10. Wargroove
If you’re a fan of the old Nintendo classic Advance Wars, you’re absolutely going to love this game. Gorgeous throwback pixel art graphics and over a dozen hours of campaign mean there’s plenty here to keep you busy, and the surprisingly smart AI ensures that the expansive maps are grounds for some really epic battles. There’s also fantastic multiplayer options here, including an incredibly detailed map designer you can use to devise your own challenges.
9. The Banner Saga Trilogy
The Banner Saga Trilogy is a turn-based combat strategy game set in the world of a wonderful Viking story, where the gods are dead and the world is stuck in a state of eternal twilight. Interesting characters are shown in a gorgeous unique art style, and you’ll be given decisions to make that will affect the outcome of the plot. Think of it as a Final Fantasy Tactics but with a badass Viking aesthetic.
8. Wasteland 3
The series that inspired Fallout is back with a brand new offering. It offers a deep, old school roleplaying experience coupled with turn-based tactical combat, and enough modern updates to keep it feeling fresh and vital. There’s so much choice and variation that it warrants plenty of replays, and we’re already looking forward to trying it out again to see what we missed the first time around.
7. This War Of Mine: The Little Ones
Sometimes you’re not in the mood for sprawling battles - sometimes your strategy gaming can be a little more intimate. That’s where This War of Mine comes in. You’re responsible for the survival of a group of civilians in wartime, and with expansion pack The Little Ones, this includes children to take care of. Scavenging, surviving, planning - there are many factors that will have to be considered if your civilians are going to make it through the war.
6. Prison Architect
Prison Architect is a fun and original concept built on the crossroads between simulation and strategy. You’re responsible for creating and running the ideal prison, hiring staff and connecting utilities, preventing escapes and dissolving prison riots. It takes surprising planning and strategy to ensure that your prison will grow without collapsing in on itself, and there’s plenty of replay value to be had as you learn from your mistakes.
5. Tropico 6
A breathtakingly huge and gorgeous game, Tropico 6 puts you in the role of a political leader ruling over an island nation. You can play it straight-laced and fair if you like, but with options like embezzlement, bribery and outright assassinations on the table, there’s a good chance you’ll be heading down the dictator route. It’s easily one of the best strategy games on the PS4, and just feels so much naughtier than stuffy old Sim City.
4. Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance
The Disgaea series is up there with Final Fantasy Tactics among the best of the turn-based unit combat strategy games. Although the flavour of this one is a little different thanks to very indulgent anime costume choices. And they are CHOICES. Like all good strategy combat systems, it takes a little time to get to grips with but is impossible to let go of once it clicks. Expect to lose plenty of time to this one.
3. Desperados III
Desperados III is the latest entry in the Western-themed real-time stealth series, and arguably the best. It’s ambitious in terms of both scale and ways you can approach the game. The gameplay completely steals the show; a tight, rewarding experience if you’ve got the patience to persevere and not be a scrub like us. We’re really excited to see clips of the inventive ways players manage to beat levels.
2. XCOM 2
XCOM 2 is a sci-fi action strategy game that is set in a world where humanity lost the fight against an invading alien force in the first XCOM game, and now it’s up to you and your team of soldiers to kick them off the planet. Deploying soldiers you’ve trained yourself into turn-based combat against a wide range of creatively designed aliens is never not fun - and permadeath gives your soldiers real humanity and a reason to play cautiously.
1. Valkyria Chronicles 4
Valkyria Chronicles 4 uses an interesting and unique combination of turn-based and real-time strategy, where you make the big moves in turn-based gameplay and then are let loose on the ground to follow up those decisions yourself. The story mode is disconnected from the other games in a way that makes it very accessible to newcomers, and what a fantastic introduction to the series it is. Original gameplay among the best available for strategy fans on the PS4.