10 – Call to Arms: Gates of Hell- Ostfront
If you’re looking for a World War 2 real-time strategy game (RTS) and can only play one, look no further than Call to Arms: Gates of Hell: Ostfront. Built on top of the Men of War series and engine, Gates of Hell delivers a unique blend of real-time strategy and tactical shooter elements, immersing players in the brutal realities of World War II with the depth of one of the most intricate strategy games ever built. The core gameplay centres on commanding combined arms forces, including infantry, tanks, and aircraft, in large-scale battles. The game also has several single-player campaigns (new ones are constantly being added by new DLCs), a dynamic campaign system, and one of the most active and vibrant multiplayer communities out of all strategy games out there. I personally love Gates of Hell, and I nominated it as the best real-time strategy (RTS) game you can play right now because it excels at both single-player and multiplayer. There’s also a massive modding scene alongside it, constantly updating it with new player-made content and a simple-to-use map mapping tool that allows you to create whatever scenario you want.
There are plenty of World War 2 and real-time strategy games in the market in 2025, but Gates of Hell is certainly the top-dog.
9 – Crusader Kings 3
What Manor Lords is for medieval city management and real-time battles, Crusader Kings 3 is for politics and kingdom-building. As a grand-strategy game, players take control of a noble house and then are set free in medieval Europe to do as they see fit, from going on conquering rampages to just trying to keep their lineage alive and prospering or, most recently, with a new DLC called Wondering Nobles, to go on adventures across the land as a character no longer attached to their land possessions. Players can do pretty much everything they can imagine to keep themselves in power and climb that medieval social ladder, and that means marital arranging, conspiracy plots, assassinations, and all kinds of other, unsavoury schemes that look like something straight out of Game of Thrones.
As much as a grand-strategy game as a role-playing game (RPG), Crusader Kings 3 is one of the best medieval strategy games of all time, and certainly, one of the best strategy games ever made, if you’re looking for a unique, character-based experience, there’s no better title to do it in 2025.
8 – Dominions 6 – Rise of the Pantokrator
Dominions 6 – Rise of the Pantokrator plunges players into a deeply intricate and highly strategic world of warring gods and otherworldly powers, offering one of the most unique blends of grand strategy, tactical battles, unit creation, mythological warfare, and some of the most insane spell-building mechanics of any other videogame. It’s hard to find a game as complex, as vast, and as intricate as the Dominions series. Dominions 6 – Rise of the Pantokrator is a game that distinguishes itself through its immense complexity, a vast array of playable nations inspired by diverse mythologies, and its focus on strategic depth over flashy visuals. Players assume the role of (pretender) gods, vying for dominion over a world populated by all kinds of weird and powerful magical creatures to become the one true God.
The core gameplay centres on managing a nation’s economy, military, and magical capabilities (spell-building), with a strong emphasis on tailoring your armies with its in-depth unit management system, and players can create some of the wildest moments of any strategy game. Dominions 6 – Rise of the Pantokrator isn’t the easiest game to get into, but if you get to know its systems and mechanics, it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in 2025, and it’s certainly a must-play for hardcore strategy enthusiasts looking for something new and different.
7 – Europa Universalis IV
I don’t think there’s a better, more elaborate, more beloved grand-strategy game than Europa Universalis IV, the Paradox classic that allows players to guide their nations from mid 15th century, all the way to the early 19th century, during the age of sail and the early modern era. It’s one of the games with the most historical depth, offering a complex simulation of politics, foreign diplomacy, overseas expansion and exploration, trade, and even warfare to a lesser degree. The core gameplay centres on empire-building, whether through military conquest, diplomacy, or economic expansion. Players must manage resources, develop their nation, and adapt to an ever-shifting historical landscape and events. Europa Universalis IV is my suggestion for players who love grand strategy and history and want to play one of the most interesting eras in human history and one that shaped the world we live in today to the highest degree.
6 – RimWorld
Look, RimWorld is a game that took direct inspiration from other games like Dwarf Fortress, but one that also managed to develop a following of its own, being probably the most played and loved colony-sim strategy game of all time, transcending just colony simulation, and offering a deeply engaging narrative generator where everything will go wrong, and you’ll have a lot of fun having to deal with it. Players oversee stranded colonists on a procedurally generated planet, navigating a complex web of survival challenges. The thing is, these colonists are not your average superhumans who can do everything to perfect. No, most of the time they’re just regular Joes and Janes with no talents and skills, making their survival quite the challenge, some can even be outright lazy, crazy and just a nuisance to deal with, so players might find themselves attempting to tactically dispose of them. Above all else, RimWorld is a fun and funny experience with some of the best colony-sim mechanics ever created, it’s one of the best strategy games ever made, and one every player should try at least once.
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