Nexus: The Jupiter Incident 2004
Why it still holds upThe handful of ships still makes every hull a name and a crew you cannot replace.
Strategy games that still hold up
Thinking two turns ahead, whether or not there is a clock
Games
Nexus: The Jupiter Incident 2004
Why it still holds upThe handful of ships still makes every hull a name and a crew you cannot replace.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Pool of Radiance 1988
Why it still holds upBuilding a party from scratch is still a draw now.
Dune 2000 1998
Why it still holds upA struggle over a desert planet's spice is an enduring setting for a strategy game, and it still makes a good starting point.
Worms 2: Armageddon 2009
Why it still holds upTurn after turn of silly weapons still makes each match a scramble of jokes.
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends 2006
Why it still holds upThree races that play differently still make each campaign a new take.
Jagged Alliance 1995
Why it still holds upThe hiring still means a war fought with the people you chose to pay, eight at a time.
On sale
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.
The Chessmaster 2000 1986
Why it still holds upA chess opponent from 1986 is still there to practice against today.
Caesar III 1998
Why it still holds upA governor's job of keeping a city thriving is still on offer today.
On sale
Capitalism Plus 2016
Why it still holds upThe supply chain still leaves the farm, the factory and the shop all yours to connect, or to get wrong.
On sale
SteamWorld Heist 2015
Why it still holds upThe ricochet still makes the clever shot the one you aimed, not the one the dice gave you.
On sale
Total Annihilation 1997
Why it still holds upA galactic war fought across planets and moons has a scale that is still worth a try.
On sale
Cossacks: European Wars 2001
Why it still holds upHuge armies in a period setting still give each battle its scale.
On sale
Railway Empire 2018
Why it still holds upSabotage still makes the network a race.
ActRaiser 1990
Why it still holds upPopulation growth in the building stages makes the Master stronger for the fighting, a link between the two halves that is still there today.
On sale
Metal Fatigue 2000
Why it still holds upThe amputation still makes the arm you cut off yours.
Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest 2015
Why it still holds upIts locked experience still cannot be ground into submission, and the map has to be out thought.
On sale
Battle Brothers 2017
Why it still holds upThe crippling still carries a company's last battle into the next one, and the men are not replaced for free.
Pikmin 3 2013
Why it still holds upWith different Pikmin for different obstacles, deciding whom to bring is still part of every task.
On sale
Infested Planet 2014
Why it still holds upEach map is still a new fight today, since the aliens keep changing in answer to what you do.
On sale
Age of Wonders II: The Wizard's Throne 2002
Why it still holds upCommanding a fantasy army as an immortal wizard is still the hook today.
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds 2001
Why it still holds upA familiar strategy formula in a galaxy full of known units still gives it a lot to explore.
Myth: The Fallen Lords 1997
Why it still holds upThe army you start with is still the army you have, so each battle comes down to keeping it alive.
On sale
X-COM: Apocalypse 1997
Why it still holds upThe city is still ground you defend that has landlords, and they have opinions.
On sale
Ground Control II: Operation Exodus 2004
Why it still holds upA dropship arriving under fire still makes every landing zone the centre of the fight.
Neighbours from Hell 2003
Why it still holds upA prank puzzle filmed for television is a clear premise, and it still is.
On sale
Company of Heroes 2 2013
Why it still holds upHolding a zone with your squad is still the way to win ground.
On sale
X-COM: Terror From the Deep 1995
Why it still holds upThe depth is still the first game's two layers, with a sea between the ship you lost and the squad you send after it.
On sale
Age of Wonders 1999
Why it still holds upThe choice in every battle, to place the units yourself or let the game decide, is still its draw today.
Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest 1995
Why it still holds upThe four kinds still decide the army by the hero you chose, one more turn at a time.
BurgerTime 1982
Why it still holds upBuilding burgers while being chased is a clear goal, and it is still easy to pick up.
On sale
Freedom Force 2002
Why it still holds upEach team is still your own, built ability by ability.
On sale
Napoleon: Total War 2010
Why it still holds upEach scenario covers a smaller area than the series' global maps, and armies that move too far from home suffer attrition.
In a bundle
Disciples II: Dark Prophecy 2002
Why it still holds upThe battles are still drawn to be watched as much as won.
Frozen Synapse 2011
Why it still holds upPlanning every move and then watching the turn play out is still a clear way to see tactics at work.
On sale
Sid Meier's Pirates! 1987
Why it still holds upWith no end set in advance, each voyage still takes a course of its own.
Fantasy General 1996
Why it still holds upThe grades still mean the squads are researched as well as recruited, one continent at a time.
SimCity 2000 1993
Why it still holds upA city that grows both up and down through layers still has plenty to build today.
On sale
Anno 1701 2006
Why it still holds upThe tiers still have the citizens tell you what they want next, and move up when they get it.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II 2009
Why it still holds upA battle where cover decides things still calls for a plan today.
Populous: The Beginning 1998
Why it still holds upThe sphere is still a planet you can walk round, and tear up by hand.
Heroes of Might and Magic V 2006
Why it still holds upGrowing a hero skill by skill is still a good way to build an army.
On sale
Syndicate Wars 1996
Why it still holds upThe rotation still lets you turn a city in your hands and bring it down.
Halo Wars 2 2017
Why it still holds upA rock, paper, scissors of units still makes every army a matchup to read.
Total War: Rome II 2013
Why it still holds upA camera that follows individual soldiers ties the campaign map to the fight it causes, and that link still matters.
Invisible, Inc. 2015
Why it still holds upThe 72 hours are still always one bad turn from losing an agent for good.