Small wallet? No Problemo! These Amazing Strategy Games Are So Cheap Money won’t Be A Problem

I’ve been putting together some rather extensive lists as of late, with in-depth descriptions of all the games, but this time I’m going to shake things up a bit and give you exactly what you need: 50 amazing, but very cheap strategy games for those of you on a tight budget, looking for new games to enjoy! This is something I haven’t seen anywhere else, and I think a lot of people could benefit from it, especially during the Steam Autumn Sale of 2025.

This list is in no specific order, just a small description and the price in dollars.

From Free To 5 Dollars

Battle for Wesnoth – Free

Heroes of Might and Magic meets Civilization but it’s free. Go give it a try.

Islanders – $ 1.24

One of my favorite chill games: get some buildings, plop them on an island, receive points for good placement, combo more buildings for more points, and repeat until you win the scenario and move to another island, or lose, and your run is over.

Infested Planet – $ 1.94

Very cool little game about commanding a team of space marines against endless waves of aliens.

Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game – $ 1.99

It’s Hearts of Iron, but a lot simpler than Hearts of Iron III and IV and for a fraction of the cost.

Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds Saga – $ 2.09

It’s literally Age of Empires with a Star Wars skin. I love it.

Monster Train – $ 2.49

The second-best rogue-lite deckbuilder ever made, with extra steps because there are now creatures and floors.

Impossible Creatures – $ 2.49

Age of Empires, but instead of fighting with Cataphracs and Spanish Conquistadors, you splice giraffes and rhinos together.

Supreme Commander – $ 2.59

That real-time strategy game everyone pesters me about if I don’t include it on a list. It must be good.

XCOM 2 – $2.99

It’s the second entry to the best strategy game ever made.

Roma Invicta – $ 2.99

There’s a grand strategy turn-based layer with a real-time, pixelated art-style battle system. I won’t make the joke about having Total War at home because it costs just 3 dollars.

Two Point Campus – $ 2.99

Did you ever want to manage a University campus? If yes, then this is the game for you. If not, well…

Bad North: Jotunn Edition – $ 2.99

Remember that time when strategy game developers all thought that simplifying the mechanics was a good thing? Well, it wasn’t, that is, unless you’re Bad North.

Frostpunk – $ 2.99

Survival strategy game where you must eat people and use child labor to prosper.

Homeworld Remastered Collection – $ 3.49

It’s Homeworld, the game with the best real-time strategy space combat to ever grace our screens.

Dicey Dungeons – $ 3.74

I spent two weeks in 2019 playing this game when it came out, during my holidays. It’s a roguelite deckbuilder and card battler.

DEFCON – $ 3.59

Remember the movie Wargames? Well, this is that.

Old World – $ 3.99

It’s Civilization, but exclusively for antiquity. Great game, a mix between Civilization and Crusader Kings, too.

Transport Fever 2 – $ 3.99

A much more complicated version of MiniMotorways, said by many to be one of the best management games ever, you’ll be creating routes on land, air, and sea.

Company of Heroes – $ 3.99

The best World War 2 real-time strategy game ever made.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – $ 3.99

Can you imagine if Assassin’s Creed: Shadows was actually good? Well, then it would be Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, the best stealth strategy game ever made.

Unity of Command II – $ 4.49

One of the best wargames for beginners, which teaches the basics of the genre, but might be too simplistic and puzzle-like for those who enjoy some freedom. Worth a try.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition – $ 4.99

The game that started one of the most iconic series of games ever made, now in glorious 4K for less than a fiver, now in glorious 4K.

Stronghold: Definitive Edition – $ 4.99

One of my favorite games of all time, and one of the best city-builders ever, with great combat. Go buy it.

Galactic Civilizations II: Ultimate Edition – $ 4.99

Yet another one of those titles that, if I don’t put it on every single list, people will email me or comment saying how stupid I am. All jokes aside, it’s an amazing 4X game set in space, but a bit old.

The Banner Saga – $ 4.99

Turn-based RPG with a story about the end of the world. Very nice.

Valkyria Chronicles – $ 4.99

Turn-based tactics RPG with no waifus, but an amazing story that’s very similar to World War 2, except it has magical weapons.

Xenonauts – $ 4.99

XCOM, but more complex and with worse graphics.

Sim City 4 – $ 4.99

The second-best city builder ever made, but it still has one of the best art styles of any game, ever.

Door Kickers – $ 4.99

This is not a game about refurbishing old homes or doing construction work; it’s about clearing out old houses of evil ne’er-do-wells and then letting someone else fix the holes in the walls.

Armoured Commander – $ 4.99

A tank game with ASCII graphics, you can command almost any tank in World War 2.

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