The runner up game on the list as there’s really nothing fundamentally wrong with XCom 2. Honorable Mentions Fireaxis’ other big franchise just narrowly missed out on the list, due to no fault of it’s own XCom 2 (2016) It’s the game on the list I’ve logged the most time into (432 hours) and for good reason, it’s the most fun game to play in the list.
#TOP PC GAMES 2015 STRATEGY MODS#
Not to mention the mods in this game are easily the greatest of any Total War games mad collection. Build military installations, ivory towers, areas or worship, or centers for tech research-just know that building means progress and progress is what conquers the ages.Couple that with added content coming out the wazoo both paid and free, and you can play near endlessly. Sure, it’s a turn-based game focused on the social and technological advancements of history’s greatest empires, but building is elemental to winning a campaign.
#TOP PC GAMES 2015 STRATEGY SERIES#
Civilization IVĪlmost as old as the SimCity series, the Civilization series (launched in 1991) is perhaps the most consistently quality title in gaming history. The game doesn’t skimp on features and is a must-have, on-the-go companion for any city-building fanatic. As a mobile gaming experience, you can take all of the subtle management considerations on the road, bus, plane-wherever. Which is why SimCity BuildIt deserves a solid mention on this list. When the original SimCity launched way back in 1989, it was inconceivable to imagine balancing your city’s park system while, say, sitting in an actual park. In this game, infrastructure building and economic systems take a front seat alongside a warrior’s campaign to stifle a growing rebellion in the fantasy-laden Kingdom of Tandria. After a few titles that lost the interest of many fans, the developers brought back and bolstered its in-game city-building aspect, and fans returned. If the city-building genre ever needed a case study for its entertainment value, just look at The Settlers series. And that’s not all: Once you’re on the Moon, you toggle between two wildly different city strategies (Earth and Moon, both with night/day cycles), while harvesting lunar materials necessary for the domination of your corporation-all hail space capitalism! Tropico 5 It then prompts you to build research bases in the arctic, which eventually leads to blasting rockets into space to colonize the Moon. The game begins much like those in the genre, with a city-building pursuit that looks to maximize buildings and their functions. In this fun take on a city-builder, players progress through multiple game stages in an effort to beat rival corporations in a technological arms race. Anno 2025Īmong the many things Anno 2025 offers, being the leader of a cut-throat corporation in an advanced tech future is certainly one of them. While the mechanics of the game are streamlined compared to other traditional city-builders, its soothing soundtrack, colorful palette, and unique spin on the genre provide hours of fun. That means that once you max out the possible points available on a single island, a new one is generated-in fact, the game provides an infinite number of changing landscapes, giving you an enjoyable and unpredictable number of scenarios to transcend the “minimalist” tag. With the heart of a strategy board game, this city-builder uses a point system and procedurally generated land to progress the game. Tropico 6īilled as a “minimalist city builder,” Islanders feels so much more once you get going. If you can handle this game, you’re qualified for all other games that came later. However, this game was revolutionary for two unique reasons: It introduced 3D rendering to the genre and allowed players to import their own Sims into their city. Like its spiritual successor Cities: Skylines, this realistic builder leans on city planning, and challenges players to balance myriad needs of a growing city with resources available. The best installment of the series, SimCity 4 was the zenith of the genre for its time, and the blueprint for all others to follow. Sure, it’s nearly 20 years old, but no city-builder list would be complete without the inclusion (even if just honorary) of the SimCity series. Along the way, you can research technologies to advance your society and even unlock Megalithic structures to safe keep the future of humankind. Hunt animals like mammoths and ancient bison, gather sustenance such as berries and fruit and construct tools and structures based on the flint, stone, and ores you’ve collected. As the leader of a group of prehistoric settlers, your goal is to ensure the survival of the first modern humans as you expand your fledgling civilization. Like many other entertaining games in the city-builder genre, Dawn of Man jumps back in time-in this case, back to the Paleolithic Era and through the Iron Age, if you make it that far.