10 – Battle Brothers
Battle Brothers was made famous by its simple combination of unrestricted player freedom, paired with an equally brutal level of difficulty. Players must assemble their own band of mercenaries, undertake missions that risk life and limb for coin, quite literally. You see, damage is permanent in Battle Brothers. Hacked limbs, traumatic brain injuries, and missing fingers cannot be fixed with bandages and ointments. Despite being nearly a decade old, the grimy 2D art style and the strong fundamentals of turn-based combat don’t make Battle Brothers feel outdated in the slightest. In fact, it’s one of the most unique experiences you can have in 2026 if you’re looking for indie games as well, and you can be sure there’s no other game that makes you deal with the long-term consequences of your actions like this.
9 – XCOM Long War Mod
In my last article about the best games to play if you love XCOM, I cheated by including the underrated Chimera Squad. Now I’ll pull a similar, but braver move by including a mod! In my defense, the Long War mod is nearly a fully fleshed-out game in its own right. The Long War name is taken seriously, with a campaign having over 100 missions, with advancements and setbacks that feel overwhelming at times. Squad sizes were upped to feature up to 12 soldiers, forcing players to build massive rosters capable of fighting a multifront war. The aliens themselves are detached from their guardrails and have their own goals, objectives, and resources. Even the XCOM developers once joked that the base game is a 20-hour tutorial to the Long War mod.
8 – FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Tactics
It seems just like yesterday that consoles were doing victory laps around PCs, claiming the latter format to be dead for gaming. Look at them now, releasing not only their flagship franchise blockbusters like God of War and The Last of Us, but also remakes of all-time classics, like Final Fantasy Tactics, a game that finally made its way to PC in late 2025. This new Steam entry finally gives PC players the chance to experience the tribulations of Ivalice through a complete overhaul of the visuals, an optimized UI that works flawlessly with mouse and keyboard, and several other quality-of-life improvements that bring the 1997 PlayStation 1 classic to 2026.
7 – Fire Emblem: Awakening
Am I adding a Nintendo game to this list? Yes, I am, and it was a game that served me faithfully when I was seafaring on the frigid waters of the Baltic Sea, and internet connection was nonexistent. Fire Emblem: Awakening tells a compelling narrative that spans several years and different events, a staple of JRPGs, but it’s the turn-based combat and the party management systems that will keep you invested all the way through. Great if you want to have a massive campaign and story to be invested in for dozens of hours. There’s also a fantastic twist down the middle, which I won’t spoil in here, that affects the gameplay as well.
6 – BATTLETECH
In my previous article, I recommended The Lamplighters League, a game created by the same team behind Shadowrun and BATTLETECH. Yes, that BATTLETECH, from the tabletop. This 2018 title from Harebrained Schemes is one of the best turn-based games of all time, and I suspect it to be one of the most successful ones as well, with over 18,000 reviews on Steam and a Very Positive rating. Players take command of a troupe of mercenaries (quite a trend in this article) amidst a galactic civil war. BATTLETECH is set apart due to its Mech-focused combat, where limb targeting, sub-system, and heat management are as important as dealing damage. As expected, the overarching grand campaign is composed of pauses for mech rearming and refitting, getting new parts, and customizing and taking care of your company. The 5 high-quality DLCs are equally worth getting and experiencing if you have the money to spare. The game often goes on sale, so keep an eye out for that.
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