Starcraft 2
One of the most important strategy games in eSports today is Starcraft 2, one of Blizzard’s most well-known and important titles. Despite its age – Starcraft 2 was released in 2010 – the game still enjoys great popularity.
You play in a sci-fi setting, controlling the insect-like Zerg, the imperialistic Protoss, or humanity known as Terran. Starcraft 2 is characterized by an extremely high pace.
Whether you face AI or other players, the game builds on you learning as many hotkeys as possible, as quickly as possible. Starcraft 2 is known for its players boasting with their high “APM”, or “Actions per Minute”. Some of the best players in the world even play at increased speeds, as the game can’t keep up with their inputs otherwise.
If you are into competitive games and looking for a challenge, Starcraft 2 is still the best choice for you today. However, the campaign is also definitely worth it, and there is even a special co-op mode. The game, however, is no longer being developed. A starter version is now available for free.
Stronghold: Definitive Edition
Particularly in Germany, Stronghold from Firefly Studios is among the most popular games – especially due to its famous quotes and excellent voice acting (keyword: “The people are leaving the castle.”).
In Stronghold, you play a medieval lord, building a castle with everything that goes with it: weapon and armor forges, residential buildings, agriculture, churches, walls, and much more.
Especially the campaign and historical battles are a popular feature of the series, but the charismatic AI opponents provide a lot of entertainment in skirmish games, especially in later parts.
In the end, it’s still the Middle Ages, and you want to expand or defend your lands. This means: You wage war against other lords, besiege them, and tear their walls down. Even if you then have to cross the moat first.
Which part of the series is the best is subjective. However, on Steam, the Definitive Edition as a remaster of the first part was released in November 2023, which has won over players with 86% positive ratings. While there are no AI skirmish matches here, it offers a strong campaign and a more or less lively multiplayer.
Alternative: Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition
In the meantime, the direct sequel, Stronghold Crusader, has been released as a remaster. Unlike in the original Stronghold, you play here in the Holy Land during the time of the Crusades. Accordingly, architecture and units are somewhat different.
In addition to the standard units, there are mercenaries and, since the remaster, Bedouins as new units. There are also some new lords of the castle and something that Stronghold was missing: a real multiplayer co-op via Steam, where you can play against AI in battles or campaigns.
Anno 1800
Anno 1800 is now the 5th game in the popular Anno series, which has been developed in Germany for years. For Anno 1800, the developers have chosen the setting of the industrial revolution.
In Anno, you establish your empire on various islands and build residential houses and industrial enterprises. You ensure that your cities grow larger and supply your population with increasingly new goods while fulfilling their needs. The main goal is to ultimately be able to build a World Expo.
So far, Anno 1800 has received 4 seasons with numerous new content. The new world now has a third population tier, and you can establish a settlement in Africa. Ubisoft has now introduced the successor Anno 117: Pax Romana and declared the development of Anno 1800 complete. Strategy expert Maurice Weber is already excited about it.
If you enjoy city-building strategy games, love to build large empires, or just like watching your cities grow, then Anno 1800 is a genuine tip. The co-op mode is also well implemented and worth a look. However, Anno 1800 is very extensive due to its many addons and is not necessarily beginner-friendly. In contrast, Anno 1404, which received a History Edition a few years ago, is more user-friendly, less extensive but almost just as good.
Stellaris
If you are into massive strategy games in space, Stellaris is the right game for you. The Swedes at Paradox have transferred their grand strategy idea into a sci-fi setting, in which you can even create your own species. You can play even as a swarm consciousness.
Unlike in Crusader Kings, Stellaris places strong emphasis on exploration. You must discover and research foreign planets and star systems around you before you can colonize them.
Ultimately, depending on the advantages and disadvantages of your created species, you can achieve victory through diplomacy, economy, or outright war. Crises provide challenges and new opportunities that can shift the balance of power.
With over 25 DLCs now available, you get new species, new government forms, and new scenarios to explore. The latest DLC plays with the possibilities and dangers of artificial intelligence.
Sins of a Solar Empire 2
Sins of a Solar Empire II is the successor to the popular 4X strategy game. You choose one of the three races, TEC, Vasari, or Advent, and build an empire with them: you colonize planets, develop technologies, and train units. In real-time battles, you then fight against other players.
The three races play even more distinctively compared to their predecessors: while TEC receives strong trade bonuses, the Vasari completely forgo trade posts. The Advent exploits strong advantages from their cultural development. This makes for a different experience in each match.
The game does not rely on Early Access, but some features are still missing or poorly developed.
The developers have already introduced extensive support through DLCs: in the coming months, the game will not only receive a fourth faction but also a full campaign.
Sins of a Solar Empire is known for its extremely long rounds, which can easily rival Civilization.
Warcraft 3
Warcraft 3 may be older, but it is an absolute classic of the genre and the best part of Blizzard’s Warcraft series. While the game was released in 2002, Warcraft has had an enormous influence on the entire gaming world. It is, among other things, thanks to Warcraft 3 that League of Legends even exists.
Warcraft 3 and especially the expansion The Frozen Throne is the best part of the series. Whether as Orc, Human, Night Elf, or Undead, you fight with units and heroes against other factions and defeat them in exciting real-time battles.
Like Starcraft, Warcraft places a strong emphasis on speed and micro-management. This means: a mistake can quickly cost you your army, and if you’re not careful, a clever opponent can easily destroy your entire economy.
Warcraft 3 has been remastered with Reforged, but it had a disastrous launch. After many patches, broken promises, and disappointments, it is now at a point that can be reasonably recommended. Personally, I find the original version of The Frozen Throne to still be better, even though it’s not as pretty – only it is not available digitally on Battle.net.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition
Although it is already 20 years old, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is still considered one of the best strategy games and, according to the author of this list, even the best strategy game of all time – far surpassing Age of Empires 2.
No other game in the universe captures the dark end-times atmosphere of Warhammer so authentically while accurately depicting the many factions. Anyone who is even slightly into Warhammer should check out Dawn of War.
As Eldar, Orks, classically as Space Marines or their evil Chaos version, you fight for dominance. However, you don’t exactly collect resources, but rather requisition points that you earn by holding strategic positions.
Since Dawn of War is still a Warhammer game, you only have a severely limited number of units to work with. With several DLCs, additional factions like the T’au, Necrons, or the Adepta Sororitas were later added to the game.
If you enjoy the absurd grandeur of Warhammer, you will find happiness here. Each faction has a “Titan,” such as a gigantic tank or a living saint capable of devastating the battlefield.
Dawn of War has two sequels, but neither comes close to the first part. The third part was even discontinued after just a few months. The original Dawn of War has now been released as a remaster and includes all expansions of the game as well as numerous improvements. The camera and the UI, for example, have been adapted for modern systems.
If you’re interested in Dawn of War, you can also look forward to a new installment. Dawn of War 4 is being developed by the German studio King Art and returns to the old values of the first part with some cool changes from the sequels: I played Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 for only 30 minutes but I’m already as excited as I haven’t been in years
