StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty 2010
Why it still holds upChoosing your jobs and spending the earnings between missions gives the campaign its shape, which keeps it worth playing today.
2010s strategy games that still hold up
Thinking two turns ahead, whether or not there is a clock
Games
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty 2010
Why it still holds upChoosing your jobs and spending the earnings between missions gives the campaign its shape, which keeps it worth playing today.
Sid Meier's Civilization V 2010
Why it still holds upOne unit per tile keeps war a matter of terrain and positioning, which is reason enough to play it today.
Europa Universalis IV 2013
Why it still holds upInterlinked systems and a reactive AI make the same nation play out differently every time, and that is the reason to play it now.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses 2019
Why it still holds upA school calendar that shapes who fights for you, and how, still gives its tactical battles weight today.
Slay the Spire 2019
Why it still holds upShort runs where every choice of card or route changes the deck, and visible enemy intent turns every turn into a puzzle, keep it replayable today.
Fire Emblem Awakening 2012
Why it still holds upGrid tactics in which unit relationships change combat results, with permadeath as an option, are why it still plays well.
FTL: Faster Than Light 2012
Why it still holds upShort runs and random generation still let you try a different mix of weapons, systems and crew every time today.
Frostpunk 2018
Why it still holds upWith one heat source at the centre, every layout and law is still a trade between warmth, resources and morale today.
Anno 1800 2019
Why it still holds upProduction chains and tiered populations that all have to be supplied still turn city layout into a planning puzzle today.
The Banner Saga 2014
Why it still holds upSupplies, morale and renown carry between fights and choices can kill party members for good, so the caravan and the combat still pull on each other today.
The Banner Saga 2 2016
Why it still holds upUnits that play differently, such as the charging Horseborn and the support focused Ravens, on a grid where position decides fights, still reward planning today.
Crusader Kings II 2012
Why it still holds upRules that interlock, rather than a script, still turn each campaign into a different family story today.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown 2012
Why it still holds upVisible hit chances and a strategic layer where every choice costs something elsewhere still keep each decision a readable risk today.
Total War: Shogun 2 2011
Why it still holds upWith so many of these pulling on the result, each war is still a plan of many parts today.
XCOM 2 2016
Why it still holds upTurn limits, scarce resources and soldiers who can die for good still make each mission a new problem today.
The Banner Saga 3 2018
Why it still holds upTwo caravans, with a clock ticking on one of them, make every choice a decision about how to spend your time, and that pressure is still there for a new player.
Total War: Warhammer 2016
Why it still holds upFactions built on different rules still make every campaign a different way to wage war today.
Into the Breach 2018
Why it still holds upEach battle is still worth working through, as the Vek show their next attack and every turn becomes a puzzle of where to move and what to hit.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth 2018
Why it still holds upDrawing your own map and steering around visible Shadows make each floor a small puzzle of routes, worth working through today.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia 2017
Why it still holds upA game you can set to be as forgiving as you like still suits more than one kind of player today.
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun 2016
Why it still holds upEvery guard becomes a puzzle you can solve in your own order, with a visible cone of vision and bodies you can hide, and it stays tense today.
Total War: Warhammer II 2017
Why it still holds upEach campaign has a reason of its own, as four factions have opposite aims for the same event, and that is still worth replaying.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked 2011
Why it still holds upA clock, and events that exclude each other, still make each choice cost something.
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark 2019
Why it still holds upYou decide how forgiving the game is today, because a difficulty setting lets you choose how much a defeat costs, from nothing to permadeath.
The Battle of Polytopia 2016
Why it still holds upA short turn limit and a single resource to spend suit a short session today, since each game is a quick set of choices about what to unlock first.
Tooth and Tail 2017
Why it still holds upSix units chosen before the match still make each game a bet on one plan today.
Kingdom Two Crowns 2018
Why it still holds upEvery spend is a risk to weigh, since coins are both your army's wages and the crown's safety, and the tension holds today.
Defense Grid 2 2014
Why it still holds upEvery placement is still a double job, since towers also decide the aliens' route.
Chroma Squad 2015
Why it still holds upRunning the studio around the battles still gives every fight a purpose beyond winning it.
Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game 2011
Why it still holds upA country of your choice in a world at war gives each campaign a different set of problems.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong 2015
Why it still holds upToday, anyone who likes planning each turn carefully has a good place to do it in this cyberpunk city.
Disgaea 5 Complete 2017
Why it still holds upSo many systems around the battles, with every extra included, still leave a lot to dig through today.
Mini Motorways 2019
Why it still holds upNew houses keep arriving, so a network that works now has to leave room for the next one, and planning ahead is still the whole skill.
Victoria II 2010
Why it still holds upRunning a nation's economy and society, and not only its army, still makes a long campaign worth the time today.
Hearts of Iron IV 2016
Why it still holds upThe economy that feeds a war is the heart of the game, as it still is.
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden 2018
Why it still holds upYou still choose where a fight begins, which makes every encounter a planned one.
Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright 2015
Why it still holds upChoosing how much a loss costs lets a player find a difficulty that suits them, and that is still a good idea.
Fieldrunners 2 2012
Why it still holds upA choice of six weapons before each level gives you a plan to test.
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech 2019
Why it still holds upBuilding a deck of your own cards makes each fight a small puzzle.
Cities: Skylines 2015
Why it still holds upToday it remains open ended, since a city can grow in whatever direction the player chooses.
Brigador 2016
Why it still holds upThe city is still a town you are paid to flatten.
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together 2010
Why it still holds upA branching war story that can be rewound still gives reasons to go back today.
Endless Space 2 2017
Why it still holds upWith every faction playing by its own rules, each new campaign is still a different game.
Total War: Three Kingdoms 2019
Why it still holds upSince the generals decide which units you have, who you bring still matters as much as your orders.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 2018
Why it still holds upPoints spent on a turn, and then taking aim yourself, still make every move a choice today.
Parkitect 2018
Why it still holds upHiding the work behind the fun still gives each park a backstage to plan as well as a front.
Sid Meier's Civilization VI 2016
Why it still holds upA random world and several ways to win still make each campaign take a different path, so one more game is easy to start.
Grand maps measured in centuries, tactical fights decided by a single square, and short runs that start over when they go wrong. How far ahead you want to plan is the real choice here.