Strategy games have consistently been one of the most popular and beloved genres in the gaming world. Whether it’s the thrill of tactical combat, resource management, or intricate decision-making, these games offer players a lot of challenges to overcome. But with so many new strategy games released each year, which ones truly stand out? In this article, I’ll explore the best-rated strategy game of the year, every year, for the past 20 years. From iconic turn-based strategy games to cutting-edge real-time strategy titles, I’ll dive into what made each game a standout, examining how they shaped the genre and became fan favourites. Whether you’re a long-time strategy enthusiast or a newcomer, this retrospective on the top strategy games of the past two decades offers insights into the evolution of strategic gameplay.
It’s very interesting to see what game reviewers valued most each year and how it evolved over the years. I basically used Metacritic for this, compiled all the results, and added my commentary, whether I agreed or not, and what other games were the runner-ups.
Next time, I’ll also explore the best-rated strategy games of the year, every year for 20 years, ranked by player score, and it’s going to be really fun to see how they compare to this one.
2004 – Rome: Total War – 92
Rome: Total War might have not seen the 10 million sales that Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 saw when it came out, in 2004, but it certainly left a mark on every single person who played it, and I’m sure it set alight the flames that inspired many future historians, I sure met a few in university. For the first time in a videogame, battles felt like real-life battles, both in scale, spectacle and strategy. Pair that with an awesome turn-based campaign that offered a massive map of Europe and Northern Africa to conquer, and Rome: Total War was already a classic before it even hit retail shelves. I fondly remember spending hours of my Friday afternoons in school recreating battles and tactics in my head, anxiously anticipating the weekend of gaming that was almost upon me. One of the best real-time strategy games of all time.
2005 – Civilization IV – Rating – 94
Every time I write one of these lists it’s only a matter of time until Civilization shows up. First, it was one of the best strategy games ever made, then one of the top-selling strategy games ever, and now, it’s also one of the highest-rated games to be put to code. Civilization IV is also my favourite title of the whole series, mainly because it was a massive jump in quality and gameplay variety when compared to the previous games. Every time I started a new campaign I felt that the possibilities were endless and that the only limit to my strategy was my imagination. I spent many a night playing it hot seat with a friend. Great memories.
2006 – Company of Heroes – 93
Company of Heroes is the second highest-rated game in this list, second only to the one that came before it, Civilization IV by a single point. It’s an honour well-deserved. Almost twenty years later, it can be hard to see just how innovative and fresh Company of Heroes felt when it came out. There were other World War 2 strategy games, like Panzers, Sudden Strike, Blitzkrieg, and World War II: Frontline Command, but Company of Heroes managed to capture the essence of what infantry combat in the Second World War, by introducing cover mechanics, suppression, and manoeuvrability. Even today, Company of Heroes is a must-play title for anyone who loves strategy games, or RTS.
Also, the second-best strategy game of 2006 was Medieval II: Total War, with 88 points. Don’t worry, Total War fans, you’ll have your time under the sun soon enough.
2007 – Galactic Civilizations II – 91
I’m surprised that this is the only game on this list that I haven’t played. Galactic Civilizations II is a grand-strategy/ 4X game where you’ll act as the ruler of a custom-created interplanetary civilization and your goal is to assure both the survival of your people and the expansion of your empire against a hostile galaxy. How you go about this, is your choice, by using diplomacy, trade, covert operations or just outright military conquest, the galaxy is your playground. One cool aspect I learned while researching Galactic Civilizations II is how you’re able to design and build your own ships, which is just one of those things that I love to have in my games. The game has three expansions, the Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords, the Dark Avatar and the Twilight of the Arnor.
In 2007, World in Conflict was a very close second, with 89 points.
2008 – Sins of a Solar Empire – 87
In 2024, Stardock Entertainment released Sins of a Solar Empire II and I’m glad to say that the formula they built nearly 20 years ago is very actual and well worth your time if you love space real-time strategy. So, no wonder that when Sins of a Solar Empire came out in 2008 it was immediately lauded as one of the best strategy games you could play, it mixed the spectacle and intensity of real-time strategy combat, while making you explore, expand and build your solar empire to fuel your war economy. It’s a mix made in heaven (the stars?) that works so well, that some fans of the series still prefer the original Sins of a Solar Empire. It also has a vibrant modding scene, keeping the game very fresh for those who are looking for new experiences.
2009 – Empire: Total War – 90
I can remember the release day of Empire: Total War like it was yesterday, and let me tell you, the hype building up to it was enormous, with Creative Assembly coming in hot after the amazing success that was Total War: Medieval 2. Several screenshots were hanging around online, and a lot of speculation as to how well the Total War formula was going to translate in the musket era. There was also a feeling that the series was evolving, and moving on to do greater and more innovative things. I loved Empire: Total War, the battles were massive, the graphics were spectacular, and for the first time ever, we could play naval battles. While almost everything was great about Empire: Total War, its AI was far from perfect, and it didn’t suit the new ranged combat all that well, as it would move erratically, use formations that made no sense, randomly moving charge forward and getting it fights it could never win.
2009 was a great year for strategy games, with Football Manager coming in second with 87, and Dawn of War II with 85 in third.
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