Backlog Of 10 Strategy Games I Want To Play In 2025

It’s likely that everyone who visits this place has a considerable pile of strategy games and wargames they’ve promised themselves they’d play one day. Yet, five years have slipped by, and the copy of War In The East 2 you purchased on its release date still hasn’t seen much action, with only 45 minutes of gameplay logged so far.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve found myself pondering over the towering stack of unplayed games that seems to grow with each passing month. It’s fascinating how we often find reasons to postpone diving into these eagerly anticipated titles, isn’t it? Let’s embark on this new year by exploring the mysteries behind our procrastination habits in video game land!

Arms Trade Tycoon: Tanks

In this game, you assume the role of a tank designer and producer, with the objective of consistently providing top-quality tanks to your clients while ensuring a fair distribution. This intriguing title is called “Arms Trade Tycoon: Tanks.” Currently in Early Access, I’ve delayed playing it primarily due to this stage, but once the World War II expansion is released, I believe the game will offer enough depth for me to become fully engaged with it.

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters

A game that I should have picked up right away when it was released, yet for some unexplained reason, I’ve been putting off getting it. It’s not about the game itself, but more of a situational issue. Whenever I start it up, other tasks seem to require my attention, causing it to get pushed back again and again. However, the blend of XCOM and Warhammer 40,000 in Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters is simply extraordinary, and the 8 hours I’ve played have left me quite impressed.

Ultimate General: American Revolution

Back in late 2023, I snagged a copy of Ultimate General: American Revolution as soon as its Early Access dropped. The plan was to pen a sneak peek, but life had other ideas. With the recent departure of Game Labs studio heads, it seems like this might be the swan song for the Ultimate General series. Given that there’s hardly any game out there diving into the American Revolution, I better get my hands on it and share my thoughts in a review before it’s too late!

Aliens: Dark Descent

Since I’ve not been deeply invested in the Alien series before, it wasn’t surprising that I didn’t delve too deep into its games. I recall playing a demo of a first-person shooter on Sega Saturn when I was young, but other than that, no particular Alien game stands out. Yet, the overwhelmingly positive reviews about Aliens: Dark Descent online sparked my curiosity, even for a “semi-work-related” reason related to Firaxis. This is one of the ways I rationalize buying games to avoid guilt. In truth, the game appears visually stunning and the initial two missions I played (for 3 hours) have me eagerly anticipating more, despite the fact that it hasn’t ignited a strong passion for the franchise yet.

Supreme Commander

My fellow hosts on the Critical Moves podcast frequently express their admiration for Supreme Commander, describing it as one of the greatest strategy games ever created. However, I must confess that my gaming experience with this title has been limited, as I’ve only played it for a few hours many years ago. The unfortunate reason for this is straightforward: when Supreme Commander was initially released, it wasn’t available to purchase in Portugal. During an era where physical disks were essential and internet access was scarce, if a game wasn’t found in a store, there was no other way to obtain it. As a result, I missed out on playing the game altogether until much later when I learned of its existence.

Also, here’s our latest episode, go give it a listen, it’s a good one!

Total War: Warhammer III

You don’t need to just dabble with this one; rather, I aim to complete an entire storyline for it. In other words, I wish to engage in a full Chaos campaign where my role is not to construct, but to demolish. Since Total War: Warhammer III is the unique game in the series that offers such a choice, I believe it will be an entertaining test. Later on, I plan to revisit Total War: Warhammer II and play another pirate’s campaign.

Phantom Brigade

Phantom Brigade is an intriguing blend of turn-based and real-time strategy, featuring gigantic, customizable mechs. Unfortunately, I didn’t give it much focus when it initially came out on Steam; instead, I opted to wait and observe before fully engaging. Fortunately, nearly two years following its launch, the game has undergone significant improvements, now boasting a “very positive” rating in recent reviews.

Wartales

I’ve spent a couple of hours brainstorming this title, then moved on to something else. Wartales is an RPG set in a low-fantasy medieval world, featuring turn-based combat similar to Battle Brothers. It also shares similarities with Mount and Blade, as it drops you into a vast open world, leaving you to choose your next destination and action. Did you know that Wartales was the top-selling strategy game of 2023?

Dominions 5 – Warriors of the Faith

Although Dominions 6: Rise of the Pantokrator has been released, its cost is beyond my budget right now, so for the time being, I’ll settle for Dominions 5 – Warriors of the Faith. To be honest, I can’t quite put it into words, but from what I’ve gathered online, this game allows you to rule a nation as a deity, designing your own powerful and unique units. The battles are visually stunning, and there seems to be an option for playing as an underwater faction – that certainly sounds intriguing!

Hard West 2

2022’s Hard West 2 shares the alluring title of a heavy metal album, but it’s actually an upcoming strategy game that promises an exhilarating journey through the Wild West. In this XCOM-inspired title, you’ll engage in fierce battles against various supernatural foes such as demonic creatures, witches, and cultists, all while struggling for survival alongside your party. The original Hard West featured intriguing elements like supernatural powers and strategic trick shots, so one can only speculate about the exciting additions that await us in Hard West 2.

2025 is right around the corner, and I’m guessing that many of these old games will be gathering dust by then as we’re always on the hunt for something fresh to play. With so many new titles coming out, it’s hard to resist the urge to dive into them!

So, what games in your backlog are you excited to conquer next year? Share your picks below and let’s chat about them!

2025-01-12 18:40