What is the Steam Autumn Sale?
The Steam Autumn Sale is an annual event hosted by Steam, the go-to online gaming store. During this sale, players can pick up games at discounted prices, including various strategy titles. Take full advantage of the Steam Autumn Sale to fill your library with amazing games. This year, even some of the best games of 2024 are on this list. There’s never been a better time to grab some of the best strategy games ever made. The sale runs until the 2nd of December.
My Top 25 Must-Have Recommendations
To put this list together, I considered various factors, like gameplay mechanics (and how unique they are), graphics, positive reviews, and overall popularity. My goal was to offer a mix of strategy games that will appeal to everyone, whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned pro with a collection of scars to show for it. I’ve organized them in the order I’d recommend picking them up. If you’re really looking for the best, the last 5 games are especially great value for your money!
25 – Marvel’s Midnight Suns
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a standout title that’s not only one of the best strategy games of 2022 but arguably one of the best in the turn-based strategy genre. I even went so far as to call it “perfect.” This tactical, turn-based RPG blends in some social elements between missions, which serve as both character-building moments and story progression. With its base of operations resembling the management system of XCOM, it’s no surprise—this game comes from the same team behind the classic XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2.
The concept is refreshingly simple: Create your own superhero and fight back against Lilith, who’s causing chaos. Whether you’re taking on main story missions or procedurally generated side quests, you’ll return to The Abbey, where you can explore, develop relationships with fellow heroes, and upgrade your abilities and base. It’s a familiar loop that captures the essence of XCOM but with a Marvel superhero twist. Don’t miss your chance to grab Marvel: Midnight Suns during the Steam Autumn Sale if you’re looking for an engaging, story-rich strategy game for pennies on the dollar.
24 – Field of Glory II: Medieval
If Crusader Kings 3 reigns as the king of grand strategy and medieval politics, then Field of Glory II: Medieval serves as its turn-based tactical counterpart. This game is a masterpiece of interconnected battle mechanics that perfectly simulates the realistic outcomes of medieval warfare. As a former historian, I can wholeheartedly recommend it as an exceptional teaching tool that’ll give you plausible outcomes almost 100% of the time. For enthusiasts of medieval combat, this game is a must. No Total War title, no matter how grand, can match FoG in its meticulous attention to detail, currently there’s no comparison when it comes to crafting realistic medieval battles.
23 – Into The Breach
Into The Breach—everyone’s favourite turn-based Kaiju extermination simulator of 2018—became a massive indie success. It’s truly one of the best turn-based games ever made. I’ve completed its campaign multiple times, experimenting with nearly every available squad. In the game, you control a team of three mechs tasked with fighting off an alien invasion, but instead of direct combat, your strategy revolves around manipulating the aliens’ positions. You’ll trick them into attacking their own, throw them into obstacles, or even off the map. It’s a brilliantly crafted experience that’s both challenging and incredibly rewarding. The game also has a bucketload of content and a lot of different mech teams to unlock and play around with.
22 – They Are Billions
Zombies provide the perfect backdrop for a real-time strategy game centred around the concept of “turtling.” Turtling, the tactic we all loved as kids, involves building a massive base with impenetrable defences and then sitting back, watching as wave after wave of AI enemies try (and hopefully fail) to breach your fortress. Inside, life goes on peacefully—your people live in a thriving, self-sustaining economy, blissfully unaware of the death and chaos just beyond your city walls.
They Are Billions is exactly that kind of game. As the mayor, your job is to construct defences so formidable they can withstand the onslaught of billions of zombies… or, more realistically, a few thousand. Released in 2019, They Are Billions is an underappreciated gem that never quite received the recognition it deserved, quickly fading from the public eye.
21 – The Great War: Western Front
Another unappreciated gem, The Great War: Western Front stands out as one of the best RTS games set during World War I (maybe the best), delivering a unique and captivating experience about one of humanity’s worst moments. Completing a single campaign can take well over 30 hours, with more time required if you decide to engage in every real-time battle. Set on the Western Front, the game naturally turns most encounters into brutal, meat-grinding struggles.
I praised it as one of the best RTS games of 2023. The Great War: Western Front blends large-scale strategic planning with the tactical control of units on the ground. This combination works remarkably well, despite some repetitiveness in the battles. Persistent terrain damage and evolving trench layouts across campaigns help keep things fresh, ensuring that even familiar battlegrounds remain engaging. The game’s ability to authentically capture the essence of World War I is especially impressive.
20 – Starship Troopers: Terran Command
Starship Troopers: Terran Command is a game that truly pays homage to the 1997 film, capturing their spirit with uncanny detail. With its stellar presentation and a campaign that will keep you engaged for a solid dozen hours, Starship Troopers: Terran Command delivers both combat depth and silly fun. The game features a massive variety of friendly and enemy units that are both movie-accurate and enjoyable to play with/against, all while presenting tactical challenges that will get your brain working. It’s an obvious must-buy for any fan of the series or anyone who loves a great real-time strategy experience.
If you’re a fan of the Starship Troopers universe or just looking for one of the best RTS campaigns since the days of Company of Heroes and Starcraft II, this game is for you. I even gave Terran Command a Strategy and Wargaming Golden Seal of Approval in 2021.
19 – Gates of Hell: Ostfront
Gates of Hell: Ostfront, personally, is the true successor to Men of War. Launching in 2021 after five years of development. It was not only highly praised by the Men of War community who flocked to it after being neglected for years, after the release of Assault Squad 2 but also built on a solid foundation to become what is arguably the best World War II RTS currently available—and certainly my personal favourite.
Gates of Hell has it all: expansive and scripted single-player campaigns, dynamic campaigns that last for dozens of hours, hundreds of meticulously detailed units and vehicles, an active multiplayer community, Steam Workshop integration with a thriving modding scene, and, best of all, the game’s constantly getting new updates and DLC. I have played the Airborne one, and it’s always a pleasure to be reunited with the 101st Airborne Division.s
It improves on everything Men of War did before, and as someone who played and reviewed Men of War 2, I can confidently say Gates of Hell is better in every aspect here to stay.
18 – Classified France ’44
Some might glance at the score I gave it in my review and think it’s a bit generous. My initial reaction was similar, but as you dive deeper into Classified France ’44, you’ll quickly discover plenty to be pleasantly surprised by. The very unique setting of operation behind the enemy lines as a resistance fighter in Classified France ’44 perfectly fits the expertly crafted turn-based tactical mechanics. The missions are thoughtfully designed. The squad management is fantastic, and an impressive variety of enemies all come together to make Classified France ’44 one of the standout strategy games of 2024. Let’s be honest, XCOM in World War 2, who wouldn’t love that?
17 – Tactical Breach Wizards
Tactical Breach Wizards is a charming, witty, and mostly well-designed game that definitely deserves your attention. Set in a World where magic is real, and used by special forces to throw people out of windows, it blends puzzle-solving with turn-based strategy in a way that feels mostly balanced throughout the campaign, allowing players to experiment with different moves and strategies without feeling overly restricted. The character dialogues between missions are hilarious, the game looks great, and at its price, it’s hard not to recommend. My only gripes with it are its somewhat uninspired unit abilities and the fact that it leans a bit too heavily into puzzle elements for my personal taste, but I’m clearly in the minority here, as the game packs an impressive 98% rating on Steam.
16 – Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front
Graviteam Tactics: Mius Front offers the ultimate World War II tactical experience with a 1:1 scale, and no game does it better—not even Combat Mission, and that’s my favourite series of wargames. This also means that Graviteam Tactics: Mius Front is a tough one to get into, requiring some tutorial watching and manual reading, but once you understand the intricacies, there’s nothing quite like it. Before diving in, you’ll need to learn how units lay wires on the field, which squads are within shouting range, and which require radio contact to perform their duties. No radio link? Your artillery commander won’t know where or when to fire. This game demands that you understand WWII tactics and unit organization. Mius Front doesn’t hold your hand, but it’s an absolutely marvellous experience.
There’s no better, more gritty, or realistic game, and for many, this might just be the best wargame ever made.
Leave a Reply