Best Strategy Game of 2025 - Article
by Craig S , posted on 13 January 2026 / 4,096 Views
Game of the Year for the strategy genre has traditionally been a fight between the real-time and turn-based sub-genres for the crown. Not so this year, which was more a battle between strategic city/civilisation-building titles and the blooming card battler genre. Representing the former, we have the latest entries in the stalwart Civilization and Anno series, while the latter is fronted by the sequel to Monster Train, with its twist on the Slay the Spire-style deck building campaign, and by Death Howl, which reinterprets similar influences within a Soulslike universe.
The Shortlist:
Monster Train 2
Sid Meier's Civilization VII
Death Howl
Anno 117: Pax Romana
The Runner-Up:
Death Howl
Death Howl is an eclectic mix of influences, including the mechanical depth and surprising addictiveness of deckbuilding titles like Slay the Spire; Into the Breach's small but hard-hitting, grid-based arenas; as well as some of the core components found in FromSoft's Souls series, including revived enemies upon resting, tough-as-nails difficulty, and a dark, brooding atmosphere. What could easily have been a mess of discordant ideas in fact turns out to be an excellent strategy title that builds smartly upon the often-barebones deck-building genre.
The Winner:
Sid Meier's Civilization VII
Sid Meier's Civilization continues to be a juggernaut of the 4X strategy genre. And while the 'just one more turn' addictiveness of the series remains as potent as ever, Civilization VII also dared to experiment, not least by radically changing how eras/ages work in the game, fleshing out combat, and revamping negotiations with a new influence system. Not all of the changes have been universally well-received (especially the user interface), but the core gameplay remains as complex and fulfilling as ever; the visuals and soundtrack have never been better; combat has been notably improved; and above all, the compelling gameplay loop will definitely have you coming back for more.
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Wow. I’m surprised Monster Train 2 didn’t win.
Judging by what I've seen, these don't align well with my interests, and I like strategy games a lot. Anno could be a thing, but I'm not convinced based on what I've seen, and Civilization sounds like a mess (although a mess that's probably fun for a pretty decent while).
