Summary
Steamalways has new strategy games that reinvent old formulas or deliver more of what people love about them. Real-time and turn-based tactics and strategy, tower defense, and other sub-genres are well represented in the latter half of 2023. Some games even mix gameplay elements like resource management, social engineering, and decision-making into sub-genres they’re not usually found in.
There is a healthy chunk of new IP amid the wave of sequels and tie-ins, and even big-name titles have heart and a good understanding of their genre. What’s more, some games are available on other platforms, guaranteeing players can strategize anywhere, anytime.
Jagged Alliance 3had more throwbacks in its arsenal than references to 80s action movies. It merges the old action pointsturn-based systemwith modern elements from games likeXCom: Enemy Unknown.
Players can expend action points to target enemies and their body parts, use weapon or mercenary-specific abilities, improve accuracy, and other tactical actions. The world map lives up to its open-world status and is full of content and side jobs to pick through.
Mercenaries have different unique active and passive abilities and personalities. Recruiting one may prevent the player from recruiting another. Their statistics can also heavily affect what actions players can take per round, and what tactics are viable per stage.
9Thronefall
A strategy tower defense game with cute graphics,Thronefalldivides gameplay into two phases. At day, the player-monarch must build their kingdom, ensuring their people have food and protection. The latter will determine their effectiveness at night when enemies will come in waves to try and destroy it.
DeveloperGrizzly GamesmadeThronefallto make anaccessible, concise experience. Busy players can cycle through days at their pace, so they can drop in and out as they want. Moreover, they only need to manage their defenses and gold, which is required to purchase any upgrades.
8Town of Salem 2
The sequel to the wildly popular social-deduction game,Town of Salem 2introduced faction and gameplay changes. Instead of the Mafia, players can select roles under the Coven. Additionally, the new Apocalypse faction presents a danger to the Coven and Town.
Cursed scrolls were also implemented. As a counterpart to blessed scrolls, cursed scrolls decrease a player’s chances of getting the role they want. Role bans add a new twist in custom matches, while thenew game modesFour Horsemen and Wandering Souls add exclusive roles. Town Traitor and VIP can also be customized.
7Desynced
Desyncedis an automation base-building game with a bit of RTS and programming thrown into it. Players use drones to explore, build, gather, and fight in an alien, procedurally-generated world. Drones can be customized in a simple component-swapping system.
If players want to optimize their drones’ route, they can use the optional node graph-based visual editor to program their behavior. They can access this feature on both single and multiplayer modes, and modify it using LUA scripts available through the Steam Workshop.
6Dokapon Kingdom: Connect
Dokapon Kingdomis an older title, butConnecttranslates its RPG take onMonopoly-type gameplay well. Players take turns to battle, buy gear, or finish events that would help them gain control of towns and earn money. Story Mode is built for longer campaigns, while Normal Mode and Battle Royale are built for parties and quick plays.
Connectalso introduces changes, the biggest of which is the online multiplayer mode. Nintendo Switch players can also use local wireless mode to play with other Switch users in the same room. The Steam version, on the other hand, offers achievements for various feats in-game.
This 4X take on the epic sci-fi novel allows players to take control of Arrakis by force or by word. Subterfuge, open warfare, and political maneuvering are all valid ways to dominate the desert planet in Conquest mode. Players will need authority, military power, solari, water, and most of all, spice, to achieve the victory conditions they desire.
Aside from regular 4X mechanics,Dune: Spice Worldalso boasts the CHOAM (Combine Honnete Over Advancer Mercantiles) Market, a stock exchange-esque feature. The Spice Market lets playerssell their spiceto CHOAM, which can reap a huge profit. Playing with the CHOAM Market can also lead to an economic victory.
4Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles
The DRM-free indie game usesdice instead of cardsand a slew of features to create a unique combat experience. Players can tailor their dice pool according to their level of acceptable risk. Actions can be mapped to die faces, Support Sentinels upgraded to provide useful buffs, and modifying blessings used to imbue passive effects to dice sets.
Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles’ two damage systems, Purification vs. Corruption, add another layer of complexity to the roguelike. Purification heals and damages enemies, while Corruption uses health to unleash massive damage.
3Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless
Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless
Join protagonist Fuji for a Disgaea adventure that’s bigger and better than ever before! Dive into the demonic realm of Hinomoto where the bushido code is out, and the Hinomoto Code of Destruction is in! Consisting of a myriad of netherworlds, Hinomoto is home to a multitude of demons, each with their own beliefs. Enter bushido fan-girl Pirilika, a naive and rich young lady who manages to convince Fuji to protect her as she pursues her ambitions. But there’s more to this contract that meets the eye, so be sure to check the fine print…Embark on one HL of an SRPG adventure and utilize the devilishly exciting new features including Jumbification, Hell Mode and Item Reincarnation to take your fighting team to the next level! Then, unlock new and improved auto-battle by successfully completing each stage, and see how your team stacks up in online ranked battles. With over 40 different character classes to choose from, you can customize your team to suit the ever-changing tides of battle!
Despite its name,Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtuelessis the eighth sequel to the popular tactical RPG series. The writing is still as charming as ever, while the gameplay returns to most of what made the 20-year-old series popular in the first place. However, some ofDisgaea 6’s systems survived, with changes that made them gel with old mechanics.
Player input is important for auto-combat and the Demonic Intelligence system, although presets are available for the latter. The Jumbification mechanic is similar toPokemon’s Mega Evolution, Hell Mode acts as limit breaks, and the Netherworld Hospital’s overhauled gacha system opens the game to more game-breaking exploits.
If players thinkStar Trek: Infinite’s gameplay is similar toStellaris, they’re not entirely wrong.StellarisdeveloperParadoxbrought the space game’s core mechanics to one of themost recognizable space franchisesaround.
Every faction aspires to stick to lore, which promises different routes per run. Diplomacy, warfare, espionage, and more are on the table. What’s more, the United Federation of Planets, Klingon Empire, Romulan Star Empire, and Cardassian Union all have named recruitable characters for franchise fans to recruit.
1Dungeon Full Dive
Tabletop RPG fans have a lot to look forward to inDungeon Full Dive. The indie game lets players create anentire campaign in VR. Characters and settings are all completely customizable, though players can also opt forDnD5e rules.
In-game, players can switch from a top-down view to their character’s perspective. Dice rolls still determine actions for players, while GMs are handed a suite of tools like initiative counters to manage each session.
While marketed as a VR game, mouse and keyboard play is available. Online multiplayer and cross-play is also viable for PC and VR players. If players don’t have a ready party, they can join public lobbies.
