in North America for nearly ten years, up until Final Fantasy Tactics was released on the original Playstation. It doesn't have a whole lot of story of it, but the gameplay is fun enough where it really doesn't need one. The gameplay involves battles like Advance Wars, with different vehicles and armies doing different damage on different terrain...Except Military Madness takes place on the Moon. Which is ironic, because from 1989 to 1998, it pretty much eclipsed any other turn-based strategy game found on a North American console.

Release Date: October 4, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Ndemic Creations
Developer: Ndemic Creations
Genre: Strategy

I never thought that wiping out the entire planet by spreading and evolving a disease could be so addicting...But Plague Inc. ensured that I spent hours of my life just staring at my smartphone screen, watching a map of the planet slowly turn red as I watch my infection (which I named Pnuenza) cover the world. The unique strategy of making your disease spread without anyone noticing, and then evolving the disease to being fatal once everyone has it is refreshing. If you just make it fatal immediately, airports shut down, borders are closed, and you won't get it spread. If you're more stealthy, you might be able to make it to the olympics and watch with glee as the world games spread your plague all over the planet. Of course, people will try to find a cure and you've got to try to prevent that as well. It's such a simple game...And yet, it's extremely addicting. I highly recommend it.

Release Date: December 15, 1989 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Technosoft
Genre: Strategy - Real-Time

I've never been a huge fan of real-time strategy games in general...I just never really understood the appeal. That said, I really enjoy Herzog Zwei. Playing against the computer is fun in itself, but when you've got a pal to go head-to-head with, you're in for a trash-talking good time. Whether shooting at your enemies from the air in your ship form, or transforming into a giant robot to attack from the ground, Herzog Zwei is frantic, fun, and well worth tracking down so you can experience this unique game all for yourself.

Release Date: July 12, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: HyperDevbox Japan
Developer: HyperDevbox Japan
Genre: RPG - Strategy

Spectral Souls is a full-sized, 100+ hour, strategy-based RPG similar to Final Fantasy Tactics, except with a darker feel to it. I'm a few hours in and loving it so far. The combat system is a little unique, as you can attack as many times as you wish during your turn, so long as you have enough AP to do so. The game is free to download, but you'll have to make an in-app purchase to unlock the full game after fighting three battles if you wish to continue on with the story. The price tag of $13.99 may seem pretty hefty, but as I mentioned before, this is a 100+ hour game...14 cents an hour for a game this enjoyable isn't too bad of a price.

Release Date: August 6, 2009 (NA)
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Firaxis Games
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

Civilization Revolution is a very good little strategy game that starts you out in the early BC's as a small tribe and your goal is to build your tribe into a multi-city dynasty that is the number one force in the world. You can be number one by having the best economy, being the most technically advanced, or simply just being the strongest, and most able to kill off any civilizations that rival you. It's not all about domination, either...You can make peace with nations for trade, or even use your influence to talk other nations into starting wars with your rivals. There are also multiple scenarios to play, with various perks and handicaps depending on what you choose, giving this game plenty of replay value. The only real downside is the touch screen - while it works most of the time, you're bound to accidentally do something that you didn't want to at least once a game due to the screen moving while you try to give a command, resulting in you touching the command that you didn't want to give. But, it's still a very good game, and one that really got me hooked.

Release Date: 1994 (NA)
Publisher: KOEI
Developer: KOEI
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

KOEI, the king of historical turn-based strategy games, after years of putting out strategy games largely based around Asian history, attempted to gain the favor of North American audiences with a strategy game based on the Revolutionary War - the war that led to the independance of the United States of America. The pace may be a little slow for some, even on the fastest settings, but if you stick with it, you'll find a very enjoyable strategy game that holds up with some of KOEI's best, in my opinion.

Release Date: September 22, 1995 (JP)
Publisher: Working Designs
Developer: SystemSoft
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

I love Iron Storm. As a fan of history, the idea of playing a strategy game where I can reenact World War II sounds fun. The idea of playing a strategy game where I can pick the other side and see what would be different had Japan or Nazi Germany won the war just fascinates me. If you're a fan of Military Madness or Advance Wars, you'll know what to expect here - a fun, turn-based strategy game, and one that happens to reflect (or oppose) history.

Release Date: February 15, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: PopCap
Developer: PopCap
Genre: Strategy

In general, I don't like defensive strategy games at all. I usually find them to be boring and repetitive...But then PopCap had to come out and break that stereotype for me, creating a defensive strategy game that got me hooked. It almost makes me ashamed that I put off playing this gem until over two years after its release.

Release Date: April 20, 1990 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

The thing I like about the original Fire Emblem is that even if you don't know Japanese, once you know what commands do what, you can play the game just like if it was in English. After figuring out which command ended my turn, which allowed me to attack, etc. I really enjoyed my time with this game. It's kind of basic in comparison to more modern Fire Emblem games, but the original is still quite nice, especially when in comparison to other games of its time.

Release Date: January 31, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

The first Disgaea was a great surprise to many turn-based strategy fans. The second Disgaea was another solid entry in the series, but didn't quite have the impact of the original. Disgaea 3 follows that trend, as it's a solid game, but it didn't really evolve much since the original. Granted, it's still a great game and well worth playing if you enjoy turn-based strategy games, but if you've played the original two Disgaea games, it does kind of feel like you've played this game before at times.

Release Date: September 1990 (NA)
Publisher: Mindscape
Developer: Ozark Softscape
Genre: Strategy

M.U.L.E. was a game I first discovered when in college. I found an NES cart that I had never heard of and gave it a chance - I wasn't disappointed. It's a very simple strategy game where you're basically left on a planet with a few other folks and you've got to try to make the best out of the situation via mining, farming, and making energy and have the most value to your name when your ship comes back to get you. As I said, it's simple and easy to play, and it's also very fun to play, especially when competing against a few friends.

Release Date: September 5, 2000 (NA)
Publisher: Infogrames
Developer: Infogrames Sheffield
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

Hogs of War is a pretty entertaining strategy game. Unlike most turn-based strategy games where you've got a grid and limited movement each turn, in Hogs of War, you can actually move wherever you want like you're playing an action game. When you've got yourself in a good position to shoot, toss a grenade, or melee attack, you bring up the weapon selection menu and begin your attack. This is fairly fun on its own, but the mild humor tossed in results in Hogs of War being a bit more fun than it probably should be. There are better strategy games out there, yet none of them are quite like Hogs of War.

Release Date: March 4, 2000 (JP)
Publisher: KOEI
Developer: KOEI
Genre: Strategy - Real-Time

Kessen could probably be called a cinematic strategy game since half of the fun of playing the game is giving orders, then changing the cameras so that you can watch the battles unfold. It's not a perfect game by any means, and the length of some battles may not be for everyone, but if the idea of watching giant battles based on historical events take place sounds neat to you, give Kessen a try. Later games in the series improve on the formula found here, but for what it is, Kessen isn't too shabby.

Release Date: November 26, 2009 (NA)
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Genre: Strategy - RPG

Song Summoner is a decent strategy game from Square Enix where your soldiers are created via the songs that you have on your iPhone and said soldiers level up based on how often you listen to their songs....Which can kind of break the difficulty if, say, you're listening to an audio language-learning file that you created a soldier with and have it on loop in learning through repetition. Anyway, this game isn't great, but it's decent enough where fans of turn-based strategy RPGs will likely enjoy their time here...Going through your audio library to see what audio file will produce what soldier is pretty addicting, too.

Release Date: October 27, 2011 (JP)
Publisher: Aksys Games
Developer: ApolloSoft
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

Ragnarok Tactics isn't as deep or engaging as popular strategy games like Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad game. On the contrary, it's a good, enjoyable experience if you're a fan of the genre. That said, I'm sure there will be folks disappointed that this isn't at the level of those previously mentioned Tactics games, but there's nothing broken here. It's a turn-based strategy game that does what it needs to do to be good, but not a whole lot more, preventing it from being great, but not preventing it from being enjoyable. As long as you don't walk into this game expecting to be blown away, I think you'll enjoy your time here.

Release Date: January 31, 1999 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Firaxis Games
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

The popularity of Sid Meier's Civilization games made it logical for a spinoff to happen....A spinoff IN SPACE!! Ooooooooooh! Anyway, Alpha Centauri is basically Civilization in space, with space-type stuff tossed in to further let you know that it's in space. That's not a bad thing at all, mind you, but if you've had your fill of the Civilization games, there really isn't enough here to keep you playing for more than an hour or two. But, if you can't get enough of the Civilization games, but want something a little different from the norm, the outer space setting may be enough to quench your thirst for turn-based strategy goodness.

Release Date: November 9, 2006 (NA)
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Rare
Genre: Strategy

Viva Pinata may be a very simple strategy game, but I enjoyed my time with it a lot. Not only does each pinata look absolutely beautiful, each one is loaded with personality. The simplistic nature of the game might be better suited for an iPhone game with touch controls and a more casual audience, but I think Rare did a pretty good job with this title. If you like non-stop action, then this game may not be your cup of tea, but if you want a nice, relaxing game to play, this is a nice one to pop into your Xbox 360 to enjoy.

Release Date: February 8, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Hudson
Developer: Hudson
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

Neo Nectaris is a port of the original Turbo CD game of the same name, released only in Japan. If you've played and enjoyed games like Advance Wars, then you'll likely fall in love with Neo Nectaris, a turn-based strategy game of war. If you've never played a Military Madness game, this one is well worth checking out. If you have played one and enjoyed it, then it's quite nice to have Military Madness in your pocket, so you can play it whenever your little heart desires.

Release Date: May 12, 2011 (NA)
Publisher: Backflip Studios
Developer: Backflip Studios
Genre: Strategy

I said it when I beat the game and I'll say it again. I love this game, but I'm pretty confident that it's due to audio clips taken from the Army of Darkness film rather than the actual gameplay. The gameplay is so-so, but if it wasn't an Army of Darkness game with audio from the movie, I really don't think I'd enjoy this game even close to as much as I did. I think it'll be the same with others as well...So, if you liked Army of Darkness, try this game. If you didn't, you might not find enough here to make playing it worth your while.

Release Date: November 11, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Beeline Interactive
Genre: Strategy

Smurfs' Village is a free, RTS-like simulation of, well, the Smurfs' village. Build a garden to plant crops to sell. Build houses to increase the population of your village. Play in mini-games for the various smurfs for monetary rewards. It's all basic stuff, but it's done well enough to keep you coming back for more. I'm not someone who generally enjoys these types of games, but the Smurfs' Village got me hooked for a good few months...If you give it a try, you might share the same fate as me.

Release Date: April 20, 1989 (JP)
Publisher: KOEI
Developer: KOEI
Genre: Strategy

In Genghis Khan, the goal is simple - world domination. In this turn-based strategy game, you take the role of the great Khan and manage your territories, armies, and even your wives, among a plethora of other things. Send spies to other countries, wage war on them, negotiate peace....It can all be done here. The downside to the game is that it's not the most aesthetically-pleasing experience, even for back in 1989. But if you don't need a lot of imagery to enjoy a video game, Genghis Khan provides a solid strategy experience.

Release Date: February 14, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Flight-Plan
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

Eternal Poison is a decent turn-based strategy RPG. The story is pretty awesome, and the graphics are top-notch in comparison to other games in the genre, and the core gameplay is solid...Then why isn't the score higher? The AI. The enemy often will not move unless you get close, which usually means your strategy is to attack the enemy one-by-one until the battle is won. This lack of strategic diversity kind of makes the game feel repetitive after a while. Not enough to ruin the game, but enough for me to drop the score a bit. If you like strategy RPGs, but want less of a challenge, then you'll probably like Eternal Poison.

Release Date: December 1989 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Bulletproof Software
Genre: Strategy

A lot of folks love Archon...I think it's decent, but nothing great. Archon is basically a game of chess with battles determining if, say, your goblin is going to take your opponent's unicorn. If the battles were done well, then I think this game would be much, much better than what it is...But, quite frankly, the battles are horrible. If you're playing against a friend, it's not as bad since you'll be sharing the horribleness (is that a word?) of the battle system together. In the end, Archon is a novel idea, but the battle system just plain doesn't work well. It does the job enough to make Archon a passable game, but I dare to say that it could have been so much more than that.

Release Date: April 30, 2013 (NA)
Publisher: Frima Studio
Developer: Frima Studio
Genre: Strategy - Real-Time

I've never really been a fan of real-time strategy games, so fans of the genre may enjoy this game more than I did. But, I still felt like this was a passable game. I liked the personality shown in the game by all of the characters, from the fleeing humans to the zombies themselves. The gameplay itself is pretty straightforward and easy to understand...But kind of bland. If the RTS genre is your thing, you might like this one a bit more than I did. If you're not much of an RTS fan, then there's nothing here that'll convert you into one.

Release Date: 1991 (NA)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Strategy

688 Attack Sub is passable...but only just. This strategic simulation of piloting a submarine (is that what they call the driver of a submarine, a pilot?) was a bit too slow for my liking. Don't get me wrong, certain games work great with a slow pace...but when the cover of the game box shows explosions, I'm expecting something that plays a bit quicker. Anyway, if you want a simulation of controlling a submarine, and have some patience, give 688 Attack Sub a chance...just don't expect anything amazing and you may find some enjoyment here.

Release Date: April 14, 2009 (NA)
Publisher: Stardock
Developer: Gas Powered Games
Genre: Strategy - Real-Time

Demigod is mildly fun at first, especially if playing against a friend...But after a game or two in single player mode, you'll likely feel like you could let the game play itself and get the same outcome since your computer allies do a majority of the work for you. However, you can buy power-ups during the battles that basically make you an unstoppable wrecking machine...But honestly, by the time I got to that point, I was already bored to the point where nothing short of a demigod in the form of a platypus wearing a neon green tutu, singing like Dean Martin was going to make me feel that this game was entertaining. That said, it's not absolutely terrible...But unless you're a diehard real-time strategy nut that must play everything in the genre, I'd avoid this game. There are plenty of other, higher quality games in the genre to play.

Release Date: 1995 (EU)
Publisher: Crystal Dynamics
Developer: Silicon Knights
Genre: Strategy

Kirk Cameron...I've grown to dislike him over the years, but I can pinpoint the origin of dislike and the moment I first frowned upon seeing him to when he played the bumbling idiot Chauncey in this game. Anyway, in the Horde, your goal is to build a village and then defend it brawler-style when the Horde comes in to attack. In an isometric view, you then guide Chauncey around on the screen and attack the monsters destroying your village...And when you're successful? Do it all over again, repairing any damage and adding more to the village. It's passable, but it's also pretty boring at times...And if by some chance you smile as you play, Kirk Cameron's bad acting will likely wipe the smirk off your face.

Release Date: February 24, 1991 (JP)
Publisher: Micronet
Developer: Micronet
Genre: Strategy

Hail Caesar!...That's what they said back in ancient Rome, isn't it? If there were video games back in ancient Rome (more specifically, this one), I think Caesar would probably be hated. While I'm fascinated by ancient Rome, that interest on my end still was not enough for me to find much enjoyment in Warrior of Rome, a frustrating strategy game with objectives that aren't clear and missions that feel more tedious than fun. If Warrior of Rome was around when Julius Caesar was alive, there would be no need to stab him to death - simply have him play this and he'd die from boredom in no time. Lame joke aside, this was a good effort...it just wasn't done well.

Release Date: May 31, 1996 (JP)
Publisher: Allumer
Developer: Allumer
Genre: Strategy - Simulation

Idol Promotion is a game that basically simulates you managing/promoting an idol. Basically, Japanese idols are young'uns that are promoted due to their cuteness. They tend to be stars and are generally role models to other youngsters. So you're managing one here...and it's incredibly simplistic and boring. Unless you're obsessed with the idol scene and want to try your hand at promoting your own idol, there's pretty much no reason to play this. Other simulation games may not be as cute, but they'll likely be much more fun.