The best strategy games for PC and console

The latest entry into the Total War saga that's spanned decades now, Total War: Warhammer 3 brings the mesmerising scale and strategy of the ever-popular tabletop game to the PC.

Command hundreds of troops from the Warhammer universe; Ogres, Orks, Khorne, Nurgle, Dwarves, the Legion of Chaos - and experience the thrills and drama of enormous battles like never before.

2021's Inscryption doesn't just deliver an enthralling deck-building strategy game, it practically reinvents the genre as a whole.

At the opposite end of the spectrum from games such as Total War, Inscryption doesn't take place across enormous battlefields, countries, or continents - instead, it all takes place in a dark, barely illuminated log cabin, where you're sat opposite to a mysterious opponent, awaiting his next match.

Inscryption is a triumphant culmination of deck-building, puzzles, and psychological horror - which only grows as players begin to delve ever deeper into Inscryption's winding tale.

For dedicated strategists, deck-building enthusiasts, or anyone in search of a chilling, high-stakes experience to sink your teeth into, Inscryption is one game you won't soon forget.

Sid Meier’s Civilization has been a mainstay of PC gaming for decades, drawing in players with its strategy-based gameplay and intelligent treatment of politics, diplomacy and history.

The sixth instalment of the acclaim 4X series takes the tried-and-tested Civ formula to new levels of accomplishment. Starting from the Stone Age, you will endeavour to develop a world-dominating civilisation that can hold together right through to the tech-driven information age.

Throughout, you’ll encounter historical figures and leaders, each of whom has a plan for the future of civilisation.

Stellaris might just be the grandest grand-strategy game of all time - and that's truly saying something. Start your legacy on a single planet, forming relationships with the planetary inhabitants (be it friendly or otherwise) and begin your journey of universal expansion. Build an almighty fleet and raise an intergalactic empire to shake the very foundations of space.

Of course, the universe is filled with the unexpected, so traverse the cold, harsh worlds of the cosmos and crush any and all opposition.

Stellaris is a power trip of grand strategy that uses in-game mechanics to tell an epic tale of your own creation that never ceases to be entirely captivating.

Originally released in 1999, Age Of Empires II is widely considered to be a pinnacle of RTS gameplay. Set in the Middle Ages, you command one of three civilizations in several campaigns and go about standard RTS chores, such as resource gathering and building armies.

While this may all sound pretty pedestrian to ears now familiar with RTS gaming, the joy of Age Of Empires II is in its playing. Its dedication to realism, sharp battle gameplay and quality-of-life features just make it a comfy and hugely enjoyable place to be.

The Definitive Edition brings the graphics up to modern standards and adds in plenty of additional content for added gaming value.

Deprived, soul-crushing, and twisted - Darkest Dungeon is a hardcore strategy game unlike any other, where players must carefully manage resources to stave off madness and death in the depths of one of the toughest dungeon crawlers ever made.

You begin your adventure with a band of foolhardy heroes, each possessing strengths and weaknesses - and battle, after battle - their will and might is tested, yet after facing every skirmish, they become altered by its harshness, developing phobias, physical weaknesses and even strengths.

Darkest Dungeon is environmental story-telling at its finest, and should you be brave enough to delve into its brutal world, you'll have an experience you won't soon forget.

A don of the RTS genre, the name Command & Conquer will conjure up plenty of nostalgia for many old-school gamers. The Remastered Collection sees the first two series instalments, Command & Conquer (1995) and Red Alert (1996), getting a full remastering.

While the games still hold their respective 90s charm, the cleaned-up edges and brightening video scenes help the titles fit more comfortably onto modern systems.

However, what’s truly impressive is how the gameplay structure, skirmishes and campaigns all hold up incredibly well. This collection is a must for both veteran and green RTS fans.

XCOM 2 is the turn-based tactical strategy game that, for a time, defined PC gaming. In it the player takes command of an elite military XCOM squad, rebelling against the tyranny of an alien force.

Your squad is made up of a mix of classes, from standard Ranger and Sharpshooter roles to the telepathic Psi Operatives. Skirmishes take place in procedurally generated levels, so no two encounters are ever the same. Outside of the fighting, studying fallen aliens and their technology, and upgrading your research facilities, can yield rewards to help further your rebellious efforts.

Into The Breach is a turn-based tactical title from the indie game studio Subset Games. It’s a brilliant take on the genre, with players controlling mech units who are fighting against a monster race known as the Vek to save civilian buildings.

Maps are presented as a board, with you and your AI opponent taking turns to traverse and attack. Trying to apply overwhelming force won’t swing it, as this one is all about keeping a tight hold on the map and key positions within it. Surprisingly tough and looking fantastic in this retro art style, this one is a gem that needs to be in your collection.

Pop on a jacket, it’s about to get real cold in here. Frostpunk combines all the thankless elements of local politics with survival, city-building and strategy gameplay. The game is set in an alternative history, in which the late-19th century world is thrown into a new Ice Age.

As Captain of a band of surviving Londoners who have settled around a disused steam generator, it’s your job to ensure the survival and progression of these scared, cold and hungry folks. As the game progresses, you’ll be forced into increasingly extreme choices between ruling through Order or Faith.

Will you enforce religious doctrine and instate child labour, or arm the local vigilantes and rule by force? Just be warned, should you fail them, the local citizenship will take action.

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Undoubtedly one of the greatest strategy games of the last decade (and maybe the best looking), Crusader Kings III provides you with plenty of compelling plates to spin.

The game combines elements of grand strategy with those of dynasty simulators, having you control governments of varying structures (clan, tribal and feudal), building a military empire, partaking in diplomacy and considering genetic legacies.

Though this all sounds very intense, the developers have pulled out all the stops to make sure that Crusader Kings III is accessible to strategy newcomers as well as elite tacticians.

The phrase “old but gold” comes to mind with StarCraft 2. Originally released in 2010, this sci-fi RTS still draws a significant and steady player base. Unsurprisingly for a military RTS title, the gameplay focuses on you dominating… well, everything in sight.

The campaigns have you fighting for this dominance in various circumstances, needing to learn, adapt and overcome challenges to defeat foes. bIn addition to tight gameplay, the game is also notable for a compelling story that (like so many other Blizzard properties) has garnered a cult following. Added bonus: it's now free!

For more of the very best that the PC has to offer, check out our picks for The best PC games ever made.