Introduction
There’s no lack of options when it comes to buying games on sale. Last week, Steam ran its Black Friday sale that lasted for a week, and now, strategy and wargame publisher Slitherine Games is running its own Winter Sale, which will last for the whole month of December and until January 6th, 2026. That’s right, this sale is going to last over a month, so there’s no excuse to not stock up on some of the best strategy games you can play in 2025 and enjoy them during the Christmas season!
Like my Black Friday sale list, this is going to be a quick guide on games I think you might be interested in buying. For more in-depth guides, please explore some of my other lists.
10 – Battle Academy
I once wrote a list where I said that I would try to avoid Battle Academy because it’s such an obvious choice for a high-quality strategy game that’s always on sale for the price of a dollar, and a ton of readers instantly corrected me, saying that I can never recommend Battle Academy enough. Because that’s how good it is. If you’re the kind of player who’s always on the fence about wargames (I have been there, we all have), and don’t want to splurge on a huge title, Battle Academy is the best place to start: It’s very cheap and very accessible. Battle Academy 2 is equally awesome, it’s just a bit more expensive, but well worth it.
9 – Shadow Empire
Here’s the best way to describe Shadow Empire: Imagine you’re playing Civilization, but it has the military system of a true wargame (logistics included), but it’s set in a post-apocalyptic world. Players have to manage resources, expansion, diplomacy, internal politics, mining operations, technological advancement, military affairs, and logistics. I don’t think you’ll find a more detailed title than this in the 4X strategy, but just beware that while it’s very satisfying to learn, it’s quite a challenge as well! If you’re looking for a 4X strategy game that’ll keep you playing for months, asking for “just one more turn”, this might be just it, especially if you enjoy micromanaging every aspect of your empire.
8 – Stirring Abyss
I don’t think Stirring Abyss ever received the recognition it so rightly deserved. This game took the basic XCOM: Enemy Unknown concept of turn-based combat with a layer of base management and gave it a Lovecraftian Horror spin. Players are stuck at the bottom of the ocean on a failing submarine, and they discover they’re not alone, and that ancient civilizations and God dwelt there long before humanity. It’s a really cool concept, very well executed, that mixes the best of XCOM, Lovecraft, and survival elements.
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