The best strategist. Strategy on PC with the development of civilization

From the early 90s to the mid 00s, strategies ruled over the minds of the players, receiving well-deserved honor and respect. Alas, their golden age is over: RTS (real-time strategy) cannot compete in entertainment with the next Battlefield, with the dynamics of Overwatch or the plot of Witcher 3. So you have to be content with another replay of the good old classics or wait for the release of the new "Civilization".

However, not everything is so pessimistic. Our rating of the best strategies will allow you to identify the most worthy representatives of the genre, as well as learn about the latest releases that gave some classic strategies a second life. We hope this TOP 10 will be informative. If not: comment and vote at the bottom of the article to help.

10 Strong hold

Stronghold came to light in golden age RTS - in 2001. At the time, most strategies were trying to emulate either C&C or Warcraft, but Stronghold had other plans. Although critics try to assure that this strategy did not bring anything significant to its genre, its fans will argue with this and, in my opinion, they will be right.

Stronghold had a fairly well-developed and extensive economic component. Although the number of available resources is not far from the standard "wood / iron / gold / stone / food", the game has such an unusual parameter as "Popularity". It provided an influx of new residents to the city and depended on many factors: taxation, the variety of food available, entertainment (taverns with ale), and so on.

To hire soldiers, it was not enough to build a barracks. It was necessary to erect buildings that produce weapons. Provide the gunsmiths with the necessary building material, wait until the limping grandfather with an imposing gait delivers a hand-cut bow to the arsenal, and only after that you can hire ... even one archer. And so with all types of troops! It was impossible to simply set up a barracks and "scream" any units - this was preceded by the organization of a full cycle of production of weapons and ammunition. Not surprisingly, the game had a number of economic missions that were not inferior in complexity to the military ones.

A typical serene morning in Stronghold Crusader

However, it was not the first part that gained particular popularity, but its continuation: Stronghold Crusaders, which was released the very next year, 2002. As the name implies, the game was dedicated to the confrontation between the Arabs and the Crusaders. Unfortunately, the attack/defense mode of the castle has disappeared (the only thing worth paying attention to in the first part), but more units have appeared, some of which could be hired for gold without producing weapons. For money, only desert warriors were hired, while European soldiers would continue to be equipped exclusively with weapons of their own production.

The game remains popular to this day thanks to the multiplayer and the release of various add-ons (for example, Crusaders Extreme in 2008). This is also facilitated by a simple, but quite diverse system of building fortifications: Stronghold allows you to surround the castle with high battlements and high towers, equip them with defensive weapons and archers, install additional traps or dig a moat around the perimeter.

Of course, there is no lesser arsenal of siege weapons, from battering rams and ladders to catapults and trebuchets, which can fire at the enemy’s fortifications not only with stones, but also ... with cows. Add to that the ability to set fire to an enemy's city or starve its economy to death: the choice of duel strategy is quite extensive, as for an RTS. This variety has made the game quite interesting for a multiplayer game.

The first part of Command & Conquer was released in 1995, becoming at that time a real breakthrough in the genre and seriously competing with Warcraft and Dune. Many of the now familiar gameplay features looked revolutionary at that time:

• Players could select a whole group of units and give them a command with just one click;
• The map featured neutral units, buildings, and other objects that could be interacted with (read: "destroy");
• It was in C&C that the system for separating units by class first appeared, such as "stone, scissors, paper" - the first type of unit is effective against the second, but vulnerable to the third, etc .;
• The game began to use videos and animated cutscenes, paired with a cool soundtrack, allowing players to "get into" the history of the C&C universe, and not perceive it as another unnamed chessboard to hone their tactical abilities;
• Another signature feature of Command & Conquer is the presence of only one resource, tiberium - it is for it that all wars in the universe of this game are fought.

C&C turned out to be incredibly popular with all the consequences: many gameplay elements have spread to other games, becoming familiar elements of most strategy games. In addition to the classic C&C series, which still pleases its fans with new releases, over time, two "alternative" versions of the C&C universe have appeared. These are Command & Conquer: Generals (2003) and the Red Allert line of games that has become very popular.

• Red Allert

The Soviets, as it were, convey a fiery hello to old man Einstein

Red Allert deserves a separate article. This game has absorbed an incredible amount of madness and "cranberries" on the theme of the Cold War and the confrontation between NATO and the USSR. Here short description the prehistory of the universe of this game: having seen enough of the horrors of World War II, the old man Einstein in 1946 decides to make a time machine and return to the past to destroy Hitler. As a result, the scales swung the other way: Comrade Stalin decides to build his own, communist Reich, and Europe, together with the allies, still has to fight.

Judge for yourself how successful the game was: 35 million copies were sold worldwide, and an entry appeared in the Guinness Book of Records, assuring that Red Allert is the best-selling RTS in the world. In 2000 and 2001, Red Allert 2 and Red Allert 2 were released: Yuri's Revenge, which is still a classic choice for oldfags. However, for fans of more modern graphics, there is a third part of RA.

Warhammer is a vast fictional universe on which many books, comics, films, computer and board games are built. At the same time, there are two versions of this universe: Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000. In the first case, as the name implies, Warhammer is faithful to the canons of fantasy and pleases fans of Tolkien and other "elves". And Warhammer 40,000 creates a mix of fantasy and science fiction, pushing the confrontation closer to the stars.

There are about 20 games related to Warhammer 40,000. But only one of them is always associated with the word "Warhammer" for any strategy fan: this is the one and only Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, released in 2004.

Strategy, in the usual sense of the word, has not been given so much space: the focus is on tactics. Buildings are built quickly, and there are only 2 resources: energy, for which you need to build generators, and special points that can be obtained by holding checkpoints under the onslaught of the enemy.

The creators of the game, as it were, directly declare from the first minutes: leave all this fuss with building a base and economic development for nerds. The WH40K universe was created solely to force armored paratroopers to fight various monsters (from orcs to more exotic creatures). So no long-term economic development is foreseen in it: only battles from the first to the last minute.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 is made for Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson: with a yell of "Power!!!", the player sweeps all the enemies in his path. Tactics? No, have not heard.

2009 saw the release of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2, which was highly acclaimed by players, was thoroughly praised by many gaming publications, but ... suddenly turned out to be not a strategy game. Faithful fans of the first part were horrified to find that the long-awaited Dawn of War 2 has become more like an RPG like Diablo than itself 5 years ago. True, this did not prevent the game from finding its fans, who assure that the multiplayer has retained all the necessary elements of RTS and is quite satisfactory.

7. Total War

It's funny that Total War and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War are next door in the ranking of the best strategies, because just in May of this year, Total War: Warhammer, the first TW dedicated to the Warhammer universe, was released. True, not Warhammer 40,000, but Warhammer Fantasy - so, first of all, fans of fantasy worlds will like it. However, let's talk about everything in order - after all, the release of this game was preceded by 9 other parts, which brought TW worldwide fame.

Home distinctive feature Total War is a successful combination of turn-based mode and RTS: the level of each of them is selected separately. The main action takes place on a global map of the world, in which everything happens step by step. But the battles are downloaded separately and are rapidly developing in real time. Players will have to wisely use terrain features and different types of units, which allows them to gain an advantage even over superior enemy forces.

The first TW came out in 2000. But the worldwide fame of the series was brought by its third part, Rome: Total War, which used a three-dimensional engine. As the name suggests, the action took place during the Roman Empire. In addition to the "classic" European nations, Arab empires (Egypt) and even barbarians were available in the game. Depending on the chosen side, not only the units differed, but also the architecture of the cities. The popularity of this part of the subsequent TW could not surpass.

In 2013, Rome: Total War II was released - initially buggy, but later brought to mind with the help of numerous patches. Probably inspired by Civilization, the developers of Rome 2 added the ability to win not only through conquest, but also through culture and trade. However, this is not the only part worthy of attention: Napoleon, Attila, Shogun 2 and the previously mentioned Warhammer are also interesting in their own way.

If I could create a product as successful as Warcraft, I would be resting on my laurels for 20 years, spending all my money in some completely pointless way. But the guys from Blizzard are not like that: after getting a well-deserved standing ovation after the release of Warcraft 2, Blizzard set to work on a space RTS. True, as a result, they still got Warcraft: the beta version was mercilessly criticized and perceived as "orcs in space." Fortunately, the developers listened to the criticism and completely redid the graphics engine and setting. So in 1998 the legendary StarCraft was born.

The game features 3 races: Zerg, Protoss and Terran, which are borrowed from the Warhammer 40,000 universe (tyranids, eldar, imperial guard). However, the similarity is extremely superficial: having been born, StarCraft went its own way of development - the universe of this game has acquired its own characteristics and now has little in common with Warhammer.

In most strategies, in order to maintain a delicate balance, all nations have the same set of units and buildings + a few unique buildings / soldiers that bring some variety, but do not fundamentally affect the tactics of the game. StarCraft did not give a damn about these canons. All 3 races are completely different:

• Zerg far from technology and science, they achieve superiority solely by quantity.
• highly spiritual protoss are the exact opposite of the zerg: each protoss imagines himself an important person with a rich inner world, so it costs a lot of resources, but also hits, respectively, painfully and hard.
• Terrans(from the word "terra") represent people in the game. They are the "golden mean" between the zerg and the protoss.

The beautiful lights of Star Craft 2 lure gullible schoolchildren and evoke a skeptical grin from oldfags

Such striking differences between the races gave the game a solid advantage over the rest of the RTS, gaining her a reputation as a "smart" strategy, in which you need not just to "spawn" as large an army as possible, but to think over your actions in advance, showing strategic and tactical skills. Microcontrol also plays an important role: if the protoss are not particularly demanding on control accuracy, then the success of offensive operations of other races, especially the zerg, directly depends on the speed and accuracy of the player's reaction.

StarCraft II was released in 2010. Modern graphics and excellent multiplayer allowed the game to return to its former glory and take its rightful place in eSports. Although the oldfags claim that the unique balance of the first SC is somewhat lost, StarCraft 2 received high ratings from various gaming publications (on average 9 out of 10) and gave it a second life.

5. Age of Empires

In 1997, the first part of Age of Empires was released: all the same Warcraft, only in profile. Instead of fantasy races, the game featured 12 human nations that could evolve from the Stone Age to Antiquity. This game did not make a splash in the gaming world, but on the whole it was received favorably, which inspired its creators to start working on the second part.

After 2 years, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings came out, which became truly legendary. She eclipsed not only the first part, but also many of the then “whales” of this genre, having won a decent army of fans. In 2000, the add-on Age of Empires II: The Conquerors appeared, which added 5 new nations with unique units to the game, as well as additional missions and technologies. It was this part of the game that became the most popular in the Age of Empires series. What is the reason for her success?

• Diversity of nations. There were 18 nations in The Conquerors, many of which were quite exotic: Huns, Teutons, Saracens, Celts, Persians, Aztecs, Mayans, etc. In fact, it was this game that laid the fashion for strategies with many different civilizations.
• Development opportunity. The second "chip", which was implemented for the first time among strategies, was precisely AoE 2 - the transition from one historical era to another. All this was accompanied by a rather extensive technology tree, for the study of which it was necessary to build various buildings and spend resources.
• Balance. Of course, the nations differed not only in the color and different design of buildings. Each of them had their own bonuses and unique units. Some had an economic advantage, others had stronger cavalry, some had great siege weapons, some had a long-range fleet, and so on. All this diversity was quite balanced without clear favorites. As a result, Age of Empires 2 appealed to many fans of online battles.

As it turned out, Nice picture cannot replace interesting gameplay

Age of Empires III was released in 2005. It was not bad, but it was not close to the success of its predecessor. As a result, after several addons, Microsoft gave up and, to the delight of the fans, returned to Age of Empires 2. In 2013, they released Age of Empires 2: HD edition, and then 2 more addons: The Forgotten (5 new nations, including Slavs) and The African Kingdoms (4 more nations and "African" campaigns). So today AoE 2 continues to develop and delight fans with new additions.

4. Cossacks

The success of Age of Empires caught the attention of many game makers, who stopped trying to make their own "Warcraft" and switched to "Age of Empires" (which was undoubtedly inspired by Warcraft). So the guys from the Ukrainian company GSC Game World created RTS, which conceptually has a lot in common with AoE.

The Cossacks game, released in 2001, turned out to be so successful that in the eyes of many domestic strategists it overshadowed the Epoch for a long time. According to Igromania, at one time Cossacks became the best-selling domestic game (more than 1 million copies).

"Cossacks" continued the idea of ​​numerous playable nations. In the second addon of the first part, which was called "War Again", there were 20 different countries. And if in the "Epoch" there was not a single Slavic nation, then in the "Cossacks" not only Russia, but also Ukraine was available (which is logical, following from the name and geographical location of the developers). There were also more refined nations, like Piedmont and Saxony.

Unlike other strategies, in "Cossacks" resources were spent not only on the acquisition of units, but also on their maintenance. Without food, famine began, and mercenaries purchased for gold raised an uprising as soon as the treasury was empty. To use firearms, iron and coal were needed - without them, arrows and artillery were defenseless.

Also in the game it was possible to capture some enemy buildings, artillery and peasants (except Ukrainian ones, with them as usual: will or death). Compared to the Age of Empires, the Cossacks seemed more dynamic, allowing you to create an incredible number of some kind of crazy and fearless units - in a multiplayer game, the battles of such hordes looked epic and exciting.

• Cossacks 2

In 2005, "Cossacks 2" came out: despite the high ratings of many gaming publications, the game did not cause the same enthusiasm that the first part. Absolutely everything has been redesigned in it: it has become more realistic and thoughtful. No "disputed" nations, raids of hordes of fearless madmen and upgrades of ancient guns to such a degree of efficiency that even Kalashnikov becomes envious.

The battles in "Cossacks II" forced to take into account the terrain, reload guns for a long time and monitor the morale of soldiers who can get cold feet and rush into the loose. It sounds, like, not bad, but in the network game there is no trace of the former fun.

• Cossacks 3

And on September 21, 2016, the long-awaited "Cossacks 3" was released, which no one had ever dreamed of. And everything would be fine if it were not for the number 3 in the title - everyone expected the continuation of the series, but received a remastering of the first part. The old game was transferred to a new graphics engine, the gameplay is completely taken from the original Cossacks. Add to that a decent amount of bugs that GSC Game World has been actively fixing since release with various patches, and you can see why many gamers felt cheated. Still, GSC should have announced that the game is a remaster of the first part. before release, not after him.

3. Heroes of Might and Magic

The first part of the turn-based strategy Heroes of Might and Magic was released back in 1995. Its predecessor was King's Bounty, which appeared back in 1991. But universal love and recognition for HoMM came gradually, covering Heroes of Might and Magic III with a head somewhere closer to 1999.

The action of all "Heroes" takes place in a fantasy universe. There are races, but the player is not tied to them: the hero can conquer the castles of any faction and hire any available units. So, under the same banners, the most motley and wild brethren can gather: elves and skeletons, centaurs and dragons, people and elementals.

Battles take place on a field divided into tiles (hexagons). Units of the same type occupy one cell, regardless of their number. The moves are carried out in turn, while the hero looks at this action from the side, from time to time trying to help his army by casting various spells. Gradually, the hero gains experience, learns new skills and collects various artifacts that make him better and higher.

HoMM IV was released in 2004 and was perceived, to put it mildly, ambiguously: there were too many innovations. The main and key innovation concerned the heroes: from passive observers they turned into active participants in battles who could move, deal damage and be attacked like other units. Heroes could travel without troops at all: one at a time or in a gang of 7 characters. Having pumped properly, a lone hero could independently endure a large army.

There was also the other side of the coin: if you managed to kill the enemy hero at the beginning of the battle, you could get a solid advantage. For example, it made sense to organize a sabotage attack on the enemy, lay down the leader of the troops and retreat - a decapitated army lost the opportunity to capture mines and castles, which forced it to retreat and drag the commander's lifeless carcass home.

All these innovations gave rise to countless spaces for controversy and hollivars: since 6 years have passed since the release of the third part, a new generation of gamers has appeared who have never seen Heroes before - they liked HoMM4. But those who grew up on the previous parts, butthurt experienced mixed feelings.

• Heroes of Might and Magic V

Disputes between supporters and opponents of the fourth part was stopped by the release of Heroes of Might and Magic V, which took place in 2006: yesterday's opponents joined forces in a common impulse to express claims about cartoonish graphics for anime fans. If you close your eyes to the picture, according to the gameplay, "Heroes 5" was a modernized copy of the third part - obviously, the developers did not experiment in order to earn extra money on the nostalgia of the fans of the series.

This is where the classic "Heroes" ends and something completely incomprehensible begins. HoMM 6 and 7 have turned into some kind of alternative product, so far from the original that even Heroes 4 looks like a standard of kosher against their background. Therefore, most fans of "Heroes" prefer to play earlier versions, from 3 to 5. But the Third HoMMs remain the most popular. Especially since the HD version of this game was released in 2015.

2 Civilization

The first "Civilization" appeared in shaggy 1991 and, as they say, was a digital version of the board game of the same name from the early 80s. Since at that time ordinary mortals did not have computers, few suspected a new strategic toy: mainly employees of research institutes and other interesting enterprises.

Nevertheless, the game turned out to be quite successful: what engineer could resist the temptation after a busy shift to try on the role of Stalin or Gandhi? The presence of Civilopedia, a detailed game encyclopedia, favorably distinguished Civilization from other strategies of those times.

• Civilization II

In 1996, Sid Meier and company released the second part of Ziva, which, thanks to the greater prevalence of computers, became a completely successful commercial product. Despite the mediocre graphics, the game had cool moments: for example, when building a wonder of the world, a video clip of a real newsreel was played. You could see the launch of the Apollo or a nuclear rocket, the shooting of the Sistine Chapel or Notre Dame de Paris. In subsequent parts, the cinema was replaced with conventional animation.

• Civilization III

2001 was marked by the release of Civilization III: the first Civa with nice graphics. Even now it looks quite attractive, and in 2001 this picture caused a real delight. The gameplay has also undergone some changes. In Civ 2, players tried not to collect many units on one cell, because. in the event of an enemy attack and the death of one of them, everyone who stood on the cell died. In Civ 3, nothing like this happened: in order to clear the cell of enemies, it was necessary to destroy them all.

Therefore, the obvious and only tactic of waging war in the third Civ: the creation of the so-called stack - a crowd of motley units on one cell. From time to time, a leader appeared who could unite 3 units under his banners. Such a formation was called an army and was a kind of fat unit with 20HP. With the help of the army, it was possible to cut out almost anything.

The city window is the best thing in Civilization III

The signature feature of the second and third Civa was the situation in which a technologically backward unit, having more combat experience, could easily destroy some miracle weapon of the future. For example, in the order of things there was a situation when a spearman tore an enemy tank to shreds with an accurate blow or an archer, pulling the string properly, shot down an enemy bomber. Particularly amused was the fact that the plane was shot down equally successfully not only by an archer, but also by a swordsman. In subsequent parts, this problem was partly solved, but in the first Civs such events gave rise to many bouts of hysteria.

Civilization III had whole line innovations that migrated to all subsequent games in the series: a variety of resources on the map, the Golden Age, cultural influence on neighboring cities, with which it was possible to assimilate a neighboring settlement, a technology tree (in the previous parts, you had to memorize or write down the sequence of discoveries of various sciences).

• Civilization IV

Civilization IV, released in 2005, has acquired a three-dimensional image. Players, accustomed to the third Civa, were wary of the unusual graphics, so unlike the previous part. Religion and espionage appeared in the game (Beyond the Sword addon), and aviation actions became more realistic: planes made raids from the city and could not be shot down by some harsh spearman. The problem of clusters of a large number of units on one cell was partly solved just by aviation or artillery: all units in the stack received damage from their attack.

Another cool innovation that appeared in the Warlords addon is vassal states. Now, instead of completely conquering negligent neighbors, it was enough to defeat the bulk of the troops and capture several key cities. After that, the enemy agreed to capitulate and became a vassal. Also, the status of a vassal could be granted to a group of their cities on another continent or islands, turning them into a kind of autonomous republic.

The year 2010 came and Civilization V came out. Square cells were replaced by more convenient and practical hexes: with them, state borders got rid of the strange linear angularity and became more believable. The system of accumulating a huge number of units on one cell was demolished: now only one military unit could be placed on one hexagon. At the same time, they were made more efficient and stronger.

It was necessary to spend strategic resources for the maintenance of certain units: horses, iron, oil, coal or uranium. Without them at hand, the state risked being left without cavalry, battleships, nuclear weapons and aircraft, which not only added realism, but also forced the players to carefully manage resources instead of riveting everything they want in incredible quantities.

The tactic of building as many cities as possible also outlived its usefulness: large empires received fines in culture and science, and the population began to show discontent. So there are several different tactics: develop through 4-5 cities with more population, or build more settlements, but with fewer inhabitants in the cities. It became possible to win with one single city (greetings from Venice).

Another innovation: the emergence of city-states that do not claim world domination. Friendship with them brought various bonuses: resources, science, culture or religion points, units and additional votes in Congress.

It is worth noting that many of the functions, as in previous Civs, were added in addons: religion and espionage, caravans, the ability to adopt various resolutions in Congress and the UN - all this was not in the initial version without addons. Therefore, reading reviews about the game, it is not difficult to see how the anger of the fans of the series was gradually replaced by mercy.

On October 21, 2016, Civilization VI was released. Among the notable innovations: 2 technology trees, cultural and scientific, which open independently of each other. Cells around cities must be built up with special areas: scientific, cultural, military, religious, industrial, etc. It’s definitely impossible to build everything - there simply won’t be enough cells. Moreover, each wonder of the world also requires a separate tile.

It is difficult to describe all the innovations and features of the sixth Civa because of its freshness. But the game has already received the highest ratings from various gaming publications, and the reviews in Steam, by and large, are very positive. And this is despite the fact that usually the first version of Civilization turns out to be damp and only with time, with the help of several addons, it turns into a masterpiece. But, apparently, the sixth Civilization can become the first representative of the series, which is good from the very beginning.

1. Warcraft

By a wide margin, Warcraft climbs to the top of the ranking of the best strategies - one of the founders of the RTS genre, whose developments have become the standard for dozens and hundreds of subsequent games. It shouldn't be surprising that C&C and StarCraft couldn't even get close to Varych: his impact on the gaming industry cannot be overestimated. Dota, World of Warcraft, board and card games, and now a feature-length movie - all this came into being only thanks to the game from Blizzard, which was released back in 1994.

The plot of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans is tied to the confrontation between humans and orcs. As in the film, the orcs fall out of the portal into the world of people and a struggle begins between them for a place under the sun. However, the first part did not attract much attention - all the glory went to its sequel, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, which was released just a year later. But just look at the changes that have taken place in the schedule in this short period! Add interesting videos and a solid plot to a pleasant picture, and that's it - the masterpiece is ready.

As if "before" and "after" - the year was not in vain

• Warcraft III

But the continuation of the banquet had to wait a long time - as much as seven years. And the first reaction of the gaming community was ambiguous: too many suspicious innovations appeared in the game:

• 3D engine;
• 2 races grew into 4 (night elves and undead were added);
• A lot of neutral units and monsters appeared on the maps;
• Heroes were added to the game who accumulated experience, pumped skills and cast all sorts of things (why not RPG?);
• Rollers have become even brighter and more beautiful;
• The plot is even more twisted and pathetic.

The pinnacle of the evolution of the third part was the release of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne in 2003, which gave birth to the memorable dot-com (I’m unlikely to discover America if I remind you that DotA was created in the usual Warcraft 3 map editor and was not considered as a full-fledged stand-alone game).

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Games are countless virtual worlds that allow us to become what we want, but cannot in real life. However, among these worlds there are those that have earned the title of the best, both from gamers and from impartial critics.

To select the best games on PC, we studied popular Russian-language resources such as Iwantgames, stopgame And kanobu, as well as read reviews of popular games on Metacritic. Thus came the list of Top 20 PC games of all time which we present to your attention. The rating of games is given according to the data stop game.

Rating: 8.6.

Genre: MMORPG.

Release date: 2004-present.

Platform: Mac, PC.

One of the best online games for PC offers not only an epic confrontation between two opposing alliances - the Alliance and the Horde, but also a beautiful, very Big world, interesting quests, carefully crafted history and raids.

In them you can fully show your talent as a healer, a melee or ranged fighter, or a powerful defender. Or just kiss squirrels in the nearest forest, if the soul lies only in peaceful pursuits.

The game is quite old by today's standards, but additions are regularly released to it. The next one - Battle for Azeroth will be released on August 14th.

19. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Shooter, addon.

Release date: 2015

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE.

According to many players, this is the most realistic and intense tactical first-person shooter. The game does not have a solo campaign, but there is an exciting team game. The task of the attacking side is to take the opponents by storm, and the defensive team must strengthen their positions as much as possible and set up cunning traps for the enemy.

The plot is based on real events that took place during counter-terrorist operations.

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2011

Platform: PC, PS3, X360

As bullets whizz overhead and explosions slam into the ground, the battlefield feels more realistic than ever before. In Battlefield 3, players will have to transform into the elite US Marines for a while. They are waiting for dangerous missions, both single and cooperative.

Great graphics big variety techniques, well-thought-out environments and pleasant rewards for good team play - that's what Battlefield 3 is praised for even by very picky gaming publications.

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Arcade.

Release date: 2015

Platform: PC, X360, XONE

This is perhaps the most beautiful platform arcade in our ranking of games. From the very first minutes, its unusual graphics attract attention and do not let go until the game is completed. Atmospheric world, a pleasant and unobtrusive soundtrack, RPG elements, a cute character that will appeal to both young and adult gamers - what else do you need to pass a couple of evenings in front of a computer?

Rating: 8.9.

Genre: Strategy.

Release date: 2017

Platform: Mac, PC.

For many people, the sci-fi strategy StarCraft is one of the greatest video games of all time. And StarCraft: Remastered lives up to the high bar set by its predecessor. With stunning new Ultra HD visuals, re-recorded audio and updated online support, this game is highly recommended.

15. Assassin's Creed 2

Rating: 8.9.

Genre: Action.

Release date: 2009.

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

The product of over two years of hard work and part of the popular Assassin's Creed franchise. In a vast open world environment, the game invites you to play as Ezio, a young nobleman living in the Renaissance. An interesting story about revenge and retribution is successfully complemented by a variety of missions, unusual gameplay elements, a wide selection of weapons and character development that fans of the original Assassin's Creed love so much.

Rating: 9.0.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2007

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, WII, X360.

This game was amazing for its time, thanks to the atmosphere of a real war, a coherent story, an exciting multiplayer mode, hundreds of beautiful scenes, and the most meticulous study of the game environment. Even now, the military blockbuster Modern Warfare can give you several hours of exciting gameplay.

Rating: 9.0.

Genre: Action.

Release date: 2012

Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XONE

The main character of the game is Jason Brody, a man stuck on a mysterious tropical island. In this wild paradise, where lawlessness and violence reign, Brody will determine the outcome of the war between the rebels and pirates for control of the island.

Rating: 9.1.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2017

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE

Twenty hours into this RPG, you'll still be discovering new mechanics you never knew existed. In this regard, Original Sin 2 is not very friendly to beginners, and requires some perseverance and patience from them.

That being said, the huge amount of quests and secrets, the non-linear nature of the game, and its world, which is almost unparalleled in terms of scale and detail, are an experience not to be missed.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: Action, RPG.

Release date: 2010

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

This exciting space saga takes players to unknown alien civilizations and battles with aliens, mercenaries and sentient robots. In addition, it offers one of the most interesting and well-designed characters in RPG games.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2011.

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

An open-world adventure from Bethesda Game Studios doesn't have a better combat or magic system or even better graphics than the competition. Instead, it offers something much more - one of the biggest, richest, and totally immersive worlds you'll ever see.

Traveling through locations in Skyrim will take such a long time that you can lose sleep, take off from work, and test the patience of family and friends while playing.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: Action, racing

Release date: 2013

Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XONE

The best games of all time would be incomplete without this superbly optimized, atmospheric game. Its action takes place in the sunny city of Los Santos, in which a criminal trio operates:

• Franklin, a young thief looking for some serious money.
• Michael, a former bank robber whose retirement was not as rosy as he thought.
• Trevor, a violent guy suffering from a mental disorder.

Players can switch between characters at any time, and it's definitely worth doing. After all, each character has his own set of quests, as well as primary and secondary skills that help to survive and get the most out of the world of GTA5.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Strategy.

Release date: 1999

Platform: PC.

This legendary game has become the most popular entry in the Heroes of Might and Magic series. Compared to previous installments, it offered new types of cities, seven small story campaigns for each faction, and at the same time ran even on low-powered computers. Thanks to good localization, The Restoration of Erathia was a huge success in Russia.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2009

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, X360.

As the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, one of the most successful role playing in branch, dragon age: Origins combines the best fantasy elements with stunning visuals. It cannot be called a revolution in the RPG genre, it is rather an evolution.

The story of Dragon Age: Origins is captivating and eventful, the characters are unforgettable, and the journey through the game world inhabited by humans, dwarves and elves is something that will captivate you and not let you go until the very end.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Puzzle.

Release date: 2011

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, X360.

Valve has created a fun puzzle game with excellent game mechanics. It offers players not only a single-player game for the main character Chelsea, who has to escape from the Aperture laboratory, but also a cooperative mode for two players. In it the main actors there will be Atlas and P-Body robots. The storyline of the co-op mode does not intersect with the storyline of the single mode, which leads to unexpected endings.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Action, racing.

Release date: 2002

Platform: PC

One of the best games in history still evokes warm and nostalgic feelings among those who played it. And those who didn’t pass can do it for three main reasons:

1. The huge map of Lost Haven is filled with diverse and magnificent places. Each area has a peculiar look, has its own unique atmosphere and even musical accompaniment.
2. Basic game process can be summarized by simply saying that it consists of shooting and driving in a third-person perspective. However, in reality, it offers much more: from a variety of missions to dialogue and interaction with the many NPCs that inhabit the streets of The City of Lost Heaven.
3. Unusual and very beautiful main musical theme, created under the direction of the Czech composer Vladimir Simunek, and with the participation of the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra.

The only weak point in the game is the imperfect AI of the hero's enemies and companions. On the other hand, the fact that the Lost Haven cops aren't geniuses adds to the realism.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2004

Platform: PC.

This game enjoyed great love, and fans of the series are still waiting for the release of the third part. The graphics engine in Half-Life 2 was so realistic that players felt like they were in the movie. Excellent character animation, an original way of telling the story, a variety of environments and ways to interact with it, and most importantly - a charismatic protagonist made the first-person shooter Half-Life 2 what it is to this day. Namely, one of the most popular games in history.

Rating: 9.4.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 1998

Platform: PC.

Amazing atmosphere, great music, exciting story make Fallout 2 a gem of the RPG genre. This is a real non-linear game that allows you to do whatever you want in a world full of mutants, radiation, and hundreds of other dangers.

Rating: 9.5.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2015

Platform: Mac, PC, PS4, XONE.

The game about the adventures of Geralt of Rivia has set a new standard for the quality of games in the open world RPG genre. Diverse and exciting locations full of important decisions, interesting characters, and brutal enemies, excellent graphics and music, thoughtful plot, funny and dramatic moments - all this gave the players more than 100 exciting hours of gameplay.

For anyone who doesn't know the magical universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher 3 explains the history of all the important characters and what connects them to Geralt. Thus, even beginners quickly get up to speed.

Rating: 9.6.

Genre: Addon, RPG.

Release date: 2016

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE.

The Witcher 3 is one of the highest rated games on PC. And her Blood and Wine addon is better than most games released in 2016. Even players who have spent hundreds of hours in The Witcher were surprised and delighted with the new addition with an interesting storyline. It is an excellent conclusion to the story of the White Wolf.

The amount and quality of content in this add-on is simply stunning, making it quite like a full-fledged game. You are waiting for a lot of quests, dialogues and, of course, monsters in the new Toussaint location.

Good day, dear readers!
So it's time to draw a line under the next material from the series "TOP-10: your choice", the theme of which was the best strategies. If anyone missed the beginning, we recall that the choice of dozens was made exclusively by our users, who first offered their options on the forum, and then voted for the best. Our task now is to report the results in this material and, in fact, show them in the video attached to the article. What will we do.
So, we meet - the best strategies according to our users!

Just a few years ago, the industry experienced a real deluge of games with the eternal theme of the "Second World War". It’s even scary to think how many projects were produced, and are still being produced, with the same Third Reichs, the endless Battles of Kursk and the triumph of the Red Army. Standing out from this crowd is difficult, but nothing is impossible.

Relic Entertainment once again proved that it can compete with the giants of the strategic craft. And the secret is very simple - add Spielberg's intensity of battles, complete the game with wow-effects, destructibility and stuff all Hollywood grace with excellent balance and tactical tricks. Voila!

Company of Heroes does not fall into infantilism, offering to plan the soldiers in the barracks, stuff the bins with barrels of fuel and ammunition - everything looks much more serious than in any forced labor. And then we take the army knocked together on the ground and go to crush the fascist reptile with our boots, giving orders to each unit and occupying strategically important points in the cities. It sounds simple, but how many goals were killed in all these virtual battles - do not count. That's why it's attractive Company of Heroes.

"Age of Empires"- a name familiar to many strategists. If your gaming path dates back to the mid-90s, then you know that without Age of Empires it's hard to imagine an RTS sky. Without exaggeration, the first two games in the series were truly ingenious and amazing in every aspect. Countless players have spent their time recruiting enemy mounts for priestly forces, hunting deer, picking berries from fruit trees, cutting woods, and mining for gold.

At one point, when tons of resources accumulated in the bins of civilization, the leader had the opportunity to step into a new century that would elevate his country above others. Stone tools were replaced by copper ones, cavalry were overgrown with armor, new combat units hatched, and the number of workers grew exponentially. Leading this whole celebration of life was so interesting that ten-hour marathons for - that's right, seeds.

Age of Empires 3 did not become a big breakthrough for the entire series and, by and large, did not surpass its predecessors. Don't tell the fans AoE were disappointed, but little has changed since the second part. A nostalgic tear, of course, rolled down the cheek, overgrown with stubble over the years, but it failed to become a new standard for the strategic genre.

Nevertheless, we salute the now dead Ensemble Studios. She deserved them.

Massive Entertainment earned a reputation for paying sane strategists, snorting at the sight of tank rushes, back in the old ground control. IN world in conflict she did not change her principles and created, one might say, an ideal tactical component and a grand master balance of troops - infantry, aviation, heavy ground equipment and support units.

No bases, no building - just a limited number of points with which to call for backup. Each combat unit in world in conflict must be valued, protected and not thrown into senseless attacks. Each move and decision here needs to be weighed and only then to try to go on the attack, bringing down a blow on the fortified positions of the enemy both from the air and from the ground.

The paranoid wars between the "Soviets" and the homeland of freedom and democracy of the United States may seem a little hackneyed, too "noble", but multiplayer world in conflict for sixteen commanders more than atones for all the hackneyed plot moves. The joint command of the army and the ranking system are made here at such a level that at some point you begin to feel some resemblance to multiplayer action games like . Meanwhile, a good compliment, if you remember that we have a serious strategy here.

Slow, slow turn-based strategy will never die. So write it down. This unwritten rule proves every time "Civilization", which comes out every four years, but always gathers millions of managers and rulers under its banners. And then! Everyone wants to feel like the ruler of the world for at least half an hour a day and lead their country to world domination.

Religion, travel through the tree of inventions and the birth of geniuses who will lead civilization forward - all aspects play an important role in Civilization 4. If digging in all these menus bothers you, then you can always unwind by making an alliance with brothers in mind or attacking negligent neighbors, wanting to take resources from them. And then - new technologies, a new era and new horizons to strengthen the position of a superpower. And it would seem that only half an hour ago, prehistoric people were running around the screen and did nothing but fight each other.

This year, "Civilization" will rise again and, without a doubt, will take its personal throne on the strategic Olympus. Firaxis Games does not disappoint.

Wouldn't be starcraft– Strategies today would look completely different. No jokes. Blizzard Entertainment moved the entire RTS genre forward. Although on the one hand, the recipe starcraft well, very simple - create several races, stuff resources into the game, dilute everything with the construction of bases and various landscapes. Stretch the plot into three separate companies and go ahead - trade boxes with the game for 60 bucks a piece.

At first glance, a trifling matter, but here's the bad luck - before Blizzard Entertainment no one was able to work out the balance of each race well, supply the game with a decent plot (a rarity to this day, ask certified strategists PG!) and divine multiplayer. .net has become a home for millions of people, and for some it still is after twelve years. No wonder the output Starcraft 2 they are waiting for the coming of Jesus - after him, the end of the world is not terrible.

In a word, an icon for all fans of good strategic fun. Neither add nor subtract.

Another step lady on the list! Series total war since the days of the samurai war, it has snatched a solid part of the audience from its venerable rivals. IN Rome: Total War merits of the shogunate and the Sengoku period Japanese history were squared. And even in a cube!

All the fundamental parts have grown both in breadth and up. Army management on the global map has become more meaningful. Diplomatic relations now made much more sense to develop, building alliances and plotting. Spies and assassins roaming the European map helped in this excellent way - it was easy to kill one of the important members of the ruling family and demoralize the troops. How much room for imagination! And how pleasant it was to besiege cities, going behind enemy lines and breaking his army ranks with one cavalry charge - and words can not convey.

Rome: Total War gave everything that fans of turn-based and thoughtful strategies have been wanting for so long, combining a slow and measured exchange of moves and dashing RTS battles, not without tactical manners and military tricks. Creative Assembly eternal gratitude to you for this!

Any fan Command & Conquer agree - Red Alert 3 well, it doesn’t pull on the title of “great and terrible” in any way and will easily lose the battle to its predecessors. There is a lack of strategic depth, arcadeness creeps out and bristles from all places, and the best tactic is throwing caps. In short, the claims can be listed for a very long time.

Nevertheless, the degree of madness in the new part, which has always been famous for its both idiotic and very serious plots, has not dropped. The war between the descendants of Soviet leaders and allies was diversified by naval battles. The balancing of the characteristics of the units, although not ideal, but anyone could understand the operation of the strategic mechanism in a few minutes Red Alert 3. Still not degradation, of course, but not a revolution for a long time. That did not prevent, however, the game to take fourth place.

Bury the series Command & Conquer too early. We don’t argue, having received a slap in the face and cracks, it is unlikely that it indicates a good life C&C, however, nothing prevents us from dreaming that someday "She" will return.

Ha! The third "Heroes" - how could it be without them. Many have hung out for days at this fantasy splendor. They rebuilt castles, recruited an army and set off to travel through huge levels, smashing monsters blocking the path and collecting chests and resources. And if a whole company of friends gathered at one computer, then that’s all - you had to calculate every step of your horse, fill your pockets with experience, recruit new heroes in the tavern and pump faster than your rivals. Why, there are still a lot of people playing today. This is true immortality!

For "heroic" creators from New World Computing Unfortunately, things didn't work out so well. It existed in the development arena for almost twenty years, and then at one point declared itself bankrupt and very quickly disappeared from the radar. But her business is alive and well!

Continues life path despite the death of their fathers and mothers. Yes, the last "large-scale" release in the series is dated 2007. But Ubisoft not one of those companies that throw old series into the dustbin of history. Who knows, maybe the French will announce something this summer. Cross your fingers.

Very unexpected! Second project Relic Entertainment, who got into the top, managed to climb almost to the top. It must be said that it is deserved - Dawn of War did not reinvent the genre, but was able to fill the unfunny strategic current with adrenaline and action. And also the Imperium, Orcs, Eldar and Chaos!

For the faithful servants of the 40,000 universe, and the battle cry of the Space Marines would be enough to kiss the game to death. Relic Entertainment could have screwed up. However, the holy principles of development and the desire to sculpt an excellent RTS still outweighed the pernicious desire for profit. All the hallmarks of the strategic genre are present - several races, building a base, buying upgrades and being attentive to the strengths and weaknesses of each side of the conflict. Filigree!

Warhammer 40,000 has made adjustments and big changes to this system. Some people liked them, some not so much, but the main thing is that Dawn of War is alive, does not complain of health and someday will definitely acquire a third part.

Blizzard Entertainment. Well, what can I say? She is a recognized leader, the main custodian of the PC traditions and the initiator of great achievements in the strategic arena. Both technological and financial. Blizzard certainly doesn't complain about sales of PC games.

Commemorated for the entire franchise war craft the beginning of a new era. Two new races have been added to the universe, diversifying the heroic life through role-playing elements, artifacts and magic spells that can and should be cast on the heads of enemies. The construction of the base, the collection of resources - the traditional elements have not gone away. But the field of their application has expanded. And last but not least, due to the weighty multiplayer mode - the god-like Battle.net did not disappoint here either, erecting Warcraft 3 to the rank of legendary games. Regular result.

Congratulations Warcraft 3. The Golden Cup has already been sent by diplomatic mail to the lair Blizzard Entertainment!

Well, that's all for today in terms of texts, but there is still excellent video material ahead, which you will find just below. We just have to say thank you for your participation and say goodbye until May 1st. Was with you today Eugene "Mumby" Molodov.

In addition, we remind you that right at this moment the first stage of preparing the next material from the TOP-10: Your Choice cycle has started, in which you can take part. The theme was games that piss you off.

Indeed, some people prefer to turn their attention to shooters, others like stealth games, and still others like various moba-oriented projects. There are also those who like turn-based options, where each move and each action must be considered very carefully. In fact, the best turn-based games are available at this moment list on the fingers, since quite mediocre and copying solutions often come out, but today we will try to select the best turn-based strategies on the PC.

Heroes of Might and Magic III HD. A cult game without any exaggeration, which is still held in high esteem by gamers and even relatively recently received a remaster in HD. You have to build your own castle of one of the factions available in the game, develop infrastructure, accumulate unique troops, improve them and conquer all possible resources on the map in order to eventually defeat the enemy. You can play it for dozens of hours and it doesn't get boring! Moreover, it is possible to play together on one computer.

Heroes of Might and Magic III HD system requirements:

• System: Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8, Windows 8.1 (32 or 64 bit);
• Processor: Intel Core2 Duo E4400 @ 2.0 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ @ 2.0 GHz;
• RAM: 2 Gb;
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT or AMD Radeon HD2900 with 256 MB of integrated video memory and support for Shader Model 4.0
• Disk space: 27 Gb.

Disciples 2. The golden mean in the series, which is remembered with nostalgia by many. Here, movement around the map is similar to the heroes, but the battles are a little different - you recruit a squad with special abilities, develop fighters and attack from a place without unnecessary movement around the field. The game has a well-written lore, interesting gameplay features addictive for a very long time!

Disciples 2 system requirements:

• System: Windows XP;
• RAM: 32Mb;
• Disk space: 1.2 Gb.

Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth. A turn-based classic strategy where you have to not only develop your state, but do it outside the earth - on a new planet in space. You have to choose a ship, a campaign sponsor and a few other features, and then go to distant and uncharted space to establish a colony and make peace with the rest of the colonialists or go to war with them.

Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth System Requirements:

• System: Windows XP;
• Processor: Pentium II 233 MHz;
• RAM: 32Mb;
• Video card: at least 128 Mb;
• Disk space: 1.2 Gb.

Master of Orion. Another extremely colorful and thoughtful turn-based strategy that has become an excellent successor to the 1993 game. There is something to think about and every move is given for a reason. The player is given control of one of 10 races and then needs to lead it to greatness through the collection of resources, research, the conquest of worlds and the manipulation of leaders.

Master of Orion system requirements:

• System: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 (64 bit);
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 2.2 GHz;
• RAM: 2 Gb;
• Video Card: nVidia 240, ATI 4650, Intel Integrated HD3000 or better
• Disk space: 15 Gb.

The best turn-based strategy games on PC

King's Bounty. The legend of the knight. Very similar to the previous position, but with its own unique atmosphere, monsters, history and other features. Unlike heroes, movement outside of the combat map takes place in real time, so there is no need to skip turns. There is also a role-playing system through which your character can talk to others and interact with various subjects. Battles are on a hexagonal field in turn-based mode.

King's Bounty system requirements. Legend of the Knight:

• System: Windows XP / Vista;
• Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.6 GHz or faster;
• RAM: 1 Gb;
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 / ATI Radeon X800 with 256 MB of memory or better;
• Disk space: 5.5 Gb.

Darkest Dungeon. Pretty hardcore toy with turn-based action in the battle, where success depends on each hit. You have to collect a group of heroes and then go in turn to several dungeons. Enemies can attack from anywhere, opening certain items on the map imposes positive and much more often negative effects, bosses are ruthless, the torch gradually goes out and this also affects non-heroes.

Darkest Dungeon System Requirements:

• System: Windows XP / Vista;
• Processor: Any dual-core processor with 2 GHz;
• RAM: 2 Gb;
• Video card: Any video card with 512 MB of memory (1080p, 16:9);
• Disk space: 2 Gb.

Xcom 2. Are you ready to fight back the aliens and show that the Earth belongs only to people? Well, then you definitely should look into this toy. At the moment, all the problems have already been fixed and we have an excellent turn-based toy that pleases with the number of unique units and inclusions of the role-playing system.

XCOM 2 system requirements:

• System: Windows XP / Vista;
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E4700 (2.6 GHz) or AMD Phenom X4 9950 (2.6 GHz);
• RAM: 4 Gb;
• Video Card: Radeon HD 5770 1 GB or GeForce GTX 460 1 GB;
• Disk space: 45 Gb.

hard west. love interesting stories, cowboys and turn based games? In that case, welcome! The game combines western and otherworldly themes with an excellent storyline, or rather eight storylines at once. Demons, skirmishes, amulets, magic, beautiful graphics, interesting gameplay - all this catches your eye right away and fits perfectly within one game.

Hard West system requirements:

• System: Windows XP / Vista;
• Processor: Intel 2 Quad Q6700 2.66GHz/AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5000+ 2.6GHz;
• RAM: 4 Gb;
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce GT 430/AMD Radeon HD 4670;
• Disk space: 6 Gb.

Total War: Warhammer. A sort of mix of turn-based strategy and real-time strategy in the Warhammer universe. In turn-based mode, you have to manage the state and establish contacts, send diplomatic missions or engage in battle - when the fight itself begins, everything goes into real time. Take control of one of the many races and build your perfect state by destroying all enemies in your path.

Total War: Warhammer system requirements:

• System: Windows 7 64Bit;
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 3.0Ghz;
• RAM: 3 Gb;
• Video Card: AMD Radeon HD 5770 1024MB / NVIDIA GTS 450 1024MB / Intel HD4000 @720p;
• Disk space: 35 Gb.

Divinity: Original Sin 2. Well, the first place is rightfully occupied by a game that can be completed in almost any way, the system of variability in quests is so chic and the role-playing system is extensive. This is more than a dozen character options to choose from, subclasses, various combinations of both characters and skills. In fact, you can talk for a long time, but it’s better to try it once - the plot here is simply excellent and will not make you sad. Gather a party of up to 4 characters or go on a journey on your own for an incredible adventure.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 system requirements:

• System: Windows 7 SP1 64-bit / Windows 8.1 64-bit / Windows 10 64-bit;
• Processor: Intel Core i5 or equivalent;
• RAM: 4 Gb;
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 / ATI Radeon HD 6XXX or better
• Disk space: 25 Gb.

We will start our top of the best strategies in the genre with the already forgotten, but revolutionary game Spore. Don't be fooled by the cartoony graphics, because the game of the legendary Sid Meier is, by the level of scale, a real No Mans Sky from the world of strategy. At its core, Spore is a God simulator. In strategy, we create a civilization with our own hands and bring it from a rudimentary cellular state to a super-race, freely plowing the vast expanses of space.

The main feature of Spore is that each stage of civilization development in the game offers a unique gameplay:

• Cell. The initial stage of evolution in a game where the strongest survive. Wallowing in the primordial soup and eating other cellular organisms
• Creature. We get out on land, create cool Frankensteins and feast on the inhabitants of the land world
• Tribe. At this point, Spore is reminiscent of the usual Age of Empires-like building strategies: gathering resources, building armies, and raiding rival tribes in the game
• Civilization. As you might guess, this time the game offers gameplay in the style of Civilization strategies: we are expanding into competing powers. Available as a force method, and the ability to conquer cities through diplomacy
• Space. We go through thorns to the stars. The main goal of the last stage of the strategy is to reach the center of the galaxy (thousands of randomly generated star systems are included)

So why is Spore, for all its scale, taking last place in the top 10 best strategies? The problem is that in an attempt to provide the player with a maximum of interesting mechanics, the developers have not brought any of them to a competitive level.

9th place: Command and Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars

If you like classic building strategies, then you should pay attention to the Command and Conquer series, based on the mechanics of the cult strategy Dune 2. When reviewing the entire variety of projects in the series, we prefer Command and Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. The game skillfully sits on two chairs and for beginners in the real-time strategy genre will offer colorful graphics and understandable gameplay. And the oldfags will be satisfied with the interesting gameplay, with the overall simplicity, giving a huge scope for tactical maneuvers, thanks to the motley equipment and soldiers.

"Tiberium Wars" is especially valuable for the plot and Hollywood gloss that oozes from every crack of the game. The strategy comes from those bearded days when the RTS genre was at the forefront of the mainstream. That is why Electronic Arts was not afraid to pour colossal resources into the game and shoot long cinematic videos involving Hollywood stars. Thus, playing Tiberium Wars is the best choice for fans of single projects, who, in fact, do not particularly like to build a base and understand other intricacies of strategies.

8th place: Supreme Commander

Against the backdrop of the expensive and spectacular "Tiberium Wars" in 2007, Supreme Commander was completely undeservedly lost, which at first glance caused skepticism due to:

• Mediocre graphics
• Cumbersome and inconvenient interface
• Slow gameplay

But even taking into account all the claims, Supreme Commander often gets into the top 100 strategies. The reason lies in the same scale that attracts attention in single-player strategies. Forget skirmishes with tiny squads, Supreme Commander is played with hundreds of fighters and the enemy in the game is always ready to send a new army of soldiers, which turns the strategy into a dynamic carnage on a planetary scale.

No one forgot about tactics either, and most often the review of the field of action has to be carried out from a bird's eye view, which is why the gameplay resembles a strategic version of chess. Don't forget about the ability to play online.

7th place: Stronghold

The cult Stronghold continues our top best strategies on PC. The game was released almost 20 years ago and still does not lose in popularity, forcing gamers to fill up search engines with queries like "Recommend a game like Stronghold." Another thing is that it is quite difficult to find such a game, since Stronghold on PC is in many ways a unique genre vinaigrette among strategies that combine both single large-scale wars with base building and a city-building simulator with state management. Moreover, all aspects of the game organically complement each other.

Taking the scepter of the monarch in your hands and ruling the town in the Middle Ages, you can come to total domination both by dictatorial and peaceful means. Workers and military alike demand healthy food as well as a gentrified city, where there are always cool options for leisure. But what if resources are at a minimum and smerds are preparing a new rebellion against the king? Take care of the torture substring and crush the uprising. It is up to you to decide what kind of person you will go down in the history of the game.

6th place: Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War

The developers at Relic have a reputation for being masters, each project of which makes a huge contribution to the development of modern strategy games. Among the rich portfolio of developers, we especially note Dawn of War, created based on a universe that skillfully combined the future and fantasy. It is thanks to the skillfully chosen universe that the Dawn of War strategy allows you to create a fierce battle, where each fighter can show his strength in both ranged and close combat.

Main features of Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War:

• Shifting focus from building bases to tactical combat
• Each squad has a morale scale, which requires you to carefully monitor military battles
• A list of 9 unique races (including the Soulstorm expansion) with transport and attack units, requiring different tactical approaches from the player
• Realistic animation and selection of juicy finishing moves
• An epic universe and a cool opportunity to crush a heretic with the steel fist of a dreadnought. For what? For the glory of the emperor!

Even considering that the Warhammer 40,000 series of games already has 3 projects, each of which offers interesting and unique approaches to gameplay, it was the original Dawn of War that became a kind of “GOST” in and deservedly falls into the best PC games among strategies.

5th place: Total War Shogun 2

Our gaming strategy ranking would be completely out of place without mentioning the great (no, seriously, just look at how massive the battles are here) and popular games from the Total War series. All releases of the series combine several important features: colossal battles involving several thousand fighters, realistic and authentically recreated historical eras, cool graphics and the division of the game into a strategic (with the seizure of territories, diplomacy and other moments familiar to Civilization) and tactical part in real time.

Total War is still the liveliest of all living things, but the series showed itself best in Shogun 2, which touches on the stage of feudal wars in Japan. The game is as friendly as possible to beginners, but for those who like to play thoughtfully, Shogun 2 offers the most sophisticated strategic part. A separate pillar is the mechanics of generals, who can unite in strategies with dynastic unions, occupy administrative posts and generally make it look like they are controlled not by a computer, but by a real player.

4th place: StarCraft 2

Approaching the top of the ranking, it's time to recall the existence of Blizzard, creating the most popular strategy games in the world. But this is the case when popularity does not harm the quality and depth of games at all. The original Starcraft was able to build and polish the gameplay foundation for the entire strategy genre, offering several unique races and units, each with strengths and weaknesses.

The strategy sequel called Starcraft 2, announced 9 years later, did not bring significant innovation and was released over the course of three separate games:

• Wings of Liberty
• Heart of the Swarm
• Legacy of the Void

Getting Starcraft 2 in the top strategy games due to the same quality for modern Blizzard creations and the status of "games for everyone." It is recommended to play the strategy both for gamers who prefer single-player battles with cool graphics and a spectacular plot, and for real online maniacs who play over the network, are able to make one hundred clicks per second on the computer mouse and know simple ways how to destroy five builders in five minutes enemy base.

Important note: since 2017, the games of the Starcraft 2 trilogy have become completely free and this is the best gift for everyone who loves computer strategy.

3rd Place Sid Meier's Civilization VI

In its almost 30-year history, the Civilization series has earned a reputation as a real forge, relentlessly releasing the best turn-based strategy games on the PC. The gameplay backbone for all strategy games is the same: we take on the role of God, who builds civilization from its very foundations to the creation of a superpower. Do not confuse Spore, where all elements of the game are rudimentary. Civilization is focused only on the human species and offers such rich and complex gameplay that newcomers to strategy can easily become dizzy with an abundance of possibilities.

So why did we make Civilization VI one of the top 10 strategy games of all time on PC? It's simple: the game not only got new graphics and retained the concept, where we are engaged in capturing territories, developing transport infrastructure and leading historical powers through the gloomy Stone Age and the Middle Ages into a happy (or not so) future of the 22nd century, but also methodically developed all the elements of the strategy .

Old fans of Civilization VI will be pleased with:

• Advanced AI of computer opponents, which now act according to their historical prototypes
• Branched technology tree
• Possibility to win with one religion
• Updated system of generals and great people

But for newcomers to the series, only sad news: the game has become even more complex, confusing and clearly not designed for gamers who love easy building strategies to kill a minute or two of time.

2nd place Heroes of Might and Magic 3

We perfectly imagine how you could already be tired of the old and beaten cliché like "timeless classic". But what can you do if such words are best suited to describe the third part of the great "Heroes". The popular fantasy game will soon celebrate its second decade since its release date, but it still remains the benchmark of entertainment for turn-based strategy fans.

The formula for success, as always, is simple and ingenious:

• 8 unique races
• Excellent balance
• Easy and uncluttered gameplay
• And a colossal scope for tactics due to numerous, seemingly insignificant nuances

Important differences from the previous parts: the abundance of role-playing elements. The hero is no longer just an extra. As befits any commander, he takes an active part in the battle thanks to the ability to use magic and try on unique items to strengthen the army. And add to this the need to build your own state, look for valuable resources and travel through the game world full of dangers and you will get a legal and cool drug.

In addition, there is no need to go online to play with friends - just one computer and a company of comrades who know a lot about computer strategies are enough.

1st place: Warcraft III

Admit it, you are probably not at all surprised by the leader of our top best strategies? To confirm the cult status of Warcraft 3, just the fact that after 16 years the strategy is still one of the world's major cyber disciplines and gives gamers hundreds of thousands of dollars for prizes is enough. But the standard gameplay built into the absolute with building bases, unique races and units working according to the rock-paper-scissors technique is only half the success of the third Warcraft.

Another moment is an epic story campaign with one of the best stories in the history of strategy, served with the help of spectacular videos familiar to Blizzard. It’s really interesting to follow the story of Artes’ desertion, and the general plot with a dozen colorful characters spins so rapidly that after completing the strategy, you just want to give the highest rating and throw money at the monitor, just to see the continuation of the intriguing story. But Bllizard keeps deathly silence. However, the king of Warcraft 3 strategies is still in front of us and nothing will stop us from spending another dozen happy hours in Lordaeron.

See even more high-quality computer games in the selection and in.