1 – Xenonauts 2
Released from its Early Access in early April 2026, Xenonauts 2 is the closest thing you’ll find that’s as near and dear to good old XCOM from the 90s, while updating the whole thing to a game that came out in 2026, making it a good mix between the hardcore nature of the original and the accessibility and charm of the 2012 remake. Xenonauts 2 is the definitive experience if you want to spend a couple of weeks wacking aliens about Planet Earth.
Composed by the most complex strategic layer on this list, and possibly even more so than XCOM, Xenonauts 2 gives you true freedom when tackling the otherworldly advance, allowing you to set up bases anywhere in the globe you see fit, move anywhere you want, dispatch fighters (and fight aerial battles too), and put together a propper military that’s adept at dealing with a plethora of menacing extraterrastrials. The turn-based strategy combat is, in equal parts, as in-depth as the strategic one. Battles are long, tense, and challenging affairs. Terrain and cover are destructible, enemies are aplenty, and hit percentages will be the bane of your existence. Having played it extensively during its Early Access stage, I can wholeheartedly recommend Xenonauts 2 without missing a beat.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, it’s going to take a while until we’re able to play XCOM 3, and there’s just a couple of months ahead until Star Wars: Zero Company becomes available for us to lose ourselves in. Until then, I think these 15 games will keep you busy. Either you enjoy the complexity and depth of Xenonauts 2 and Cyber Knights: Flashpoint, or prefer something more faithful to XCOM and XCOM 2, like Phoenix Point and Gears Tactics, or maybe even something a bit light-hearted like Tactical Breach Wizards, the turn-based strategy games in this article will have you busy for months and years to come.
Support Strategy and Wargaming
I do what I do in Strategy and Wargaming because I love to do this, and I’m never going to stop. If you would like to support me with that, you can buy me a coffee for a dollar if you’re feeling generous. If you can’t, no worries, Strategy and Wargaming will always be free, and I’d love to have you around!
Leave a Reply