Summary
Few game genres have the same depth and complexity as strategy games. While there are ranges of difficulty within every genre, players of strategy games understand there’s going to be some levelof tactical thinkingneeded to overcome each title’s challenges. Part of what makes this genre so popular is also the sheer breadth of games it covers. If players want to control a tight-knit squadron of soldiers against overwhelming odds, a sprawling army in a fantasy world, or rule as some kind of industrial despot in space, they’ll be able to find more than just a game to sate that urge, but an entire sub-genre dedicated to it.
It’s no surprise, then, that the strategy genre can be intimidating for some players. Or, if not intimidating, mildly exhausting even for veterans. Maybe after a day of work or unwanted family events, you don’t want to manage the logistics of your soldiers storming Normandy or tweak the individual pauldrons and gauntlets on every troop in a squad of fighters. Even themost accessible strategy gamescan have some strings attached, but for bright-eyed newbies and weary veterans alike, there are some great, compelling strategy games out there that still keep the combat delightfully simple.
This strategy gamecame out of nowhere, blendingX-Com-style combat with the setting and characters ofSuper Marioalongside - inexplicably - Ubisoft’s Rabbids.
Despite coming out of left field, this game has an excellent gameplay loop, a detailed equipment system, and a decent difficulty curve. The gameplay is straightforward but allows for enough variation and variety to keep players' strategy fresh.
From the makers of theexaltedFTLgame,Into The Breachkeeps the same philosophy of streamlined combat, but deep customization and replayability. Players control a tight cohort of mechs on a small-scale battlefield, trying to stop colossal monsters from wreaking havoc on what’s left of humanity.
Every loss is canon to the overall story, with players able to send one pilot from the doomed timeline back “into the breach” to try again in a new past until they manage to defeat the monsters for good. The small scale really helps keep the combat simple, but not without a great level of detail and tactics.
While there are ahandful of mechanicsto keep track of inAge of Wonders 4, they all come together incredibly smoothly in a way that lets players feel the responsibility of ruling a kingdom without an overwhelming amount of metrics to keep track of.
This simplicity continues into the game’s combat, where every composition of units falls under a certain class, and each class interacts with one another in a certain way. Pikemen are strong against cavalry, for example.
The philosophy ofThronefallis a simple one - stripping back all the unnecessary features of a strategy game to leave players with a direct, focused goal. Keep your people alive, no matter the cost that needs to be paid.
Players build up their kingdom during the day and defend that kingdom at night. They can spend as long as they like upgrading their holding, but when night falls, it becomes a gruesome defense of their lands against hordes of enemies.
In a similar vein toThronefall,Bad Northstrips back a strategy game to its most essential features, this time taking on the form of anexcellent RTS gamewith minimalist graphics. The list of classes among units and enemies remains slim, but items and commander abilities add a lot of depth.
Even with the relatively paired back mechanics, there’s a lot of depth here, but the combat in practice remains simple enough for anyone to grasp. Position units to meet invading Vikings, and prevent the island’s structures from being razed.
While some of the titles on this list highlight the simplicity of their combat systems with comparatively small battle maps,Diplomacy Is Not An Optionproves that even large-scale RTS games can have simple combat.
The mechanicsbehindcombat in this game aren’t that simple, with real-time gravity determining the hit radius of effects, but in practice, players must simply use the handful of their tools at their disposal to maximize the destruction waged against hordes of invading enemies.
Taking on a heroic (or a villainous) mantle, players can unleash true power as some of the most iconic Marvel superheroes and villains inMidnight Suns.
Part of what makes this game so fantastic - and the combat so simple - is that there are no hit chances. Captain America does not have a 90% chance of hitting with his shield, he has a 100% chance, by god, and he will slam that shield with enough force to incapacitate a low-level grunt.
Among some of the most lauded strategy games of all time,Heroes of Might and Magic 3gives excellent worldbuilding, unique and creative unit designs, and an incredibly versatile spell system to players in a single, brilliantly crafted package.
Managing spells performed by heroes alongside the strengths of individual units and their affinities is an elegant balancing act, and despite how much can be going on the screen at any one time, it’s a deceptively simple process that players will quickly get the hang of.
