Introduction
Looking forward to 2026, the genre of Turn-Based Strategy is looking pretty exciting, with some damn good titles to be released over the course of the year, and all of them are shaping up to be really high-quality games. How do I know this? Well, because apart from 2 titles in this list, I have actually played all of them, so my ranking is based exactly on my opinions based on my experience with them, and not just hype, even if the number one spot is still very much wishful thinking that it’s going to be a banger of a game!
7 – Stormbinders
At first Glance, Stormbinders might look like Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, but it’s not. Instead, it’s going to be a new franchise in the vein of Heroes of Might & Magic, and it’s looking really good so far. From all the available dev diaries detailing the game, to the screenshots and storm binding system that controls how global and local storms behave across the map and in battles, for example: fire storms boost fire spells, water storms slow movement, spirit storms drain mana. This means that there’s going to be a constant need to adapt tactics and strategies here. Stormbinders might actually surprise Heroes of Might & Magic fans by being a very competent and good alternative in case Olden Era misses the mark.
6 – Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus 2
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus 2 is very much a sequel that keeps things very close to the first game, keeping the basic mechanics and gameplay loop intact, where your hero units have their servitors and necron troops to help them achieve their objectives. Unlike the first game, however, the game will now feature a full-length campaign for both factions, and players are no longer limited to playing the Adeptus Mechanicus. Still, they can now indulge their fantasies for dystopian immortality by playing as the Necrons, too. Each faction plays significantly differently from the others, and the game is an absolutely glorious-looking title that will impress even the most discerning players. You can read my full first impressions here, and make sure to keep this turn-based strategy game in your wishlist for 2026.
5 – Mars Tactics
Mars Tactics has been in the oven for quite a while, so when it releases, it’s better be a better game than it was during the available demos at those Steam Next Fests, and it better be earning the number 5 spot on my list of the best turn-based strategy games to wishlist for 2026. A turn-based strategy in the vein of XCOM and Xenonauts, the game puts players at the head of two factions fighting for the dominance of the Red Planet. While all of the basics are there, and the gameplay is familiar to veterans of the genre, Mars Tactics changes things around by introducing the concept of a modular, destructible environment where buildings can be destroyed whole, cover can be blown apart, and flatlands can be transformed into crater-ridden hellholes to offer your units some cover.
Leave a Reply