Introduction

The year is far from over, and there’s still a busy calendar ahead of amazing games coming in 2026, with Star Wars: Zero Company and Dawn of War 4 probably being the most anticipated titles so far. However, it is June, and plenty of amazing titles have come out already, so I think it’s time to do a 6-month review of what happened, which strategy games are the best of 2026, and why they rose above the rest. Do keep in mind that this is my personal list, and I haven’t played all existing games, so this list might be missing your GOTY! With that out of the way, let’s dive into the best strategy games of 2026, so far!

10 – Strategos

Strategos was the first game I reviewed in 2026, and it turned out to be a lot better than I was anticipating, especially after a lackluster demo some months back, which had me a bit wary about the final quality of its release. Fortunately, that was all for nought, as Strategos came out and established itself as a very solid, historically authentic (and semi-realistic) real-time strategy game in the vein of Total War, but without the campaign. While the lack of a proper campaign always happens, my enjoyment of the battles themselves, there’s no denying that, in isolation, Strategos provides something no other game dares to: an accurate portrayal of ancient warfare, with some decent quality graphics, and a lot of content to play around with. This was all done by a single developer, which only makes it even more impressive. Well done.

9 – Headquarters: Cold War

I know how some of you really don’t like the Cold War setting, and I’m somewhat on board with that. Not my favorite era, but Headquarters: Cold War does something special, its predecessor already managed to achieve, but for World War 2. It’s an accessible, entry-level wargame that’s pretty damn good looking, has simple, but not simplistic, mechanics, single-player campaigns, and a plethora of units and maps that will keep you skirmishing a never-to-be World War 3 between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. While I didn’t review it for the website, I have played it quite a lot, and the introduction of helicopters is a massive game-changer for tactics, allowing players to bypass defenses and strike from unseen locations. If you’re looking to get into a new wargame in 2026 and don’t know where to start, keep an eye out for this one.

8 – Burden of Command – Three Nations DLC

If you have visited Strategy and Wargaming in the last year, you probably know that I absolutely love Burden of Command, even going as far as to nominate it as one of my favorite video games of all time. The unique way it tells a full campaign of the Second World War puts players in command of a Company, with all the emotional decision-making that entails, not just the tactical ones. This is as much an RPG as it is a traditional wargame. Well, Burden of Command – Three Nations DLC kept things basically the same, and didn’t go around reiving it in the wheel. Instead, it added 4 new scenarios based around a D-Day scenario that will have players experiencing the first day of the invasion from the French, German, American, and British perspectives. I love the unique take on it, and I cannot wait to see what the team will do next. The only thing that I found myself disappointed with was the lack of any continuity between all the missions, as that was what made Burden of Command so special in the first place.

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