The Best Strategy Games Of The Last Decade

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Introduction

In 2026, Firaxis will celebrate its 10th anniversary! It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade since we first started building what we believe is the leading strategy and wargaming website. We launched with a handful of reviews, previews, and lists, and have grown from a few hundred views in our first year to over 5 million in 2025. We’re expecting 2026 to be our biggest year yet – it’s been an incredible journey!

I’m celebrating this milestone by sharing my personal picks for the best strategy games of the last ten years, and what I loved about them. I’ll be covering wargames in a separate article, so don’t worry if you don’t see them here! I hope you enjoy reading my choices.

12 – ISLANDERS

ISLANDERS is a wonderfully simple and beautiful strategy game that I’ve enjoyed for years, especially on warm summer nights. You manage a small island, starting with a few buildings, and the goal is to arrange them to create as many scoring combinations as possible. Higher combos mean a better score, but if you don’t reach the target, you have to start over. What makes this game special is its peacefulness – there’s no fighting, no complex rules, and a clean interface. It’s all about relaxing and making the best of what you’re given. I’d give it a perfect 10 out of 10.

11 – Starship Troopers: Terran Command

If I had to pick the best real-time strategy game campaign of the last decade, I’d immediately say Starship Troopers: Terran Command. It’s a fantastic adaptation of the 1997 film, capturing everything that made the movie great and seamlessly translating it into a video game. The game’s presentation is spot-on – the graphics, cutscenes, voice acting, and even the humorous propaganda all demonstrate a clear love for the original source material. The gameplay perfectly reflects the tactical challenges of fighting massive bug swarms, emphasizing things like line of sight, target selection, and using the environment to your advantage. Combine that with a large, classic RTS-style campaign, and it’s a winner. Plus, the game has been consistently updated with new DLC, adding even more content!

10 – Civilization VI

The Civilization series, like Age of Empires and StarCraft, is a rare strategy game that became hugely popular with gamers. Although Civilization VII was never released, Civilization VI remains a fantastic experience after ten years and is the best way to enjoy the series in 2026. The game’s district system really improved the city-building aspect while keeping the core gameplay familiar to fans of Civilization V. Most players probably already own it, but if you don’t, it’s well worth buying during a sale when the game and its expansions are heavily discounted.

9 – RimWorld

A few years back, everyone in gaming was talking about “emergent storytelling,” along with terms like “Soulslike.” The idea behind it is that a game should give players the tools and systems to create their own interesting and memorable experiences, rather than relying on pre-planned events. If there’s one game that truly captures that spirit, it’s RimWorld. It’s the ultimate “make your own fun” experience. You start with a group of colonists – a quirky, often incompetent bunch – stranded on a hostile alien planet, and they’re determined to find creative ways to meet their demise. It’s your job to manage the chaos and help them survive. The real fun comes from building a base, expanding your colony, and gathering resources while trying to overcome the planet’s many dangers. It’s no surprise that RimWorld is widely considered one of the greatest strategy games ever made.

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2026-04-30 16:43