80 – Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew
I know I didn’t pen the most favorable review for Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew when it first came out, but I have grown into loving its more fantastical and open-world nature. Shadow Gambit is a stealth-strategy game -from the minds who created Shadow Tactics and Desperados 3- where you command a cursed pirate crew with supernatural abilities alongside a sentient ship. The expected tomfoolery ensues: you must fight the Inquisition by planning daring heists, infiltrate fortified islands, and use your abilities time to outsmart the threatening inquisitor’s minions. Each crew member has very unique powers, and alongside the game’s open-world nature, there’s a lot of space for creative players to dispatch enemies. It’s a fantastic stealthy romp across a vibrant Caribbean archipelago filled with fun characters, an interesting storyline, and, most of all, it’s an amazing playground for your crew’s abilities.
79 – Hard West 2
“Cowboys and demons fight each other” should be enough for a sales pitch, but in case you aren’t convinced: Hard West 2 is a turn-based tactical strategy game set in a dark, supernatural version of the American Wild West where players take control of a gang of outlaws as they navigate a world filled with demons, ghosts, and otherworldly forces. The game boils down to mostly being XCOM with cowboys alongside a unique cards-based combat system, as each character has access to special abilities and powers that can be used in clever and tactical ways during battles. There’s a massive campaign which is the main reason to play Hard West 2, but the worldbuilding is very compelling too. I think these characteristics make it a must-play for fans of tactical RPGs and those looking for a dark and thrilling experience in 2025.
78 – Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic
What Cities: Skylines is to the capitalist West, Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic is for the communist East: A city-building simulation that lets players build and manage a socialist republic during the Cold War era. Players must oversee the construction of infrastructure, manage production chains, and balance the needs of a growing population, all while maintaining absolute control over everything -As expected- since you’re building a communist’s dream, you are in charge of – literally – every aspect of the city. Also, you need to build roads, transportation networks, universities, schools, energy, harbors, trains, airports, powerlines, etc. I don’t think you’re quite understanding how in-depth the level of control is in Workers & Resources. This might scare some people off, but if you’re curious about the topic at hand, the game is perfect.
77 – Sins of a Solar Empire 2
It should come as no surprise that the best RTS of 2024, Sins of a Solar Empire 2 is still one of the best RTS of 2025. Almost two decades after the series debut, the formula of real-time strategy (RTS) and 4X hybrid that challenges players to dominate a vast, war-torn galaxy through warfare, diplomacy, trade, and research is still very much up to date, and I would argue it almost feels like a natural evolution of the large-scale RTS games. Building on the legacy of its predecessor, it features improved graphics, deeper tactical combat, and expanded empire management, offering a seamless blend of large-scale strategy and real-time battles. With massive space conflicts, intricate faction dynamics, and enhanced multiplayer options, Sins of a Solar Empire 2 delivers an immersive and complex strategy experience. You can read my Sins of a Solar Empires II review here.
76 – Football Manager 2024
My mate Cardoso would fight me if I didn’t put Football Manager 2024 here. He’s mean, like chihuahua kind of mean, so here it is: the best videogame for those of you who love football. Despite my constant joking about how Football Manager feels a lot like an over complicated tutorial for Excel, the matter of the fact is that the game’s massive database of players and in-depth simulation is a fertile ground for experimenting with true-to-life football tactics and, even better, living out your dream of becoming a coach for one of the world’s best football teams. If you like football, FIFA (or EA Sports), and love the idea of managing a team of highly skilled football players, there’s no better game than FM.
75 – Expeditions: Rome
Even though the average male thinks about the Roman Empire at least 5 times a day, the setting isn’t seeing a lot of new games as of late. So it was a nice surprise when we got to play the 2022 turn-based strategy and RPG Expeditions: Rome. Players take on the role of a Roman legate (which you create), tasked with leading their troops through key battles and political intrigue across the Mediterranean. The game combines tactical, squad-based combat with narrative-driven choices, where players must manage their army, make critical decisions that affect their fate, and navigate the complexities of Roman politics. It’s a nice story-driven experience of drama and political intrigue, peppered with amazing graphics and an incredible combat system. Well worth it if you still think about bringing back the old Empire to life in 2025.
74 – World in Conflict
If, like me, you’re patiently awaiting the release of Broken Arrow, set to come out later this year, I would highly advise you to play World in Conflict. Developed by Ubisoft (when they were a decent gaming developer/publisher), World in Conflict is a real-time strategy game set during the height of the Cold War, where players control military forces in an alternate history where the Soviet Union invades Western Europe. The game emphasizes large-scale, fast-paced combat, with players commanding infantry, tanks, and aircraft while utilizing powerful support abilities to change the course of battles. Despite its age, the game still has some stunning visuals and is one of the best campaigns ever created for an RTS.
73 – WARNO
While WARNO might be the best game Eugen ever put to code, it’s still very close to the Wargame experience players have grown accustomed to. The reason why it’s here is that WARNO has a lot more single-player content than its predecessors, with a turn-based strategy campaign layer where you command large-scale operations where you’ll then engage in real-time strategy battles on massive battlefields. It’s extremely well made and as typical for Eugen, the game’s always getting new updates, constantly improving the game, and adding new content, with free and paid DLCs. It’s one of the more recent military RTS available, and one of the best as well.
72 – Islanders
Islanders is a relaxing city-building strategy game that focuses on creating beautiful island landscapes by strategically placing buildings and structures. Players are tasked with designing and expanding settlements on procedurally generated islands, where each building placement affects the development of the environment and the happiness of the inhabitants. If you want to challenge yourself the game’s randomly generated islands will have you strategically placing the buildings you’re given by the Gods of RNG to maximize your combos and achieve the highest possible score. Fail to meet the necessary points and it’s all back to the beginning. It’s a more puzzle-like experience, but its minimalistic design, soothing gameplay emphasis on creativity, and addicting combo system make it an ideal game for players looking for something a little less intense, and a nice and peaceful getaway.
71 – Two Point Museum
The Two Point series of games should be a household name by now, with the massive successes that were Two Point Hospital and Two Point Campus. In my country, we say that “there’s always a third”, so it’s natural that Two Point Museum– another simulation strategy game that lets players build and manage their museum, designing exhibits, curating collections, and attracting visitors from around the world- is just another massive success for the franchise. Set in the quirky and colorful world of Two Point Studios, players need to balance financial sheets alongside the needs of their museum visitors and employees, to provide everyone with an engaging experience that keeps them coming back for more!
With its charming art style, light-hearted (and sometimes hilarious) gameplay, and deep customization options, Two Point Museum offers a fun and laidback take on the management simulation genre. Whether you’re designing the perfect exhibit or navigating the challenges of running a successful institution, this Two Point Museum is one of the more recent games in this list, having come out in March of 2025.
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