2019 – Command: Modern Operations
Despite going up against the likes of They Are Billions, Total War: Three Kingdoms, and Steel Disivion II, Command: Modern Operations is as close as you’re going to get as a consumer to military-grade simulation software. Well, as Tom pointed out, C: MO is very much in use by a lot of militaries, with its Professional Edition. Don’t be misled by this, as consumer-grade C: MO is probably the most detailed wargame ever created. It’s unit data based has tens of thousands of units, and weapon systems and it’s the go-to game if you want to accurately simulate any air and naval battle from the 1950’s onward. It might have a steep learning curve, but there’s nothing like it.
2020 – Crusader Kings 3
The real reason that Crusader Kings 3 is here, but not Crusader Kings 2 is two-fold. The first one is because Crusader Kings 2 was unfortunate enough to go against XCOM in 2012. The second is because Crusader Kings 3 is pretty much Crusader Kings 2 and it’s copious amount of content but with better graphics. If you’re looking for a game that simulates what medieval politics were like, you won’t find a better game or one that even comes close to it. Plot, scheme, bribe, assassinate, imprison, lie, cheat, and steal your way into the History books, as you turn families from lowly counts to mighty emperors. Each campaign is a saga on its own. I can’t recommend it enough. However, there were plenty of great contenders: Iron Harvest, Desperados 3, Gears Tactics, and XCOM Chimera Squad also saw the light of day in 2020.
2021 – Field of Glory II: Medieval
If Crusader Kings 3 is the king of grand strategy and medieval politics, Field of Glory II: Medieval is its turn-based tactical battle Constable. An absolute masterpiece of interconnected battle system that works perfectly to bring to life the most realistic outcomes of medieval encounters. As a former historian and someone who still keeps some ties to the academic world, I would wholeheartedly recommend this game as a teaching tool for any University professor wild enough. If you are a medieval warfare enthusiast, look no further. No Total War game, no matter how spectacular it is, can even come close to matching FoG in its craft. I was rather conflicted between Age of Empires IV and Field of Glory II: Medieval, but despite enjoying Age of Empires a lot, there’s no possible comparison if you’re looking for realistic medieval battles, and it just so happens that I’m a sucker for those.
2022 – Marvel: Midnight Suns
Oh boy, this is sure to ruffle some feathers here, but I truly believe that Marvel: Midnight Suns is not only one of the best games of 2022 but one of the best strategy games ever made. I even called it “perfect”. Marvel Midnight Suns is a tactical, turn-based RPG with some social element in-between missions that act as a jumping point to push forward the story (and there are a lot of stories here), and your base of operations, is a bit like XCOM. No wonder, since the team behind Marvel’s Midnight Suns was the one behind 2011’s classic and the 2018 iteration. The basic premise of the game is as simple as they come: Create your own superhero. Lilith is back and causing a ruckus. Go fight a main story or a side (randomly generated) mission -> go to The Abbey, explore for a bit, interact with the characters, evolve your base and abilities -> go on a main story or side mission. Repeat. In essence XCOM. If you’re looking for other great titles of 2022 I have a couple of recommendations: Starship Troopers: Terran Command, which I think takes the second place as the best strategy game of 2022, Terra Invicta right after, and Hard West 2 coming close. You also have Dune: Spice Wars, Songs of Conquest, and WARNO. Plenty of choice, and a fantastic year for gamers!
2023 – Jagged Alliance 3
It truly is an honor to be recognized as the best strategy games of 2023, in what was, arguably, one of the best years for gaming since 2004. Baldur’s Gate 3, Spider-Man 2, Amnesia: The Bunker, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, Dredge, Dave The Diver, Lies of P, Trepang2, Diablo IV, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, were all fantastic mainstream titles. In terms of strategy games, we had some standout titles like Company of Heroes 3, Phantom Brigade, and Second Front, but the one that stood out the most was Jagged Alliance 3! Initially, I was going to put Second Front here, as I named it my favorite game of 2023, but looking back, I find myself replaying Jagged Alliance 3 to this day, and not picking up Second Front as much as I was hoping. A fantastic return to form, and proof that in competent hands, the turn-based tactical genre can always get better. Finally, after all these years, we can say that Jagged Alliance is no longer a strategy series that had its high point in the mid-90s, and everything that came after is just the result of untalented studios riding the IP to snatch an easy paycheck. Jagged Alliance 3 is not only one of the best games in the series but one the best game to come out in 2023.
2024 – Manor Lords
Beware, as this is a temporary placement, as the year isn’t yet over, but we have plenty of competition, and I’m still gathering my thoughts: Sins of a Solar Empire 2, Age of Mythology: Retold, Tactical Breach Wizards, Classified France ’44, and Field of Glory: Kingdoms, to name but a few. I think that’s going to be hard to dethrone Manor Lords, though. At the heart of Manor Lords lies a captivating blend of city-building and real-time strategy. Manor Lords- is for the strategy genre- while Baldur’s Gate 3 is for role-playing games. What Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was for shooters, what Company of Heroes was for real-time strategy. It’s a game that sets new and high standards for the genre that everyone will be comparing future titles to. It’s not just a great video game, but the baseline to which every other Total War, Age of Empires, Cities: Skylines, Stronghold, etc. will be compared from now on.
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