Big strategy games are still quite a niche sub-genre, but they have slowly grown in popularity in recent years. These types of games are all about building empires from the ground up, usually through warfare, but sometimes through diplomacy, economics, or other means. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you’ve come to the right place, as this list definitely features the best big strategy games of all time.
Before you decide to jump into a grand strategy game, make sure you know what you’re getting into. The genre is known for incorporating some of the most complex and time-consuming video games out there. While there are a few exceptions, most major strategy games can eat up months of your life if you let them.
10 Conflict of Nations: World War 3
Conflict of Nations: World War 3 is a grand military strategy game set in an alternate version of the 21st century. As the name suggests, the game revolves around an impending fictional World War 3 that threatens to engulf the entire world in another major conflict. Are you going to try to ease tensions and hopefully find a diplomatic solution, or are you the catalyst that brought about WW3?
Conflict of Nations: World War 3 is quite unique in that it is an MMO grand strategy game. Players can control one of 64 different countries while engaging in diplomacy, trade, research and of course war. This is easily one of the most casual games on this list and is especially suitable for newcomers to the genre.
9 Field of Glory: Empires
Field of Glory doesn’t get nearly as much attention as other major strategy franchises, but it certainly should. The most recent entry in the series, Field of Glory: Empires is a very solid game that transports players to classical times and lets them play as one of the nations trying to survive and prosper around the Mediterranean. There are 77 countries available in the base game, and thanks to the Persia expansion, you can access even more.
Field of Glory: Empires plays a bit like a mix between Total War and a Paradox title. The game features some pretty innovative ideas regarding legacies and has an economic system that puts many other big strategy games to shame. The combat isn’t particularly exciting, but it’s true. It’s worth noting that if you also own Field of Glory 2, battles get a lot better right away.
8 Era of History II
It usually takes a lot of people to develop a great strategy game, but this one was made by just one person. Even more amazing is the fact that Age of History II is good enough to compete with similar games from much larger studios. Age of History II can best be described as a simplified version of a Paradox game. There are many of the same mechanics, but everything is much easier to understand, making Age of History II perfect for those who haven’t played a great strategy game before.
Age of History II takes players on an odyssey spanning thousands of years. The basic concept is that you start at the beginning of civilization and have to develop epoch by epoch up to the present day and even beyond. As usual, these types of games allow you to start wars, form alliances, build trade routes and spend countless hours painting the map with your country’s colors. Age of History II isn’t captivating enough for an experienced grand strategy player, but this is a must-play if you’re new to the genre.
7 Victoria II
Victoria II takes place over the course of 100 years, from 1836 to 1936. That’s not very long compared to other Paradox Interactive games; however, quite a bit has happened in that century. Absolute monarchies are slowly crumbling along with their colonial empires, industrialization is in full swing, the US is emerging as a major world power and the Great War is claiming millions of lives.
But just because all those things happened in the real world doesn’t mean they have to happen in Victoria II as well. Or at least not exactly like that, or in that order. Victoria II allows players to shape history to their liking, for better or for worse. There are over 200 playable countries to choose from, but choose carefully as some countries are much stronger than others.
6 Panzer Corps 2
Panzer Corps 2 is a great WWII themed grand strategy game with an extremely impressive unit count. We’re talking infantry, artillery, tanks, bombers, ships and more. All in all, the game offers a whopping 1,000 different types of units that you can throw at your enemies by land, air, or sea. Coordinating massive armies can be a challenge, but at least you don’t have to do it in real time, as Panzer Corps 2 is a turn-based game.
Panzer Corps 2 focuses entirely on the European theater and lets you play as any country involved in the conflict. The campaign alone contains several dozen scenarios, and on top of that is a random map generator. You certainly won’t run out of single-player content anytime soon, but if you want to spice things up a bit, you can always play a few multiplayer matches instead.
5 Hearts of Iron IV
Hearts of Iron IV remains the most popular WW2 grand strategy game currently available, and not by a small margin either. Playing this game is like being a general, diplomat, merchant and president (or dictator) at the same time. Hearts of Iron IV makes leading a nation through the most important war in history both incredibly difficult and rewarding.
While not necessarily the most complex Paradox game, Hearts of Iron IV has a steep learning curve that will take you days, if not weeks, to surpass. Chances are you won’t be able to wrap your head around all the intricacies of the game, even after hundreds of hours of playing. But oddly enough, that’s one of the main reasons for the game’s huge success. No matter how much you play, there’s always something to learn the next time you start a new campaign.
4 Europa Universalis IV
Europa Universalis IV is Paradox Interactive shooting on all cylinders. This is the ultimate strategy game for fans of medieval, renaissance and early modern history. Spanning over four centuries of history, the game, despite its name, isn’t just focused on Europe. While much of the main action takes place on the old continent, you might as well play a Native American, Central African, or Polynesian nation. The whole world is your oyster in Europa Universalis IV.
Until recently, playing this game was a hassle because of the insane amount of DLC. The base game alone barely scratches, and getting all the DLC would set you back an eye-watering $400 or more. Yes, you read that right. But since Paradox came up with a subscription system for many of its games, EU IV has become a lot more accessible. If you’ve wanted to play it before but didn’t want to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a video game, now’s your chance to finally give it a try.
3 Crusader Kings III
Crusader Kings III isn’t a story-driven game per se, but the wacky stories that unfold as you play it are easily its biggest selling point. The game is a huge medieval sandbox where anything can happen. Visit any site that collects user reviews, and you’ll find countless stories of people arguing with the Pope, selling their children for a sack of rice, being accused of witchcraft and being burned at the stake, literally and figuratively stabbed in the back by their 10-year-old cousin, and the list goes on.
Crusader Kings III is all about building a strong dynasty and preserving your bloodline by any means necessary. So, what if you have to marry your own sister in the process? That’s a small price to pay for keeping your legacy pure. Of course, all your descendants may eventually look like the Habsburgs, but at least they still have royal blood. Crusader Kings III realistically should have had an M because some of the things that can happen in this game make Game of Thrones look tame by comparison.
2 Stellaris
If you want to take a break from historical grand strategy games, you might want to give Stellaris a shot. Yet another Paradox Interactive game, Stellaris tackles the final frontier in a way that has never been done before; at least not at this level. Instead of empires, you are dealing with space-faring civilizations. Instead of conquering cities and settlements, you conquer planets. Instead of taking over the world, you take over the entire galaxy. You get the point – Stellaris is huge.
Stellaris blurs the line between space strategy and 4X games, as the game relies much more on exploration and resource management than its historical counterparts. It also offers much better combat and truly spectacular visuals. Unfortunately, it also includes Paradox’s infamous DLC practices, and there’s no subscription option for these. Get ready to shell out a few hundred dollars for the full Stellaris experience. Or save some more so you can spend it all on this next game.
1 Total War: Warhammer III
Besides being one of the best Warhammer Fantasy games of all time, Total War: Warhammer III is also an incredibly grand strategy game now that Immortal Empires is finally out. The strategy and management aspects don’t come close to some of the other games on this list, but the tactical layer is miles ahead of them all. With nearly two dozen races to choose from and four times as many factions, Total War: Warhammer III offers a truly mind-boggling level of variety. It also features an insanely large map that is nearly impossible to fully explore in a single campaign.
The downside to all this is that the Immortal Empires large strategy map requires you to own all three Total War: Warhammer games. Ideally, you’ll also want to grab some DLC packs while you’re at it. Like the table game it takes inspiration from, Total War: Warhammer III certainly doesn’t come cheap. On the other hand, the same can be said about great strategy games in general.
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