10 – Surviving Mars: Relaunched
Surviving Mars: Relaunched is a definitive, remastered edition of the award-winning sci-fi colony builder, and it came out on November 10, 2025. This updated version combines the base game with all previous DLC while adding entirely new systems, most notably the Martian Assembly, a political layer that lets players pass laws, balance faction interests, and strive for Mars’ independence from Earth if you so desire. This relaunched version has upgraded graphics, some UI tweaks, improved performance, and mod support. If you enjoyed the original game, and you ever wanted to do what Matt Damon did in The Martian but on a bigger scale, then consider giving Surviving Mars: Relaunched a go.
9 – AI War 2
AI War 2 could be a look into our near future if the AI obsession doesn’t let up, but I happily welcome our benevolent overlords. All jokes aside, this grand-strategy/RTS hybrid continues to be one of the most uniquely intelligent space strategy games in 2025, offering galaxy-spanning warfare where the enemy AI is not just reactive but strategically adaptive. It has something that I love in strategy games, and that’s a lot of asymmetry in its design. The player picks up the game when humanity has already lost the fight, and they’re now acting as a desperate resistance force fighting a vastly superior machine empire. It’s up to the player to now strategize how they want to expand, create new strategic avenues, and eventually defeat the AI. The dynamic systems in play ensure no two campaigns feel the same, and despite being a rather complex game (as most space games tend to be), AI War 2 remains remarkably accessible thanks to a good UI design. If you’re the kind of player who’s looking for a new, grand experience, I’ll gladly recommend AI War 2 at a moment’s notice.
8 – Terra Nil
This is a game for the pacifist gamer that lives inside all of us: Terra Nil. Just in case you haven’t heard of it, it’s a sort of strategy game in reverse. Do you know how in most strategy games you begin with very little, build up an army, and then destroy everything? In Terra Nil, it’s your job to rebuild all of that, and then slowly remove yourself from the game’s newly recuperated environment. While not set among the stars, its focus on rebuilding lifeless landscapes into thriving ecosystems taps into the same sense of grand-scale transformation that space strategy fans love. It’s a vibrant game that mixes a clean art style with surprisingly deep strategic gameplay, despite not a single shot being fired. Your fight is against the barren wasteland, and your goal is to bring life back. It’s a unique take on the whole genre that I think is worth experiencing as a sort of palate cleanser.
7 – Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2
Warhammer 40,000 games are a dime a dozen, but very few reach the high production value of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2, as it still remains one of the most visually spectacular and tactically rich space strategy games you can play in 2025, even if you ignore the fact that it’s set in the Warhammer 40K universe. If you’re the kind of player who has ever wondered how the battles of the setting would look, then Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 is the game for you, because it’s the only one that delivers massive real-time battles where hulking Warhammer 40K starships unleash devastating broadsides, ramming maneuvers, and planet-shattering weaponry. Don’t be discouraged by its spectacle, because managing the fleet is quite a job, and there’s a lot of depth in here, from positioning and maneuvering, to firing arcs, to weapon system selecting, module targeting, special abilities, distinct faction identities, and combat capabilities. Every fight is filled to the brim with moment-to-moment choices, and the game has a lot of micro-managing, but at least it compensates for that with cinematic combat that makes every engagement feel like a true space opera. A major highlight of the game is its campaign, where players experience the grandeur and chaos of the 40K universe.
6 – FTL: Faster Than Light
It’s no secret that FTL: Faster Than Light is one of my favorite games ever made, and I consider it to be one of the best well-designed games to have ever been put to code. This Kickstarter darling remains one of the most beloved space strategy games in 2025 thanks to its tense, roguelike starship management and meaningful, high-stakes decision-making that can turn a perfect run into chaos in seconds. Heck, maybe it’s not even the decisions you made, it’s just the luck of the draw, and your missile misses, and now the enemy has its weapons online, and everything is on fire, and your commander just suffocated to death, and the enemy boarded your ship, and it’s currently mauling your crew. Its rogue-like nature is addictive, and will have players coming back for “just another run”, to yet again be absolutely destroyed by the game’s uncaring difficulty. At least, unlocking a new ship is always super satisfying. Cannot recommend FTL enough.
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