11 Best PC Strategy Games Of 2019

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Best PC Strategy Games of 2019

11 Best PC Strategy Games Of 2019 

Here is a look at some of the Best PC Strategy Games 2019 had to offer and each one of them is worth playing in my opinion.

Some games listed may be expansions of a game but I believe they form a brand new experience in game play and they make an already great game even better.

So if you love strategy games and have not yet tried any of these titles then please take a look and I am sure you will find a title to fall in love with.

Total War: Three Kingdoms

“Total War: Three Kingdoms is the best the series has been in a decade.”  

Total War Three Kingdoms Gameplay

Pros:

  • Nicely optimized game
  • Improved Diplomacy
  • One the best looking strategy games
  • Building character relationships
  • Co-op play

Cons:

  • The lack of formations
  • Not much difference in the different unit model designs (They look mostly the same)
  • In combat and Diplomacy, the AI still act a bit dumb

Total War: Three Kingdoms is probably the best work so far in the Total War series. 

You can choose from 12 warlords and recruit heroic characters to dominate and conquer China on all fronts. (technological, 
military, political, and economic)

Total War: Three Kingdoms is a turn based strategy game with real time combat that will entertain you for hours while marveling at the personality of each faction that simply draws you in.

With Patch 1.4.1 released, unit cost adjustments balances the multiplayer aspect of the game even more. A lot of bug fixes for the single player campaign also makes for a smooth and enjoyable campaign. 

Wargroove

“Wargroove’s brain-teasing tactics and impressive level editor make it the Advance Wars successor fans have been waiting for.” 

Wargroove game overhead map

Pros: 

  • Local multiplayer
  • Cross platform online multiplayer
  • Addictive gameplay model
  • Map editor
  • Good soundtrack
  • Loads of modes and options

Cons:

  • Some levels are a bit too big
  • Some hero grooves are much more useful than others

Wargroove is a welcome addition to the strategy game genre and I love it. It is a turn based strategy game with RPG elements. Normally there is more than one resource in a strategy game but Wargroove only have one: Gold

There are 15 playable commanders (Heroes as I like to call them) to choose from. Each with its own unique power (Groove)

Wargroove supports up to 4 players for some PVP fun. Build an army and defeat your enemies by either destroying their commander or destroying their stronghold.

The game was surprisingly easy to pick-up and play but also much more in depth gameplay than I anticipated. There are a wide variety of units for air, ground and sea with each having a special ability when certain conditions are met.

I would dare say that I can spot a trend where more new game releases are finding their roots again from the late 80s to mid 90s. [FTL, Into The Breach and Tiny Metal comes to mind]

For me this was the era where games were mindless fun and a break from reality without it being so ‘serious’. I welcome the drawn artwork and nostalgia with open arms.

Planet Zoo

“Planet Zoo is a wildly satisfying park-builder with a menagerie of lovely looking animals.” 

Planet Zoo Waterhole

Pros:

  • The animals are amazingly life-like
  • Build virtually anything you can find in a zoo
  • Educational

Cons:

  • Lots to figuring out not covered in a tutorial
  • The career is not very interressting
  • Lack of good premaid maps

Planet Zoo offers plenty of powerful and easy-to-use tools to fill your blank canvas with a home for all your wild critters that is limited to only your imagination.

But not all of us are that creative and the lack of premaid maps that can be slightly edited makes you thankful for the Steam community that share their creations.

Planet Zoo does not only offer amazing customization tools but also amazing use of sound that creates the atmosphere of a real Zoo.

Where Planet Zoo really shines is the life-like animals but all of this detail, animation and creature needs (as your zoo expands) seem to take its toll whereby the AI just cannot keep up which results in some weird occurrences: Animals die from dehydration close to a waterhole or antelope not finding their shelter that is literally meters away.

Planet Zoo offers plenty of modes to choose from and have some online abilities too: Other players can ‘visit’ your zoo for instance, or at least their avatars will.

Planet Zoo has plenty to offer and can be a satisfying game to play, looks great, sounds great with an easy-to-use interface.

Tropico 6

“New missions and tasks come at a steady clip, so you’re never at a loss for things to do.” 

Tropica 6 Island

Pros:

  • Great soundtrack
  • Great performance
  • Great looking game
  • Handy tutorial for new comers
  • Total control over how you rule islands
  • Loads of modes to choose from
  • Online multiplayer

Cons:

  • No multiplayer saves
  • Roads can become frustrating obstacles
  • A cluttered user interface

In Tropico 6 you play as the president of a nation with the flexibility to govern as you see fit from being a democratic – to a socialist government.

Essentially there are 4 eras (Colonial, World Wars, Cold War, and Modern Times) through which you progress with each having their own factions, buildings and events.

There are 15 campaign missions in Tropico 6 that focuses on different aspects like housing, tourism and raiding.

There are some nice animations and I like to sometimes simply watch the workers build and transport materials.

Limbic Entertainment (the developers) included multiplayer functionality which was first implemented only in Tropico 5 and they also took good points from Tropico 4 and 5 and implemented it in Tropico 6 to form the best Tropico game yet.

It is overall a really fun game to play with few bugs and annoyances.

They Are Billions

“With permadeath and razor-sharp margins for error, the title caters to RTS veterans and survivalists hungry for challenge” 

Pros: 

  • Great visuals
  • An addictive mix of RTS and Tower Defense gameplay
  • High replay value
  • Low learning curb
  • Can pause the action

Cons:

  • Very unforgiving game
  • Gamepad support is terrible

They Are Billions is an RTS game where your fight is against zombies. Zombies again!! Yes, but this time around it is a fresh take on slaughtering these mindless creatures that totally makes this a fun and exciting game.

Grow your economy, build defenses to fend of the waves of zombies imminent and build patrols to pick off trespassing zombies.

The decisions you make when you prepare for the next wave is the determining factor for victory or defeat. A very tense game where one zombie that slips through your defenses can mean certain defeat.

There are 2 main modes: The campaign – and survival mode. When defeated in a campaign mission, you will need to start from the beginning rather than load from a save game. This ‘Iron Man mode’ that gets enforced may not be for everyone but most appreciate the satisfaction when they are finally victorious.

Even worse is the fact that you are penalized for every fail which makes it even harder. Starting over with a penalty is a bit harsh and so developers did decide to add a campaign save for version 1.0. Phew!

They Are Billions have a tech-tree to unlock buildings and better technologies which is a great way for new comers to learn about a handful of buildings and units at a time.

Should the game prove to be successful enough, Numantian Games and Blitworks may consider adding multiplayer for the game.

Overall this is a very well-made game that probably will cost you many hours of gameplay but at least it will be hours filled with fun.

John Wick Hex

“An elegant tactical puzzler that captures the pace and action of the movies.” 

John Wick Hex Action

Pros:

  • Easy to get sucked into the character that is John Wick
  • Easy to pick-up and play
  • Flexible combat tactics

Cons:

  • The difficulty level can sometimes border on frustration
  • Not much weapon variety
  • No multiplayer

In John Wick Hex you play as John Wick, a professional hit man, from the popular film franchise. It is a fast paced action-oriented strategy game where every action counts.

The game is timeline based where every action has a ‘preparation’ time and a time to complete an action. Most actions also make use of Focus points which you can recharge if you have in-game time to spare.

Movement is on a hex based grid and everyone on the level moves along as you move. You can see the time it will take an enemy to complete an action which helps you determine whether you are able to act before they can complete their move.

Unlock weapons, dodge, kick, punch, throw your gun in your opponents face, take him down or choke the life out of them.

John Wick Hex will make you feel like an action hero and I enjoyed the fast paced action. It is something new, fresh and exciting to play but the difficulty level can get frustrating at times.

There is not a lot of animation and some may appreciate the art style but to me it is a bit flat. This does not mean that John Wick Hex does not deliver great gameplay, because it does. You may know by now that I do not care about flashy games but the actual gameplay and the fun level.

Civilization VI: Gathering Storm

“Growing a small group of settlers into a world-spanning superpower is rewarding at every step” 

Cicilization VI Castle And Mountains

Pros: 

  • Loads of content and options
  • Enjoyable new scenarios
  • Loads of new features, units, buildings, wonders, etc.

Cons:

  • AI sometimes make dumb decisions
  • A bit pricey

Gathering Storm is the second expansion of the popular strategy game that is Civilization VI.

9 New leaders and 8 new civilizations are introduced along with new units, buildings, districts and 7 new wonders that can be constructed.

Your choices influence the ecosystem of this living and breathing world complete with natural disasters that can be both devastating but also enriching the land.

The natural disasters include: Climate change, droughts, floods and storms (blizzards, sand storms, tornadoes, hurricanes)

You can adjust the intensity of the disasters or turn it off completely if you do not like it.

Civilization VI is arguably the best of the series so far and with the addition of Gathering Storm it is even better.

At the moment the expansion pack is going for $40 which is a bit overpriced but definitely worth it if you can get it on a discount.

TINY METAL: FULL METAL RUMBLE

“Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble is a great improvement on its predecessor Tiny Metal.” 

Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble Snow

Pros: 

  • Loads of content
  • Deep gameplay
  • Wide range of units
  • Easy to pick-up and just play
  • Online multiplayer

Cons:

  • No local multiplayer
  • Not a good story

Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble is the second game in the series with Tiny Metal being its predecessor. Full Metal Rumble is a definite improvement from Tiny Metal and if you enjoyed Wargroove, you will probably love this game too.

This is also the closest you will get to a modern take on Advanced Wars for the fans out there.

I like the artwork and the fact that this game can run on a toaster.

It is a simple and fun turn-based game to play, with balanced units and combat that feels on par. Despite the easy-to-play mechanics, this game runs deep with added features that includes: Munitions & fuel management, transport vehicles and commander powers.

You start each mission with a handful of infantry and vehicle units with which you have to take over enemy bases to increase your own production of units. Focus Fire (where multiple units can concentrate on an enemy unit) and Assault (where you can push back the enemy from their current position) are very good and enjoyable features.

Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble is made to be played on a gamepad in my opinion and makes life much easier.

What would make this game perfect for me? Adding some maps with naval units, have a checkpoint / saving system and include local multiplayer.

Overall it is a very well-made game with tons of content and fun that deserves a spot on this list.

Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic

“Workers & Resources is the best Soviet-themed city builder I’ve ever seen”

Workers & Resources Soviet Republic

Pros:

  • Realistic industries
  • Realistic income
  • Huge map

Cons:

  • No multiplayer yet
  • No tutorial
  • Steep learning curve

Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic takes place during the Cold War and you being in charge and being the state that does the decision-making.

Therefore; in this city – or rather nation builder, you are responsible for every citizen in the republic.

For you to have a successful republic, you will need to keep your workers happy. If you don’t your workers can get sick and die, starve to death or escape to another country.

Get your citizens to mine and work the land’s natural resources, build industries, transports, export, import and build the economy. With the money you accumulate you can only improve quality of life for your citizens or increase productivity.

It is a very interesting take on the “city building” genre as there are no private buildings and nothing gets done without you commanding it. Planning and care needs to go into your infrastructure to reach the goal of being self-sufficient.

Even though this is still in Early Access from the time of writing, it is arguably one of the best builders to date.

Rise up, take charge and transform a small and poor community into a world superpower!

Dicey Dungeons

“Dicey Dungeons constantly reinvents a simple idea to delightful puzzling effect.” 

Pros:

  • Newbie friendly
  • Loads of content
  • Great sountrack
  • Easy to pick-up and just play
  • Great fun at first

Cons:

  • Gets old fast
  • Difficulty fluctuate greatly
  • No multiplayer

Lady Luck turned you into a giant dice as a contestant for her game show which let you make your way through a deadly dungeon while a live audience is watching the action.

Each floor has its own puzzle (starting off very friendly) to get to the exit and progressing to the next. You will explore, open chests, acquire skills and find some healthy snacks along the way to help you fight and survive the baddies.

Once you reached the end of the dungeon, you will fight a big boss and unlock a character of which there are 5. It is about dice after all – a 6-sided one and no wonder there are 6 characters (Warrior, Thief, Robot, Inventor, Witch and Jester) in total. 

Movement takes place on a connected tile like map while combat relies on the cards you have acquired and the series of dice throws.

It is an easy, addictive, click-and-play deck-building game with quite a bit of depth to it.

Again this is a great concept and a fun game to play and even though I am sure that you will pack in quite a few hours of gameplay, the replay ability is not quite there for me.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2

“Involved, spectacular, space battles packaged into satisfying campaigns, and great fan service too” 

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2

Pros: 

  • Great visuals
  • Exciting huge battles
  • Decent voice acting
  • Challenging
  • Improved multiplayer

Cons:

  • Co-op play is broken as from this writing
  • Not newbie friendly
  • Lack of mission variety

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 is a real-time strategy game with massive space ships battling it out in epic space combat. That already gets me excited.

I have never caught up with the Warhammer games but I read that Battlefleet Gothic takes place in a Warhammer 40K universe. 
I did play Homeworld a lot and this reminds me of that. Just bigger and better.

There are 12 factions, three dynamic campaigns featuring beautiful voice-overs and graphics with the addition of multiplayer. 

Order scouts to scan the map and identify nearby enemies. Shoot lasers or torpedoes, order a bomber – or fighter squadron to attack, create mayhem with your dashboard full of special abilities, jump halfway across the map to launch a surprise attack or board another vessel.

Now that is pretty exciting!

Although you have complicated systems, guns that need certain angles and crew members that can rebel if morale drops too low, I do not feel that it is overboard and may even welcome it despite the learning curve.

You do not have to micro manage every ship as you can toggle their AI on or off and assign target priorities to them.

You score points for destroying enemy ships and controlling capture points scattered across the battlefield. Score enough points or destroy all enemy ships and it is: ‘Mission completed’

Another exciting and fun game to play. That is the only reason and motivation I need.

Conclusion

Looking at all the strategy games made in 2019, these are my top pics. Will anyone of these make my list of the best PC strategy games of all time?

That may be a possibility and I will measure and weigh these against the best ever. One thing is for sure: These 11 strategy games brings new ideas to the table and a lot of fun.

Not everybody will agree with this list and it will be interesting to know what your take is on it. What would your list look like or simply sharing your experience with one of these games in the comments below.

Thank you for checking out 11 Best Strategy Games Of 2019!

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