The Most Hardcore Grand Strategy Games Ever, Ranked

Players with a knack for strategy would appreciate the sheer thrill of the grand strategy genre. After all, unlike the typical fast-paced RTS title, grand strategy games demand more forward-thinking and long-term planning for players. As such, turns could take hours to plan and entire matches could take days or even months to pan out. Sometimes, some grand strategy games go on for years, with any luck - an honor reserved for some of the most hardcore grand strategy titles.

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Unlike typical grand strategy games, hardcore grand strategy games take planning and crank it up to 100, this time around giving a depth and level of customization that other RTS titles won’t even receive. However, just what are some of the most hardcore grand strategy games ever made?

(Updated on November 3, 2023 by Rhenn Taguiam): With the October 2023 launch of Total War: Pharaoh bringing players to an Ancient Egypt ripe for control, fans of the grand strategy genre may be eager to sink their teeth into new experiences. While the likes of the Civilization franchise had already cemented itself as a mainstay in the grand strategy genre, fans may be interested in what other titles the genre has to offer when it comes to titles that become representative of the “grand” aspect of grand strategy. Included among these games are simulations of Earth in some of its most shining areas, taking control of Earth on the brink of an alien invasion and space colonization, a full-blown space sim, and a grand strategy title set in a gritty fantasy land.

15 *Total War: Warhammer 3

Race Against Time By God Factor Adds Tension To Matches

Set in the lands of Kislev and Grand Cathay, Total War: Warhammer 3 once again pits the factions of the Warhammer Fantasy wargame against each other - this time with the ultimate goal of controlling Ursun, the Bear-God, for their own desires. Unlike other Total War entries where players need to simply defeat other enemies for total domination, the element of racing to control Ursun by defeating representatives of the Chaos Gods challenges players to think more carefully about the alliances they create and those they wish to break.

Being a Total War game, Total War: Warhammer 3 also puts a great emphasis on wargaming mechanics. While the Warhammer Fantasy banner already shines in this regard with its spectacle of assorted units, Warhammer 3 improves on its strategic depth further with a plethora of improved features. On top of more streamlined diplomacy systems, the game allows players to recruit unique units by constructing outposts in allied faction areas, more terrain mechanics, and even more in-depth siege mechanics.

14 *Total War: Pharaoh

Becoming Pharaoh And Maintaining The Throne Are Two Challenging Responsibilities

Total War: Pharaoh

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Turn-Based Strategy

Tactical

Grand Strategy

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8 /10

Released

October 11, 2023

Developer(s)

Creative Assembly

Platform(s)

PC

Genre(s)

Turn-Based Strategy, Tactical, Grand Strategy

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Fans of the Total War franchise may see Total War: Pharaoh as a return to form to classic Total War experiences, perhaps just in time for its Bronze Age setting where the chariot has got to be the most advanced development in the field of warfare. Set shortly after the death of Ramsesses II, players take the role of either an Egyptian, Hittite, or Canaanite leader as they eye to control the Eastern Mediterranean.

Despite its rather small premise, Total War: Pharaoh becomes a grand strategy treat for its depth in gameplay. Courtesy of Legitimacy, players now have an incentive to progress as much as possible in the game, especially when this can become the basis of periodic civil wars. Given the game’s desert premise, the lack of resources encourages active trading and bartering with other regions, forcing players to think twice about reckless moves. On top of maintaining the nation’s supremacy in the region, the constant threat of politicking in the Royal Court means becoming Pharaoh and managing advisors are two separate challenges.

13 *Distant Worlds 2

Automation Forces Focus On More Aspects Of Empire Management

As with traditional grand strategy titles set in space, Distant Worlds 2 tasks players with creating their own thriving galactic empire. Aside from colonizing planets, players are greeted with options such as setting up resource hubs, designing and manufacturing their own ships, and managing relations with other space-faring civilizations. However, Distant Worlds 2 shines in how it balances a focus on trade and automation.

Thanks to the game’s automation system, almost all aspects of a player’s match can be left for the AI to manage, allowing players to enjoy the game’s wealth of strategic options. Meanwhile, the focus on managing trade routes showcases the game’s deep economy, where there’s an emphasis on maintaining areas bountiful with specific resources, as well as the need to creatively deal with the constant threat of pirates. However, the distance between planets heavily emphasizes macromanagement, requiring players to stay on their toes to ensure faraway colonies are just as protected as their local counterparts.

12 *Civilization 3

Last Of Classic Civ Games Shows Simplified Mechanics Give Room To Challenge

Considered a classic prior to the franchise’s plunge into a more vibrant “cartoony” aesthetic, Civilization 3 streamlines much of its predecessor’s mechanics to give players a condensed Civilization experience that paves the way for more complex matches. As with other Civ titles, Civilization 3 sets up straightforward advantages and disadvantages to both Civilizations and their special units. However, the game also makes an effort to streamline its Tech Trees and improve strategic importance in maps, making Civ 3 both a visual and tactical spectacle.

While limited in scope compared to later titles, the “simplicity” in Civ 3’s lack of modern features forces players to focus on the grand scheme of things. Moreover, as advancing to the next Age effectively blocks all locked advancements, players need to be careful which tech they leave behind in favor of developments they want to secure faster than others.

11 *Victoria 3

Populations With Split Ideologies Open Up Conflicts Inside And Outside The Nation

Set in the Victorian Era, Victoria 3 takes players on a journey from 1836 to 1936 as they try to help their nation outlast more than hundreds more that adjust to the many changes across this time period. Unlike other grand strategy titles, Victoria 3 forces wars to take a backseat as players are encouraged to focus on the development of their population.

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Arranged into groups called pops, populations now have separate ideologies that players need to manage and appease. Thanks to Diplomatic Plays, factions now have the ability to force demands and concessions between each other when negotiating over territories and open markets. Thanks to this strengthening of the diplomatic option, Victoria 3 challenges players to pursue peaceful resolutions to tense situations.

10 *Crusader Kings 3

Generational Survival Becomes Challenging With Intrigue, Claims, Assassinations

Whereas typical 4X titles take empire management to the level of civilizations, Crusader Kings 3 follows the tried and true Crusader Kings formula of running a dynasty instead. Straying away from usual empire domination tropes, CK3 instead will have players take charge of a family’s rise to domination. What perhaps makes CK3 such a hardcore experience is its range of options, with choices such as religions, marriages, and even mere connections that can determine the survival of the player’s dynasty.

CK3 strikes appeal to most 4X crowds in how players can “game” the system to their advantage. Choosing and changing certain systems can tighten a family’s hold of its power. Wars can be started and ended on a whim, with conflicts arising from declaring one’s “right” to a territory - or even faking it. Even succession becomes a strategy, as players are allowed to start slow if it means setting up their character’s offspring to success.

9 *Europa Universalis 4

Smarter AI Offers A Challenge For Longer Playthroughs

Players with a flair for the more historically-accurate settings might appreciate Europa Universalis 4 and its premise. Instead of starting an empire from scratch, players choose a pre-existing empire and become in charge of their affairs from the 15th century up to the point of Napoleon’s revolution. This puts players in charge of that nation’s successes, failures, and accomplishments throughout the Age of Reason.

Whereas other games have tight approaches to combat and simplistic approaches to socio-economic elements of their empires, Europa Universalis 4 has a more complex take on politics, economics, and even conflict management. The game’s more authentic approach to replicating the happenings throughout the 15th century and beyond can make for an excellent alternate history 4K experience.

8 *Stellaris

Nation Creator Adjusts Playstyle For Different Playthroughs

Players with a love for sci-fi can look at Stellaris for a comprehensive space-faring 4X experience. Taking place around the invention of faster-than-light technology in the near future, players take the role of a species set to colonize the stars. Taking cues from other grand strategy games, Stellaris puts players in charge of managing their species’ economy and politics in the interest of achieving interstellar dominance.

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However, unlike other 4X titles, victory conditions lie not just on what the players have declared. Rather, the ethics and governance of their chosen species can determine some other victory condition in every playthrough. Some species can forego galactic domination in favor of technological supremacy, resource dominance, or the destruction of all other life.

7 *Total War: Warhammer 2

Faction Types Respond Differently To Maps, Encouraging Tactical Gameplay

Fans of the Warhammer tabletop war game can finally take control of their favorite faction in a fight for domination - virtually! Total War: Warhammer 2 applies the critically acclaimed Total War formula to the Warhammer franchise, enabling players to command High Elves, Orks, and even Humans to wage war against each other. If players pursue the title’s story, Eye of the Vortex, each playable faction has its own campaign and storyline.

Gameplay-wise, Warhammer 2 follows the Total War formula of engaging in diplomacy and political discussions before wartime. While players can move their armies across areas on the map, conflicts take place in real-time. As such, armies can plan their movements, change battle tactics, and exchange blows with the pleasant yet brutal violence signature to the franchise.

6 *Distant Worlds: Universe

A Galaxy Sim That Demands More Attention To Colony Management

Players who loved Stellaris but want something more hardcore won’t get enough of Distant Worlds: Universe. At its core, Universe boasts a procedurally-generated galaxy of up to 1,400 star systems and up to 50,000 astrological bodies (e.g. Planets, moons), giving players quite a lot of room to play with in their bid for galactic domination.

As a kicker, Universe boasts a unique automation system that allows players to be as attentive or as passive as they want with their experience. On the one hand, they can manually tinker with elements of their empire down to the last planet. Likewise, they can have automation handle everything else so players can cruise around with their ship. With Game Editor and exhaustive help systems, players can get quite the complete 4X space experience with Universe.