Summary
- Some strategy games offer fluid gameplay without designated regions, like Dungeon Of The Endless.
- Darkest Dungeon 2 combines combat-focused gameplay with permanent progression for a brutal yet rewarding experience.
- Wildfrost excels with tactical combat encounters in a deck-building format, allowing for diverse builds.
Strategy games are often centered around warfare and conquest, with players typically vying for control over territory. This can sometimes lead to a lack of decision-making, as players losing territory often enter death spirals, and those that manage to take it are typically able to do as they wish.
There are some strategy games, however, that forgo designated regions and territory entirely, replacing any sense of control with fluid gameplay. From the dungeon-crawling strategy of Dungeon Of The Endless, to the deck-building gauntlets of Wildfrost, there's something here for all kinds of players.
Related
8 Best Games That Get Better As You Play
Some games drop you right into the action, but these excellent titles require a bit warming up to, getting better the longer you spend with them.
1
7 Dungeon Of The Endless
Tower Defense & Resource Management
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
- ESRB
- T For Teen
- Developer(s)
- Amplitude Studios
This roguelike dungeon-crawler excels with its distinctive combination of tower defense, resource management, and meaningful exploration. In the game, players attempt to make their way through an industrial dungeon rife with alien foes, escorting a fragile power crystal with the help of myriad defenses.
Related
Great Indie Games That Punch Above Their Weight
Not all indie games are created equal. Here are some standout examples that successfully punch above their weight.
As a dungeon-crawler, players have no ability to capture and control territory. Instead, they're always on the move. The wave-based nature of the enemy encounters also ensures players are given time to strategize, while simultaneously providing constant pressure to keep them moving.
6 Darkest Dungeon 2
A Crucible Of Turn-Based Combat
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Darkest Dungeon 2
Roguelike
RPGSystems
- Released
- May 8, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITAL
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Red Hook Studios
Ditching the town management of its predecessor in favor of grueling road trips through a failing kingdom, Darkest Dungeon 2 is a brutal strategy game that excels with its immersive atmosphere and dismal tone. Darkest Dungeon 2 is a combat-focused experience, offering a gauntlet of unforgiving turn-based battles that work to test the knowledge and skills of the player.
As a roguelite, Darkest Dungeon 2 relies on a permanent death structure that sweetens the deal with permanent progression. However, this makes the game no less brutal, and players will frequently find themselves in frustrating death spirals. Overcoming this brutality, however, can be tremendously rewarding as players finally move past the points that had them stuck.
5 For The King
Strategic Exploration & Turn-Based Battles
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
For The King
Systems
- Released
- April 19, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ironoak Games
For The King is a strategy roguelike that shines brightest when enjoyed in online co-op. In the game, players control a party of three adventurers in a fantasy setting, fighting an abundance of foes and bosses in accessible turn-based battles.
The strategic overworld exploration plays almost like a board game and, combined with the fast-paced battles and miniature dungeon-crawls, offers a diverse experience. Best of all, For The King features a variety of classes and items to play around with, allowing players to strategize and adding a great deal of replay value to the experience.
4 Battle Brothers
Playing The Mercenary In A Hostile World
6Images
6Images
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Battle Brothers
Tactical
RPGStrategy
AdventureSystems
- Released
- April 27, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITAL
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Overhype Studios
As a roaming mercenary company in a harsh and hostile low-fantasy world, players aren't afforded the opportunity to own and control territory in Battle Brothers. In fact, they're given little time to even rest, with the constant pressure of paying wages and feeding the company weighing on their shoulders.
Related
Great Turn-Based Games That Deserve Sequels
These turn-based games brought something so special to the table, that they deserve to be considered as candidates for a sequel.
This results in a fast-paced, unforgiving strategy game in which there's rarely a dull moment. However, the roaming nature of the game can sometimes lead to frustrating turns of bad luck. Stumbling across a pack of bloodthirsty orcs when not properly equipped to fight them and, as a result, losing valuable soldiers on the retreat, can sting a little. Players have to plan carefully if they want to succeed.
3 Wildfrost
A Tactical Roguelike Deck-Builder
3Images
3Images
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Wildfrost
Digital Card Game
Strategy
Roguelike
Systems
- Released
- April 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Deadpan Games, Gaziter
Deck-builders provide great strategic experiences for fans that don't want to worry about controlling territory. Wildfrost is particularly great for fans of strategy games thanks to its tactical combat encounters, which take place on dynamic battlefields that offer plenty of room for expression.
In the game, players must manage a leader character alongside a variety of companions, dispatching enemies and empowering their units with myriad cards. In addition to its innovative cooldown system and tactical gameplay, Wildfrost excels with a generous abundance of loot, allowing players to craft diverse and unique builds across each run.
2 StarCraft 2
Compact Base-Building & Constant Conflict
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
StarCraft 2
8/10
9.2/10
- Released
- July 27, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITAL
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
StarCraft 2 is a real-time strategy game that plays at a breakneck pace. Though it requires a great deal of time and patience to learn (at least to compete in its multiplayer versus mode), it can be a tremendously rewarding experience. Best of all, StarCraft 2's multiplayer matches don't revolve around territory. Instead, the game is a decidedly combat-focused experience that never gets dull.
While it's true that players vie for control over all-important mineral lines, StarCraft 2 is a game without borders, offering a fluid battle for resources. The focus on micromanagement is a clear strength, offering an expressive sandbox of strategy that rewards practice and creative thinking.
1 Dune: Imperium
A Dense & Strategic Puzzle
5Images
5Images
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Dune: Imperium
Strategy
Deckbuilding
Board Game
Systems
- Released
- March 13, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITAL
- Developer(s)
- Dire Wolf Digital
Dune: Imperium is a digital board game that tasks players with making strategic decisions on a diverse board of possibilities. Tasking players with gathering resources from various board spaces and developing a strong deck of powerful cards, Dune: Imperium is a game of constant decisions that's packed with opportunities for risky gambits and clever comebacks.
Since players can't simply overwhelm their opponents and coast by on early victories, Dune: Imperium requires players to think ahead and plan for the endgame. This is thanks to the general lack of territory in the game, with every board space being available to potentially every player in the lobby.
MORE
Dune: Imperium - Best Leaders
Each leader in Dune: Imperium comes with powerful and useful boons. Here are the best ones from the Dune-themed digital board game on Steam.
