6/18/2015

The50BestStrategyGamesEverMade|Rock,Paper,ShotgunPart9

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The50BestStrategyGamesEverMade
ByAdamSmithonApril24th,2015at7:00pm.
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The50BestStrategyGamesEverMade|Rock,Paper,ShotgunPart9

Postscript
WhataboutthoseXCOMandXCOMrankings,eh?WhataboutthelackofanyCommand&Conquerwhatsoever?
WhataboutKingofDragonPasssqueakingintothetopfive.Theresplentytodebateanddiscuss,andtheRPS
hiveminddoesntalwaysagreewithitself.Somethingtodowithmisalignednodesandacupofteathatwespilledon
themainframe.
Evenifyoudisagreewiththespecificrankingsanditdbepeculiarifyoudidntdisagreewithatleastoneofthem
hopefullyyoullfindthisausefulcompilationofthebestthatstrategygaminghastooffer.Diverseinplaystyle,
difficulty,mechanicsandsetting,itmightwellbetherichestgenreinallofGamesdom,andthislistisasmucha
celebrationofthatasanattempttomakegamesfightoneanother.IfyourewonderingaboutHonourableMentions,
checktheWhatelseshouldIbeplayingentriesforeachgame.Theresplentymoretodiscover.
Thecompletelistisbelowbutfirst,someobservations:
TheDevelopers
SidMeiersnameappearsinthetitleofmoregamesthananyotherdeveloper,butthatstrueingeneralnotjuston
thislist.BrianReynoldswasleaddesignerontwogamesonthelist,however,RiseofNationsandsecondplaced
AlphaCentauri.Firaxisarethebestplaceddeveloper,havingbeenresponsibleforthetwotopgamesaswellas
twelfthplacedXCOM:EnemyUnknown.Paradoxhavetwogamesinthetoptwenty,asdoMicroProsedespite
havingeffectivelyclosedin2002.
Wargames?
Youhavetotravelallthewaydownto31onthelisttofindagamethatisntaboutviolentconflict,eitherdirectlyor
indirectly.However,thereareseveralgamesthatdontinvolveanycombatatall,includingRollercoasterTycoon,
whichallowsyoutobuildfatalfunfairridesinsteadofbuildingarmies.Eightofthegameshavethewordwarin
theirtitle.
FREE
NeptunesPride,DwarfFortress,ChampionshipManager01/02,M.U.L.E.andBattleforWesnothcanallbeplayed
forfree.
Setting
13arehistorical,13arefantasy,16arescifiand8are(approximately)modernday.

TheCompleteList
1CivilizationIV
2AlphaCentauri
3CrusaderKingsII
4SupremeCommander:ForgedAlliance
5KingofDragonPass
6UFO:EnemyUnknown
7TotalWar:Shogun2
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The50BestStrategyGamesEverMade|Rock,Paper,ShotgunPart9

7TotalWar:Shogun2
8EndlessLegend
9Homeworld
10JaggedAllianceII
11EuropaUniversalisIV
12XCOM:EnemyUnknown
13DistantWorlds:Universe
14DominionsIV
15SoliumInfernum
16MasterofOrionII
17NeptunesPride
18CompanyofHeroes
19PanzerCorps
20MenofWar
21StarCraftII
22UnityofCommand
23DEFCON
24GalacticCivilzations2
25AIWar
26DwarfFortress
27GaryGrigsbysWarintheEast
28RiseofNations
29Warhammer40K:DawnofWar
30Wargame:AirLandBattle
31ChampionshipManager:Season01/02
32Startopia
33SimCity4
34WarcraftIII
35AgeofWondersII
36TropicoIV
37M.U.L.E.
38FrozenSynapse
39HeroesofMightandMagicIII
40CombatMission:BattleForNormandy
41Myth
42GroundControl
43TheSettlersII
44BattleforWesnoth
45R.U.S.E.
46WarlordsII
47MasterofMagic
48Stronghold
49RollercoasterTycoon
50TransportTycoon
Page1Page2Page3Page4Page5Page6Page7Page8Page9
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SteamChargingForMods:ForAndAgainstNotChessWarhammer40,000:RegicideGameplayTrailer
AgeofWondersII:TheWizardsThrone,AIWar:FleetCommand,BattleForWesnoth,BestOf,BestOfStrategy,
BestStrategyGames,ChampionshipManager:Season01/02,CombatMission:BattleForNormandy,Companyof
Heroes,CrusaderKingsII,Defcon,DistantWorlds:Universe,DominionsIV,DwarfFortress,EndlessLegend,
EuropaUniversalisIV:ArtofWar,feaure,FootballManager2015,FrozenSynapse,GalacticCivilizations2,Gary
Grigsby'sWarInTheEast,GroundControl,HeroesofMight&MagicIIIHDEdition,HomeworldRemastered,
JaggedAlliance2:Reloaded,KingofDragonPass,M.U.L.E.,MasterofMagic,MasterofOrionII,MenOfWar,
Myth,Neptune'sPride,OpenTransportTycoonDeluxe,PanzerCorps,R.U.S.E.,RiseofNations,Rollercoaster
Tycoon,RPSRecommends,rpsultromegafeature,SidMeier'sAlphaCentauri,SidMeier'sCivilizationIV,SimCity
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