Summary
- Dive into beautifully designed open-world strategy games for challenging yet rewarding experiences and engaging adventures.
- Sharpen critical thinking and decision-making skills while exploring unique worlds, managing resources, and conquering foes.
- Enjoy the immersive experience of leading troops, managing fleets, and exploring vast galaxies in a complex and strategic sci-fi world.
Strategy open-world games offer players of all levels entertaining and immersive experiences and take them on fun adventures during which they'll have to rely on their critical thinking skills. While many of these games can be challenging for beginners, there are also plenty of entertaining open-world games that require players to think critically and strategically and are a good fit for players of all levels.
Gamers can even try gorgeously designed free strategy games, go on sci-fi and fantasy adventures and try to defeat monsters and aliens. Or even travel back in time and become great warriors and kings who have to conquer new territories and lead their people to victory while exploring some of the most unique, complex, and wondrous gaming worlds. However, these games aren't only entertaining but educational too since players will be also able to improve their problem-solving and decision-making skills during their adventures.
Updated June 10th, 2024 by Russ Boswell: There are a lot of great RTS, strategy, and open-world releases out there, but few combine together to capture the grand scale of conquering a massive world. As time moves forward and technology gets better, players are able to jump into massive-scale strategy releases that will test their skills as a manager and leader, forcing them to contend with large battles, supply issues, and much more. To better showcase some of the best open-world-style strategy games, the following list has been updated with more entries and information.
7 Hegemony Gold: Wars of Ancient Greece
- Released: March 30, 2012
- Platforms: PC
- Developer: Longbow Games
Released back in 2012, Hegemony Gold: Wars of Ancient Greece is a massive game with a historically accurate zoomable map that should scratch the itch for players who are looking for something that "feels" open-world, while simultaneously giving them the classic RTS elements they crave. There are three campaigns to choose from that will have players taking over as Sparta, Athens, or Macedonia, but those that are looking for something truly customizable can choose from 26 different factions and carve their own path through sandbox mode. This is a great choice for history and open-world strategy fans.
6 RimWorld
RimWorld
RimWorld is a perfect choice for players of all levels who enjoy exploring the worlds of dark sim games. While it's a more challenging strategy sci-fi game it also offers players a rewarding experience thanks to its unique storytelling and rich and thrilling world.
Players will have to manage a colony of survivors who are stranded on a hostile alien planet and will have to make difficult decisions to make sure that their colony survives. RimWorld not only has a great story but the colonists also have their own personalities and backstories. Gamers will have to perform all kinds of activities including gathering and managing recourses, combat and protect their colonists, while building a good base to ensure their survival.
5 Satisfactory
Satisfactory
- Released
- September 10, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Coffee Stain Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Satisfactory is one of the most fun co-op sim games with great graphics that transports its players to an alien planet where they'll have to build multi-story factories while exploring this fascinating planet. This open-world factory-building game is a great choice for beginners and advanced players who love entertaining but challenging strategy games.
Players can choose to go on their adventures solo or with their friends and explore and combat the enemies of the alien planet together. Satisfactory has one of the most beautiful open-world environments and features various areas as well as interesting biomes and wildlife that make the game feel more immersive.
4 Wartales
Wartales
- Released
- April 12, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Shiro Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Wartales is a stunningly designed turn-based strategy open-world game that transports its players to the beautiful but dangerous world of the Edoran Empire where they'll get to step into the shoes of mercenaries who have to lead their group through a medieval-inspired world.
During their journey players will be able to explore this fascinating open world while fighting enemies, collecting bounties, exploring ancient tombs and uncovering their secrets. While this strategy RPG can be challenging for casual players, there are plenty of useful guides like Wartales' trait tier list that'll make their experience more enjoyable from the start.
3 X4: Foundations
- Released: November 30th, 2018
- Platforms: PC
- Developer: Egosoft
X4: Foundations is a fascinating sci-fi strategy open-world game that lets its players explore space. During their epic journey players will get to step into the shoes of space explorers and have to manage their fleets and build bases.
Since this complex world has many different factions with their own goals players will have to use their diplomatic and strategic skills as they build relationships, negotiate, trade, and try to avoid any conflict that could harm their reputation. Gamers' goal is to build their own space stations and fleets to trade while trying to defeat enemies, as well as expand their influence in the galaxy.
2 Kenshi
Kenshi
A free-roaming squad based RPG focusing on open-ended sandbox gameplay features rather than a linear story. Be a trader, a thief, a rebel, a warlord, an adventurer, a farmer, a slave, or just food for the cannibals.
Research new equipment and craft new gear. Purchase and upgrade your own buildings to use as safe fortified havens when things go bad, or use them to start up a business. Aid or oppose the various factions in the world while striving for the strength and wealth necessary to simply survive in the harsh desert.
Train your men up from puny victims to master warriors. Carry your wounded squad mates to safety and get them all home alive.
FEATURES
Freeform gameplay in a seamless game world in the largest single-player RPG world since Daggerfall, stretching over 870 square kilometers. The game will never seek to limit you or restrict your personal play style.
Custom design as many characters as you want and build up a whole squad to fight for you. Characters will grow and become stronger with experience, not just in their stats but their appearance too.
Build a base where you can research new technologies, upgrade your defences and craft new gear.
Original take on the RTS-RPG hybrid genre. No "hero" characters with artificially stroner stats than everybody else- Every character and NPC you meet is potentially an equal, and has a name, a life.
You are not the chosen one. You're not great and powerful. You don't have more 'hitpoints' than everyone else. You are not the center of the universe, and you are not special. Unless you work for it.
Purchase and upgrade your own buildings to use as safe fortified havens when things go bad, or use them to start up a business.
Variation and possibilities of gameplay. Be good, be evil, be a businessman, be a thief, live in a town, live in the desert, travel alone, travel in hordes, build a fortress, raze a city. Devote yourself to freeing slaves, or maybe end up a slave yourself. Dynamic, ever changing world. Support or hinder whoever you wish, or keep to yourself, the world won't stop moving. This is not just a "game", you are living and surviving in a simulated world.
Get captured by cannibals and eaten alive, or sold off by slavers and forced to work in the mines. These are not scripted events, just a regular part of this chaotic world that ruins your life by chance. Anything can happen, yet anything can be overcome if you have the strength. Absolutely no Level-scaling. The world does not level up along with you, and the shops don't change their inventory to only items matching your level. At the start of the game almost everyone will be stronger than you, and survival will always be a struggle. The game won't hold your hand or help you when you're down. Realistic medical system that affects gameplay. A character with a wounded leg will limp or crawl and slow the party down, wounded arms means you must use your sword one-handed or not at all. Severe injuries will result in amputees needing robotic limb replacements. Blood loss means you can pass out, and the blood will attract predators. A character’s stats are affected by equipment, encumbrance, blood loss, injuries and starvation. Intelligent AI that allows for characters to reason and work towards long-term goals and desires. Squads work together and carry their wounded to safety. Characters can be setup to take care of micromanagement for you and run production in your base.
Aid or oppose the various factions in the world while striving for the strength and wealth necessary to simply survive in the harsh environment. Independently developed with no design influences, or alterations dictated by men in gray suits who have never played a game before in their lives. Original game world. There are no fantasy-knock-off cliches. No magic.
- Released
- December 6, 2018
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Developer
- Lo-Fi Games
Kenshi transports its players to a beautiful but deadly alien planet where they can get to become adventurers, warlords, rebels, or thieves among many other things. This free-roaming squad-based RPG requires players to use their creativity and make their mark in this cruel world.
During their journeys, players not only get to explore this fascinating and complex world but form it to their liking while building their base, recruiting and training their soldiers, and managing their diplomatic relations with other factions while fighting for their survival.
1 Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
- Released
- October 25, 2022
- Developer(s)
- TaleWorlds Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
offers its players a deep and engaging open-world strategy experience while transporting them into a medieval-inspired world called Calradia. This beloved medieval combat sim game has a complex and beautifully designed open world that's filled with epic battles.
Players will get to step into the shoes of medieval warriors and not only conquer new lands but craft, trade, and use their diplomatic skills during their adventures. Gamers will get to fight alongside their troops and engage in epic and challenging real-time battles to create a new world.