Seven Games That Get the Brainwaves Moving at Max!
Seven Games That Get the Brainwaves Moving at Max!
Nothing is more fun and rewarding than watching a digital empire or factory you build work flawlessly. It can be a fun challenge to take on the task of learning to strategize in a new game.
True strategy Steam gamers are always looking for the next great strategy game to take from newbie to expert. Here are seven games that can really ignite that spark.
Overwhelmingly Positive (96%) | Singleplayer | $9.99
Dinosaur Polo Club’s spiritual successor to their compellingly simplistic strategic train simulator is the gorgeous game Mini Motorways. Don’t let the cute, basic-looking design fool you-- Mini Motorways is an in-depth, complex game of resource management, route pathing, and traffic prevention that deserves every award it's won.
Mini Motorways has a color palette that looks so good it’s hard to look away. The colors are distinct enough that they don’t become confusing, and the gameplay is streamlined and fine-tuned to perfection.
While Mini Motorways is a mainly single player experience, it also has a leaderboard system with timed challenges, so you can easily compete with friends!
Purchase the game here.
Very Positive (91%) | Singleplayer / Multiplayer | $49.99
If you want a game that’s gritty and in-depth, but not totally bleak, Paradox Interactive’s Crusader Kings 3 has you covered. This game isn’t for the faint of heart, since it has a lot to keep track of. Once you get the hang of it, though, CK3 provides unlimited, in-depth narratives between your ruler and those around you.
CK3 allows you to take control of a medieval noble during your choice of three starting years: 867 (the days of vikings), 1066 (the beginning of the rule of William the Conqueror), and 1178 (just before the Third Crusade). You get complete control over your ruler’s actions, the size of the land they command, and their relationships and attributes. None of that even scratches the surface of war, diplomacy, espionage, and the many DLCs this game offers.
CK3 is certainly the cream of the crop of Steam’s best strategy games. It has so much to offer in terms of different play styles. It’s certainly a game you could give an entire afternoon to.
Purchase the game here.
Very Positive (92%) | Singleplayer | $29.99
It’s the end of the world as we know it, but it’s fine as long as you can build a city. 11 Bit Studio's instant classic city-builder, Frostpunk, gives you control over humanity’s last bastion in a world that’s completely frozen over.
As mayor of your grimdark, steampunk city, you have to balance your resources with your citizens’ opinion of you and life. This is one of several games on this list with a lot to keep track of, but it has a comprehensive and easy-to-follow tutorial built in.
If you enjoy this game, it also has a more recent sequel you can check out!
Purchase the game here.
Very Positive (86%) | Singleplayer / Multiplayer | $59.99
Civilization 6 is the current edition of Sid Meier's classic series. Civ 6 is a grand strategy game, so one full game of this hex-map empire builder will take a few hours. It’s perfect for a nice Saturday afternoon indoors. Plus, what better way to get ready for the soon-to-be-released Civilization 7 than to play its award-winning predecessor.
There is plenty of paid DLC for Civ 6, too. While the base game is a ton of fun on its own, there are a couple expansion packs that can enhance the play experience. Take a look at the epic environmental challenges of Gathering Storm, or the diplomatic game of cat and mouse in Rise and Fall. These packs, plus the many smaller DLCs, fit seamlessly into the world of the game.
Civ 6 also has some deep sales fairly often. I picked it up for around $5 a while back, and, with the sequel releasing later this month, more discounts could be seen in the near future.
Purchase the game here.
Overwhelmingly Positive (98%) | Singleplayer | $14.99
One of 2024’s huge breakout successes was the in-depth poker rogue-like, Balatro. At its core, Balatro is a modified version of poker. It has a betting system and all the same card point systems, like straights, full houses, pairs, all the classic stuff. This game starts to differ with the Joker system. Balatro has 150 Joker cards that all have unique effects.
You can also visit the shop at the top of each game and between rounds to get fun new cards to play with. Then, it all resets at the end of each run, so individual games don’t last too long. It may seem complicated, but it’s quick to get the hang of! If you like card games, you should check out this evolved version of the genre.
In the spirit of Balatro, strategy game lovers should also make sure to be acquainted with the rogue-like genre, since those kinds of games are heavily strategy-focused.
Purchase the game here.
Very Positive (91%) | Singleplayer | $24.99
If you love watching cute, hand-drawn fantasy adventurers quickly descend into madness, Darkest dungeon is the game for you. This devilish turn-based dungeon-crawl gives you control of an adventuring party searching dungeons far underground.
Darkest Dungeon takes a lot of inspiration from tabletop classics like Dungeons & Dragons and Call of Cthulhu. This game is built around a sanity system that drastically changes how the game is played. Losing sanity can cause one of the party members to gain a negative effect that affects how you have to plan your attacks.
Purchase the game here.
Overwhelmingly Positive (97%) | Singleplayer / Multiplayer | $39.99
The much-anticipated Satisfactory is here, and it’s amazing! Coffee Stain Studios’ latest, and possibly greatest game has hit the factory-building and optimization worlds by storm. With hundreds of hours worth of factory building, in-depth customization, and open-world exploration, it’s no wonder critics and gamers alike are raving.
In Satisfactory you take control of a pioneer, building grand factories on the face of a newly-discovered alien planet. There are plenty of different resources to collect and automate, and there are an unlimited number of ways to play, so individual player strategy becomes key in building your base.
Purchase the game here.
If you’re looking for something quick and casual or lengthy and epic, the Strategy genre of gaming has something for you, and, with games that have such positive reviews, you can’t go wrong! Which strategy game will you dive into first?
