The 100 Best Strategy Games To Play In 2025 – 25 Honorable Mentions

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Almost Up There With The Best Strategy Games You Can Play In 2025!

As I was compiling my three-part review on The Top 100 Strategy Games for 2025, I found myself frequently rearranging many of the selections. Some games were even taken off because I felt they belonged to other lists more suitably. Keep in mind that this is subjective, but with all the entries already written, I decided to share them with you! Different from my previous lists, this one isn’t ranked; rather, it serves as a collection of exceptional strategy games worth playing in 2025, offering alternatives and additional recommendations!

25 – Grit and Valor: 1949

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As a devoted gamer, I’ve found myself captivated by Grit and Valor: 1949 much like the allure of FTL: Faster Than Light and MiniMotorways. This real-time strategy roguelite, set in an alternate World War 2 timeline where the Axis powers control mech technology, offers a unique twist as players embark on a mission to Berlin, using their own advanced weapons against them.

With its progression-based structure, each defeat sends you back to base for another run, granting new mechs, more skilled pilots, and valuable insights. Launched in March 2025, Grit and Valor: 1949 is a rewarding gaming experience that could be worth your investment if you’ve enjoyed the games mentioned or seek out titles with that “just one more round” appeal.

24 – Rise of Nations: Extended Edition

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Another classic strategy game deserving a spot in every top list is Rise of Nations: Extended Edition, developed by Xbox Game Studios. This real-time strategy (RTS) game offers an expansive, engaging real-time strategy experience that covers significant chunks of human history, up until its release in the early 2000s. What sets it apart is its combination of civilization development and real-time combat. Players can lead a nation from its origins to world domination all within a single map. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that, as far as I know, hasn’t been replicated since.

In this game, you’ll find yourself immersed in a standard Real-Time Strategy (RTS) setting, where the focus lies on nation development, resource collection, and territorial growth via military conflict. Upon reflection, Rise of Nations seems to bear a striking resemblance to Sins of a Solar Empire.

23 – Combat Mission: Black Sea

Only a handful of gaming companies dare approach representing the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a playable scenario, but one such example is Combat Mission: Black Sea. This game offers an exceptionally realistic and intricate representation of modern warfare in the unstable Black Sea region. Although it was developed prior to the real-world conflict, it serves as a stark reminder of Battlefront team’s ability to accurately recreate the harsh realities of war within a gaming context. What sets this game apart is its painstaking attention to detail, advanced ballistics and armour modeling, and dedication to simulating the intricacies of contemporary combat. The gameplay revolves around directing intricate formations in demanding situations, requiring players to master combined arms tactics, utilize terrain strategically, and adapt to rapidly changing battlefield circumstances.

22 – Dungeons 4

It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t fantasized about becoming an evil ruler at some point, and it seems that’s exactly what inspired the creation of the amusing, entertaining, and delightful Dungeons game series. The upcoming fourth installment, Dungeons 4, developed by Realmforge Studios and published by Kalypso Media, is a unique blend of dungeon management and real-time strategy (RTS) games with a humorous edge and an amusing narrator. Players assume the role of the Dungeon Lord, whose mission is to construct and manage an underground lair teeming with traps, monsters, and resources that must be defended against those bothersome do-gooders with their shiny armor, blue eyes, and long blonde hair. The game consists of two separate gameplay layers: the subterranean dungeon construction, where players design their evil domain to attract and accommodate various creatures, and the overworld, where players dispatch their minions to conquer human settlements in traditional RTS fashion. What truly sets Dungeons apart (apart from its outstanding strategy elements) is its sarcastic narrator and self-aware humor, frequently mocking fantasy stereotypes. With a charming single-player campaign, skirmish modes, and cooperative multiplayer, Dungeons 4 promises a lighthearted yet strategically engaging experience for those who pine for the days of Dungeon Keeper.

21 – The Lamplighters League

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In a challenging situation, the Lamplighter’s League found itself stepping into some large footsteps, as the creators Harebrained Schemes, renowned for their Shadowrun and BATTLETECH series, were met with criticism due to initial performance and technical issues in their latest release. Despite subsequent improvements, the game never fully recovered from its rocky start. However, I’m captivated by its unique blend of real-time infiltration and turn-based tactical combat, set in an alternate 1930s pulp adventure world with a hint of the supernatural.

In this global struggle against the Banished Court, a dangerous cult teetering on world domination, players lead a team of captivating characters, each possessing unique skills and personalities. The game closely follows the structure of XCOM, allowing players to manage their team, conduct investigations, and thwart the Banished Court’s plans in a strategic layer. When missions begin, gameplay switches to real-time stealth and infiltration, enabling players to position their agents strategically and utilize their abilities to avoid detection. If discovered or at an opportune moment, the game transitions to turn-based tactical combat, where players employ their agents’ skills and the environment to overcome adversaries.

With a strong emphasis on character-driven storytelling, visually appealing presentation, and a mix of stealth and tactical action, The Lamplighter’s League offers a distinctive strategic experience that fans of XCOM, Gears Tactics, and Marvel: Midnight Suns should not miss.

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2025-05-10 18:30