Summary
- Total War games blend turn-based empire simulation with real-time wars, creating a unique and engaging experience for dedicated fans.
- Spin-off games like Total War Battles: Shogun offer simplified versions of the gameplay loop, catering to different preferences and platforms.
- Each Total War release, from Shogun to Warhammer, offers its own historical or fantastical setting, unique factions, and gameplay mechanics.
Total War is a big name in the PC gaming world. Much like Sid Meier's Civilization or the Command and Conquer franchises, Total War stands as a pillar of the strategy genre. It has been running for two full decades now. In that time, there have been no fewer than 16 core releases, as well as several spinoff games. Naturally, there's a lot of talk in the community about which game best represents the series and which is the best Total War game.
Total War: Warhammer 3 – How To Play The Ice Court Faction
Tzarina Katarin rules the Ice Court in Total War: Warhammer 3, and players must master magic, war, and politics if they want to unify her nation.
Regardless of which Total War game players get into for the first time, there's no denying that these titles just have something special going for them that really resonates with fans when things just click. From the turn-based empire simulation to the real-time wars that require the best tactics possible for players to succeed, it's easy to see why the best Total War games have such a dedicated and passionate fanbase who aren't afraid to speak their minds.
Updated on February 26, 2025, by Gerardo Molina: One of the greatest things about titles in this genre is that players frequently get the chance to explore expansions that bring in new characters, factions, and other interesting elements that keep complementing the gaming experience throughout the years. Turn-based strategy games might not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those who love them, there are plenty of choices in the Total War universe for them to satisfy the tactician within them. Moreover, the possibility of exploring several periods of history and using the different factions that fought each other at the time is very interesting and makes for an enjoyable experience.
19 Total War Battles: Shogun
A Decent Mobile Alternative That Should Have Stayed On Apple Devices
Total War Battles: SHOGUN
- Released
- April 19, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
BUILD, BATTLE AND AVENGE!
Specifically developed for touchscreen platforms, Total War Battles™: SHOGUN is a new real-time strategy game from the makers of the award-winning Total War series.
Total War Battles™ delivers quick-fire, tactical combat balanced with intuitive building and unit management. All set in a beautifully illustrated Medieval Japan.
1. COMPETE FOR THE SUPREMACY OF MEDIEVAL JAPAN
Lead your clan to battle through more than 10 hours of story-driven campaign set in the world of Total War™: SHOGUN 2; winner of “Best Strategy Game of 2011” awards from Gamespot, IGN, Gamespy and GameTrailers.
2. BUILD YOUR ECONOMY
Deploy and manage your bases to generate resources and recruit units including samurai, archers, ninjas and cavalry. Each victory awards XP to spend on building and troop upgrades that could make a decisive difference to your future battles.
3. A UNIQUE TAKE ON REAL-TIME BATTLES
Total War Battles™ introduces a new real-time battle system that feels both familiar and fresh. The hex battle maps allow for natural unit movements and deep strategy. However, as followers of the “Bushido” code of conduct, your units can never turn back – this twist to classic RTS gameplay adds tension and intensity to the action, making each victory even more rewarding.
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Real-Time Strategy
It was only a matter of time before the rampant popularity of the Total War series led the developers to try and cash in on a mobile spin-off featuring a condensed version of this gameplay loop. This led to the rise of Total War Battles: Shogun, which let players enjoy a simplified version of this title.
While this gameplay loop worked on mobile, the PC port was far from successful. The game simply wasn't made for anything other than touchscreens and suffers as a result. Still, fans who want to check out a simpler, stripped-down version of what Total War is all about will find this game to be right up their alley.
18 Spartan: Total Warrior
A Hack And Slash Spin-Off That Has Impressive Scale But Uneven Combat
Spartan: Total Warrior
- Released
- October 25, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
From Creative Assembly, the developers of the award-winning Total War series, you lead the charge as a bloodthirsty Spartan warrior. With no fear or remorse, you'll rush headlong into epic cinematic battles reminiscent of Gladiator and Braveheart with only two options: victory or death. A wide range of weapons and skills help turn the tide of battle as you grow from novice warrior to awe-inspiring Hero and eventually Mythical Legend.
Features
Epic battles: hundreds of on-screen combatants fight simultaneously.
Beautiful cinematic environments: a wide variety of sweeping vistas, weapons, and foes push the power of the console.
A wide variety of characters: encounter Roman soldiers, skeleton armies, and classic mythological creatures.
Power moves: unleash spectacular power moves and acquire incredible new weapons and armor and earn favor and powers from the gods.
Varying mission structure: multiple objectives including escorting, capturing, destruction, discovery, and survival, keep the gameplay fresh.
Arena mode: experience pure combat action with friends.
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox (Original)
Trying to emulate the grand scale of battles in the Total War series to work in a real-time action format would always be a huge challenge. Despite Spartan: Total Warrior missing the mark in some ways, fans were still impressed to see the scale of the game's battles and how multiple enemies could be decimated with a single attack if players timed their moves properly.
The button-mashing gameplay never evolved all that much, which made the game feel rather mindless at times. Still, it's a fun action-oriented spin-off that fans of Total War can enjoy if they don't mind the simplistic gameplay. The power fantasy fans can enjoy with this title more than makes it worth the price of admission. As it happens with similar titles, the game first pits players against insurmountable odds by only giving them a sword, a shield, and a basic bow. However, as the story progresses, they'll be able to unlock new, more powerful weapons that can make decimating enemies and cutting them down much simpler.
17 Total War: Pharaoh
Somewhat Paint By Numbers, But The Core Formula Is Still Generally Enjoyable
Total War: Pharaoh
- Released
- October 11, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
In Total War: PHARAOH immerse yourself in ancient Egypt at the zenith of its power and experience the dramatic events that threaten its destruction. With dynamic real-time battles and incredible turn-based empire management, will you rise to become Egypt’s last great Pharaoh, or a conquering Great King of the Hittites? Or will you take command of the Sea Peoples’ bloodthirsty hordes and drive the Bronze Age Collapse?
With the Bronze Age Collapse looming and the dark sails of the Sea Peoples filling the horizon the people of Egypt cry out for a new leader. Many desire the power of the throne, but the path to becoming Pharaoh is a perilous one. Unearth a breathtakingly vibrant recreation of the Bronze Age Collapse as you battle societal disarray, face natural disasters and fight to protect your people against waves of invaders.
Enemy armies aren’t the only challenges to overcome on the battlefield. Lead your soldiers through sudden and dramatic shifts in weather, such as torrential rain and sandstorms, and witness the tides of battle turn as it directly impacts the surrounding terrain. Beware the threat of fire too, as battles can become engulfed in flames, striking and spreading across the battlefield as it burns forests and damages the foundations of enemy settlements.
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based Strategy, Tactical, Grand Strategy
The most recent entry in the series sees Creative Assembly heading to Ancient Egypt, crafting a campaign revolving around three factions that each have a few select leaders. In some ways, Total War: Pharaoh is one of the franchise's more stripped-down projects in terms of units and options, which comes courtesy of the time period. Conversely, it is also among the most polished and accessible, with the game demonstrating why the IP has remained popular for decades.
At its heart, Pharaoh is a prototypical Total War release, albeit one that has just enough novel ideas to justify its existence. Some changes are quality-of-life improvements, while others are designed to take advantage of the era's unique potential. However, the poor interface and lack of features meant that fans were less than enthused about this release.
16 A Total War Saga: Thrones Of Britannia
Ferocious Battles In The British Isles During The 9th Century
- Platform(s): Windows, Linux, macOS, Classic macOS
- Released: May 2, 2018
- Developer(s): Creative Assembly, Feral Interactive
- Genre(s): Strategy Video Game, Action Game, Simulation Game
Like other games in its franchise, Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia features turn-based strategic combat, as well as real-time tactics, which makes for an outstanding experience.
Taking place in the year 878 AD, this title will put players in the shoes of Viking, British, and Anglo-Saxon clans to face each other on the battlefield in a quest to become the new king of the British Isles. It’s also possible to recruit new characters to join players’ war efforts and increase their chances of emerging victorious.
15 Total War Saga: TROY
A Smaller-Scale Effort That Is Still A Very Good RTs Experience
A Total War Saga: TROY
- Released
- August 13, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Inspired by The Iliad and brought to life through the award-winning strategy game series, A Total War Saga: TROY brings a blend of grand, turn-based empire management and spectacular real-time battles to the heart of the Trojan War.
In this legendary age, heroes walk the earth. In an act that shocks the world, audacious Paris, prince of Troy, elopes with the beautiful queen of Sparta. As they sail away, King Menelaus curses her name. He vows to bring his wife home – whatever the cost.
Fight to save or conquer the kingdom of Troy as one of eight iconic heroes, including the infamous warrior Achilles, noble protector Hector, wayward prince Paris and vengeful king Menelaus.
Lead an army across the fabled lands of the Aegean, recruit special units inspired by creatures of Greek myth, and charge into battle against ferocious foes. Build your empire through strategy, statecraft, diplomacy and all-out war, as you conquer this vast and striking recreation of the Bronze Age Mediterranean.
Most Total War games are epic sagas that last generations, letting players enjoy how things develop as the sands of time keep flowing. This grand strategy approach has worked quite well for the series time and time again, but some players didn't mind checking out a version of Total War that focused on a solitary period in history instead of trying to be as epic as possible.
12 Great Console Strategy Games
Although strategy games are primarily geared toward the PC, there are still some great titles to choose from when playing on a console.
This led to the rise of the Total War Saga series, which decided to reign in the series' scope to make for a more personalized, engaging, and informative experience. Total War Saga: TROY takes place during the Trojan War and is a fascinating retelling of events, with the gameplay being fresh and engaging even for fans who are already well-versed in what the Total War series is all about.
14 Total War: Rome 2
A Good RTS Game In Isolation, But A Disappointing Follow-Up To An All-Time Great Entry
Total War: Rome 2
- Released
- September 2, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
Will you suffer betrayal or will you be the first to turn on old friends? Will you fight to save the Republic, or plot to rule alone as Emperor?
- Plan your conquest of the known world in a massive sandbox turn-based campaign mode (supporting additional 2-player cooperative & competitive modes). Conspiracies, politics, intrigue, revolts, loyalty, honour, ambition, betrayal. Your decisions will write your own story.
- Build vast armies and take to the battlefield in real-time combat mode. Put your tactical skills the test as you directly control tens of thousands of men clashing in epic land and sea battles.
- Play for the glory of Rome as one of three families or take command of a huge variety of rival civilisations – each offers a notably different form of gameplay experience with hundreds unique units from siege engines and heavy cavalry to steel-plated legionaries and barbarian berserkers.
- See exotic ancient cities and colossal armies rendered in incredible detail, as jaw-dropping battles unfold. Detailed camera perspectives allow you to see your men shout in victory or scream in pain on the frontline, while a new tactical cam allows a god’seye view of the carnage to better inform your strategic decisions.
- Extremely scalable experience, with gameplay and graphics performance optimised to match low and high-end hardware alike.
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Tactical
Total War: Rome 2 narrowly lands above the joint-bottom position, though it is by far the most disappointing entry into the franchise. Following on from one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved strategy games of all time in Rome: Total War was never going to be easy, though not many expected to be as underwhelmed as they were.
Despite being released nearly ten years after Rome: Total War, the second game suffered from numerous rudimentary issues, such as frequent technical problems and a poor camera. It was a shame, since the legacy of the first game in the series was massive, and fans were ultimately disappointed with a sequel that never lived up to the hype. That said, the game did have a somewhat decent diplomacy system, which has been revamped with a new form of artificial intelligence to make the experience more challenging in a few ways. The same goes for this title's political system, which was mostly well-developed to include various factions of Rome and Carthage in their endless struggle for power.
13 Empire: Total War
Push Through The Problems To Find A Solid Game
Empire: Total War
- Released
- March 3, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
Control the land, command the seas, forge a new nation, and conquer the globe.
Total War: EMPIRE takes the Total War franchise to the eighteenth century Age of Enlightenment a time of political upheaval, military advancements, and radical thought, captured in stunning detail.
Total War: EMPIRE introduces a host of revolutionary new features, including true 3D naval combat. For the first time in the Total War series, you will be able to intuitively command single ships or vast fleets upon seascapes rich with extraordinary water and weather effects that play a huge role in your eventual glorious success or ignominious defeat. After pummelling your enemy with cannon fire, close in to grapple their ship and prepare to board, taking control of your men as they fight hand-to-hand on the decks of these wooden behemoths.
In addition, Total War: EMPIRE will see further enhancements to the Total War series’ signature 3D battles and turn-based campaign map. Real-time battles will pose new challenges with the addition of cannon and musket, challenging players to master new formations and tactics as a result of the increasing role of gunpowder within warfare. And the Campaign Map, the heart of Total War introduces a variety of new and upgraded elements, including new systems for Trade, Diplomacy and Espionage with agents; a refined and streamlined UI; improved Advisors; and a vastly extended scope, taking in the riches of India, the turbulence of Europe and, for the first time, the untapped potential of the United States of America.
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Tactical
Empire: Total War had a troubled launch. Players had issues with major bugs, crashes, and even install errors. Once some of those issues were patched out, though, the game's core managed to shine through. Empire: Total War marked a slight departure from the series formula. Since the game starts in the 18th century, players have access to a large array of artillery, cavalry units, and rifling squads. Dedicated melee units are few and far between, with each serving a specialized purpose.
Empire has a mixed reputation that has mostly stuck around, even if it is nowadays considered an OK option with heavy mod support. The base game received enough updates to be playable, but it still has underwhelming AI and a pretty unsatisfying campaign that does not compare favorably with most of the franchise's other releases. Still, Empire had impressive scale for its era, and for all of its historical issues, it is still worth a playthrough.
12 Total War: Attila
While Not A Technical Marvel, Attila Was And Still Is An Impressive Effort With Strong Factions And A Memorable Overworld
Total War: Attila
- Released
- February 17, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Against a darkening background of famine, disease and war, a new power is rising in the great steppes of the East. With a million horsemen at his back, the ultimate warrior king approaches, and his sights are set on Rome…
The next instalment in the multi award-winning PC series that combines turn-based strategy with real-time tactics, Total War: ATTILA casts players back to 395 AD. A time of apocalyptic turmoil at the very dawn of the Dark Ages.
How far will you go to survive? Will you sweep oppression from the world and carve out a barbarian or Eastern kingdom of your own? Or will you brace against the coming storm as the last remnants of the Roman Empire, in the ultimate survival-strategy challenge?
The Scourge of God is coming. Your world will burn.
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Tactical
Released in 2015, Total War: Attila begins in 395 AD, nine years before the birth of Attila the Hun. The game was an extremely important entry into the franchise, as it was the first release after the aforementioned Total War: Rome 2. Following the disappointment of the second Rome game put a weight of expectations on Attila's shoulders, as a poor release could have seen an end to the series.
Total War: Attila was heavily praised upon release for providing one of the franchise's best overworlds, as well as offering exciting playstyle varieties with its new factions. The game had its fair share of criticism, though, particularly with its interface and technical performance. Still, Total War fans had a lot of fun with this period in history, even if the game itself could've benefited from a few months in the oven.
11 Napoleon: Total War
Good Campaign That Is Still Fun To Revisit
Napoleon: Total War
- Released
- February 23, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
Can you surpass Napoleon?
The ultimate tactical challenge awaits as you step into the shoes of General Bonaparte or one of his fiercest enemies. Build an economic and military superpower through the epic battles and political unrest of the Napoleonic era. Will you beat the achievements of the legendary general or destroy them?
Unrivalled Total War Gameplay - Command your troops in real-time and manage your faction on the turn-based campaign map.
Three Theatres of War - Follow Napoleon's career through the Italian, Egyptian and Grand European campaign maps.
New Multiplayer Campaign - Play online with or against a friend for the fate of Europe.
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly, Feral Interactive
- Platform(s)
- PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Tactical
As the name suggests, Napoleon: Total War takes place between the 18th and 19th centuries and has three campaigns following the military career of the former King of Italy and Emporer of the French, as well as a campaign allowing players to attempt to defeat Napoleon. It was a fun period in history that the game does a lot of justice to in the eyes of most fans.
Napoleon: Total War was praised for its improved emphasis on historical accuracy and immersion, but it was also criticized for its lackluster A.I. While perhaps not a must-play in this day and age, the 2010 entry's campaign holds up well and is still pretty ambitious even all these years later. While not one of the absolute best Total War games, Napoleon is a very solid one.
10 Total War: Three Kingdoms
Very Good Vanilla Experience That Is Enhanced By A Great DLC
Total War: Three Kingdoms
- Released
- May 23, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS is the first in the multi award-winning strategy series to recreate epic conflict across ancient China. Combining a gripping turn-based campaign game of empire-building, statecraft and conquest with stunning real-time battles, Total War: THREE KINGDOMS redefines the series in an age of heroes and legends.
China in 190CE
Welcome to a new era of legendary conquest.
This beautiful but fractured land calls out for a new emperor and a new way of life. Unite China under your rule, forge the next great dynasty, and build a legacy that will last through the ages.
Choose from a cast of 12 legendary Warlords and conquer the realm. Recruit heroic characters to aide your cause and dominate your enemies on military, technological, political, and economic fronts.
Will you build powerful friendships, form brotherly alliances, and earn the respect of your many foes? Or would you rather commit acts of treachery, inflict heart-wrenching betrayals, and become a master of grand political intrigue?
Your legend is yet to be written, but one thing is certain: glorious conquest awaits.
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Tactical
Total War: Three Kingdoms is Creative Assembly's take on a Total War game set during this rich period in China's history. While it's widely considered to be good, many fans and critics hoped for more from the title — especially after the over-the-top Total War: Warhammer games.
Fortunately, the Mandate of Heaven DLC does an excellent job of rounding out the game's core features and even adds legendary characters similar to the legendary lords from Total War: Warhammer. Despite falling towards the lower end of ratings for a Total War game, Three Kingdoms is definitely worth checking out, especially with the improvements this title received over time that addressed most major complaints.