Blog | Top Games
We would say that more than any other genre, the humble PC (or not so humble if you’re rocking a top-end build) is synonymous with tactical war games. Quite simply, no other platform can compare to the sheer width, breadth, and depth of tactical war games available on PC. With that in mind, here are some of the genre’s best that you should seek out as soon as possible.
Armored Brigade II
Easily one of the most hardcore real-time war games available on PC, Armored Brigade II has enjoyed plenty of critical acclaim since its release in April 2025. Quite rightly, too.
Choosing the Cold War period between 1965 and 1991 as its setting, Armored Brigade II brings a frankly ridiculous level of detail to the fore. You’ll find massive real-world maps alongside an ever-growing database of troops, equipment, and scenarios.
Where Armored Brigade II really sings, so to speak, is in its command and control system. This seeks to mirror the real-life delay between orders being created and then executed on the battlefield.
There’s just nothing quite like it.
Combat Mission Series
A reliable staple of the tactical war genre since its debut in June 2000, the Combat Mission series has long been an elder statesman of the genre. It has satisfied fans of tactical war titles on PC for decades.
Though each game in the series tackles a different theatre of war, the fundamentals have thankfully remained largely untouched. The series has also seen a number of engine upgrades over the years.
Though the visuals are decidedly of their time, each title still offers a historically realistic simulation of its setting. You’ll find a wealth of missions, painstakingly detailed troops and vehicles, plus a mission editor with near-endless creative possibilities.
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection
Oh Command & Conquer, how I shall ever love thee. Soppiness aside, the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection represents the definitive way to play two of the most defining titles in RTS history.
Containing all of the expansions for both Command & Conquer and Command & Conquer: Red Alert, the collection delivers a full 4K remaster of both games. You’ll also get remastered soundtracks, an overhauled UI, and a wealth of bonus footage.
The Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is about as essential as essential gets for fans of tactical war games on PC.
Crusader Kings 3
Crusader Kings 3 follows in a lineage of strategy war games that are very different from their contemporaries. Though the broad tactical goal is to capture land and territory across Crusader-era Europe, Crusader Kings 3 earns its place here through its focus on interpersonal drama.
Unlike other similar efforts, which put you in control of a faceless nation state, Crusader Kings 3 focuses on a single titled individual. Upon their death, control passes to their heir, and the story continues.
From Red Wedding-style marital betrayals to assassinating annoying relatives, you can get involved in almost every shade of corruption imaginable. You can also blackmail local bureaucrats, manipulate marriages, and generally cause an enormous amount of trouble.
Crusader Kings 3 masterfully marries tactical warfare with Game of Thrones-style soap opera like nothing else.
Hearts Of Iron IV
Hovering around the zenith of the grand strategy genre, Hearts of Iron IV puts players in full control of twelve of the most devastating years in modern human history. The game spans the years from 1936 through to 1948.
Very much specialising in the industry and logistics behind the world’s largest war, Hearts of Iron IV is all about managing production lines, stockpiles, and supply networks. You’ll need to ensure your forces aren’t overextended when you move to take territory.
At the same time, Hearts of Iron IV allows players to micromanage almost every element of their war effort. It’s a daunting prospect, but that depth is exactly what makes the game so compelling.
Brilliantly, Hearts of Iron IV proudly displays a stunning level of historical accuracy. It also boasts non-historical modes that create all manner of intriguing ‘what if’ situations.
What if the Allies failed to take Normandy? What if Operation Market Garden allowed the Americans and British to push further into Holland?
Throw in an enduring and sizeable modding scene, and Hearts of Iron IV arguably stands as tall as any other game in the genre.
Homeworld Remastered Collection
The Homeworld Remastered Collection is a soaring package containing definitive versions of both Homeworld and Homeworld 2. These space-based RTS titles have been beloved by gamers for decades.
Tasking players with taking what remains of a devastated civilisation to a new titular Homeworld, the Homeworld games put you in command of a sizeable fleet. You’ll need to shuttle that fleet across the cosmos while dealing with an ongoing galactic conflict.
The Homeworld games have aged incredibly well thanks to their deft combination of full 3D RTS tactical action, dramatic storytelling, and persistent fleet mechanics. Your fleet carries over from one chapter in the story campaign to the next, for better or worse.
Happily, the improvements made to these games in the Homeworld Remastered Collection are well judged. You’ll find totally rebuilt visuals, overhauled audio with re-recorded voice tracks, and a rebuilt UI.
These are a pair of bona fide classics that beautifully combine space warfare with a keenly felt tale of deep-space survival. The Homeworld Remastered Collection is simply essential.
Stellaris
If the Homeworld games are all about taking a relatively small force through space, Stellaris pulls as hard as it possibly can in the other direction. It empowers players to create and manage a galaxy-spanning empire with everything that entails.
As the custodian of a burgeoning galactic imperial power (no, not that one), Stellaris blends intergalactic expansion with the sort of role-playing mechanics you might expect from a tabletop game.
Whether you’re a race of formerly subservient synthetics looking to find their place in the galaxy, or a hive of highly intelligent fungal hybrids looking to spread across the stars, the creative freedom is practically limitless.
Speaking of which, Stellaris’ emergent storytelling, randomised galaxies, and endgame crisis mechanics can completely derail even the most secure imperial ambitions. These systems add up to create a social-calendar-consuming monster that beautifully unfurls its grand strategy mechanics on a truly breathtaking galactic scale.
Tempest Rising
Tempest Rising is a perfect example of what happens when a legendary series, in this case Command & Conquer, is left in the weeds for years with no new instalment in sight.
A true love letter to Westwood Studios’ seminal RTS, Tempest Rising harkens back to the halcyon days of Command & Conquer. It features two opposing factions, each with their own cinematic story campaign, alongside Mobile Construction Vehicles and massive numbers of units on screen.
Tempest even features a soundtrack composed by Command & Conquer composer Frank Klepacki. It doesn’t get much more authentic than that.
With that in mind, Tempest Rising also takes the opportunity to strike out on its own terms. It features gorgeous Unreal Engine 5 visuals and an active skill system for each unit, further reinforcing their progression and uniqueness in every battle.
A perfect example of what happens when a group of fans get sick of waiting for a new game in a beloved series and decide to just do it themselves.
XCOM 2
Widely recognised as one of the finest turn-based tactical war games of all time, XCOM 2 maintains its unassailable spot at the zenith of the genre for a number of reasons.
The first is that XCOM 2 effectively flips the script on both its immediate predecessor and other tactical efforts. Here, the player takes the role of a guerrilla fighting corps and must wage war from the shadows.
With humanity on the losing end of the extraterrestrial war seen in the previous game, XCOM 2 is all about making the most of every opportunity and ambush. Every battle is a chance to maximise the damage dealt to your alien foes.
Each character conveys their own story too. That comes through their progression, as well as the various scars, disfigurements, clothes, weapons, and armour they accumulate.
This impresses the need upon you to keep them alive. It also brings a keen sense of loss when you inevitably fail to do so.
With superbly judged progression elements and broad research mechanics, XCOM 2 remains an outstanding tactical war game. The excellent War of the Chosen expansion only strengthens that reputation, adding terrifying new alien bosses and hero factions.
XCOM 2 is as easy as ever to recommend to tactical gamers, both new and veteran alike.
