Turn-Based Strategy

Congratulations, soldier, you have been recruited to lead an elite corporate commando squad. As chief of security, it is your job to stop a deadly plot to destroy the construction of the world's first international space station. There is no end to the adventure, or the danger, when you step into the shadows in this classic science fiction turn-based strategy game developed by Red Storm Entertainment.

✦ Best for hardcore fans of sci-fi turn-based tactical strategy games.

Step into a cutthroat corporate world where business is war and ethics are entirely optional. In Tom Clancy's ruthless.com, players build and manage software empires while sabotaging competitors using a vicious gallery of hackers, thugs, and lawyers. Experience simultaneous turn-based strategy where up to six competitors fight for market domination. Whether you are swiping classified information from mainframes or throwing lawyers off piers, success requires cunning, greed, and ruthless strategic execution.

✦ Best for fans of classic turn-based corporate sabotage and multiplayer management strategy.

Tom Clancy's pre-millennium Russia will challenge you to save a crumbling empire after President Boris Yeltsin has suddenly died without an obvious successor. You belong to one of the eight major factions including the KGB, Church and Mafia that have risen from the chaos and are competing to take control of one of the most powerful nations in the world. Whether playing against computer opponents or multiple human players online, you'll face constant uprisings, catastrophic events and shifting alliances to reach your ultimate goal- to become the new leader of Russia.

✦ Best for strategy fans wanting deep political simulation in pre-millennium russia.

Dragon Quest Wars is an accessible yet deep turn-based strategy game designed for quick and challenging rounds. Players assemble a team of four classic monster playing pieces, choosing from beloved series icons like the Slime, Dracky, Hammerhood, Healslime, Chimaera, and Golem. Played across a stylized table-top arena, the core objective blends tactical combat and defensive maneuvering. Players must carefully position their monsters to battle opposing teams while advancing their pieces to the other side of the board to secure victory.

✦ Best for fans of quick-round strategy wanting classic dragon quest monsters.

Step into the netbattling tournament known as the Battle Chip Grand Prix, sponsored by Yai Ayanokoji, where familiar characters from the Battle Network universe face off in strategic combat. Choose your favorite NetNavis, acquire and power up powerful battle chips, and execute specialized moves, shots, and sword maneuvers to defeat your opponents while uncovering a sinister plot behind the scenes. Experience intense strategic battles across unique combat scenes in this Game Boy Advance title. Featuring characters like Mega Man, Guts Man, and Eugene Chaud, the game supports two-player combat via link-up and blends action, role-playing, puzzle mechanics, and sci-fi elements into a unique tournament-style challenge.

✦ Best for mega man fans seeking a strategic tournament-focused rpg experience.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin takes place in a harsh new world where a devastating meteor shower has wiped out ninety percent of the global population. Survivors have banded together into rival military factions, fighting bitterly over the final scraps of remaining civilization. You take control of Will, a young military cadet who is thrust into the center of this grim global conflict. As you command various units across tactical grids, you must outmaneuver opposing forces and navigate the bleak realities of a shattered world.

✦ Best for fans of deep turn-based tactical strategy games and custom map creation.

Advance Wars: Dual Strike is the third installment in the critically acclaimed tactical turn-based strategy series, bringing intense warfare to the Nintendo DS. Set in the new location of Omega Land, the game follows the Allied Nations as they struggle against the resurgent Black Hole Army, now led by a deadly new commander seeking eternal life. Players take command of multiple armies from Orange Star, Blue Moon, Yellow Comet, and Green Earth, utilizing unique Commanding Officer powers to turn the tide of battle. With deep strategic gameplay, cooperative mechanics, and a rich single-player campaign alongside multiplayer options, it offers a definitive handheld warfare experience.

✦ Best for turn-based strategy fans seeking deep tactical warfare and high replayability.

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising is a critically acclaimed turn-based strategy game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. In this sequel, the sinister Black Hole Army launches a massive invasion across Macro Land under the command of Sturm, forcing Orange Star, Blue Moon, Yellow Comet, and Green Earth to unite and push back the threat. Command various military units, deploy specialized Commanding Officers with unique powers, and outsmart your enemies across challenging campaigns and multiplayer modes. Featuring advanced new war weapons like the Black Cannon and Death Ray, the game offers deep tactical gameplay that puts your strategic thinking to the ultimate test.

✦ Best for strategy enthusiasts wanting deep turn-based tactical gameplay and map making.

Assume command of the Orange Star Army and reclaim a war-torn world in this acclaimed turn-based strategy game. Navigate tactical grid-based maps where positioning and unit types dictate victory over rival nations. Unravel a deep campaign spanning four distinct countries, choose unique Commanding Officers with special abilities, and engage in head-to-head multiplayer battles via link cable.

✦ Best for turn-based strategy fans wanting deep tactical grid battles.

Game Boy Wars 3 is a deep turn-based strategy game developed and published by Hudson Soft exclusively for the Game Boy Color in Japan. As part of the renowned Nintendo Wars series, it challenges players to command various military units across grid-based maps to achieve tactical dominance. Building upon its predecessors, the game refines the core warfare mechanics with expanded units, strategic depth, and engaging single-player and multiplayer modes. It remains a notable piece of handheld gaming history for strategy enthusiasts and collectors alike.

✦ Best for retro handheld collectors and classic turn-based strategy fans.

Game Boy Wars 2 is a tactical turn-based strategy game developed and published by Hudson Soft exclusively for the Game Boy Color in Japan. Players take command of various military units across grid-based maps, managing resources, capturing properties, and outmaneuvering enemy forces to achieve victory. As part of the renowned Nintendo Wars series, this installment delivers deep tactical gameplay tailored for handheld systems. With challenging single-player scenarios and classic military doctrine mechanics, it remains a notable entry for retro strategy enthusiasts.

✦ Best for retro strategy fans seeking deep turn-based tactical warfare.

Game Boy Wars Turbo is an enhanced version of the original Game Boy Wars, developed and published by Hudson Soft for Nintendo's handheld systems. Released on June 24, 1997, this tactical warfare title introduces significant improvements to streamline gameplay and expand content for strategy enthusiasts. Building upon its predecessor, the Turbo edition refines the core turn-based combat experience by upgrading the computer opponent's decision-making algorithm. With faster turn processing times, fifty brand-new maps to conquer, and Super Game Boy compatibility for enhanced visuals when played on a television, it delivers the definitive 8-bit tactical challenge.

✦ Best for retro strategy fans wanting faster cpu turns and new maps.