The Greatest Strategy Games With Campaigns

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As a gamer, I’ve come across numerous instances where storylines and gameplay modes don’t seem to intertwine, particularly in strategy games. Titles like “Starcraft II” and “Civilization VI,” for example, are renowned for their success yet lack a traditional story mode. Instead, they thrive on competitive matches against AI or fellow players.

In contrast to many action and strategy games that primarily focus on gameplay mechanics without a dedicated narrative, a significant number of city-building, real-time strategy, and tactical strategy games incorporate multiple story modes instead.

Strategy games often don’t rely on a narrative, but instead, they allow players to create their own stories by engaging in the gameplay and overcoming challenges. While a compelling narrative can certainly enhance the experience, it is not an essential component for the genre to thrive.

10.
Homeworld 3

There’s No Place Like Home

Homeworld is a space-themed strategy game series, which, due to the expansiveness of space, operates across all three dimensions instead of the usual two dimensions found in most RTS games. Additionally, it stands out among other RTS series by incorporating substantial narrative modes within each individual title.

This game presents more than a dozen story missions that challenge your spatial awareness in ways not typically found in other strategy games. The game really excels with its 3D real-time strategy (RTS) gameplay.

This science fiction tale follows a simple narrative structure and effectively delivers its intended message. While it leans heavily on common themes or patterns (known as tropes), it skillfully establishes the foundation for the following events, achieving its purpose adequately.

9.
XCOM 2

It’s In Your DNA

The game boasts not just captivating turn-based strategic battles, but also offers a wealth of large-scale strategic elements, particularly in terms of organizing strategies around your movable base, the Avenger.

The game narrates a captivating tale where extraterrestrials, by means of genetic manipulation, have subtly infiltrated various aspects of our society and established an oppressive regime. Unsuspecting humans perceive this new administration as benevolent, oblivious to the fact that they are essentially being used as a source for DNA extraction.

Initially, the foes you meet seem like regular humans, but your team is aware this is a deception. In truth, they are genetically modified beings with both human and alien DNA, lacking independent thought, created to control humanity.

As I delve deeper into the game’s universe, I storm through hidden government facilities teeming with bizarre alien species, specifically the Sectoids. These creatures possess psychic abilities and even have the chilling ability to animate dead bodies. Uncovering these clandestine sites only serves to underscore the horrifying extent of the aliens’ inhuman experiments on humanity.

8.
Tropico 6

Viva El Presidente

The Tropico series is a unique blend of humor, storytelling, and city construction games. You play as El Presidente, leader of a small, fictional Caribbean island that transforms into a nation over time. Throughout the game, you’ll develop your city-state for over a century, and let’s just say, some strange occurrences are quite common!

This game has an eccentric charm, where you kick off by clandestinely transporting gold hidden within coconuts, a term we use humorously as ‘goldnuts’. The adventure unfolds with you stealing iconic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty in a Despicable Me-esque manner. There’s also an element of dealing with artificial intelligence rulers.

The gameplay stands out on its own, but the narrative offers valuable guidance for grasping the mechanics, along with intriguing, if occasionally absurd, motivations to delve into the game’s various aspects.

7.
Invisible, Inc.

Just Don’t Spill It

It’s a tactical stealth game heavily influenced by roguelikes, which introduces more strategic elements.

You have a limited amount of time to select missions, and there are several options available, each offering distinct prizes. Choosing the appropriate rewards at the optimal moment is essential for making it through the final stages. Merely completing each mission won’t be sufficient.

As a gamer, I find myself thrust into a world where corporations reign supreme. It appears these powerful entities have conspired against my clandestine organization, leaving us in a perilous state. The journey begins with the straightforward premise of survival against overwhelming odds.

1. Your AI technology is cutting-edge, but needs periodic recharging to avoid permanent deactivation. Meanwhile, you’re pondering about the corporate world’s activities.

2. To keep our advanced AI functioning, it requires charging to prevent a permanent shutdown. At the same time, we’re curious about what businesses are doing.

3. The high-tech AI in your agency needs recharging to stay active, and you’re wondering about corporate actions.

4. To ensure our state-of-the-art AI keeps running, it requires charging, otherwise it will shut down permanently. Simultaneously, we’re trying to understand what corporations are planning.

5. Your advanced AI needs recharging to keep it going and avoid a permanent shutdown. In the meantime, you’re trying to figure out corporate strategies.

As the story progresses, you discover things aren’t how they seemed.

6.
Frostpunk

Getting Warmer

As a survivor in a chilly, post-apocalyptic world, I find myself tasked with the monumental mission of rejuvenating a frozen cityscape. Armed with a powerful heat generator and a small group of fellow resilient souls, I must navigate the harsh realities of an ever-colder climate to rebuild society from its icy ashes.

The game has multiple story-driven scenarios, with the main one being A New Home.

In the novel “A New Home,” it’s revealed that multiple cities were established near these power sources. Yet, upon learning that neighboring cities have crumbled, residents of your city begin to ponder the idea of departing.

It’s not widely known yet, but a huge snowstorm is on its way. Leaving the city en masse could jeopardize its ability to endure, and moreover, many people might find it difficult to navigate through the freezing weather.

5.
Pathway

The Road Less Traveled

This game is a strategic role-playing title that emphasizes resource management. Apart from engaging in combat, you’ll need to traverse the game world, keeping track of fuel levels and encountering a diverse array of unexpected situations along the way.

The narrative unfolds across several challenging campaigns that follow a timeline, with each completed campaign granting access to the next, more difficult one. Yet, the campaigns can be revisited and played in any sequence due to their high replay value.

The narrative bears a striking resemblance to both Indiana Jones and Captain America, featuring adversaries from pre-World War II Nazi Germany on a hunt for hidden knowledge to bolster their might. Despite its familiar theme, the unfolding of secrets within the plot keeps it intriguing and engaging.

4.
Pikmin 4

It’ll Grow On You

Pikmin is a renowned and newcomer-accessible combination of real-time strategy and puzzle games. Due to the complexity often found in strategy games, Pikmin carves out a distinctive niche by being user-friendly.

In this game, you take on the role of a new recruit who is tasked with rescuing the former series hero, Captain Olimar, in the one-player campaign.

Absolutely, it’s a game featuring Pikmin characters. In this scenario, you take on the role of a recruit, guiding your Pikmin troops in their mission to assist you on a rescue operation for Olimar. As the story unfolds, you’ll encounter different types of Pikmin, each with unique abilities to assist you in overcoming challenges and defeating adversaries. This gradual introduction helps you get accustomed to the game’s real-time strategy (RTS) elements.

As a gamer, I’ve found that the narrative unfolding while I strive to save Olimar is far more gripping compared to the straightforward win-or-lose structure most real-time strategy (RTS) games offer. It adds depth and emotion to the gameplay experience, making each level feel like a part of an engaging story rather than just another battlefield.

3.
Circus Electrique

Mad With Power

is a strategic, story-driven tactical RPG with base and resource management.

Despite being complex, it excels at guiding you effectively, thus proving more accessible compared to other comparable series. The narrative significantly contributes to this smooth navigation.

The narrative opens with an unexplained mass hysteria sweeping through the city’s populace. To finance your journey and enlist carnival workers as protectors, you employ a circus setup in the process of discovering the origin of this Mind-Bending phenomenon.

The plot unfolds, gradually introducing new elements, while the game carefully guides you through these additions over time.

2.
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection

& Choose Your Timeline

The renowned strategy game series, Command & Conquer, delivers narrative-focused campaigns in addition to the competitive battles typical of real-time strategy games.

In this remastered compilation, you’ll find separate storylines for each of the initial games in the series, broken down into individual missions. Each mission presents a unique goal, and some even include live-action sequences to set the plot in motion.

In order to maintain an engaging experience, this narrative divides into two distinct timeframes: one adheres to the traditional Tiberium chronology, while the other follows the unusual events of the Red Alert series, contingent upon the chosen game.

The tale can be a tad melodramatic and excessive on occasion, yet it serves its purpose. Remember, we’re talking about a real-time strategy game here, so the storyline isn’t the main focus.

In simpler terms, it serves as an explanation for an assortment of purposes that may seem unconventional compared to typical combat situations.

1.
Starcraft II

Zerg Rush!

is a legendary sci-fi RTS series, and it happens to include story-driven campaigns.

The game features three distinct campaigns for its various races: Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss. Additionally, it offers an extra mission pack that functions as a fourth campaign.

In my opinion, this tale delves deep into the intricate and detailed backstory that you’d typically find in a series like Star Trek. Despite being renowned for its multiplayer features, it certainly doesn’t compromise on its exceptional writing.

As a newcomer, I find it less intimidating to master the fundamentals of this challenging game in single-player mode first, before diving headlong into the competitive world of multiplayer.

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2025-04-29 17:10