4 – Gates of Hell: Ostfront
The title for the best World War 2 game to play in 2026 could go several ways. It could be a detailed wargame like War in the East 2, a tactical marvel like Mius: Front, and even a beer-and-pretzels affair like Panzer Corps 2. However, if you’re not too familiar with the differences between a Panzer III Ausf. A Panzer Ausf. B, Gates of Hell: Ostfront is the perfect gateway title to enter this never-ending rabbit hole that is the largest conflict in Human History. A spiritual successor to the beloved Men of War franchise, Gates of Hell: Ostfront is in equal measure accessible, as it is deep, and with thousands of units, tens of scripted missions, half a dozen very substantial DLCs, and a lively modding and multiplayer community, it’s by far the best World War 2 to buy in this sale.
3 – Cities: Skylines
This Steam Spring Sale really went all out and decided to put some of the best strategy games of all time into the bargain bin, and we’re all better off for it. First XCOM, then Stellaris, and now Cities: Skylines, the best city-builder in history by a country mile? What more can you ask for? If you’re the kind of player who was around during the time of Sim City 4, love the idea of building and maintaining your city, and don’t mind trying to fix traffic complications pretty damn often, you’ll be sure to find a lot of enjoyment with Cities: Skylines. A couple of hours in, and you’ll be knee deep into the Steam Workshop, downloading hundreds of mods because you really need to create that pixel-perfect roundabout, as you tell yourself that that change alone will create the perfect town. We’ve all been there.
2 – Against the Storm
What’s the best part of any city-builder, colony-survival game? I’m pretty sure that nearly 99% of you said “the early game”. The reason for that is obvious: you have a seemingly endless amount of opportunities, a lot of problems to solve, and hundreds of small decision-making moments that can have a lasting impact on your gameplay in the long run. What if I told you there was a game that was specifically designed to scratch that itch as often as possible, and its name is Against the Storm? This rogue-like city-builder/colony-sim puts players in the role of a Vice-Roy, with the specific purpose of establishing new colonies for the Scorched Queen. This means that you’ll not only be picking up a town and spending hundreds of hours perfecting it. Oh no. You’ll be starting up a new town, achieving the objectives laid out before you by the Queen, and moving on to establish a new thriving colony, to reach new and higher goals, and so on. Against the Storm was the best-rated strategy game of 2023!
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