Strategy with multiple races. The best military strategy on PC. Review of the best strategies

From the early 90s to the mid 00s, strategies ruled over the minds of the players, receiving well-deserved honor and respect. Alas, their golden age is over: RTS (real-time strategy) cannot compete in entertainment with the next Battlefield, with the dynamics of Overwatch or the plot of Witcher 3. So you have to be content with another replay of the good old classics or wait for the release of the new "Civilization".

However, not everything is so pessimistic. Our rating of the best strategies will allow you to identify the most worthy representatives of the genre, as well as learn about the latest releases that gave some classic strategies a second life. We hope this TOP 10 will be informative. If not: comment and vote at the bottom of the article to help.

10 Strong hold

Stronghold was born in the golden era of RTS - in 2001. At the time, most strategies were trying to emulate either C&C or Warcraft, but Stronghold had other plans. Although critics try to assure that this strategy did not bring anything significant to its genre, its fans will argue with this and, in my opinion, they will be right.

Stronghold had a fairly well-developed and extensive economic component. Although the number of available resources is not far from the standard "wood / iron / gold / stone / food", the game has such an unusual parameter as "Popularity". It provided an influx of new residents to the city and depended on many factors: taxation, the variety of food available, entertainment (taverns with ale), and so on.

To hire soldiers, it was not enough to build a barracks. It was necessary to erect buildings that produce weapons. Provide the gunsmiths with the necessary building material, wait until the limping grandfather with an imposing gait delivers a hand-cut bow to the arsenal, and only after that you can hire ... even one archer. And so with all types of troops! It was impossible to simply set up a barracks and "scream" any units - this was preceded by the organization of a full cycle of production of weapons and ammunition. Not surprisingly, the game had a number of economic missions that were not inferior in complexity to the military ones.

A typical serene morning in Stronghold Crusader

However, it was not the first part that gained particular popularity, but its continuation: Stronghold Crusaders, which was released the very next year, 2002. As the name implies, the game was dedicated to the confrontation between the Arabs and the Crusaders. Unfortunately, the attack/defense mode of the castle disappeared (the only thing worth paying attention to in the first part), but more units appeared, some of which could be hired for gold without producing weapons. For money, only desert warriors were hired, while European soldiers would continue to be equipped exclusively with weapons of their own production.

The game remains popular to this day thanks to the multiplayer and the release of various add-ons (for example, Crusaders Extreme in 2008). This is also facilitated by a simple, but quite diverse system of building fortifications: Stronghold allows you to surround the castle with high battlements and high towers, equip them with protective weapons and archers, install additional traps or dig a moat around the perimeter.

Of course, there is no lesser arsenal of siege weapons, from battering rams and ladders to catapults and trebuchets, which can fire at the enemy’s fortifications not only with stones, but also ... with cows. Add to that the ability to set fire to an enemy's city or starve its economy to death: the choice of duel strategy is quite extensive, as for an RTS. This variety has made the game quite interesting for a multiplayer game.

The first part of Command & Conquer was released in 1995, becoming at that time a real breakthrough in the genre and seriously competing with Warcraft and Dune. Many of the now familiar gameplay features looked revolutionary at that time:

• Players could select a whole group of units and give them a command with just one click;
• The map featured neutral units, buildings, and other objects that could be interacted with (read: "destroy");
• It was in C&C that the system for separating units by class first appeared, such as "stone, scissors, paper" - the first type of unit is effective against the second, but vulnerable to the third, etc .;
• The game began to use videos and animated cutscenes, paired with a cool soundtrack, allowing players to "get into" the history of the C&C universe, and not perceive it as another unnamed chessboard to hone their tactical abilities;
• Another signature feature of Command & Conquer is the presence of only one resource, tiberium - it is for it that all wars in the universe of this game are fought.

C&C turned out to be incredibly popular with all the consequences: many gameplay elements have spread to other games, becoming familiar elements of most strategy games. In addition to the classic C&C series, which still pleases its fans with new releases, over time, two "alternative" versions of the C&C universe have appeared. These are Command & Conquer: Generals (2003) and the Red Allert line of games that has become very popular.

• Red Allert

The Soviets, as it were, convey a fiery hello to old man Einstein

Red Allert deserves a separate article. This game has absorbed an incredible amount of madness and "cranberry" on the theme cold war and confrontation between NATO and the USSR. Here is a brief description of the prehistory of the universe of this game: after seeing enough of the horrors of World War II, the old man Einstein in 1946 decides to make a time machine and go back in time to destroy Hitler. As a result, the scales swung the other way: Comrade Stalin decides to build his own, communist Reich, and Europe, together with the allies, still has to fight.

Judge for yourself how successful the game was: 35 million copies were sold worldwide, and an entry appeared in the Guinness Book of Records, assuring that Red Allert is the best-selling RTS in the world. In 2000 and 2001, Red Allert 2 and Red Allert 2 were released: Yuri's Revenge, which still remain classic choice oldfags. However, for fans of more modern graphics, there is a third part of RA.

Warhammer is a vast fictional universe on which many books, comics, films, computer and board games are built. At the same time, there are two versions of this universe: Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000. In the first case, as the name implies, Warhammer is faithful to the canons of fantasy and pleases fans of Tolkien and other "elves". And Warhammer 40,000 creates a mix of fantasy and science fiction, pushing the confrontation closer to the stars.

There are about 20 games related to Warhammer 40,000. But only one of them is always associated with the word "Warhammer" for any strategy fan: this is the one and only Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, released in 2004.

Strategy, in the usual sense of the word, has not been given so much space: the focus is on tactics. Buildings are built quickly, and there are only 2 resources: energy, for which you need to build generators, and special points that can be obtained by holding checkpoints under the onslaught of the enemy.

The creators of the game, as it were, directly declare from the first minutes: leave all this fuss with building a base and economic development for nerds. The WH40K universe was created solely to force armored paratroopers to fight various monsters (from orcs to more exotic creatures). So no long-term economic development is foreseen in it: only battles from the first to the last minute.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 is made for Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson: with a yell of "Power!!!", the player sweeps all the enemies in his path. Tactics? No, have not heard.

2009 saw the release of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2, which was highly acclaimed by players, was thoroughly praised by many gaming publications, but ... suddenly turned out to be not a strategy game. Faithful fans of the first part were horrified to find that the long-awaited Dawn of War 2 has become more like an RPG like Diablo than itself 5 years ago. True, this did not prevent the game from finding its fans, who assure that the multiplayer has retained all the necessary elements of RTS and is quite satisfactory.

7. Total War

It's funny that Total War and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War are next door in the ranking of the best strategies, because just in May of this year, Total War: Warhammer, the first TW dedicated to the Warhammer universe, was released. True, not Warhammer 40,000, but Warhammer Fantasy - so, first of all, fans of fantasy worlds will like it. However, let's talk about everything in order - after all, the release of this game was preceded by 9 other parts, which brought TW worldwide fame.

The main distinguishing feature of Total War is the successful combination of turn-based mode and RTS: the level of each of them is selected separately. The main action takes place on a global map of the world, in which everything happens step by step. But the battles are downloaded separately and are rapidly developing in real time. Players will have to wisely use terrain features and different types of units, which allows them to gain an advantage even over superior enemy forces.

The first TW came out in 2000. But the worldwide fame of the series was brought by its third part, Rome: Total War, which used a three-dimensional engine. As the name suggests, the action took place during the Roman Empire. In addition to the "classic" European nations, Arab empires (Egypt) and even barbarians were available in the game. Depending on the chosen side, not only the units differed, but also the architecture of the cities. The popularity of this part of the subsequent TW could not surpass.

In 2013, Rome: Total War II was released - initially buggy, but later brought to mind with the help of numerous patches. Probably inspired by Civilization, the developers of Rome 2 added the ability to win not only through conquest, but also through culture and trade. However, this is not the only part worthy of attention: Napoleon, Attila, Shogun 2 and the previously mentioned Warhammer are also interesting in their own way.

If I could create a product as successful as Warcraft, I would be resting on my laurels for 20 years, spending all my money in some completely pointless way. But the guys from Blizzard are not like that: after getting a well-deserved standing ovation after the release of Warcraft 2, Blizzard set to work on a space RTS. True, as a result, they still got Warcraft: the beta version was mercilessly criticized and perceived as "orcs in space." Fortunately, the developers listened to the criticism and completely redid the graphics engine and setting. So in 1998 the legendary StarCraft was born.

The game features 3 races: Zerg, Protoss and Terran, which are borrowed from the Warhammer 40,000 universe (tyranids, eldar, imperial guard). However, the similarity is extremely superficial: having been born, StarCraft went its own way of development - the universe of this game has acquired its own characteristics and now has little in common with Warhammer.

In most strategies, in order to maintain a delicate balance, all nations have the same set of units and buildings + a few unique buildings / soldiers that bring some variety, but do not fundamentally affect the tactics of the game. StarCraft did not give a damn about these canons. All 3 races are completely different:

• Zerg far from technology and science, they achieve superiority solely by quantity.
• highly spiritual protoss are the exact opposite of the zerg: every protoss imagines himself an important person with a rich inner world, so it costs a lot of resources, but it also hits, respectively, painfully and strongly.
• Terrans(from the word "terra") represent people in the game. They are the "golden mean" between the zerg and the protoss.

The beautiful lights of Star Craft 2 lure gullible schoolchildren and evoke a skeptical grin from oldfags

Such striking differences between the races gave the game a solid advantage over the rest of the RTS, gaining her a reputation as a "smart" strategy, in which you need not just to "spawn" as large an army as possible, but to think over your actions in advance, showing strategic and tactical skills. Microcontrol also plays an important role: if the protoss are not particularly demanding on control accuracy, then the success of offensive operations of other races, especially the zerg, directly depends on the speed and accuracy of the player's reaction.

StarCraft II was released in 2010. Modern graphics and excellent multiplayer allowed the game to return to its former glory and take its rightful place in eSports. Although the oldfags claim that the unique balance of the first SC is somewhat lost, StarCraft 2 received high ratings from various gaming publications (on average 9 out of 10) and gave it a second life.

5. Age of Empires

In 1997, the first part of Age of Empires was released: all the same Warcraft, only in profile. Instead of fantasy races, the game featured 12 human nations that could evolve from the Stone Age to Antiquity. This game did not make a splash in the gaming world, but on the whole it was received favorably, which inspired its creators to start working on the second part.

After 2 years, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings came out, which became truly legendary. She eclipsed not only the first part, but also many of the then "whales" of this genre, having won a decent army of fans. In 2000, the add-on Age of Empires II: The Conquerors appeared, which added 5 new nations with unique units to the game, as well as additional missions and technologies. It was this part of the game that became the most popular in the Age of Empires series. What is the reason for her success?

• Diversity of nations. There were 18 nations in The Conquerors, many of which were quite exotic: Huns, Teutons, Saracens, Celts, Persians, Aztecs, Mayans, etc. In fact, it was this game that laid the fashion for strategies with many different civilizations.
• Development opportunity. The second "feature" that was implemented for the first time among strategies was AoE 2 - the transition from one historical era to another. All this was accompanied by a rather extensive technology tree, for the study of which it was necessary to build various buildings and spend resources.
• Balance. Of course, the nations differed not only in the color and different design of buildings. Each of them had their own bonuses and unique units. Some had an economic advantage, others had stronger cavalry, some had great siege weapons, some had a long-range fleet, and so on. All this variety was quite balanced with no clear favorites. As a result, Age of Empires 2 appealed to many fans of online battles.

As it turned out, a beautiful picture cannot replace an interesting gameplay.

Age of Empires III was released in 2005. It was not bad, but it was not close to the success of its predecessor. As a result, after several addons, Microsoft gave up and, to the delight of the fans, returned to Age of Empires 2. In 2013 they released Age of Empires 2: HD edition, and then 2 more addons: The Forgotten (5 new nations, including Slavs) and The African Kingdoms (4 more nations and "African" campaigns). So today AoE 2 continues to develop and delight fans with new additions.

4. Cossacks

The success of Age of Empires caught the attention of many game makers, who stopped trying to create their own "Warcraft" and switched to the "Age of Empires" (which was undoubtedly inspired by Warcraft). So the guys from the Ukrainian company GSC Game World created RTS, which conceptually has a lot in common with AoE.

The Cossacks game, released in 2001, turned out to be so successful that in the eyes of many domestic strategists it overshadowed the Epoch for a long time. According to Igromania, at one time Cossacks became the best-selling domestic game (more than 1 million copies).

"Cossacks" continued the idea of ​​numerous playable nations. In the second addon of the first part, which was called "War Again", 20 different countries were available. And if in the "Epoch" there was not a single Slavic nation, then in the "Cossacks" not only Russia, but also Ukraine was available (which is logical, following from the name and geographical location of the developers). There were also more refined nations, like Piedmont and Saxony.

Unlike other strategies, in "Cossacks" resources were spent not only on the acquisition of units, but also on their maintenance. Without food, famine began, and mercenaries purchased for gold raised an uprising as soon as the treasury was empty. To use firearms, iron and coal were needed - without them, arrows and artillery were defenseless.

Also in the game it was possible to capture some enemy buildings, artillery and peasants (except Ukrainian ones, with them as usual: will or death). Compared to the Age of Empires, the Cossacks seemed more dynamic, allowing you to create an incredible number of some crazy and fearless units - in a multiplayer game, the battles of such hordes looked epic and exciting.

• Cossacks 2

In 2005, "Cossacks 2" came out: despite the high ratings of many gaming publications, the game did not cause the same enthusiasm that the first part. Absolutely everything has been redesigned in it: it has become more realistic and thoughtful. No "disputed" nations, raids of hordes of fearless madmen and upgrades of ancient guns to such a degree of efficiency that even Kalashnikov becomes envious.

The battles in "Cossacks II" forced to take into account the terrain, reload guns for a long time and monitor the morale of soldiers who can get cold feet and rush into the loose. It sounds, like, not bad, but in the network game there is no trace of the former fun.

• Cossacks 3

And on September 21, 2016, the long-awaited "Cossacks 3" was released, which no one had ever dreamed of. And everything would be fine if it were not for the number 3 in the title - everyone expected the continuation of the series, but received a remastering of the first part. The old game was transferred to a new graphics engine, the gameplay is completely taken from the original Cossacks. Add to that a decent amount of bugs that GSC Game World has been actively fixing since release with various patches, and you can see why many gamers felt cheated. Still, GSC should have announced that the game is a remaster of the first part. before release, not after him.

3. Heroes of Might and Magic

The first part of the turn-based strategy Heroes of Might and Magic was released back in 1995. Its predecessor was King's Bounty, which appeared back in 1991. But universal love and recognition for HoMM came gradually, covering Heroes of Might and Magic III with a head somewhere closer to 1999.

The action of all "Heroes" takes place in a fantasy universe. There are races, but the player is not tied to them: the hero can conquer the castles of any faction and hire any available units. So, under the same banners, the most motley and wild brethren can gather: elves and skeletons, centaurs and dragons, people and elementals.

Battles take place on a field divided into tiles (hexagons). Units of the same type occupy one cell, regardless of their number. The moves are carried out in turn, while the hero looks at this action from the side, from time to time trying to help his army by casting various spells. Gradually, the hero gains experience, learns new skills and collects various artifacts that make him better and higher.

HoMM IV was released in 2004 and was perceived, to put it mildly, ambiguously: there were too many innovations. The main and key innovation concerned the heroes: from passive observers they turned into active participants in battles who could move, deal damage and be attacked like other units. Heroes could travel without troops at all: one at a time or in a gang of 7 characters. Having pumped properly, a lone hero could independently endure a large army.

There was also the other side of the coin: if you managed to kill the enemy hero at the beginning of the battle, you could get a solid advantage. For example, it made sense to organize a sabotage attack on the enemy, lay down the leader of the troops and retreat - a decapitated army lost the opportunity to capture mines and castles, which forced it to retreat and drag the commander's lifeless carcass home.

All these innovations gave rise to countless spaces for controversy and hollivars: since 6 years have passed since the release of the third part, a new generation of gamers has appeared who have never seen Heroes before - they liked HoMM4. But those who grew up on the previous parts, butthurt experienced mixed feelings.

• Heroes of Might and Magic V

Disputes between supporters and opponents of the fourth part was stopped by the release of Heroes of Might and Magic V, which took place in 2006: yesterday's opponents joined forces in a common impulse to express claims about cartoonish graphics for anime fans. If you close your eyes to the picture, according to the gameplay, "Heroes 5" was a modernized copy of the third part - obviously, the developers did not experiment in order to earn extra money on the nostalgia of the fans of the series.

This is where the classic "Heroes" ends and something completely incomprehensible begins. HoMM 6 and 7 have turned into some kind of alternative product, so far from the original that even Heroes 4 looks like a standard of kosher against their background. Therefore, most fans of "Heroes" prefer to play more early versions, from 3 to 5. But the Third HoMMs remain the most popular. Especially since the HD version of this game was released in 2015.

2 Civilization

The first "Civilization" appeared in shaggy 1991 and, as they say, was a digital version of the board game of the same name from the early 80s. Since at that time ordinary mortals did not have computers, few suspected a new strategic toy: mainly employees of research institutes and other interesting enterprises.

Nevertheless, the game turned out to be quite successful: what engineer could resist the temptation after a busy shift to try on the role of Stalin or Gandhi? The presence of Civilopedia, a detailed game encyclopedia, favorably distinguished Civilization from other strategies of those times.

• Civilization II

In 1996, Sid Meier and company released the second part of Ziva, which, thanks to the greater prevalence of computers, became a completely successful commercial product. Despite the mediocre graphics, the game had cool moments: for example, when building a wonder of the world, a video clip of a real newsreel was played. You could see the launch of the Apollo or a nuclear rocket, the shooting of the Sistine Chapel or Notre Dame de Paris. In subsequent parts, the cinema was replaced with conventional animation.

• Civilization III

2001 was marked by the release of Civilization III: the first Civa with nice graphics. Even now it looks quite attractive, and in 2001 this picture caused a real delight. The gameplay has also undergone some changes. In Civ 2, players tried not to collect many units on one cell, because. in the event of an enemy attack and the death of one of them, everyone who stood on the cell died. In Civ 3, nothing like this happened: in order to clear the cell of enemies, it was necessary to destroy them all.

Therefore, the obvious and only tactic of waging war in the third Civ: the creation of the so-called stack - a crowd of motley units on one cell. From time to time, a leader appeared who could unite 3 units under his banners. Such a formation was called an army and was a kind of fat unit with 20HP. With the help of the army, it was possible to cut out almost anything.

The city window is the best thing in Civilization III

The signature feature of the second and third Civa was the situation in which a technologically backward unit, having more combat experience, could easily destroy some miracle weapon of the future. For example, in the order of things there was a situation when a spearman tore an enemy tank to shreds with an accurate blow or an archer, pulling the string properly, shot down an enemy bomber. Particularly amused was the fact that the plane was shot down equally successfully not only by an archer, but also by a swordsman. In subsequent parts, this problem was partly solved, but in the first Civs such events gave rise to many bouts of hysteria.

Civilization III had a number of innovations that migrated to all subsequent games in the series: various resources on the map, the Golden Age, cultural influence on neighboring cities, with which it was possible to assimilate a neighboring settlement, a technology tree (in previous parts, you had to memorize or write down the sequence discoveries of various sciences).

• Civilization IV

Civilization IV, released in 2005, has acquired a three-dimensional image. Players, accustomed to the third Civa, were wary of the unusual graphics, so unlike the previous part. Religion and espionage appeared in the game (Beyond the Sword addon), and aviation actions became more realistic: planes made raids from the city and could not be shot down by some harsh spearman. The problem of clusters of a large number of units on one cell was partly solved just by aviation or artillery: all units in the stack received damage from their attack.

Another cool innovation that appeared in the Warlords addon is vassal states. Now, instead of completely conquering negligent neighbors, it was enough to defeat the bulk of the troops and capture several key cities. After that, the enemy agreed to capitulate and became a vassal. Also, the status of a vassal could be granted to a group of their cities on another continent or islands, turning them into a kind of autonomous republic.

The year 2010 came and Civilization V came out. Square cells were replaced by more convenient and practical hexes: with them, state borders got rid of the strange linear angularity and became more believable. The system of accumulating a huge number of units on one cell was demolished: now only one military unit could be placed on one hexagon. At the same time, they were made more efficient and stronger.

It was necessary to spend strategic resources for the maintenance of certain units: horses, iron, oil, coal or uranium. Without them at hand, the state risked being left without cavalry, battleships, nuclear weapons and aircraft, which not only added realism, but also forced players to carefully manage resources instead of riveting everything they want in incredible quantities.

The tactic of building as many cities as possible also outlived its usefulness: large empires received fines in culture and science, and the population began to show discontent. So there have been several various tactics: develop through 4-5 cities with more population, or build more settlements, but with fewer inhabitants in cities. It became possible to win with one single city (greetings from Venice).

Another innovation: the emergence of city-states that do not claim world domination. Friendship with them brought various bonuses: resources, science, culture or religion points, units and additional votes in Congress.

It is worth noting that many of the functions, as in previous Civs, were added in addons: religion and espionage, caravans, the ability to adopt various resolutions in Congress and the UN - all this was not in the initial version without addons. Therefore, reading reviews about the game, it is not difficult to see how the anger of the fans of the series was gradually replaced by mercy.

On October 21, 2016, Civilization VI was released. Among the notable innovations: 2 technology trees, cultural and scientific, which open independently of each other. Cells around cities must be built up with special areas: scientific, cultural, military, religious, industrial, etc. It’s definitely impossible to build everything - there simply won’t be enough cells. Moreover, each wonder of the world also requires a separate tile.

It is difficult to describe all the innovations and features of the sixth Civa because of its freshness. But the game has already received the highest ratings from various gaming publications, and the reviews in Steam, by and large, are very positive. And this is despite the fact that usually the first version of Civilization turns out to be damp and only with time, with the help of several addons, it turns into a masterpiece. But, apparently, the sixth Civilization can become the first representative of the series, which is good from the very beginning.

1. Warcraft

By a wide margin, Warcraft climbs to the top of the ranking of the best strategies - one of the founders of the RTS genre, whose developments have become the standard for dozens and hundreds of subsequent games. It shouldn't be surprising that C&C and StarCraft couldn't even get close to Varych: his impact on the gaming industry cannot be overestimated. Dota, World of Warcraft, desktop and card games, and now also a feature-length film - all this came into being only thanks to the game from Blizzard, which was released back in 1994.

The plot of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans is tied to the confrontation between humans and orcs. As in the film, the orcs fall out of the portal into the world of people and a struggle begins between them for a place under the sun. However, the first part did not attract much attention - all the glory went to its sequel, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, which was released just a year later. But just look at the changes that have taken place in the schedule in this short period! Add interesting videos and a solid plot to a pleasant picture, and that's it - the masterpiece is ready.

As if "before" and "after" - the year was not in vain

• Warcraft III

But the continuation of the banquet had to wait a long time - as much as seven years. And the first reaction of the gaming community was ambiguous: too many suspicious innovations appeared in the game:

• 3D engine;
• 2 races grew into 4 (night elves and undead were added);
• A lot of neutral units and monsters appeared on the maps;
• Heroes were added to the game who accumulated experience, pumped skills and cast all sorts of things (why not RPG?);
• Rollers have become even brighter and more beautiful;
• The plot is even more twisted and pathetic.

The pinnacle of the evolution of the third part was the release of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne in 2003, which gave birth to the memorable dot-com (I’m unlikely to discover America if I remind you that DotA was created in the usual Warcraft 3 map editor and was not considered as a full-fledged standalone game).

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Strategy is a vital part of PC culture. Whether you're into action-packed real-time combat or mind-bending turn-based simulations, great strategy games immerse you in unique, massive scenarios that let you rule empires, control space-exploring races, and command a cavalry charge against enemy armies.

We present you our selection of the best strategies for PC. Whether you like real-time battles or turn-based battles, strategies allow you to become a participant in large-scale events, manage empires, control powerful races and fearlessly fight against thousands of armies. This is why we love them. But some we love more than others.

As in the case of a selection of the best first-person shooters, we tried to make the list as diverse as possible and collect the most worthy representatives of the genre, which are still able to take your breath away. The article will certainly be updated as new excellent strategies are released.

Do you agree with our choice? Do you want to add to this list? Share your suggestions in the comments.

Dropped off the main list

The game exploits the lack of options very cleverly, often putting the player in front of difficult choices. You can only scan six points at a time, while the game regularly throws up opportunities for battle. You need to look for new recruits; engineers must build new communication centers to establish contacts with new territories; Need resources to upgrade weapons and armor. You can't get everything at once. You may have to be content with something from this list. Back in 1989, Sid Meier described the game as "a series of interesting decisions," and XCOM 2 is by far the most accurate expression of those words ever to come out of the hands of Firaxis.

Red Alert is perhaps the least related strategy on our list. To win in absolutely any battle, it is enough to be the first to build a technical center and send 25 mammoths to the enemy base, or simply send a Chinook stuffed to capacity simple girls Tanyusha, right behind enemy lines. In a sense, the lack of balance was one of the reasons for the huge popularity of this title. Even now, the chaos that is happening in the battles there on land, sea and in the air remains attractive. In addition, the game was made free.

By simplifying the XCOM formula, Firaxis took a shortcut to the things that have always been the essence of the series. At its core, this is squad action, a game in which you take care of your favorite and unique squad with all your might. And it doesn't matter if you move fighters into bulky combat vehicles, or give them the names of your friends (or both), Enemy Within outperforms other strategies because of the need to take your decisions very seriously.

For this iteration of Sid Meier's game of world domination, Firaxis has built a new engine from the ground up. It was the first game in the series to feature 3D effects and featured the inimitable voice of legend Leonard Nimoy. In a wide list of innovations and improvements, a smarter, more aggressive AI was a separate line. It is worth noting that it was from this part that the modding of the game became easier, resulting in the appearance of several excellent add-ons created by the players. Civilization fans can argue for hours about which installment is the best in the series, but my favorite is the four.

The feature of FS is that both opposing sides make their moves at the same time. You have to not only plan the movement of your squad of cybersoldiers, but also anticipate the actions of the enemy. Before confirming the move, the game allows you to look at the actions being performed so that the player can avoid the very obvious ones. In one of my best games, I deliberately sent a soldier into enemy fire to distract the enemy while the rest of my fighters came in from the flank. Explore move previews to act with impeccable accuracy and avoid losses.

Described as a mix of board game and XCOM design, BattleTech is a deep and elaborate turn-based strategy game with an impressive campaign system. You manage a group of mercenaries, wisely allocate available funds and upgrade your collection of combat suits and robots.

In battles, it is necessary to aim at specific parts of the enemy robots, taking into account the strength of their armor, the rate of fire, the angle at which the fire is fired, and the characteristics of the environment. At first, all this is difficult to understand, since the game is not particularly friendly to beginners, but if you like strategy rich in details or are already familiar with this universe, then BattleTech will definitely appeal to you.

Set in the Viking Age, Northgard is a real-time strategy game that borrows a lot from titles like Settlers and Age of Empires, and also invites us to immerse ourselves in a unique expansion system that allows you to gradually increase the area of ​​territories under your control.

The weather also plays an important role in the gameplay. You need to prepare especially carefully for winter, but if you choose the appropriate branch in the technology development tree, then the winter on your lands will be warmer than on enemy territories, which will give you a strategic advantage. The frankly boring story is compensated by the excellent design of the story missions and incredibly exciting battles in the battle mode.

Almost perfect tactical action with robots and chic design from the creators of FTL. In Into the Breach you have to fight off waves of Vek monsters on maps divided into 64 sectors, where various fortresses and story-important objects are located. Of course, the easiest way to get rid of the Vek monsters is to wipe them out with your robots and air attacks, but this will require you to think strategically and keep enemies away from your buildings.

Civilian buildings provide you with electricity, which serves as a kind of health bar here. Whenever an enemy attacks such a building, you are one step closer to defeat. Once you run out of electricity, your team will travel back in time and try to save the world again. This is a fairly complex, compact and dynamic adventure. As you unlock new types of robots and upgrades for them, you will gradually learn new ways to fight a merciless enemy.

The first Total War: Warhammer showed that Games Workshop's fantasy universe is perfect for the massive battles and amazing battlefield detail that Creative Assembly is known for. In the second part, a lot of improvements awaited us - in the interface, the appearance and skills of the heroes, as well as the armies of various factions.

The four factions featured (skaven, high elves, dark elves and lizardfolk) are strikingly different from each other, and when creating them, the authors thoroughly studied the background of the rich Warhammer universe. If you have long wanted to get acquainted with the world of Warhammer, but did not know where to start, then this game is perfect for you. And if you already have a great original, then you will find one large-scale campaign, the action of which takes place on a single giant map.

The War of the Chosen add-on brings to the game both a number of minor trifles and rather interesting elements such as colorful, chatty enemies that appear randomly as you progress through the main campaign, each of which has strong and weak sides. You will also find new types of enemy soldiers, thousands of cosmetic changes, zombie-like enemies that inhabit abandoned cities, the ability to create propaganda posters and much more.

As a result, every campaign in War of the Chosen is a little oversaturated, but all the changes are so well executed that no XCOM 2 fan should pass by.

At first glance, the name of the game sounds simply blasphemous. More than a decade after the release of the last Homeworld, they decided to turn the game they remembered for its spaceships and movement in three-dimensional space into another ground-based tank strategy? Is it still a prequel? Nevertheless, despite all the fears that have arisen, Desert of Kharak turned out to be successful in all respects.

It's not only a marvelous RTS that sets itself apart from the rest of the genre's contemporaries, but also a great Homeworld representative that reimagined the series and clearly captured its magic.

The best game in the series so far, with so many different details that it seems like it immediately came out with a couple of add-ons. The system of areas allows you to build huge cities and motivates you to think through your actions a few steps ahead. The amazing design of the game deserves special praise - yes, you get used to the local cartoon style right away, but over time it becomes clear that this decision benefited the project.

It is very interesting to see what new additions will bring to this already rich game, which is the undisputed peak of the entire legendary series.

"Hopefully future patches and additions will fill in the gaps," wrote one of the journalists in his on the day of its release. And while the sci-fi project from Paradox still has room to grow, the high level of updates and their regular release definitely benefit the game.

For example, with the Utopia expansion, the internal political system of the game has undergone significant changes (not to mention a hundred other small innovations), which gave us another hundred hours of gameplay. In addition, it is now possible to build Dyson spheres around stars in order to pump energy out of them, dooming nearby planets to icing. A cruel but mesmerizing sight.

Endless Legend was one of the unexpected breakthroughs last year. Following on from Amplitude's Endless Space, EL's fantasy 4X strategy was very good, but still didn't fully realize the potential of the developers. Its release went unnoticed thanks to the release of the big-budget Civilization: , but EL rightfully became the best game in the genre since the fourth Civilization.

It is deeper and more diverse, it has amazing asymmetric factions, sub-races, heroes, quests and more, more. And she looks, besides, just great.

As much a social experiment as it is a strategy game, Neptune's Pride pits people against each other in the battle for a star system. The rules are simple: develop your systems, build ships and send them to conquer new systems. The war unfolds slowly, a week or so, and requires attention, which can slightly spoil your real life.

Simple yet elegant mechanics condone making and breaking alliances, which can lead to insidious assaults from yesterday's friends on your systems. Naturally, at three o'clock in the morning, while you are watching the second dream. An accessible game that produces tons of amazing drama.

I still love the first two Red Alerts because there are almost no bad titles in Westwood's C&C series, but everything is perfect in this part: here are the most interesting campaigns, the best units, great maps and, of course, great cutscenes.

The factions differ from each other in all respects and have much more uniqueness than it was in the original game - take, for example, the Soviet octopuses and dolphins that are on the side of the allies. Here, the authors found the perfect balance between self-irony and sincerity in cutscenes, and therefore the game was both captivating and evoked a smile at the right moments.

What, alas, cannot be said about the natural disaster in the face of Red Alert 3 from EA.

If you've ever dreamed of conquering space at the head of an armada of customizable colossus starships, this strategy is for you. It has smart, creative AI, and one complete game can take weeks.

You will have to monitor the economy, technology, diplomacy, culture, build up military power, forge alliances, fight wars and dominate other peoples of the galaxy. Reminiscent of the games in the Civilization series, but only on a larger scale and, in places, much deeper.

In terms of its mechanics, Homeworld is a phenomenal strategy game with a fully 3D game space. She was among the first representatives of the zharn, who pulled it out from one single plane.

What's more, the game boasts great atmosphere and sound design, from Adagio for strings in opening missions to heart-pounding drum rolls in multiplayer battles. If you like the rebooted Battlestar Galactica, be sure to play Howmeworld.

With the scale of battles in Supreme Commander, only Total War can compete. Here you give an order to a specific engineer, then turn the mouse wheel - and you watch the battlefield from a bird's eye view. And a couple of seconds later you are already looking at the face of another soldier, a few kilometers from the first. Even my head is spinning.

The clash of armies, composed of hundreds of mechs in slender columns, rewards the player with the most delightful firefight the CPU can handle. SupCom is one of the very few RTS that combines sea, land and air vehicles in one battle. And even more - with artillery, tactical nuclear weapons and experimental robots of titanic proportions.

In addition to being the successor to the best competitive strategy game of the past decade, SC2 has also earned credit for reimagining the traditional RTS campaign structure. A good example of this is Heart of the Swarm, but it was the "human" Wings of Liberty that laid the foundation: an intricate adventure that brings a mixture of working formulas to the table with each new mission.

From a zombie defense scenario to a planet flooded with lava every few minutes, SC2 forces the player to re-learn all of their core elements.

Not the most obvious contender for this list, Tooth and Tail attracted us with its simple take on RTS (and the game was clearly created for controllers), which retained all the ingredients of a great strategy. The game is even closer in spirit to Pikmin than Halo Wars - the units here gather around your character and follow the simplest orders, and the creation of units occurs automatically, based on the population limit and available resources.

The battles last no more than 10 minutes, and the action takes place against the backdrop of a well-written political conflict between factions of anthropomorphic animals.

The game that today is remembered as the founder of , Warcraft III is primarily an inventive and ambitious strategy game that introduced many players to cinematic fantasy.

Here, for the first time, RPG elements were introduced in the form of heroes and neutral units, which was not seen before in any strategy, and the large-scale campaign told an amazing story that completely captivated the player thanks to flawless execution. As a bonus, funny phrases were attached from the units that reacted to the call.

The series' transition to full 3D marked the crossing of a milestone, beyond which gradually accumulating problems led to instability at the release of Empire and long-term AI issues that plagued players in later games in the series.

The original Rome presented us with the simple but exciting face of ancient warfare, and did it in a masterful way. A magnificent digression into one of the most curious eras of military history, interesting to this day.

It was a big temptation to put the first Dawn of War on this list, but it was decided to stick with its experimental sequel, which replaced large squads with a handful of the coolest space thugs with sets of killer abilities.

To deal with the Ork hordes, you have to control these genetically modified commandos, coordinating their actions with Stormtrooper raids, Scout aimed fire and heavy weapons cover. And the co-op mode Last Stand was great too.

SSE uses some tricks of the 4X strategy, but makes them work in the RTS wrapper. This is a game about star empires that grow and prosper and fade in the distant space of the distant future. Well, and about how the huge starships of these empires go out of hyperspace to the flaming worlds.

Diplomacy is also available, but these are huge starships! Play the Rebellion expansion and watch these very ships grow to truly incredible sizes.

CKII is a political strategy. It is not only about how the player leads his troops into battle, but also about the wedding of his imbecile niece. Each character has a value, each has its own goals and desires. Yes, it's difficult (blame it on the feudal system), but you can get your own personal drama, right here and now.

The situation often drives the player into a corner, into hopeless situations, forcing them to do terrible things for the sake of power. Once I had to execute a newborn baby so that his older and more intelligent sister could rule. The Middle Ages was still a time.

The ominous blue map of the world at DEFCON was the perfect stage for creepy story about the start of a nuclear war. First, you prepare for Armageddon by stocking up warehouses with supplies, placing launch silos, nuclear submarines, and setting up missile defenses. This organizational stage of the game is interesting in itself for its strategic component, but the real cool DEFCON becomes when the missiles are sent into the sky.

Blurring spots of explosions, counting casualties as city after city is reduced to radioactive ashes. When the dust settles, few people will care about a formal victory. Multiplayer, where a real nightmare is happening, is simply amazing.

Some games try to distance themselves from the emotional side of the war that ended just recently. But not Company of Heroes. It's tense, complex, and brutal.

Of course, the game uses purely Hollywood tricks (mud sultans of artillery bombardment migrated here straight from Saving Private Ryan), but the result is the most intense strategy in the world, perfectly capturing the tactical imbalance of World War II.

A deep strategic component and a transparent turn-based combat system made Xenonauts a model among game reboots. If you're an old fan of the X-COM series, forget about your ancient discs and 20-year-old fossil graphics. The best way remember the glorious days - turn on the "Xenonauts". If you are not familiar with X-COM, this game will give you a chance to enjoy the origins of the series with improved mechanics and details.

After Rome, the series quickly went to a dead end, dragging a pile of problems. But Shogun 2 still managed to be the kind of game fans wanted to see Total War again. A chic setting, polished mechanics and the honor of your leader, balancing between Buddhism and Christianity. The real difference between the clans (the Chosokabe archers are the best!), and some particularly fun special units like the ninja kisho bombers.

Shogun 2 also offered such a cool thing as a two-player co-op campaign - a great (albeit slow) way to conquer the continent. The follow-up to TWS2, Rome 2 was hugely ambitious, but never achieved the balance and mechanics polished that Creative Assembly did with Shogun 2. The second expansion, Fall of the Samurai, offered players a fantastic mid 19th century. Guns, swords, ninjas - there is everything your heart desires.

In 2012, strategy expert Tim Stone described the game as a "fresh and friendly" wargame, praising the impressive AI. To defeat computer generals, you will have to use the advantages of the battlefield to the fullest and diversify tactics.

A simple and accessible interface lowers the entry threshold, usually high in wargames. And by studying the intricacies of the system, you will discover the incredible depths of mechanics.

Age of Empires gave us the opportunity to live centuries of progress in half-hour gaming sessions, but RoN went further, cleverly introducing elements of turn-based strategy games like Civilization. Instead of directly leading your troops into battle, you expand the state by building new cities.

As national borders collide, a technological race ensues between nations, a war for influence punctuated by missile strikes and javelin throws. How can you ever get tired of the process of crushing archers and knights with tanks and stealth bombers?

The list could not do without this game, even taking into account the fact that Rise of Nations developed all the ideas laid down here to the maximum. Age of Empires II still looks good on PC today thanks to the HD re-release, for which expansions are still being released. The latest was Rise of the Rajas, released at the end of 2016. Not bad for a game that's almost 20 years old.

Create huge armies, upgrade them, collect resources and enjoy exciting campaigns in this RTS. And if you get tired of the proposed campaigns, then you can always download amateur add-ons or even create your own scenarios. We look forward to the release of the fourth part of the game.

website / XGO

Top best strategies that you can play online or online with friends and random opponents, a description of how to play

Strategy games are games in which you can feel like a king, ruler and even God. They do not differ in the dynamics of the gameplay (as in shooters), but they force the player to reason logically, develop tactics, take various solutions. Victory in them depends on the user's ability to anticipate the opponent's future actions, coordinate the actions of his army and calculate his forces.

At other times, strategies are not only battles between thousands of troops. Behind the entertainment lies a complex economic system, the development of which will also bring you victory in the game. And sometimes there are no fights at all - some developers release exclusively economic strategies based on some business (or in other areas).

In any case, strategies can keep you at the screen for a long time. In this article, we have presented the TOP of the best PC strategies of all time, in which you will find decent games. They can be played with friends, teaming up against the AI, alone or against other users. For convenience, the strategies are presented in the form of a list that describes their main advantages.

Of course, you can also express your opinion in the comments on the article, and those who do not have time to download strategies on a PC can see a list of the best rated browser-based online strategies that you can start playing right now.

Warcraft III - online

Released: 03.06.2002

Genre: real-time strategy with RPG elements

The essence of the game lies in the uniform construction of the base, pumping heroes and hiring an army. For each game stage and situation are prioritized different actions, of which there are an inexorable multitude, which in itself led to the incredible success of the game among gamers. It is worth noting that for different races there are different priorities, which creates a kind of abstract balance.

Of course, the game was successful primarily because the history of Warcraft is quite old, and the first game in the series was released back in 1994 on DOS, which allowed it to win crowds of fans at the dawn of the gaming industry. The whole Warcraft series has a deep and thoughtful history, on which the plot of Warcraft III is based, although it is not important here, it is necessary for the full perception of the game.

For the most part, the game received recognition for a good balance of races and atypical, for those years, gameplay, which marked the beginning of a new era of strategies.

• Balanced system of pumping heroes;
• Balanced system of economy;
• Interesting solo company;
• Balan races;
• Can be played online;
• Graphics are outdated.

Warcraft can be played online on servers: tangle, garena, iCCup.

Heroes of Might and Magic III - online

Released: 28.02.1999

Genre: Turn-based strategy with RPG elements

Although the series of "heroes" is quite old, it has not acquired a noble plot. First of all, in the games of the series, the gameplay and the gaming component are valued, and the plot is completely unimportant.

The gameplay itself boils down to the fact that the player needs to destroy all opponents on the map. Initially, the player in submission has an undeveloped castle and one hero. The castle is gradually pumped through the construction of new buildings, which opens up access to the hiring of new creatures. The hero can be pumped in battle, or by distributing gold from chests to your troops. To win, it is enough to destroy all the enemy heroes and capture all the castles.

In total, there are 9 races in the game (specifically in the third part), including:

• Castle - people;
• Stronghold - elves;
• The tower is the residence of magicians;
• The fortress is a swamp;
• Citadel - barbarians;
• Inferno - demons;
• Necropolis - undead;
• Dungeon - command underground creatures;
• Pairing - command the elements of the elements.

Each race has its own focus, advantages, special skills. For example, a necropolis can raise the dead, infernos can turn their defeated fighters into demons, and so on.

Among the players, only the 3rd and 5th parts of the game are in demand, while the rest either do not live up to the gameplay, or have too good graphics, from which the eyes flow. It's about about the excessive detailing of the 6th and 7th parts of the game, which played a disservice. The fourth part was not to the taste of the players because of the creepy models and textures.

It is the third part of the heroes that is considered the genius of the series, so major tournaments are still held on it and there is a significant gaming community. The problem of the network game in heroes 3 is the duration of the matches, because individual games lasted up to a month of real time.

If you'd like to try your hand at online play, we recommend visiting the heroesworld portal for all the useful information.

• Expanded economy system;
• Developed leveling of heroes;
• Balance of game needs (in pumping, building, hiring creatures, etc.)
• Can be played online
• Balanced combat;
• The presence of an unofficial team that constantly refines the game.

Civilization Series

Released: 1991-2016

Genre: global turn-based strategy

Initially, the game captured the minds of the players with its interesting gameplay, which boils down to balancing the army, economy and development (and later culture) of the nation. The game also has a certain historicity, because all nations actually existed.

To win this game, you need to skillfully create cities, build trade networks between them, make alliances and betray allies, create an army balance that matches your economic development and competently develop technologies.

A simple example: if you only invest in the army, then there may come a time when your soldiers will fight with sticks, and the enemy will already have tanks. You can also invest only in development, but then ordinary barbarians can destroy your civilization, and you will not have time to develop.

It is because of the diversity of the gameplay and the variability of development that many call Civilization the best strategy of all time.

At the moment, a network game with random participants is available on Steam, allowing you to test your strength and skills.

• Unique economy system;
• Unique research system;
• Balance of nations and play styles;
• Advanced multiplayer;
• Expanded political system.

In 2016, the continuation of the legendary line was released, Civilization 6 became the best turn-based strategy of the year on PC.

XCOM Series

Released: 1993-2016

Genre: step-by-step strategy

The famous strategy to protect the earth from the invasion of alien invaders. You are a special detachment of professionals, the only bulwark of humanity in the struggle for survival. Learn the technology of the aliens, take them into service and destroy the enemies!

The gameplay of the game is tied to the tactical and economic component. Tactical includes battles with opponents, sorties to the place of landing or fall of alien ships, development of fighters, choosing the right perks for them, and so on. Economic - development of the base, the right choice of technology, additional rooms, waste of resources and other things. Also, after the battle, the player receives trophies from the dead, which can then be sold on the black market or used independently in battle.

Many consider XCOM to be one of the best strategy games on PC.

• An interesting leveling system for fighters;
• Various game cards;
• Many battle strategies;
• An interesting system of research, base pumping;
• Extraordinary endings.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert

Released: 1996-2008

Genre: real time strategy

The so-called "cranberry" strategy. For reference, cranberries are considered an unrealistic presentation of the inhabitants and ideology of the USSR, including its territory after the collapse. The game is built on this non-existent ideology. The action takes place in a parallel universe where there was no World War II, so all nations, including the USSR, were able to develop and become incredibly strong.

Later, a time machine was invented, allowing you to change the course of history. So, for example, the third part of the game takes place when the Russians decide to kill Albert Einstein in the past. Sending to the past was successful, the USSR captured almost all of Europe, but the war did not end - it was only the beginning.

The gameplay is standard for games of this genre, namely, you need to develop your base, hire soldiers, equipment for the complete destruction of opponents on the map.

• Fascinating plot;
• balance of nations;
• Unique combat units;

Space Rangers

Released: 23.12.2002

Genre:"epic game" with elements of RPG, turn-based strategy, arcade, text quest.

A game about war in intergalactic space between intelligent races. Almost all races can be played by the player, except for Kleesans and Dominators - hostile semi-sentient races that receive orders from the main ships that control their behavior. The whole plot of the game tells about the war of the peaceful races of the commonwealth against the above invaders.

The main advantage of the game is the gameplay. As you may have noticed, the game does not have a dedicated genre, since it is absolutely difficult to attribute it to any genre. But often the game is singled out as the best strategy, because most of the time players spend driving their spaceship in separate systems. There are also arcade elements in the game, namely, in flights between systems, you can stumble upon hostile nodes, where the game turns into a real-time battle.

RPG elements are manifested in pumping your captain's skills, playing the role of a good ranger or an evil smuggler pirate. Elements of a text quest appear in some tasks that NPCs give to the player, or, for example, during visits to prison institutions, where the player balances between getting out as soon as possible and not dying at the hands of inmates. In the latest versions of the game, there are also robot battles on planets driven in real-time strategy mode.

As you can see, the potential of the game is incredibly high, and it can rightfully be called one of the best rpg all the time, not only due to the unique gameplay, but also nice graphics, random generation of maps, planets, tasks and other things, which allows you to start the game again and again.

• A unique game world that is randomly generated in each new game;
• Developed system of playing role;
• Good mix of many genres;
• Fascinating text tasks;
• Nice graphics.

Stronghold: Crusader

Released: 2002-2014

Genre: real time strategy

A classic strategy game in which you act as the ruler of a small town. Your task is to equally develop military and economic power. In gaming companies, you can play both the role of the cruel Arab ruler Saladin and the role of King of England Richard the Lionheart.

The gameplay, as mentioned earlier, lies in the equal development of the army and the economy. Due to the unusual gameplay, the game received recognition. Among the features of the game stand out, such as:

• Your servants need to build personal houses, causing the maximum number of army;
• It is necessary to develop the food industry, because your entire military machine may die simply because of hunger. It also creates the possibility of a long siege of castles, forcing the enemy to rot from hunger;
• Almost all fighters cannot be hired just like that - for them it is necessary to create weapons, armor, and for this it is necessary to collect resources.

If you play against the computer, you will notice that it creates monotonous castles, which, however, are not so easy to break through if the enemy is one of the strongest. Still, this is one of the downsides, which can quickly discourage the desire to play. The main potential of the game is revealed on multiplayer maps that can be played online using hamachi or tangle. It is also worth noting that the unequivocal minus is the binding of the player to the starting point - it is impossible to build buildings near the enemy's castle.

• Unique production and economic system;
• Advanced building options;
• Not a bad company;
• You can play online with friends.

King's bounty

Released: 2008-2014

Genre: role-playing strategy in real time with turn-based battles

The unusual combination of the genre makes the game interesting enough for beginners, and the beautiful graphics without excessive detail are pleasing to the eye. It is worth noting that in the latter parts of the game there is an option to turn on the 3D game mode, which must be played with the appropriate glasses.

The player can choose between three classes: warrior, paladin and mage. Each of them fights in their own way. For example, a warrior has an increased number of creatures, a mage attacks opponents with spells, and a paladin is something in between.

The game takes place in a fictional fantasy world inhabited by fairly canonical magical creatures such as vampires, demons, elves. The player acts as a treasure hunter, on whose shoulders lies the fate of saving the world. To begin with, he has to become a great hero, recruit an army of mystical creatures in order to fight evil henchmen.

The gameplay looks something like this: you walk around the world map in real time, and when you stumble upon enemy units, a turn-based battle mode starts, where the hero can use a book of magic, spirits. Looks like a classic turn-based battle. When you walk around the map, you can communicate with the characters that inhabit the world, complete tasks for them, receive rewards, hire troops, buy items, and so on.

• Interesting character leveling system;
• Many artifacts and unique creatures;
• Interesting combat system;
• Not boring quests;
• Nice cartoon graphics;
• Many games in the series are made in the same style.

StarCraft II - online

Released: 26.06.2010

Genre: real time strategy

No less exciting game from the creators of Warcraft - Blizzard. The plot of the game tells about the battle of three space races: zerg, protoss and terrans. Unlike Warcraft, the game came out more dynamic and there are no heroes in it, which completely changes the priorities in battles.

StarCraft also has a rich storyline, however it is presented to the players during story cutscenes, making you an observer rather than a maker of the story.

Each playable race has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, protos units have a lot of additional abilities that need to be used at the right time, otherwise the army will be quite weak. Considering that the game itself is very fast, to be successful in the game you need to have the skills of fast playing and thinking.

StarCraft can rightly be called the best PC strategy game of all time.

The game can be played online through the Blizzard Game Downloader.

• Race balance;
• Balanced economy;
• Fast paced game;
• Can be played online;
• Regular tournaments from official developers.

Warhammer 40.000 series

Released: 1999 - 2009

Genre: real time strategy

Warhammer is a fairly popular game not only in computer form, but also in card form. The history of the game appeared long before the development of the computer sphere (in 1983) in America, which led to the success of the series.

The history of the world tells of bloody wars for control of the galaxy, grandiose betrayals and ascensions, and more. Games in this series are not tied only to the strategy genre, because there are both CCG and action offshoots.

The most famous for the wide inhabitants of the game series: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, tells about the war for the control of one selected planet between the game races. The player chooses one of the sides in the war, which has unique units and battle tactics. In the future, your task will be to seize control of the entire planet. Some games in the series divide the gameplay into two stages: global turn-based control and real-time strategy. The first mode is just the choice of the point of attack, and the second is the actual battle. In battle, you need to rebuild your base, capture key points that bring one of the two resources - influence, strengthen them and attack enemy bases. It is worth noting that the main task of the game is to destroy all enemy buildings.

Almost all Wahe strategies can be played through Hamachi.

• Deep history;
• Race balance;
• Each race has its own, unique features;
• An interesting system for improving units;
• Interesting company.

Company of Heroes

Released: 2006-2009

Genre: real time strategy

The game's plot follows films such as Saving Private Ryan, A Bridge Too Far, and the television series Band of Brothers. Actions take place during the Great Patriotic War.

The gameplay is a classic RTS with wargame elements. Many note that the game resembles the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series due to the fact that the player can independently choose the weapons with which his platoons will fight. Also, the troops have a scale of combat morale, which affects the effectiveness of the soldiers. For example, if a platoon comes under machine gun fire, then its morale drops sharply, which reduces the speed of firing and running. In addition, upon the death of a member of the squad who held any weapon, it does not disappear, but remains lying on the ground, where it can be picked up. The next feature of the game is the unit ranking system, which with each increased level fighters allows you to improve their characteristics, which creates a certain convention that the units are not just meat.

The elements of the wargame are also the fact that the player himself can install defensive structures that increase the effectiveness of the fighters. All ditches, sandbags, etc. can be occupied by your fighters to increase their effectiveness. Since the game can maintain a small limit, and the speed of combat is quite low, the result is an entertaining combat simulator. Of course, this game is not singled out as the absolutely best strategy, but it deserves to be at least a nominee.

• Interesting game missions;
• Unusual gameplay;
• It creates a feeling of real battles;

Series Cossacks

Released: 2001-2016

Genre: economic strategy

The game stands out for its gameplay, which is based on the balance of economic and military power. The correct construction of the economy plays a key role in the game, because even if you skillfully use military forces, skillfully withdraw them, divide them into groups, opening the horizon for a volley of cannons, then sooner or later, with a weak economy, you will lose to a player who is more rested on economic component. Firstly, a player with a strong economy can simply spam units - he does not need to think about their safety, because there are always resources. Secondly, the ability of ranged units to attack is tied to the availability of resources such as coal and iron. If there is no coal or iron, the fighters cannot shoot. Also, food plays an important role, which is a constantly consumed resource. Therefore, if your population is growing, then the food infrastructure should grow accordingly.

The game also stands out in that each player can hire great amount troops, which allows you to apply diverse game strategies. Among the types of troops you can find: cavalry, melee units, ranged units, artillery. In addition, the game has a technical development that allows you to hire stronger and more technologically advanced troops.

Many players are betting that the third part of the series will be the best strategy of 2016!

• The dependence of military power on the economy;
• Many battle strategies;
• The need to balance the economy and military power.

Anno 1404

Released: 2009-2010

Genre: economic strategy

The plot is tied to a parallel reality, which, however, repeats real historical prototypes, such as the crusades, dawn early forms capitalism and so on.

The gameplay is tied to economic warfare and the development of colonies and settlements. You, as an effective ruler, need to correctly calculate the distribution of resources for the development of cities, conduct diplomatic relations. The combat component of the game is divided into sea and land battles, however, the ability to wage war is not immediately open, but subsequently acts as one of the elements that help defeat opponents.

All states are divided into two types: European and Eastern. A European country cannot fully develop without spices and quartz, which are produced only in the east, which by itself determines the need for active trade, which is also one of the main ways to earn gold. One of the key tasks in urban planning is the construction of large cultural elements, such as cathedrals or mosques.

• Developed economy;
• Interesting urban development process;
• Advanced diplomacy system.

Total War series

Released: 2000-2015

Genre: global strategy

Some semblance of a historical strategy. Actions take place on the global map of the world in different periods of time - it all depends on the part of the game. The player can choose any of the presented countries and subsequently capture the entire map, depending on the established victory conditions.

But not for the plot and the historical component, this game is distinguished as the best strategy on the PC, but for the gameplay. It is built on the turn-based movement of armies, the development and capture of cities in various countries. The battles take place in real time, where the player acts as a commander, places his troops on the map and directs the battle itself. There is also a politics mode where the player makes alliances, declares wars, exchanges resources, and so on.

• Interesting system of politics;
• Interesting intra-game battles in real time;
• Developed system of internal events (crusades, jihads, etc.);
• An advanced system for improving cities, depending on their location.

Disciples

Released: 1999-2010

Genre: turn-based strategy with RPG elements

The action of the game takes place in the cruel fantasy world of Nevendaar, where dark forces are craving to wake up every now and then. Companies for all nations are available to the player for passing. It turns out that the player himself weaves the whole story. In total, five nations are available in the game, including:

• Hordes of the undead - servants of the ancient goddess of death Mortis;
• Empire - a race of people under the auspices of the supreme angels;
• The Legions of the Damned are Bethrezen's demonic minions;
• Elven Alliance - a united army of elves led by Queen Ellumiel;
• The mountain clans are a harsh undermountain people ruled by a high king.

The gameplay is classic strategy. The player's task is to intelligently scout the territory, pump the army. Oh yeah, unlike other strategies, here you can only hire minions lower levels, which in the future need to be pumped, gaining experience in battle. In general, the combat system in Disciples is unique, which has led to the success of the game. Initially, the player starts with one capital and one hero. The capital is a unique city guarded by a very strong creature, so it is almost impossible to break through the capital from the very beginning. The war is fought for the sources of magic - one of the resources and separate outposts that allow you to hire troops away from the capital.

• Unique system for pumping creatures;
• The races are not alike;
• Race balance;
• An interesting system of applying magic;

Age of Empires series

Released: 1997-2007

Genre: real time strategy

A fairly old game that can also claim to be the best strategy game on PC of all time. The main advantage of this game is custom tournaments with large prize pools, reaching up to 100 thousand dollars. The reason for such amounts for such old game are her fans from rich countries who can afford to spend such amounts on organizing tournaments.

The very same gameplay of the game comes down to a balance between technology, economy and the army. Each nation in battle can move between 5 eras:

• Age of Research;
• The era of colonization;
• The era of fortresses;
• Industrial Age;
• Age of Empire.

Each era opens up new research, types of troops and buildings. If you switch between eras early without spending money on the army, then most likely you will be crushed by “homeless people”, and if you focus only on hiring troops, then most likely the enemy will crush you with a more high-tech limit.

Many players argue that in order to play AOE effectively, you just need to be able to move troops away from volleys of siege weapons and archers, which leads to low loss army and increased development of the economy, by reducing the consumption of resources to maintain the combat limit.

Play AOE online with friends or random players via Steam, Tanggle or Hamachi.

• The need for skillful balancing of all game aspects (economy, troops, research, construction);
• Balance of all races (in the latest version);
• Tournaments with a large prize fund;
• Average game speed.

Age of Mythology

Released: 01.12.2002

Genre: Real time strategy

The age of mythology is somewhat similar to the game described above, but still has other roots and features that allow you to build a more interesting game.

A key feature of the game is the replacement of eras with the worship of gods, granting special powers and new mythical creatures with special characteristics and skills, such as fiery or poisonous breath, freezing a key unit, and so on.

Unlike AOE, where the player has only a human and siege limit, AOM also has a mythical limit, consisting of mythical creatures such as giants, dryads, rocs and others. AOM does not have such significant prize pools as AOE, but it also has its own community, among which relatively regular tournaments are held.

You can play AOM online through Steam, Tanggle or Hamachi.

• It is necessary to correctly balance all game aspects (economy, troops, research, construction);
• Balance of all races and deities;
• Can be played online;
• Average game speed.

Settlers 7

Released: 23.03.2010

Genre: RTS, city ​​building simulator

Simulator of building cities, which subsequently create a vast kingdom. The main task of the game is to correctly place buildings, create transport links between them. The player can develop his kingdom in three areas, including:

• military production;
• Scientific approach;
• Trading perspective.

Each development path will eventually lead the player to victory. For example, if you choose the military path, then the focus of your development will be the army, which will subsequently try to crush the enemies. The scientific path will help you defeat opponents with technology, while the trade path will help you capture the best trade routes on the entire map, which will give you an advantage over your opponents. Each of the development paths includes unique units.

Critics point out good artificial intelligence, but a weak storyline.

• Good artificial intelligence;
• Expanded city building capability;
• Equality of development paths (economy, military development and technology).

Release date: 1996-2008

Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS)

The Red Alert real-time strategy series tells an alternate version of the story. Events unfold after World War II, and this time Western countries in the face of the Alliance and the Soviet Union clashed in a global confrontation. Who will be the winner in the fight depends entirely on the player and the decisions he makes. All events are served with humor, and battles are interspersed with cinematic inserts.

An important difference between Red Alert and other strategies is that there is no limit on the limit, the number of combat units. That is, the player can produce as many fighters as his economy allows. The variety of samples of military equipment is also impressive - there are heavy tanks, aircraft, and nuclear submarines. In some missions, you have to take control of special units, analogues of heroes.

Series of games Cossacks

Release date: 2001-2016

Genre: RTS

Cossacks - a cult series strategy games. The battles in which the player will participate belong to the period of the XVII-XIX centuries. No tanks or planes, no steam engines, machine guns and other deadly mechanisms that appeared a hundred years later. Instead, infantry squares, massive cavalry attacks and horse-drawn cannons reign on the battlefields. Corresponds to the historical period and tactics in battle.

Depending on the game in the series, Cossacks features different European states and some Muslim empires in Africa and Asia. The mechanics as a whole differ little from other strategic platforms. The player must collect resources (wood, gold, coal and more), then invest them in building and hiring troops. Big role plays and diplomacy Battles are extremely large-scale and beautiful.

Sudden Strike

Release date: 2000

Genre: RTS, wargame

Confrontation 3, also known as Sudden Strike, is a genre-defining game in many ways. It was in it that for the first time it was possible to fully combine the mechanics of real-time strategy and historical realism. In Confrontation 3, the landscape is the most important component of the gameplay. Without exception, all objects on the battlefield are destructible, can and should be used to achieve victory.

The battles are fought during the Second World War, and the parties are represented by the Soviet Union, the Allies and the Third Reich, each of which has its own campaign. Each side has its own, historically accurate technique, but how to dispose of it is up to the player. It is also noteworthy that in the Confrontation, in principle, there is no economic component, which means that you can completely immerse yourself in battles.

Warcraft 3

Release date: 2002

Genre: RTS, strategy with RPG elements

The masterpiece of strategy games is Warcraft III. In it, four races converged in deadly combat - humans, elves, undead and orcs. Each side has its own style of play, its own combat units, its own peculiarities of the economy. The races are so diverse that it is unlikely that you will be able to learn all the details on the first playthrough - a great reason to return to the game again and again!

The peculiarity of Varik is that, in addition to the army, the player is invited to control the heroes, a sort of commanders who can be resurrected after death. Battles in the strategy proceed at a slow speed, and microcontrol, the ability to control each unit individually, is of particular importance. In such conditions, only the fastest and most creative will be able to win. In addition to the exciting gameplay, there is an epic storyline.

Command & Conquer: Generals 1 and 2

Release date: 2003

Genre: RTS

Generals 1 and 2 talk about a global military conflict in the near future. The United States and China stand together terrorist group known as the Global Liberation Army. The fighting is conducted mainly in Asia, as well as in the air and at sea. The gameplay is very similar to the similar Red Alert strategy.

The plot in Generals is divided into three companies, one for each faction. Historical accuracy is generally well respected. So, the Americans are fighting with technological weapons, the Chinese are betting on the size of the army, and the terrorists are betting on guerrilla actions and missile strikes. Each of the factions is given a super-weapon in the form of a laser gun, a nuclear bomb and ballistic missiles.

Blitzkrieg 1 and 2

Release date: 2003-2005

Genre: RTS, wargame

Conceptually, Blitzkrieg 1 and 2 is a continuation of the Confrontation 3 strategy, but with many improvements. It tells about the most important battles of World War II, the parties to the conflict are the same - the USSR, Germany and the Western Allies. The player is invited to participate in the most significant battles of the conflict, from the blitzkrieg in Poland to the storming of Berlin by Soviet troops.

As in the Confrontation, Blitzkrieg 1 and 2 completely free the player from the need to extract resources and build buildings. Instead, all the time is devoted to managing armies and endless battles in real time. The events taking place on the screen are as close to reality as possible - all objects on the map are destructible, and the characteristics of military equipment are transmitted reliably.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

Release date: 2004

Genre: RTS

Hammer of War 40,000: Dawn of War is a strategy game for those who love space surroundings, futuristic military equipment, an entertaining plot and a lot of destroyed enemies. In the battles of the future, several races will converge, including traditional fantasy orcs and people. In general, the game resembles Warcraft III, especially due to the presence of heroes and the RPG element associated with them. But there are also differences, for example, an unusual economic model.

Although resources are present in Warhammer 40,000, their value is minimal - the whole economy comes down to capturing control points that provide energy. The most impressive thing about the game is the combat model. Except heavy equipment, firearms and lasers important role plays hand to hand. Each unit strives to take out their swords and go into close combat, which is why the battles are very large-scale.

Behind enemy lines 1 and 2

Release date: 2004-2006

Genre: RTS

Behind Enemy Lines 1 and 2 are not just strategy games based on the plot of World War II. They also include genres such as role-playing game and arcade, that is, the possibility of point control of each combat unit is added to the global battle. The effectiveness of units is affected by factors such as fatigue, ammunition, etc. In general, Behind Enemy Lines is suitable for those who want total control over what is happening.

In terms of gameplay, the game is very similar to Blitzkrieg and the Confrontation series. There is basically no economic component here, all the time is spent on planning and conducting operations. At certain points in time, reinforcements approach the player, and his task is to bring them into battle with maximum efficiency. Behind enemy lines 1 and 2 gives commanders unprecedented creative freedom.

Age of Empires III

Release date: 2005

Genre: RTS

Epoch Empires III, like all games in this series, provides the user with the opportunity to develop the state literally from scratch. Starting with the tribal system, and ending with developed capitalism, the player will have to improve culture and technology, while simultaneously fighting against pressing opponents. The variability of development paths is very large, which adds to the gameplay of fascination.

Unlike previous games in the series, in the third part, the number of available nations was reduced to eight. There is also Russia among them, which will especially please our players. Each of the factions has its own unique features, characteristics and types of military units, buildings and features of development. The plot does not differ in the reliability of historical events, but the gameplay is still captivating. The game is quite difficult to master, but the time spent is worth it.

Company of Heroes

Release date: 2006

Genre: RTS

Company of Heroes is another real-time strategy based on the events of World War II in Europe. This time there are only two opposing sides - the Americans and the Third Reich. The style of play for both factions is generally identical, but the sides also have unique features, such as special buildings and types of troops. The three types of resources in the game are fuel, weapons and people.

The battles are very reminiscent of those in the Warhammer 40,000 strategy - there are no separate combat units, instead they are connected in units. The combat qualities of each squad depend on the morale, training and weapons of each fighter individually. The player will have to devote a lot of time to recruiting formations, without which it will be very difficult to achieve victory over the enemy. Distinguished units can be transferred to the following missions.

world in conflict

Release date: 2007

Genre: RTS

World in Conflict tells the story of a global world conflict in which the forces of three factions will clash - the Soviet Union, the North Atlantic Alliance and the United States. Moreover, the USSR acts as the aggressor, the Western coalition, as usual, only repels the attack. Battles are fought not only in Europe, but also in Russia and the United States. The protagonist of the game is the brave American officer Parker, on behalf of whom all the events of the plot are presented.

Each of the three factions has its own unique technique. In total, there are four types of combat units in World in Conflict: infantry, armored vehicles, aircraft, and auxiliary units. At the beginning of the company, the player chooses one of the specializations, and during the entire passage he will have access to bonus features in one of the four types of units. The battles are in real time, you do not need to equip the economy and the base at all.

StarCraft II

Release date: 2010

Genre: RTS

StarCraft II is one of the most famous strategy games. It features modern graphics and carefully thought-out game balance. As in the previous part of the franchise, there are three races in StarCraft - earthlings, zerg and protoss. Each has its own interests, as a result, majestic events are intertwined into a fascinating story - this is what the series of games is famous for among hardcore users.

In the game, battles and the economy play an equally important role. There are only two types of resources - minerals and Vespene gas, necessary for the construction of buildings and the recruitment of troops. The battles proceed at breakneck speed, require the user's ingenuity and microcontrol. During the story campaigns, you will have to control the heroes, but in a simple game, this will not be possible. StarCraft 2 is one of the most popular esports disciplines.

Total War: Shogun 2

Release date: 2011

AT Total War: Shogun 2 practically no innovation. The gameplay is the same as in other games in the series, but the actions from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East are transferred to the Japanese islands of the era of feudal fragmentation. Accordingly, the types of combat units and the appearance of cities have changed. The provinces of the state clashed in a deadly battle, and the player's task is to take control of one of them and unite the country into an empire.

In Shogun 2, the gameplay is divided into two stages - the global map of Japan, the moves in which take place in turn-based mode, and tactical map battles, on which battles take place in real time. At any moment of the battle, you can pause, and then give orders to units. In addition to battles in the open field, the opportunity to conduct sieges is provided, which adds variety to the game. Diplomacy also plays a big role.

Wargame: European Escalation

Release date: 2012

Genre: RTS

Wargame: Europe on Fire is a game that simulates the events of a hypothetical European global war between NATO and the Soviet bloc. There are four campaigns in total, and two of them are for the Soviet Union. The goal is to capture territory and destroy enemy forces. The European Escalation features the richest selection of units - about 800 vehicles from several European countries.

A distinctive feature of Wargame: European Escalation is that the economic system is simplified as much as possible. There is no need to extract resources and build cities; instead, reinforcements are bought for experience points obtained by successfully completing mission tasks. The combat characteristics of each unit are influenced by many factors - morale, experience, ammunition supply, etc.

Wargame: Airland Battle

Release date: 2013

Genre: RTS

Wargame: AirLand Battle is the continuation of the previous game in the European Escalation series, which tells about the transformation of a cold confrontation between superpowers into a hot conflict. Events take place in the same period of time, that is, the turn of the 70s and 80s of the last century. In a military clash, the western and eastern countries of Europe converged, but fighting moved to Scandinavia.

AirLand Battle still has a huge number of vehicles (over 800) and a simplified economic system without resource extraction. But there are also important innovations, for example, the course of battles depends on changing weather conditions, the nature of the fighting in the city has changed. The single-player campaign is given an element of non-linearity, which gives the player some freedom of choice.

Total War: Rome 2

Release date: 2013

Genre: turn-based strategy, grand strategy, RTS

Total War: Rome 2 is the sequel to the cult series of strategy games. The basics of the gameplay as a whole are the same, but interesting innovations have also been added. For example, the number of states has increased to 117, and the number of types of military units has exceeded 500. Adding to this the increased number of units, we get battles never seen before with the participation of tens of thousands of fighters.

The rest of the gameplay is familiar from previous Total War games - a global map where the economy is carried out, cities are built, and diplomacy is conducted, and a tactical map where real-time battles take place. Rome 2 is a unique example of a platform that is equally interesting for connoisseurs of both combat and economic strategies. The passage of even the basic campaign stretches for months of exciting gameplay.

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We will start our top of the best strategies in the genre with the already forgotten, but revolutionary game Spore. Don't be fooled by the cartoony graphics, because the game of the legendary Sid Meier is, by the level of scale, a real No Mans Sky from the world of strategy. At its core, Spore is a God simulator. In strategy, we create a civilization with our own hands and bring it from a rudimentary cellular state to a super-race, freely plowing the vast expanses of space.

The main feature of Spore is that each stage of civilization development in the game offers a unique gameplay:

• Cell. The initial stage of evolution in a game where the strongest survive. Wallowing in the primordial soup and eating other cellular organisms
• Creature. We get out on land, create cool Frankensteins and feast on the inhabitants of the land world
• Tribe. At this stage, Spore is reminiscent of the usual Age of Empires-like building strategies: gathering resources, building armies, and raiding rival tribes in the game
• Civilization. As you might guess, this time the game offers gameplay in the style of Civilization strategies: we are expanding into competing powers. Available as a force method, and the ability to conquer cities through diplomacy
• Space. We go through thorns to the stars. The main goal of the last stage of the strategy is to reach the center of the galaxy (thousands of randomly generated star systems are included)

So why does Spore, for all its scale, rank last in the top 10 best strategy games? The problem is that in an attempt to provide the player with a maximum of interesting mechanics, the developers have not brought any of them to a competitive level.

9th place: Command and Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars

If you like classic building strategies, then you should pay attention to the Command and Conquer series, based on the mechanics of the cult strategy Dune 2. When reviewing the entire variety of projects in the series, we prefer Command and Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. The game skillfully sits on two chairs and for beginners in the real-time strategy genre will offer colorful graphics and understandable gameplay. And the oldfags will be satisfied with the interesting gameplay, with the overall simplicity, giving a huge scope for tactical maneuvers, thanks to the motley equipment and soldiers.

"Tiberium Wars" is especially valuable for the plot and Hollywood gloss that oozes from every crack of the game. The strategy comes from those bearded days when the RTS genre was at the forefront of the mainstream. That is why Electronic Arts was not afraid to pour colossal resources into the game and shoot long cinematic videos with the involvement of Hollywood stars. Thus, playing Tiberium Wars is the best choice for fans of single projects, who, in fact, do not particularly like to build a base and understand other intricacies of strategies.

8th place: Supreme Commander

Against the backdrop of the expensive and spectacular "Tiberium Wars" in 2007, Supreme Commander was completely undeservedly lost, which at first glance caused skepticism due to:

• Mediocre graphics
• Cumbersome and inconvenient interface
• Slow gameplay

But even taking into account all the claims, Supreme Commander often gets into the top 100 strategies. The reason lies in the same scale that attracts attention in single-player strategies. Forget skirmishes with tiny squads, Supreme Commander is played with hundreds of fighters and the enemy in the game is always ready to send a new army of soldiers, which turns the strategy into a dynamic carnage on a planetary scale.

Nobody forgot about tactics either, and most often the review of the field of action has to be carried out from a bird's eye view, which is why the gameplay resembles a strategic version of chess. Don't forget about the ability to play online.

7th place: Stronghold

The cult Stronghold continues our top best strategies on PC. The game was released almost 20 years ago and still does not lose in popularity, forcing gamers to fill up search engines with requests like "Recommend a game like Stronghold." Another thing is that it is quite difficult to find such a game, since Stronghold on the PC is in many ways a unique genre vinaigrette among strategies that combine both single large-scale wars with base building and a city-building simulator with state management. Moreover, all aspects of the game organically complement each other.

Taking the scepter of the monarch in your hands and ruling the town in the Middle Ages, you can come to total domination both by dictatorial and peaceful means. Workers and military alike demand healthy food as well as a gentrified city where there are always cool options for leisure. But what if resources are at a minimum and smerds are preparing a new rebellion against the king? Take care of the torture substring and crush the uprising. It is up to you to decide what kind of person you will go down in the history of the game.

6th place: Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War

The developers at Relic have a reputation for being masters, each project of which makes a huge contribution to the development of modern strategy games. Among the rich portfolio of developers, we especially note Dawn of War, created based on a universe that skillfully combined the future and fantasy. It is thanks to the skillfully chosen universe that the Dawn of War strategy allows you to create a fierce battle, where each fighter can show his strength both in ranged and close combat.

Main features of Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War:

• Shifting focus from building bases to tactical combat
• Each squad has a morale scale, which requires you to carefully monitor military battles
• A list of 9 unique races (including the Soulstorm expansion) with transport and attack units, requiring different tactical approaches from the player
• Realistic animation and selection of juicy finishing moves
• An epic universe and a cool opportunity to crush a heretic with the steel fist of a dreadnought. What for? For the glory of the emperor!

Even considering that the Warhammer 40,000 series of games already has 3 projects, each of which offers interesting and unique approaches to gameplay, it was the original Dawn of War that became a kind of “GOST” in and deservedly falls into the best PC games among strategies.

5th place: Total War Shogun 2

Our game rating strategy would be completely out of place without mentioning the great (no, seriously, just look at how large-scale battles are here) and popular games from the Total War series. All releases of the series share several important features: colossal battles involving several thousand fighters, realistic and authentically recreated historical eras, cool graphics and the division of the game into a strategic (with the capture of territories, diplomacy and other moments familiar to Civilization) and a tactical part in real time.

Total War is still the liveliest of all living things, but the series showed itself best in Shogun 2, which touches on the stage of feudal wars in Japan. The game is as friendly as possible to beginners, but for those who like to play thoughtfully, Shogun 2 offers the most sophisticated strategic part. A separate pillar is the mechanics of generals, who can unite in strategies with dynastic unions, occupy administrative posts and generally make it look like they are controlled not by a computer, but by a real player.

4th place: StarCraft 2

Approaching the top of the ranking, it's time to recall the existence of Blizzard, creating the most popular strategy games in the world. But this is the case when popularity does not harm the quality and depth of games at all. The original Starcraft was able to build and polish the gameplay foundation for the entire strategy genre, offering several unique races and units, each with strengths and weaknesses.

The strategy sequel called Starcraft 2, announced 9 years later, did not bring significant innovation and was released over the course of three separate games:

• Wings of Liberty
• Heart of the Swarm
• Legacy of the Void

Getting Starcraft 2 in the top strategy games is due to the same quality for modern Blizzard creations and the status of "a game for everyone." It is recommended to play the strategy both for gamers who prefer single-player battles with cool graphics and a spectacular plot, and for real online maniacs who play over the network, are able to make one hundred clicks per second on the computer mouse and know simple ways to destroy five builders in five minutes enemy base.

Important note: since 2017, the games of the Starcraft 2 trilogy have become completely free and this best gift for everyone who loves computer strategy.

3rd Place Sid Meier's Civilization VI

In its almost 30-year history, the Civilization series has earned a reputation as a real forge, relentlessly releasing the best turn-based strategy games on the PC. The gameplay backbone for all strategy games is the same: we take on the role of God, who builds civilization from its very foundations to the creation of a superpower. Do not confuse Spore, where all elements of the game are rudimentary. Civilization focuses only on the human species and offers such rich and complex gameplay that newcomers to strategy can easily become dizzy with an abundance of possibilities.

So why did we make Civilization VI in the top ten best games of all time on PC in the strategy genre? It's simple: the game not only got new graphics and retained the concept, where we are engaged in capturing territories, developing transport infrastructure and leading historical powers through the gloomy Stone Age and the Middle Ages into a happy (or not so) future of the 22nd century, but also methodically developed all the elements of the strategy .

Old fans of Civilization VI will be pleased with:

• Advanced AI of computer opponents, which now act according to their historical prototypes
• Branched technology tree
• Possibility to win with one religion
• Updated system of generals and great people

But for newcomers to the series, only sad news: the game has become even more complex, confusing and clearly not designed for gamers who love easy building strategies to kill a minute or two of time.

2nd place Heroes of Might and Magic 3

We perfectly imagine how you could already be tired of the old and beaten cliché like "ageless classic". But what can you do if such words are best suited to describe the third part of the great "Heroes". The popular fantasy game will soon celebrate its second decade from its release date, but it still remains the benchmark for entertainment for turn-based strategy fans.

The formula for success, as always, is simple and ingenious:

• 8 unique races
• Excellent balance
• Easy and uncluttered gameplay
• And a colossal scope for tactics due to numerous, seemingly insignificant nuances

Important differences from the previous parts: the abundance of role-playing elements. The hero is no longer just an extra. As befits any commander, he takes an active part in the battle thanks to the ability to use magic and try on unique items to strengthen the army. And add to this the need to build your own state, look for valuable resources and travel through the game world full of dangers and you will get a legal and cool drug.

In addition, there is no need to go online to play with friends - just one computer and a company of comrades who know a lot about computer strategies are enough.

1st place: Warcraft III

Admit it, you are probably not at all surprised by the leader of our top best strategies? To confirm the cult status of Warcraft 3, it is enough just the fact that after 16 years the strategy is still one of the world's major cyber disciplines and gives gamers hundreds of thousands of dollars for prizes. But the standard gameplay built into the absolute with building bases, unique races and units working according to the rock-paper-scissors technique is only half the success of the third Warcraft.

Another moment is an epic story campaign with one of the best stories in the history of strategy, served with the help of spectacular videos familiar to Blizzard. It’s really interesting to follow the story of Artes’ desertion, and the general plot with a dozen colorful characters spins so fast that after completing the strategy, you just want to give the highest rating and throw money at the monitor, just to see the continuation of the intriguing story. But Bllizard keeps deathly silence. However, the king of Warcraft 3 strategies is still in front of us and nothing will stop us from spending another dozen happy hours in Lordaeron.

See even more high-quality computer games in the selection and in.