7 – Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector
Now we’re getting into the interesting territory! Now that we have gotten the more traditional titles out of the way, let’s explore the games that further stray away from the XCOM formula, shall we? Enter Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector, the game that I consider to be the best Warhammer 40,000 turn-based strategy ever made. The game came out in 2021 and is a very traditional turn-based strategy game, but I love the fact that it is unapologetic 40K and over the top: battles are messy and gory, the Tyranids (which are the main opponent to the game’s singleplayer campaign) are unrelenting and a tough nut to crack, and there’s a ton of customizability to each individual squad.
In my review of Battlesector (which was one of the first reviews I have ever done professionally), it was described as a “great game in its own right. Packing smart tactical decision-making with meaty Marines sporting astronomically (and disproportionately) large weapons, splattering Tyranid matter to kingdom come. It is not only a very good turn-based tactical game but also the best turn-based strategy game to ever come out for the Warhammer franchise. I’m expecting Battlesector to be used as a platform for other campaigns and factions”. That’s what went on to happen, because half a decade after its release date, Battlesector is still getting new DLCs, including the Black Legion, Ultramarines, T’au, and so much more. Even better, a new roadmap for the rest of 2026 and the first 2 quarters of 2027 was announced, and a new Narrative DLC is set to arrive sometime soon.
6 – XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2
I know that I often place XCOM: Enemy Unknown near the top spot in a lot of my personal lists, but for this one I have decided to do some introspective work and asked myself “If I was a new player, what kind of games would I love to find out about next?”, and despite being one of my all time favorite strategy games, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is pushing 15 years old, and other games deserve their time in the spotlight, which is what I’m using this list for. Still the turn-based strategy godfather that kickstarted this renaissance that went on to spawn all other games on this list (and some other titles that are not here), and it’s very much worth experiencing. In fact, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is so good that every time I go back to play it, I don’t feel the game has aged one single day, and this is coming from someone who’s constantly trying out new videogames every week, in search of the best of the best.
XCOM: Enemy Unkown is to the turn-based strategy genre what Halo was to first-person shooters: A game that took the genre and asked the question of “how can we streamline this in a way that adds more depth, player agency, and quality of live features, instead of just making a poorer version of what we already have?”, and the result was the two-point action system that was a major shift from the traditional action-point pool. This made the game faster and less tedious, and allowed for the introduction of several activatable abilities, making each soldier feel unique, instead of just another grunt. Squads were also made smaller, and each soldier more capable, and as a consequence, more impactful on the battlefield, making players connect even more so with them.
XCOM 2 had its foundations laid out beforehand, and it just took the formula and improved on it substantially. It changed the setting from a military counter-attack into an underground guerrilla of sorts, and instead of traditional soldiers, players were now in command of a ragtag bunch of resistance fighters. While nearly everything in XCOM 2 is better than XCOM: Enemy Unknown, I still prefer the first because the second has an in-game timer tied to its main campaign, which is a massive turn-off for people like me.
5 – Xenonauts 2
Well, I know this one might upset some of the XCOM fans out there, so just give me enough time to explain myself before you people go wild in the comment section. I love XCOM, that’s no secret around here. If anything, it’s the most well-known thing about me aside from the fact that I’m also a fanatic for Age of Empires 2 and Red Alert. The reason I decided to place Xenonauts 2 in here is that I want to showcase an experience that might otherwise go unnoticed by players who are just getting into the genre, and might overlook it on the basis of being a bit too complex.
I want to put that notion to rest by letting you know that despite its intimidating look, Xenonauts 2 is one of the most comprehensive alien-busting experiences around, especially if you’re done with XCOM and XCOM 2, and are just craving more extraterrestrial smackdowns. Yes, it’s a bit more unforgiving and challenging, and it might take some adapting to, but after the game clicks, what you have in store is one of the most engrossing turn-based strategy games around that trusts yhou with the freedom to create your own Earth defense force, by deploying bases anywhere in the globe, fighting aerial battles yourself, taking massive squads of soldiers (and armored vehicles and drones) into battle, all with the necessary logistics and research to back them up. I think the best way to describe Xenonauts 2 is the simulation version of XCOM’s more arcade take on the whole alien-invasion milieu.
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