The Best Of The Best of Strategy Games To Play In 2025
We’re finally here! The final part of the biggest list I have ever made is about the 100 Best Strategy Games to Play in 2025! Now we are going to cover the best of the best, la creme de la creme, the GOATs of strategy gaming! From some of the most exciting real-time strategy games such as Starcraft 2 and Door Kickers 2 to grand-strategy, century-spanning empire-building in Europa Universalis IV, this list is a compilation of every strategy game every player should have in their library! Grab a cookie, and some coffee, and join me!
25 – Ultimate General: Civil War
Ultimate General: Civil War is a masterclass for delivering a deeply immersive historical tactical experience, placing players in command of either the Union or Confederate armies during the American Civil War. Expertly well-designed and easy to use, with one of the best user interfaces of all time, this game distinguishes itself through its meticulous attention to historical authenticity, featuring detailed maps, and unit behaviour, and it’s one of the few American Civil War strategy games to have a campaign. Ultimate General: Civil War, is still my go-to when it comes to this conflict, and certainly a strategy game every player should play, at least once, if they want to experience what’s like to have an in-depth strategy game with a challenging AI set in this iconic conflict. If you’re looking for an American Civil War real-time strategy game (RTS), then Ultimate General: Civil War, is the game you’re looking for. This title is usually very cheap on Steam sales as well.
24 – Planet Coaster 2
Planet Coaster 2 came out in November of 2024 and had a rough launch, being rather buggy and incomplete. Fortunately, the Frontier Developments team has been hard at work fixing all the issues and adding new features, so the game’s coming together rather nicely. Expanding upon the first title of the series, Planet Coaster 2 allows players to build their own roller coaster and theme parks, but adds an amazing twist for people like me: You can build your water parks as well, fully complete with custom-made water slides you can customize to minute detail! The game allows players to do pretty much everything you expect when it comes to managing a park: build it, hire for it, manage its finances and human resources, keep everything running smoothly, and most of all, keep your guests happy and paying! If you’re looking for a management strategy game that’s both in-depth and fun, then Planet Coaster 2 is certainly the game you’re looking to play in this coming summer season.
22 – Starcraft 2
For nearly a decade Starcraft II dominated every “best of” list of strategy games since the moment it came out. Created by Blizzard Entertainment, Starcraft II is a real-time strategy (RTS) game set in a futuristic, science fiction universe where players control one of three distinct factions: the versatile Terrans, the highly advanced Protoss, or the hordes of the insect-like Zerg. The game emphasizes fast-paced tactical gameplay, resource management, and strategic combat, with players gathering resources, building bases, and commanding armies to outmanoeuvre and outsmart their opponents. The game became synonymous with two things: its very successful esports scene, and its rich single-player campaign, which is one of the best, if not the all-time best campaign in all of real-time strategy (RTS) games history.
With its innovative gameplay, deep strategic depth, and rich lore, Starcraft II continues to be a defining title in the RTS genre. Its focus on real-time, instant decision-making, resource management, and intense tactical battles makes it a standout choice for strategy enthusiasts in 2025 who love exciting battles, quick reflexes, and having some of the best APM (actions per minute) out there.
23 – Mini Motorways
Don’t be misled by the looks of Mini Motorways. This is a strategy game that manages to offer a deceptively simple yet deeply engaging puzzle-strategy experience, challenging players to design and manage the ever-growing road networks of dynamic cities. Players are tasked with the seemingly straightforward goal of connecting coloured houses to their corresponding destinations, but as cities expand, traffic congestion becomes a formidable challenge. With its minimalist aesthetic, intuitive gameplay (of dragging and plopping tiles), and the emergent complexity that arises from its procedurally generated urban landscapes that will grow until even placing a single road can be a make-or-break moment, Mini Motorways is an addicting experience that will keep you coming back for more, in an attempt to chase the ever-growing high scores of other talented players. Mini Motorways, alongside FTL: Faster Than Light and ISLANDERS, completes the trilogy of titles permanently installed in every system I own.
21 – Door Kickers 2
When Door Kickers 2 went into Early Access, in 2021, I called it a classic in the making. I’m happy to say that I wasn’t wrong, and with version 1.0 just recently released, in February of 2025, Door Kickers 2 is one of the best real-time strategy games (with pause) on the market, right now. You’re in control of a group of special operatives on counter-terrorist missions in the fictional Middle Eastern country of Nowheraki. You equip your guys, plan all of their movements with the utmost precision, and watch the mission unfold. If everything goes well, you won’t even have to pause the game to adjust your planning. The game is played using a top-down view to strategically position units, breach doors (or walls), designate fields of fire, and neutralize threats while minimizing civilian and your own casualties. The game offers a dynamic mix of real-time action and tactical decision-making, where each moment can change the course of the mission, and if you’re a perfectionist, this game is going to devour hours of your free time. If you love focusing on tactical execution, team coordination, and high-stakes planning, then Door Kickers 2 might just be the game you’re looking for.
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