Endless Adventures: Must-Play Video Games for 2025 and Beyond

One of the earliest video game genres was strategy games. There exists a long and cherished history of strategy games in the industry tracing back to the 1970s with the debut of Chance and similar games. Now, in 2025, the strategy games genre is filled with numerous franchises and fresh titles that aim to alter the approach in one way or another. While there is a significant variety of subgenres within strategy games, all of them require you to think critically and address challenges that arise.

Below, we present our selections for the finest strategy games you can play in the modern era. Our list primarily consists of games that are indeed playable in 2025, whether on a console or a PC (or, in some instances, mobile devices). Indeed, you’ll still notice some of the most popular games in the genre that are unlikely to be excluded from the list. The compilation is organized in no particular order.

• Developer: Creative Assembly
• Release Date: February 17, 2022
• Platforms: PC
• Style: Turn-Based/Real-Time

First on our list is Total War: Warhammer III, which is the third entry in the Warhammer series. Overall, the Total War franchise features several strategy games that have been around for over twenty years. We chose Warhammer III for its place on the list due to the vast amount and quality of content available to you.

Warhammer III includes both turn-based and real-time strategy, allowing you to command an army of many in epic battles on meticulously designed maps. As you conquer more battles, your empire expands. The battles, however, differ significantly from one another, so you will need to employ new tactics whenever your forces engage in combat. There is also a rich storyline unfolding in the background that influences some of the core content you experience throughout the game. If the single-player campaign doesn’t suit your preference, you can also engage in custom multiplayer battles. If you’re looking for a strategy game with comprehensive offerings, it’s hard to surpass Warhammer III.

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• Developer: Slavic Magic
• Release Date: April 26, 2024
• Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Style: Real-Time/City-Builder

One of the most highly anticipated games of 2024 was Manor Lords, a real-time city-builder primarily developed by a single individual. While the fundamental gameplay of Manor Lords aligns with other city-builders, there are complex elements that make it stand out.

First and foremost, the graphics and attention to detail are remarkable in Manor Lords. You will find yourself in a medieval setting, and all of the structures you can create reflect that era. This also applies to the inhabitants of your town, who require continuous care. Manor Lords is unforgiving in this regard, as changing seasons introduce new challenges that you must address in real time; failure to do so will lead to the death of your residents. One unique aspect of Manor Lords is the ability to physically explore your town from a first-person perspective. This is a rare feature in city-builders, and it is executed beautifully in Manor Lords, letting you truly experience what you have built.

Manor Lords remains in early access but continues to receive updates with new features.

• Developer: Firaxis Games
• Release Date: October 21, 2016
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, Android
• Style: Turn-Based

Now it’s time to discuss arguably the most renowned strategy franchise in recent times. The Civilization franchise launched in 1991 and spans six core games, with a seventh scheduled for 2025. It has revolutionized the strategy game genre multiple times, and Civilization VI is the epitome of what the series has to offer.

Civilization VI is a historical strategy game that grants you the freedom to play as you choose. You start as a small settlement but can expand by building more cities across a hexagonal map. This allows you to fully customize each city within your empire as it grows. Every hex can host a specific district that fulfills a particular need for your civilization. As your empire grows, you encounter new cultures, technologies, and forms of government, as well as build relationships with allies you encounter. However, you may also clash with some of history’s greatest leaders and engage in espionage to acquire what their civilization holds. It’s easy to spend countless hours on a single Civilization VI campaign, and you’ll quickly understand why after diving into it for the first time.

• Developer: 11 Bit Studios
• Release Date: September 20, 2024
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Style: City-Builder

Frostpunk 2 is the latest addition on our list, enhancing nearly every aspect from the original. You start as a small city located in the midst of a relentless winter. To overcome the challenges…
“`that extend with the continuous chill, you aim to expand and devise methods to provide your inhabitants warmth, sustenance, and a secure refuge. From the outset of Frostpunk 2, you have various districts throughout your city that create diverse employment opportunities. Conversely, as you progress, you may construct specific facilities that enable you to venture deeper into the vast ice-covered land.

One of the unique features of Frostpunk 2 is the faction system. Your inhabitants can organize themselves into different factions as you advance, each with its own guidelines on how the city should ideally be managed. It is your responsibility to determine which faction to comply with, which may lead to some discord among the various residents. Frostpunk 2 is a sophisticated city-building game that goes well beyond the typical gameplay cycle of expanding a city.

• Developer: Tynan Sylvester
• Release Date: November 4, 2013
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
• Genre: Building Simulator

If you’re a fan of major science-fiction franchises like Dune, then RimWorld is perfect for you. The game is fundamentally a building simulator, where you are tasked with keeping three colonists alive by constructing new buildings and gathering essential resources. The environment you create is heavily influenced by science fiction, narrated by a clever AI that provides guidance and an engaging story throughout your journey.

RimWorld offers everything you desire in a strategy game, demanding that you make tough decisions based on real-time challenges. However, you must also ensure your colonists survive, which requires you to utilize the various gameplay systems at work in RimWorld. Trade by ship, craft necessary resources, raid neighboring colonies, and even train animals for specific tasks. Each world in RimWorld is randomly generated, meaning you’ll encounter a new experience in every playthrough.

• Developer: Firaxis Games
• Release Date: February 5, 2016
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, Android
• Genre: Turn-Based Strategy

The XCOM series has significantly influenced many strategy games over the years, and the second installment represents the turn-based strategy genre at its finest. XCOM 2 gives you control over the mobile headquarters of a strike team tasked with countering an alien invasion of Earth. As the squad leader, you choose where to strike, whom to recruit into your team, and what upgrades to implement in the headquarters.

The combat is the core attraction in XCOM 2, as the turn-based format requires you to utilize all available resources. A single error could spell doom for your squad. You can choose from five different classes of soldiers, each with its unique skill trees tailored to combat various alien strategies and tactics. Assembling a well-rounded team and learning from previous encounters is the best path forward in XCOM 2.

• Developer: Paradox Development Studio
• Release Date: May 9, 2016
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Genre: Real-Time/Simulator

Stellaris is a captivating strategy game that allows you to explore and expand into the vast frontier of space. Beginning your journey, you are in charge of a civilization that has just discovered the means to travel to new star systems. You start by sending ships to survey these new systems, and once they find a suitable location, additional ships can construct stations around the planets in those systems. You will also encounter anomalies throughout the systems, which lead to various quests, potential allies, and rival races eager to seize the same systems you seek.

Speaking of races, you have complete control over what type of species your civilization will be. There are numerous options to choose from, each offering distinct advantages and disadvantages. Stellaris features countless randomly generated systems and planets to explore, providing you with endless hours of engagement. Although it is a simulation game, it incorporates real-time strategy elements. It’s a wonderful blend of turn-based and real-time strategy genres.

• Developer: Paradox Development Studio
• Release Date: September 1, 2020
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PC
• Genre: Simulation/RPG

Crusader Kings is another beloved strategy game series, and the third installment is widely regarded as the best of the franchise. The game is set in the Middle Ages, where you begin as a member of a noble house tasked with maintaining a dynasty. As you start, you can expand your empire by claiming unoccupied lands or engaging in battles to seize territories from other houses.

As you grow, you will encounter countless characters, some of whom are historical figures you can ally with, romance, or even marry. The landscape you traverse in Crusader Kings III is remarkably vast, allowing you to forge a unique path for your character as they expand the empire. The strategy in the game derives from knowing when to expand, what decisions to make, and how to develop your character.

• Developer: Triumph Studios
• Release Date: May 2, 2023
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Genre: Turn-Based

Age of Wonders 4 represents another strategic game where your mission is to build an empire over an expansive map, yet the combat distinctly differs from similar titles. It employs a turn-based system that unfolds when your forces engage in battle with an opponent. Your army in Age of Wonders 4 can also be tailored through the use of various magic styles gained through exploration or by merging different races to create a unique species.

Regarding the map, you can choose a specific realm to explore whenever you start a new playthrough. However, there is also the option…