Introduction
My last article on the best turn-based strategy games to play if you love XCOM and XCOM 2 was flooded with comments and some legitimately amazing recommendations. With that being said, I couldn’t help but compile your mentions into an article of its own, going in depth into what makes these titles so special, while also adding some recommendations of my own. Turn-based strategy is a truly expansive genre with hundreds, if not thousands, of games that are worth your time and money, so it’s important to know which are the best of the best if you love the XCOM franchise.
15 – Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
This tactical adventure game was developed by The Bearded Ladies and published by Funcom and is a cult classic of the turn-based tactical strategy genre. Based on the tabletop RPG of the same name, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden was released for PC in 2018 and mixes up real-time exploration with turn-based combat that’ll have players exploring the world in search of loot and lore. If you approach an enemy patrol, the game will enter an ambush mode, and the moment you take the first shot, it will transition to a traditional grid-based tactical-combat title. It’s a story-driven game centered around uncovering what happened before the outbreak of the Red Plague and a nuclear winter. There’s a demo, if you want to give it a go before taking the plunge. At the time of publication, the game is also on sale at 60% off, for $13.99, but before you press that buy button, just a reminder that Epic Store gave it for free some years ago, so make sure you check your library!
14 – Showgunners
Several readers recommended Showgunners to me in the last article, so I had to include it here. I had heard about it, but never took the plunge. I finally bought it, and have been playing it for the past week. The fact that it was on sale (and still is, until the 24th of May) for $8.99 is just a marvellous coincidence. So far, I have been enjoying it quite a lot. You’re a contestant in a brutal reality show, and to survive, you engage in turn-based tactical combat that’s as reminiscent of modern XCOM as you can get. It plays and controls amazingly well, it’s stylish, and its dystopian art style is distinct and has that cyberpunk/industrial vibe to it that a lot of people dig. Thanks a lot for the recommendation, and now I’m recommending it back to those of you who might have missed this one out.
13 – King Arthur: Knight’s Tale
Most games in this article will have you gun-wielding, laser-firing, and magic-chanelling your way to victory, but none will give you the heavy, rusted, and blood-soaked dark fantasy epic vibes that King Arthur: Knight’s Tale does. This is a game that takes the mythos of the chivalric Aurhrian legends and transforms it into a cool mix that looks like XCOM merged with a Dark Souls aesthetic, and if you know something about me, it is that those are two of my favorite games of all time. As Sir Mordred and the Lady of the Lake tasked you to finish King Arthur. Quite a set-up, right? You control a team of medieval-inspired warriors from 6 different classes, each with its own distinct personalities, traits, and goals. These can level up, be equipped, acquire injuries and curses, and if they’re gone, they’re gone for good. It’s a dark fantasy take that will keep you entertained for the duration of the whole campaign, and it’s an experience worth having, especially if you’re into Arthurian legend.
12 – Wasteland 3
The Wasteland series saw a significant revival in 2014, with Wasteland 2, a game that Kickstarted its way to success by crowdfunding nearly 3 million dollars with a promise to deliver a classic, but up-to-date post-apocalyptic experience that was sorely missing from gaming since Fallout 3 moved the series to a first-person RPG perspective. Following the critical acclaim, Wasteland 3 was released in 2020 and improved in every aspect, earning wide praise from players and critics alike. Set in the brutal nuclear winter of Colorado, instead of the hot deserts of Arizona, Wasteland 3 overhauled the combat to use a grid and a faster-paced system similar to that of modern XCOM. In fact, this is a strong recommendation for players who are looking for XCOM suggestions, as well as Fallout. As long as you love turn-based combat and a traditional CRPG perspective, you’re absolutely golden with this one.
11 – Phantom Doctrine
Does the idea of XCOM in the Cold War interest you? If so, then the game you might be looking out for is Phantom Doctrine. Set during the pivotal 1980s, it’s a dog-eat-dog world in this treacherous 40-hour campaign that pits spies against spies. Like Invisible Inc., a game I mentioned in my last article, Phantom Doctrine is mostly about stealth, and combat should be treated as a last resort. You lead The Cabal, and are tasked with preventing a massive conspiracy from unfolding and putting the World in danger. To do this, you can recruit agents from the KGB and CIA, investigate cases, locations, and individuals, uncover new technology, and undertake operations that range from intel gathering to assassinations. If you had your fill of Invisible Inc. and are on the lookout for something adjacent, then Phantom Doctrine will not disappoint you.
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