10 – Monster Train 2
With a 95% overwhelmingly positive Steam rating, Monster Train 2 is the highest-rated game in this list. Just like Armored Brigade 2, this sequel proves that there was still room to elevate the roguelike deckbuilding (on an infernal train) formula. Just add more of what was already good from the first. New synergies, new factions, new enemies, new card types, smarter enemy encounters, all the while keeping its signature multi-floor combat that keeps every run tense and tactical. As a challenging roguelike, Monster Train 2 is endlessly replayable, so if you’re on a tight budget and want to make sure you make the most out of the game you just got, I don’t think you’ll regret Monster Train 2.
9 – Sword & Siege – Crusades Book 1
Medieval fans have been eating well late. Not only did 2025 bring us the best medieval role-playing game of all time in the form of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but it also brought us one of the best strategy games with Sword & Siege: Crusades Book 1, a realistic wargame set during the Crusades. Created by the veterans at Wargame Design Studio (a developer that has created some of the best underrated strategy games ever made), Sword & Siege delivers a more traditional wargame-like take on medieval siege battles by using hexes and counters. In my review of Sword & Siege, I called it a worthy addition to any medieval strategy gaming enthusiast’s library due to its impressive roster of units, an even more generous number of scenarios, as well as its innate ability to produce historically plausible battle outcomes, making it an obvious recommendation if you’re looking for a game set during the Crusades.
8 – 9 Kings
If you told me that 9 Kings would be ranking in my top 10 strategy games of 2025, I would have scoffed and called you a loonie. Well, the joke’s on me, I guess, because this small title is one of the most addictive strategy games you can play in 2025, and it’s the kind of game you can have permanently installed on your machine to quickly boot it up, do a 15-minute run, and go back to being productive. This is a roguelike kingdom-builder where players have a 3×3 square that they need to place buildings and units on, from a deck that’s constantly evolving. Every round, an enemy attacks, and if the player defeats the enemy (it plays like an autobattler), they’ll be able to pick a card from that enemy. The entertaining part of it is creating a crazy, overpowered kingdom/deck with the cards you’ve been dealt and trying to optimize combos between your buildings and your units. There’s also a meta progression for each deck, giving you reasons to play and experiment with them to unlock new possibilities.
7- Master of Command
After a lackluster showcase from the Armchair Historian with his first game, Fire & Maneuver, I can’t say I was expecting much from Master of Command, so it was nice to be proven wrong once more, because this is one of 2025’s most commanding strategy releases, with some really innovative concepts. Master of Command is the kind of game that will appease both historical aficionados due to its setting alone (18th century/Seven Years’ War), and average strategy fans because of its fantastic mix of real-time strategy battles like Total War and a really cool grand-strategy roguelite system with loot and army management. Campaigns are challenging, battles are fast-paced and rewarding, and the army management aspect gives you the carrot on the stick that most strategy games lack to motivate you to take risks. The game manages to feel both like an homage to history, but doesn’t attempt to be so realistic that it forgets it’s supposed to be a video game. And the most important part of a video game is being fun, and Master of Command excels at being fun.
6 – Broken Arrow
I am well aware that Broken Arrow might have not perfectly stuck its landing due to its unending problems with cheaters and lack of mid-game save files, but apart from that, I believe that BA remains one of the most explosive and cinematic modern warfare RTS experiences you can play right now, and it’s a serious competitor to the dominance Eugen Systems had in this sub-genre. The game has a great campaign reminiscent of World in Conflict; it blends deep tactical planning and fast-paced execution in large-scale, combined-arms operations. It lets players craft their own decks by selecting not only which units to take into combat, but also customizing their loadouts. The modern setting also brought a whole new host of technologically advanced units and mechanics that players have to take into account, such as drones and stealth jets. The game also looks really good, being one of the most visually impressive games of the year. With a team actively working to fix the existing issues and a solid roadmap ahead, Broken Arrow has everything it needs to become even better in 2026.
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