7 Best Games That Let You Take Over The World

Strategy games sometimes move at a slower pace. Players who enjoy carefully studying game details and analyzing lots of data can find themselves taking a long time to advance. However, that’s what gives the genre its complexity, and many strategy games actually feature quite a bit of action, often centered around warfare.

Some players enjoy achieving their goals through peaceful means – by trading with others, building strong alliances, and growing wealthy. Others prefer a more direct approach, building armies and conquering territory. If you’re the latter type, here are some excellent strategy games where you can take control of the world.

7. Civilization 7

Winning Through Military Might is Just One Path

The Civilization games let you win even if you don’t build any soldiers, though it’s risky on harder settings. The series is famous for offering different ways to achieve victory, and some of these focus on peaceful progress. For example, in Civilization 7, you can win a Scientific victory by focusing on scientific breakthroughs – even launching into space – without ever needing to fight. Of course, you can also win by conquering all other civilizations with your military if you prefer.

Winning a military victory no longer requires controlling the entire world – just a specific number of cities. The Domination victory condition has also been updated. In previous versions, you needed to capture each opponent’s capital city, but now you must conquer every city on the map to truly dominate. While some civilizations and leaders are naturally stronger in combat, improvements to how you control your armies make it easier to manage large-scale conflicts. Success will depend on mastering new features like the town system and effectively managing your conquered territories.

6. Total War: Pharaoh

Waging War In The Ancient World

The Total War series combines turn-based strategy on a world map with real-time battles. Combat is a core part of the experience and offers a lot of strategic complexity. Large battles feel like a careful game of chess, where you need to exploit your enemy’s weaknesses while keeping your own forces safe. Successfully commanding your army involves protecting ranged units, using cavalry to attack or defend the flanks, and keeping your troops motivated – all at the same time.

Many players choose to have battles automatically resolved in Total War games, preferring to focus on direct control during key moments. However, I love the large-scale battles the series offers. Total War: Pharaoh gives you even more control over your troops, letting you quickly change their tactics and even pull them out of a fight if needed. The game takes place during a turbulent period in Ancient Egypt, so you’ll often face rebellions and struggle to hold onto your lands – but that’s typical for this type of game. With smart tactics, strong alliances, and careful resource management (which has been improved with the Dynasties content), you can conquer the entire map. I especially enjoy seeing my commanders grow and gain experience throughout their careers.

5. Risk: The Game Of Global Domination

A Classic Global Warfare Simulator

Many strategy games where you try to conquer the world can be complicated. You often have to manage every single unit and detail on the map, which can be tedious. I often get caught up in calculating potential damage in those games, but Risk is different. This console version of the classic board game is exciting and requires strategy, but it’s also easy to pick up and enjoy – a rare combination!

The game simplifies world domination by visually highlighting areas on a map with clear colors and numbers, instantly showing players where their armies are and where opponents are vulnerable. Players build up forces, launch attacks, and strengthen defenses with the aim of conquering the entire world. Attacks succeed based on the number of troops involved and, importantly, luck of the dice. What’s great is that while chance is a factor, the game heavily rewards strategic thinking and careful planning. Expanding too rapidly leaves you exposed, and relying on allies is risky. Winning is possible, but you might sacrifice a few friendships along the way.

4. Evil Genius 2: World Domination

The Bond Villain Approach To Taking Over The World

Most games about taking over the world focus on building up a traditional military – armies, planes, ships, the whole nine yards. But the Evil Genius games are different. They let me be the bad guy, the supervillain you usually see in spy movies! It’s awesome to finally play as the one trying to take over the world, instead of the hero stopping them. It’s like, what if James Bond didn’t win for once? That’s what these games explore.

This strategy game lets you choose a brilliant but villainous leader – like the over-the-top Maximilian or the scientific genius Zalika – and a remote island to call home. Then, you start building your evil empire! You’ll need to construct essential underground facilities, such as a vault to store your wealth and an armory to equip your henchmen when authorities come knocking. The construction style is similar to the classic game Dungeon Keeper, where you dig and build underground.

You’ll quickly build up a sophisticated criminal headquarters, recruit skilled minions, and attract the unwanted attention of the authorities. While the game starts small, it really opens up and becomes much more enjoyable as your criminal network expands. You’ll be able to purchase entire countries and use bribery to keep things running smoothly, all while trying to maintain a facade of legitimacy. Ultimately, to achieve world domination and finish the storyline, you’ll need to finish building your doomsday device – it’s similar to achieving a scientific victory in a game like Civilization, but with a much more sinister twist. Plus, the game is genuinely funny, which is always a welcome bonus.

3. Unicorn Overlord

Reclaim What’s Yours, Piece By Piece

In Unicorn Overlord, you’re tasked with conquering a continent, but with a twist: you’re not expanding an empire, you’re reclaiming land stolen by the evil Zenoiran Empire. The story begins when a general named Valmore betrays his queen and seizes control, quickly spreading his influence across the land of Fevrith. Young Prince Alain escapes the initial attack and eventually returns to build an army and fight back against the Zenoirans.

I’m really getting into this game! The story is unfolding against these gorgeous Vanillaware backgrounds, and I’m building up a resistance force – they’re calling us the Liberation Army now. It’s a lot of work, honestly, gathering resources and taking back forts, then upgrading everything. There are secrets hidden all over the map too, which is awesome. I love that I can choose which quests to do when I want, but I quickly learned not to rush things – wandering into the wrong area with a low-level team is a quick way to get wrecked!

What I love most about this game is its innovative battle system. You guide your units using straightforward commands, but when a fight begins, the view changes. Your formation then automatically carries out attacks and special abilities based on the order you set, allowing for some amazing team-ups that can make your units incredibly powerful. If you enjoy experimenting with gear and different character classes to create intricate strategies, you’ll have a blast reclaiming the world with the Liberation Army in Unicorn Overlord.

2. Shadow Empire

Beware of Your Neighbors

When trying to build a powerful empire in strategy games, you’ll often find that other nations have the same goal. This can lead to a stalemate where two roughly equal powers end up hindering each other’s progress, and I’ve experienced that quite a bit while playing Shadow Empire.

VR Designs’ 2020 strategy game puts a strong emphasis on warfare and building your empire, but it requires a lot of detailed control. The world map is straightforward, displaying troop numbers like a game of Risk, but most of the gameplay involves managing numerous menus and options. You’ll appoint leaders, track enemy forces, decide when to strike, and carefully choose which technologies and policies to focus on. This game is incredibly complex, offering a huge amount of depth. If you enjoy intricate systems and carefully weighing every decision – especially when it comes to prioritizing upgrades – you’ll likely find it very engaging.

The main goal is to dominate a planet created by the game, and players are free to choose how they achieve that dominance.

1. Europa Universalis 5

A Journey Through History

While games like Shadow Empire let you conquer the world in a sci-fi setting, some players enjoy historical strategy games based right here on Earth. Europa Universalis 5 is perfect for this, letting you lead nations throughout history. You can even create alternative nations – ones that could have existed, or entirely fictional ones, just for the fun of it.

I’m a big fan of historical series that, like the Civilization games, prioritize getting the details right. While this game is even more focused on accuracy, it still lets you shape your own story. The world map is incredibly detailed, and it will likely change significantly as you play, evolving from its historically accurate starting point. After picking your faction, you’ll be involved in a deep and complex campaign, handling everything from setting taxes to managing the expenses of your royal court.

While it is possible to conquer the entire world in the game (as demonstrated by YouTuber ThePlaymaker, as reported by PCGamesN), it’s incredibly challenging. Success requires a thorough grasp of the game’s systems and how to exploit them. Expanding aggressively often provokes your neighbors to team up against you, and maintaining a large, happy, and profitable empire becomes increasingly difficult as your territory grows.

2026-05-11 01:36