The 10 Best Grand Strategy Games You Can Play In 2025 Header Image

The 10 Best Grand Strategy Games You Can Play In 2025

1 – Stellaris

I don’t think anyone would even dare argue with the number one spot on this list, with Stellaris being crowned as the undisputed king of grand strategy in 2025. What makes it the best is its “story engine” — its ability to generate a unique, unpredictable narrative in every single playthrough, with millions of possibilities at the start of every playthrough. Players are not just building a space empire; they are protagonists in a massive sci-fi epic, where you must react to crises, explore new worlds, and interact with a truly dynamic galaxy. After a decade of major updates and DLCs, including the recent BioGenesis and Shadows of the Shroud expansions, the game is in a complete and refined state, offering an unparalleled mix of strategic depth and emergent storytelling that is second to none.

Genre of Grand Strategy In 2025 Is More Alive Than It Has Ever Been

We have gone over the best grand-strategy games you can play in 2025, and whether you’re a seasoned veteran of Paradox titles or a newcomer looking to tap into this fantastic genre of strategy, the world of grand strategy in 2025 is richer and more accessible than ever before. The titles on this list represent the pinnacle of the genre, each offering a unique and deeply satisfying experience. From the social, economic, and military ventures of medieval times with Field of Glory: Kingdoms, into the far-flung future minutiae of games like Distant Worlds and Terra Invicta, these are the games that prove that true strategy is more than simple tactical combat. They are about building, managing, and creating a story that is yours alone, one turn at a time. The only question now is: which grand empire will you choose to forge first?

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23 responses to “The 10 Best Grand Strategy Games You Can Play In 2025”

  1. jo Avatar
    jo

    Not going to lie. TOP 20 or whatever posts are getting boring Nuno. New people may come due to algorithms, but I dont think they will stay. I could be wrong though.

    Reply
    1. Sir Nuno Avatar
      Sir Nuno

      Fair criticism, but a lot of people stay. I went from an average 1000 daily views to 3000, with some spikes going as high as 50.000. This is putting the website on the map a lot, and I have to adapt to keep it working and growing, otherwise it’s not sustainable. I’ve been diversifying content and creating a lot more stuff. I just announced I’ll be starting a shorter, new review format.

      Cheers!

      Reply
    2. Frahma Avatar
      Frahma

      I didn’t know some of these games. So I appreciate these type of articles.

      Reply
      1. Sir Nuno Avatar
        Sir Nuno

        Amazing!

  2. Paratoxic Avatar
    Paratoxic

    I’ve been coming here fairly regularly. However, you just lost whatever credibility you might have had. I don’t know how much Paradox paid you, but I hope it was worth it.

    Victoria 3 is absolute trash. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. Your description could have been written by Paradox’s marketing team.Was it?

    When you praise games that we know are garbage, we learn that you aren’t trustworthy.

    Reply
    1. Sir Nuno Avatar
      Sir Nuno

      That’s a lot of hate for Vic3. They didn’t pay me, but if they did, I would take it ahaha

      Reply
    2. GodSsJ Avatar
      GodSsJ

      Paradox is just dominant in this field. Not his fault most great titles in this genre are from a company thats experienced im doing it.I am still surprised I did not see Crusader Kings 2 or 3 here, as IMO is superior even to stellaris but obviously that’s just my personal opinion.

      Reply
      1. Sir Nuno Avatar
        Sir Nuno

        I wish Paradox would pay me. If they did, all this list would have been theirs lol

      2. thankprop Avatar
        thankprop

        Agree 100% on CK2, to me it was deeper and more goal oriented than CK3.

      3. Sir Nuno Avatar
        Sir Nuno

        I think CK3 is still a work in progress, it will get there!

    3. Saiko Avatar
      Saiko

      When did you last play Vicky 3? It has gotten pretty good now. It’s obviously smaller in scope than their other titles, but for what it is its pretty decent and fun now, and every patch (with ot without dlcs) improves it.

      But its not for everyone ofc, you need to enjoy its specific gameplay loop.

      Reply
      1. Sir Nuno Avatar
        Sir Nuno

        The game is cool. Victoria 3 launched poorly, it’s a great game now

  3. Chuck Avatar
    Chuck

    BAR Beyond all reason… awesome!

    Reply
    1. Sir Nuno Avatar
      Sir Nuno

      Awesome!

      Reply
  4. Ted Pudlik Avatar
    Ted Pudlik

    Well-reasoned list: I played most of these, and they’re good picks.
    Recently I’ve been trying to find a good game to play “on the go” on my Android phone. Is there anything worth recommending for mobile, for someone who appreciates the “meatier” PC titles?

    Reply
  5. D Avatar
    D

    While Hoi4 may seem easy, I can say from experience it’s not. 2000 hour+ players still have no clue how navy is intended to work.

    Reply
    1. Sir Nuno Avatar
      Sir Nuno

      I think it’s rather easy to learn

      Reply
  6. Ted Avatar
    Ted

    No mention of Solarium Infernum? This is one of the better grand strategy games out today. A lot of the games listed are 4x. 4x and grand strategy are almost the same genre. The difference is one has a gog of war and the other foes not.

    Reply
    1. Sir Nuno Avatar
      Sir Nuno

      Haven’t played it yet

      Reply
  7. reallyoptimisticaee07e833f Avatar
    reallyoptimisticaee07e833f

    Does anyone like Rule The Waves games? Looks like work, not fun to me…

    Reply
    1. Sir Nuno Avatar
      Sir Nuno

      I think a lot of people do love it. Just because it’s so unique and you can’t find anything else on the market that’s as good or better as Rule the Waves. Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnoughts was supposed to be that game, but we all saw how that turned out…

      Reply
  8. thankprop Avatar
    thankprop

    Love these lists, they are right up my alley. This one is spot on, its basically my Hall of Fame section of steam. The only one I havent played is Terra Invicta, and from what I see Im ready to order it. Thanks Nuno, you are the man.

    Reply
    1. Sir Nuno Avatar
      Sir Nuno

      Thank you so much! You should give it a go. It’s a different experience when compared to pretty much every other Grand Strategy game. Very unique.

      Reply

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