Global strategy games are slow-paced but incredibly addictive experiences that let you feel like the leader of an entire state or a powerful faction. Developing your nation and engaging in geopolitical rivalry with neighbors is sometimes so captivating that it’s easy to get lost in a gaming session until morning. The “one more turn” phenomenon is no joke! In today’s list, we’ve gathered the best global strategy games to test yourself as a liege or military commander.
Sid Meier’s Civilization 5
- Year: 2010
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
- Multiplayer: Yes (online and hotseat)
The fifth “Civilization” is an ideal game to get acquainted with both the series itself and the genre in general. It’s moderately complex and deep, so newcomers can get the hang of it relatively quickly. Plus, the complete package of Sid Meier’s Civilization 5 with all expansions can often be found on sale with a significant discount.
Sid Meier’s Civilization 6
- Year: 2016
- Platforms: PC, iPad, Nintendo Switch, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android
- Multiplayer: Yes (online and hotseat)
If you’re looking for a game with more complex mechanics, you might want to consider Sid Meier’s Civilization 6. In this installment, for example, you need to plan your city placement on the map very carefully to create efficient and self-sufficient cities. However, be aware that Civilization 6 might seem a bit overloaded with mechanics, especially for novice strategists.
Crusader Kings 2
- Year: 2012
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
- Multiplayer: Yes (online mode up to 32 players)
Crusader Kings 2 is not just a game about painting the map your color; it’s a powerful generator of funny and sometimes extremely dramatic stories. In Paradox’s masterpiece, the player must guide their dynasty through centuries of political intrigue, military conflicts, and scandals. It’s like “Game of Thrones,” but with the ability to load a save if things go completely wrong.
Crusader Kings 3
- Year: 2020
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
- Multiplayer: Yes (online mode up to 32 players)
A more polished game than its predecessor. In Crusader Kings 3, the barrier to entry is significantly lowered, the interface is improved, and the role-playing system is refined (personalities, motivations, and character traits influence their behavior). So why are both projects in the list and not just the third part? If the amount of content is important to you, CK2 currently significantly surpasses the third game in the number of official DLC and fan-made additions.
Medieval 2: Total War
- Year: 2006
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android
- Multiplayer: Yes (hotseat)
Another game about building a medieval state. Unlike the Crusader Kings series, Medieval 2: Total War doesn’t feature complex political games, but it more than compensates for their absence with mesmerizing real-time battles involving thousands of soldiers.
Total War: Shogun 2
- Year: 2011
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
- Multiplayer: Yes
An extremely atmospheric strategy game about civil war in feudal Japan. The visual style and music form the unique identity of Total War: Shogun 2, making it stand out among other games in the series. Furthermore, Shogun 2 boasts arguably the most balanced battles among all Total War games: each unit type here has clear strengths and weaknesses.
Total War: Rome 2
- Year: 2013
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
- Multiplayer: Yes
At release, Total War: Rome 2 was deservedly criticized for technical issues, but after all the patches and expansions (both paid and free), the project has transformed beyond recognition. Today, it is one of the best, if not the best, strategy games about Antiquity, allowing you to build from scratch not only the Roman Empire but also any of the dozens of other states known at that time.
Total War: Three Kingdoms
- Year: 2019
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
- Multiplayer: Yes
Total War games are often criticized for having somewhat superficially developed global map mechanics, but the creators of Three Kingdoms did everything possible to bring their game closer to more complex global strategies. They succeeded admirably: Three Kingdoms emphasizes diplomacy and the loyalty system of generals, and these mechanics often generate compelling dramatic situations.
Total War: Warhammer 3
- Year: 2022
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
- Multiplayer: Yes
One of the best fantasy strategy games available today. In Total War: Warhammer 3, dozens of completely dissimilar factions are available to choose from – ranging from classic elves to highly advanced rat-men with something akin to nuclear weapons. Getting acquainted with all the races can easily take hundreds of hours of enjoyable playtime.
Warhammer 40,000: Gladius — Relics of War
- Year: 2018
- Platforms: PC, Linux
- Multiplayer: Yes (online and hotseat)
If what you love most in “Civilization” is warfare, then Warhammer 40,000: Gladius is an excellent alternative to the popular franchise. Its gameplay resembles Firaxis’s games but with one key difference: Gladius is entirely focused on turn-based combat and the development of military industry. Forget cultural or scientific victory – in the harsh world of the far future, only those with bigger tanks and more of them prevail.
Hearts of Iron 4
- Year: 2016
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
- Multiplayer: Yes (online mode up to 32 players)
Another global strategy game where you’ll have to fight extensively. In Hearts of Iron 4, the player controls one of the participants of World War II. To defeat your enemies, you need to wisely choose allies, approach economic development intelligently, and, of course, build up your nation’s military strength. But it’s not enough to simply recruit many soldiers and build a thousand tanks – you also need to pay due attention to logistics and supply lines. In this regard, the game turned out to be maximally realistic.
Europa Universalis 4
- Year: 2013
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
- Multiplayer: Yes (online mode up to 32 players)
Unlike many representatives of the genre, Europa Universalis 4, covering the historical period from 1444 to 1821, is not about classic state development through a technology tree, but about random events and challenges that determine the future of the country. These can be religious unrest, conflicts with the Pope, disputes over succession, or social revolutions. Whether the player succeeds in ruling depends on their ability to adapt and respond wisely to any difficulties.
Stellaris
- Year: 2016
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Multiplayer: Yes (online mode up to 32 players)
In Stellaris, the player builds an interstellar empire: developing it through scientific research, resolving internal conflicts, engaging in diplomacy with other races, and, of course, conquering other worlds by force. Moreover, the player doesn’t just manage a civilization, but creates it from scratch. There’s room for imagination: you can lead perpetually hungry starfish with a hive mind or, say, a race of peace-loving robots.
Age of Wonders: Planetfall
- Year: 2019
- Platforms: PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Multiplayer: Yes
A rather atypical 4X game that blends familiar global strategy elements with deep tactical battles in the style of XCOM. Furthermore, Age of Wonders: Planetfall’s battles are even somewhat more varied and interesting due to the impressive number of distinct units. Here you’ll find cyborg zombies, dinosaurs with lasers, and giant mechs.
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri
- Year: 1999
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
- Multiplayer: Yes (hotseat)
Despite its age, strategy fans still regularly return to Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri. The game feels like a science fiction novel where the gamer writes the narrative: before the player’s eyes, their civilization gradually transforms from human into something more. Alpha Centauri delves into deep, provocative themes: transhumanism, artificial intelligence, ecology, the conflict between collectivism and individualism, religion, and science. Each technology and key event is accompanied by voiced quotes and atmospheric literary descriptions.
Endless Space 2
- Year: 2017
- Platforms: PC, Mac
- Multiplayer: Yes
Among all global strategy games about space exploration, Endless Space 2 is one of the most visually appealing. But it’s not just its beautiful art style and elegant interface that deserve attention – the gameplay does too. Endless Space 2 offers unusual and distinct factions (you can, for example, lead a race of clones of the same person), a quest system, which is quite uncommon for such strategies, and a complex political struggle mechanic.
Sins of a Solar Empire 2
- Year: 2024
- Platform: PC
- Multiplayer: Yes
If other space global strategies seem too slow-paced for you, perhaps you should check out Sins of a Solar Empire 2, which blurs the line between 4X and RTS genres. Like in many other similar projects, the player here is engaged in building an interstellar empire, but the entire process happens very dynamically in real-time, so there’s no time to yawn.
Endless Legend
- Year: 2014
- Platforms: PC, Mac
- Multiplayer: Yes
A strategy game that blends fantasy and science fiction. The key feature of Endless Legend is its asymmetrical faction design. Each race has its unique mechanics that significantly change the gameplay. For example, the Necrophage faction is in a state of perpetual war as they cannot make peace, and when playing as the Cultists, you cannot build new cities – only convert neutral settlements to your side.
Heroes of Might and Magic 3 HD
- Year: 1999 (Original), 2015 (HD Edition)
- Platforms: PC, iOS, Android
- Multiplayer: Yes (hotseat and online)
There are often heated debates surrounding the genre classification of the third “Heroes” – after all, it’s not quite a typical global strategy. However, the iconic Heroes of Might and Magic 3 shares enough with the genre to earn a place on this list. While the empire management in HoMM3 might not be as complex, the game delights with well-designed factions and infinite replayability that few other strategy games can boast.
Phoenix Point
- Year: 2019
- Platforms: PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia
- Multiplayer: No
Why is Phoenix Point on this list, but not similar games from the XCOM series? Fans of the genre classify this particular game as a global strategy because Phoenix Point has a deep strategic mode – with diplomacy, trade, alliances, and dynamic interactions between factions. XCOM 2, while arguably higher quality overall, is somewhat simpler in terms of its strategic mechanics.
