Many say that the golden age of strategy (and especially real-time strategy) for computers was the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Although it is difficult to catalog a time frame, it is true that for those of us between 20 and 40 years old, and we love strategy, nothing can be compared with games like these.
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12 old school strategy games
Here is a list of 12 basic strategy games (or sagas) that every lover of the genre should know and try.
But be careful, we offer a list, not a ranking, we are aware that they do not have to be the best, there are many that do not appear on the list (such as AoE, Stronghold, Anno, Rise of Nations, Age of Mythology…) and of course , no particular order is saved.
1. Starcraft (1998 – 2010)
One of the flagship strategy games that doesn’t even need an introduction. It was released in the year 1998 and twelve years later came StarCraft II. Both critically acclaimed have various expansions available and have a horde of followers who even today continue to hold championships from both the first and second installments of this magnificent classic.
An example of bell mode gameplay:
2. Dune (1992 – 1998)
Dune is not only a great literary novel, but also has several versions of PC games. Although before Dune 2000 there were already other strategy games called Dune and Dune II, which combined strategy and graphic adventure, it was Dune 2000 that really brought fame and brought a large number of gamers to their heads .
A desert world in which three different houses fight for control of territory, resources and power. Who will win?
3. Command and Conquer (1995 – 2013)
This incredible and long-running video game saga not only marked a before and after, but has continued to grow over the years, remaining a benchmark for strategy games in real time.
Within this name we find several different universes, where there are mainly three:
Generals, focused on a war between the United States, China and an international terrorist organization; the Tiberium Wars saga, about a futuristic war that revolves around a mysterious mineral called Tiberium; and the Red Alert saga, which recreates a hypothetical war between the Soviet Union and the United States as a result of a Ukraine where Hitler did not come to power and the two remaining superpowers ended up facing each other.
We leave this video where you can see all the deliveries summarized:
4. Commandos (1998 – 2006)
This series of Spanish video games began in 1998 based on World War II. The game is undoubtedly pure strategy where calculating each movement will be vital to achieve the objectives of the mission.
It was developed by the Spanish company Pyro Studios. The player has control over a team of commandos through different scenarios combining action and stealth .
5. Warcraft (1994 – 2002)
It was very compared to the previous already mentioned Starcraft. Two different strategy games that converge on two points, their playability and their fame.
Warcraft has three different deliveries , all in the same medieval and fantastic universe, and with the same basic principles of strategy. This universe was the one that inspired the later World of Warcraft. Probably the most famous multiplayer role-playing game in history.
6. Civilization (1991 – 2016)
The quintessential turn-based strategy video game created by Sid Meier, was released in 1991. Since then, several installments have been released as the years have passed .
The last Civilization was VI, released in 2016, but the goal was always the same, to take your civilization from the stone age to the conquest of the planet and space advancing through all the ages of the human being.
7. Imperivm (2002 –
)
There are several lines in this tremendous saga of strategy games . The games in real time, the Imperivm Civitas (focused more on resource management and construction) and the Imperivm Online, a bet more focused on the times.
To this day, work continues on new deliveries and there are not a few players who hope to lead the armies of Rome again. Below we show you a gameplay of Imperivm III (2004) and we encourage you to discover for yourself the other lines that make up the Imperivm universe.
8. Empire Earth (2001 – 2007)
It has three main installments and several expansions . Its main characteristic is the possibility of advancing throughout the different ages of humanity, modernizing buildings and armies.
Very similar to the great Age of Empires star, but with a greater repertoire of ages on which to enjoy your nation. Watch as the player progresses from the stone age to the space age :
9. Company of Heroes (2006 – 2013)
If you are looking for real-time strategy based on World War II, this is a must .
Graphics that represented a before and after, an unparalleled tactical system and endless details and real war reconstructions that will make more than one tremble with emotion. It is considered one of the best strategy games in history for a reason . Considering it’s a game over a decade old, check out the first mission based on D-Day:
10. Warhammer: 40,000 (2004 – 2017)
Known simply as W40k or WDOW, it is a real-time strategy video game based on the Warhammer 40,000 universe. For those who don’t know, this universe first appeared as a tabletop role-playing game, where the war figures are assembled and painted by the players themselves, as well as the setting itself.
A futuristic fantasy universe with very different factions but with the same goal, to destroy the others and survive. It is characterized by having a unit operation based on squads with a system that combines life and morale , and a resource system based on points. Although these are just some of the many differences with the rest of the games on our list.
Dawn of War was the first installment back in 2004, then they released a second installment, both with various expansions and soon, the third will come out.
11. Simcity (1989 – 2015)
A game that is pure strategy, but no wars. The game is based on the construction and management of authentic metropolises . If you enjoy watching a city grow and having to melt your brain thinking about what and where to build, this is your game.
There is a wide variety of installments in SimCity for different platforms. Choose your platform and decide if you prefer to play one of its classic versions or opt directly to play the latest.
12. Total War (2000 – 2017)
Video game saga developed by The Creative Assembly, has a particular dynamic in a medieval universe.Combine strategy and turn-based management on a large map with massive time battles .
His followers defend this title for its technical characteristics regarding the design and choice of units. You can not leave anything to chance; planning on the map and executing your skills as a commander in real-time battles will be crucial to victory. As if that were not enough, the historical rigor that the game keeps is worthy of the history books.
It has 12 different deliveries , the last two based on the Warhammer universe, without the “40,000”, which would indicate that it is futuristic, so it continues to maintain the aesthetics of the Middle Ages.
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