7 – Europa Universalis 5

Gaming has a very interesting phenomenon, and I don’t think it has a name for it, which is the feeling that once you play a game that’s so good, or just clicks with you so perfectly, that you know right away that whatever it is you play next will have a very hard time even coming close to how transformative and unique that experience felt. I can recall a couple of moments, first was with Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, then with Company of Heroes and Men of War, and more recently with Dark Souls (I know, quite a departure, right?), and just in 2025, my perspective on grand- historical strategy titles was shattered by the coming of Europa Universalis 5, a game that managed to be in equal parts complex, but easy to get into. An achievement in and of itself when it comes to intuitive design and gameplay, instantly making it one of the best games of the year. The focus on ever-changing demographics, dynamic markets, and estate policies transformed EU5 into the best historical grand-strategy game ever made. If you’re looking for a game that allows you to accurately experience what the Age of Sail and the rise of the modern world were like, Europa Universalis 5 is the go-to choice, and no other game even comes close to it.

6 – Field of Glory 2

“I don’t want to rule my own Roman Empire”, you say to me. For what reason you would say, I don’t know, but let’s assume you’re making sense. “What I want to do is to fight on every major battlefield of antiquity! And I want to do that by using the best, closest-to-life, turn-based strategy game in existence!” – Now, you’re starting to sound like someone that really needs to learn about Field of Glory 2, and Field of Glory 2: Medieval, one of the best turn-based strategy games of all time, and also the game I graviate towards when I want to play a game that gives me the most realistic outcomes possible. The best part of it? It’s an almost never-ending roster of units, factions, and civilizations from truly ancient antiquity, all the way to the high Middle Ages. And yes, you can mish-mash together the legions of Rome against the English Longbowmen, the Aragonese versus the Persians, and who doesn’t want to see what the Byzantines could do against the Hellenitic pikes?

Hell Let Loose

If I enjoy Arma 3 for its singleplayer capabilities, I often jump into a game of Hell Let Loose whenever I want to go and battle against other flesh-and-bones opponents that carry a meaty brain, instead of a silicon one. Hell Let Loose is the best multiplayer first-person shooter set in World War 2, and one that manages to offer you an authentic experience without being a bit of an overencumbrance. The shooting is realistic, engagement distances too, and maps are recreated to near perfection, to what the real thing actually was in the 1940s.

As a squad-based shooter, you’ll have a lot more fun if you play with a squad that has a proper Squad Leader, and every member has a mic and is willing to communicate, but unlike Squad, where communication is 100% essential, if you don’t feel like talking, and just want to shoot some stuff at the end of a tiresome game, the experience won’t be any worse because of that. Sure, you might have a couple of squads that might not want you there, but that has never stopped me from jumping straight into Normandy or the Eastern Front and having a blast playing one of the most intense first-person shooter (FPS) experiences in recent memory.

Just have in mind that this is supposed to be a realistic shooter title, and you won’t be wall-running, dolphin-diving, or dropshotting people out of buildings. One bullet will do the job most of the time, and you won’t even know where it came from. Rather soon, you’ll be an expert at detecting even the most mundane of movements from hundreds of meters away.

Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy

The Combat Mission engine is starting to show its age in 2026; there’s no denying that. One might even argue that the engine started to show its age the day it came out. Despite that, and even though we have a third iteration of the Combat Mission engine coming soon, the Battle for Normandy is still my go-to title whenever I want to play at the lowest possible level of command, and still play a strategy game, instead of a first-person shooter. If you’re looking for a tactical-level game set in World War 2, in Normandy, I don’t think you’ll find a more complete title than this one. Every small thing is simulated, from bullet physics to armor penetration values, to a soldier’s morale and ammunition, communication between units, and a punishing fog of war.

Be warned, because while having that level of detail is certainly alluring to want-to-be lieutenants and captains, it’s also a complex game with a steep learning curve that will take you quite a while to master, even the most basic commands of movement and fire. Now add to that the need for proper communications, fields of view, vehicles, and artillery usage, and a devastating enemy, and frustration isn’t too far off, especially if you’re not used to this kind of title. Venture at your own risk, but if you manage to endure, bliss is sure to arrive with every victory screen.

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