A ton of great games are still coming in 2026 (brave are those willing to go up against the juggernaut of GTA 6), and in 2027. I took a leisurely stroll through my wishlist, checked the available Steam deals, and decided to see what games were coming and rank them based on my excitement! A couple of them might have slipped through the cracks, so if they’re not here, it doesn’t mean I don’t care about them, just that I missed them when checking the list.
One of the things I had on my wishlist for 2026 was to create more content based on my experience (you know, aside from the reviews, first impressions, and all that). Things that were somehow different from what others are doing, and seeing how well people react to it. This time around, I won’t be describing the games- I have plenty of information on all of these games already- but I’ll be going over what makes me personally interested in them.
Join me, and let’s have a quick look at the 10 most anticipated strategy games on my Steam wishlist! If you also have other games that you’re interested in, please let me know in the comments down below. I really and reply to all comments, so let’s start a conversation!
12 – Mars Tactics
At number 10 we have Mars Tactics, a turn-based strategy game that has been in development for so long that I had forgotten it existed, but the developer is communicative, and the game is being published by Hooded Horse, so I have full confidence that it will see the light of day eventually. Having played its demo in 2024, I think, or maybe it was 2025, I don’t know anymore, the turn-based aspect of it is great, and the destructible environments were very interesting to play around with. It’s quite a different experience from the average turn-based title, just because you can have your units behind cover, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe. In fact, that might even be worse.
I’m also very interested to see how the whole dynamic grand-campaign will play out. Overall, the game’s premise is pretty great, and what was on display worked out well enough. I just haven’t seen enough to commit to it any higher than number 10.
11 – Grand Tactician: Napoleonic Wars (1772-1815)
The same argument goes for Grand Tactician: Napoleonic Wars (1772-1815). Now, don’t get me wrong, the team at the Grand Engineer Corps has some incredible pedigree with their excellent Civil War title. But again, it’s just the fact that I haven’t seen enough of it (or played it, for that matter) that makes me a bit anxious as to how it might turn out. The Civil War game is amazing, but it took a while to get there. Hopefully, the Napoleonic Wars is being built upon all that experience. There’s a consensus in the wargaming community that we have been in dire straits when it comes to Napoleonic-era warfare options, so this one will certainly be a great addition. I do hope the game also features the Peninsula campaign! I want to play as Portugal and the British!
10 – Battleplan
Up next we have Battleplan, the World War 2 wargame from Slitherine and Foolish Mortals that took the frontline mechanics from Hearts of Iron IV and turned them into a full game, all the while adding a ton more stuff on top. Having played this one extensively during the Steam Next Fest- and having written about it– my first impressions were rather positive, as there’s really nothing like it on the market, and the potential for expansions and iterations is right there, ready for the taking. The whole premise of commanding an entire battle, issuing front-wide orders, but at a company level makes the whole Hearts of Iron IV comparison look a bit shallow.
In Battleplan, players have a ton more options on how to conduct operations, and if they wish, they can dish out individual orders to each company, and meticulously plan maneuvers, defenses, and attacks. But the game also works incredibly well for players who dislike micromanaging their forces, as the available tools allow them to create orders en masse so that their officers will do the best their capabilities allow to execute the plan.
9 – Sanctuary: Shattered Sun
One thing most RTS games do these days is to play it safe. Where are the crazy units and mechanics from games like Red Alert 2, Impossible Creatures, and Dawn of War? Fortunately, Sanctuary: Shattered Sun has one of the best premises around: What if it’s a big-scale RTS, but you can destroy the ground below you, sending thousands of units into the scorching sun that powers the Dyson sphere you’re fighting atop? That alone is the main reason why I’m excited to play it.
I’m not the only one to do so, because the game just exceeded its Kickstarter goal of $100,000 and garnered nearly $1,000,000 instead. The game is set to release in Early Access in Q3 of 2027, so there’s still quite a while to wait for it.
8 – Espiocracy
Espiocracy is a game I have written about dozens of times before, and whose development has been… Well, kind of slow, and the game has a release date of 2027. Assuming the game comes out in 2027, I’m excited for it mainly because of its premise. Most grand-strategy games focus on the military aspect of things. It is, arguably, the most exciting and the easiest to put together. One of the worst aspects is also diplomacy, because it can be pretty hard to make silicon brains behave like real human beings, and I get that.
Me, being the kind of guy that loves to see experimental video games come to fruition, I’m super excited to see how well Espiocracy is going to be able to pull off one of the genre’s most neglected aspects. Just in case you don’t know how it’s going to work, players won’t be taking the role of a nation, but of an espionage agency, working from the shadows, manipulating the outcome of History using all sorts of dark shenanigans.
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