Strategy games are a very popular genre in the industry, but it is not the most valuable in the eyes of publishers who want to sell millions of copies in no time. This is why AAA games don't really venture into this genre very often anymore.
That's why any strategy game from a big studio with tons of funding gets tons of attention. These AAA experiences can be absolutely magical if everything is executed to a T, with some of these titles continuing to make waves in the industry to this day.
Age of Mythology
The mythological spin on the traditional AoE game was a huge success
Age of Mythology took AoE foundation and gave it a mythological twist which was nothing less than a great success. Worshiping the gods of one of many civilizations and changing their playstyle on the fly ensured that Age of Mythology would leave a lasting impression on the players.
It helps that the story-driven campaign is genuinely engaging and does a good job of letting players complete objectives and overwhelm their enemies. Age of Mythology: Retold serves as the best way to get into this classic title and will channel a player's nostalgia within the first few minutes.
Total War: Warhammer 2
Easily the best game in Total War: Warhammer Trilogy
For a series that was focused on historical scenarios, fans didn't know what to expect when Total war and Warhammer decided to cooperate. Thankfully, the first game was a home run, and the sequel is arguably one of the best Total war game ever made.
Warhammer 2 refines the concepts from the first game and allows players to enjoy a great time commanding massive armies to lay waste to their enemies in style. The sheer amount of love this game has for Warhammer franchise means fans will have plenty to occupy their time.
Sid Meier's Civilization 6
Another excellent entry in this famous 4X turn-based strategy series
Civilization 7 had a bit of a rocky launch, but fans have every confidence that updates and expansions will help the newest entry in the series gain some traction. Until then, they can always check out the feature-rich Civilization 6 to bridge them.
That helps Sid Meier's Civilization 6 is the very pinnacle of this series and allows fans to enjoy a fun and enticing gameplay loop from start to finish. This 4X strategy game is quirky and challenging at the same time, letting players control one of several famous world leaders and try to help their nation secure a dominant victory at all costs.
Crusader Kings 3
One of the most engaging grand strategy games made by Paradox
Paradox did a great job of making Crusader Kings 3 as accessible to beginners as possible. The tutorial explains most of the basic concepts, and the improvements made to the game's presentation ensure that Crusader Kings 3 will go down for the fans.
Players can take on the role of a ruler from different regions of the game as they try to establish their dominance by any means necessary. Forming alliances, waging wars, creating a legacy and engaging with the content of the title's many expansions ensure that players can wring tons of hours out of a single playthrough of Crusader Kings 3.
Warcraft 3: Reign Of Chaos
A legendary RTS game that needs no introduction
Before Blizzard (along with Activision) lost the faith of fans with their poor modern offerings, they surprised them by putting a ton of emphasis on the RTS genre. Starcraft and its sequels are two great games in their own right, but Warcraft 3 is the very pinnacle of Blizzard's RTS games.
The incredible storytelling in Warcraft 3 makes the single player campaign more epic than it has any right to be, especially in the expansions. That's to say nothing of the enticing multiplayer matchups where players must be at the top of their game to secure victory.
Europa Universalis 4
Fans can't get enough of this captivating Grand Strategy title
Grand strategy games have their own charm, and no one does it better than Paradox Interactive. Their stranglehold on this genre is impeccable, and that fact Europa Universalis 4 continues to be so popular despite being active for more than a decade is proof enough of this.
Colonizing territories and trying to emerge as a superpower with the dawn of modern times is a big part of what makes Europa Universalis 4 so special. Players can lose hours upon hours in this title and its expansions, and fans can't wait to get back into the groove with the release of Europa Universalis 5.
Age Of Empires 2: The Age Of Kings
The legacy of the best AoE game is unmatched
To this day, Age of Empires 2 continues to dominate the RTS scene. It says a lot about how tightly designed and engaging this game is that it hasn't lost its appeal in decades.
AoE 2 still getting so much content it's truly astounding. Fans can't believe how feature-rich this game is, to the point that players who haven't touched it in a while can get into it only to have their minds blown by the sheer amount of content that has been added since they last played it.
Stellaris
Paradox's first ever foray into a fictional universe was a resounding success
Fans wondered if Paradox Interactive could hit the nail on the head with a grand strategy game set in a sci-fi universe. These complaints were put to bed when they themselves saw what Stellaris brought to the table.
Despite some unpopular updates and Paradox's DLC assembly line, Stellaris has been pretty much impossible to put down ever since it graced fans with its presence. It's one of the best sci-fi strategy games gamers can check out, with a surprising emphasis on role-playing, making it quite comparable to Crusader Kings 3.
