Although strategy games are more popular than others, they still have a niche battle-hardened audience. As a beginner strategy player, some can seem intimidating. You have to manage resources, make big decisions, control armies, and spend hours devising strategies.
This genre offers some of the most satisfying gameplay you can experience. Even losses in strategy games are opportunities to improve your game and become a better leader of men and women in battle.
Strategy fans and those just starting to explore the vast genre will find this year great. It is exciting to see nearly multiple new entries in the strategy and tactics niches, with the first one already out since February.
Meanwhile, Metal Slug Tactics I'm personally looking forward to. Arcade nostalgia at its best!
Total War: Warhammer III
Released on February 17, 2022 – Platform: PC
Total War is a well-known franchise that has existed for over two decades. It features many different civilization eras, from feudal Japan's Shogun Era to ancient Rome and the Napoleonic Wars.
With its Warhammer spinoff, Total War veered from the historical aspects of war to fantasy bringing unprecedented success to the Total War franchise.
Warhammer III promises to bring back all aspects of turn-based entertainment associated with Total War: Warhammer. Its campaign map is double that of TW: Warhammer II's, while the game features a flexible battle system, mini-campaigns, and all 15 core races.
The February released game takes place in Warhammer III's Realm of Chaos.
Triangle Strategy
Release date: March 4, 2022 – Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Coming up next in early March is Triangle Strategy from Square Enix. Final Fantasy Tactics is still a top-rated franchise, and although it would be great to have more FF: Tactics installments, that is not possible, at least for now.
However, there is still hope for fans of the Tactics franchise with Triangle Strategy, an Artdink-Square Enix strategy game. Triangle Strategy brings the HD-2D visual style to a new world that is more Tactics-inspired.
It promises excellent fun, tough decisions, and a cast of characters entangled in a brilliant plot about conviction.
Starship Troopers – Terran Command
Release date: March 31, 2022 – Platform: PC
Starship Troopers! Terran Command is bringing back one of the best camp sci-fi series of the 90s. In this game, you will be in charge of whole units and armies to fight the Arachnid menace.
The story campaign features all the Starship Troopers challenging strategy battles, mobile units and squads, and various other unique elements, so you are in for a ride back to the 80s atmosphere!
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
Release date: Spring 2022 – Platform: Nintendo Switch
Advance Wars is a classic Nintendo series. You can check out its origins right now on Switch.
Then, later in the Spring, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp will launch. Re-Boot Camp will feature remakes of the first Advance Wars game and the second Advance Wars game. It promises to bring the same fun to both new and old fans.
Its bright, colorful and bubbly art style makes it even more appealing on Nintendo's handheld hybrid console. Even more so for the OLED model. As Andy, Max, and Sami battle the opposing threat, you'll be able to control troops, ships, and planes and special abilities.
Marvel's Midnight Suns
Release date: H2 2022 – Platforms: 5G, Xbox Series X/S and Switch, Xbox One, Switch, PC (Steam/Epic Games Store)
Marvel's Midnight Suns, a new take on Marvel's comic-book games, will blend RPG and tactical elements, contrary to most 3d-person action games featuring superheroes.
In Midnight Suns, you'll use cards with character abilities to save Earth from the dark and demonic forces. You'll be able to make critical decisions and develop relationships with your team members, including popular characters of Marvel's comic franchises, such as Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Blade, Magik, Nico Minoru, and Wolverine.
The player's hero will undertake the name “The Hunter,” and you will be able to choose between 40+ different superpowers to get started.
Homeworld 3
Release date: December 2022 – Platform: PC
Homeworld is one of the most popular strategy series in the genre with more than two decades of presence, but we haven't had a new game since 2003 and the release of Homeworld 2.
Eventually, after remastering the first two games, Gearbox announced Homeworld 3 in 2019, bringing back all the original elements that made the first two games famous. The game promises an extensive campaign with stars and a particular emphasis on the features that made Homeworld 2 so famous in the first place.
Blood Bowl 3
Release date: 2022 – Platforms: Xbox Series X/S 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
Blood Bowl 3 is a unique strategy game coming to PC and consoles. As you can tell by its name, Blood Bowl 3 is fantasy football (the American version).
This is fantasy football with elves, dwarves, and other fantasy characters. Although you won't be moving troops to destroy an enemy base, it's still a strategy-based game. However, you will be controlling players to score points. Blood Bowl 3 is an excellent alternative to the usual strategy games we see year in and year out.
An exciting prospect for all NFL fans.
Dune: Spice Wars
Release date: Early Access in H2 2022 – Platform: PC
Dune is about warring factions, controlling resources, and balancing your moves against foes to win battles and will be the successor to 1992's RTS Dune II.
From the developers of Northgard, a critically acclaimed real-time strategy game with 4X elements. In Frank Herbert's groundbreaking Dune universe, you will battle for control and dominion over the harsh desert planet of Arrakis.
Dune: Spice Wars was announced in December's Game Awards show.
Mario + Rabbids – Sparks of Hope
Release date: Q2 of 2022 or later – Platform: Nintendo Switch
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was the crossover that nobody expected.
Not often does Nintendo lend its IP to other gaming franchises or even to separate developers. However, it was worth taking a chance for this one, Ubisoft. It is exciting to see Mario and Rabbids on the same roster for a unique strategy game.
The Rabbids will be back in 2022 with Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope and is aiming to be a much better game than the original, with upgrades in all areas of the gaming experience.
There is no confirmed release date yet, but it's coming this year.
Metal Slug Tactics
Release date: 2022 – Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC
Ready to revisit the old days of arcade gaming with a touch of strategy and tactics? Metal Slug is a well-known franchise for run-n-gun arcade games.
This time, it promises to bring the same action-packed fun that Metal Slug has made famous in the strategy genre. Developer Leikir Studio and Publisher Dotemu claims it will include roguelike elements.
Although we don't know how or how this will affect tactical RPG gameplay, we wouldn't lie if we said that we were not excited to see how this blend of Metal Slug x Tactics x Roguelike will work. Metal Slug Tactics draws heavily from popular tactics franchises like Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem.
Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance
Release date: late 2022 – Platform: PC
Terminator: Dark Fate- Defiance's announcement came as a surprise. It was made seemingly out of thin air last month.
Cats Who Play is developing Defiance, a “gritty RTS” that places you in the Future Wars between humanity's artificially intelligent machine network Legion and humanity. The trailer has a short gameplay trailer and a cinematic teaser. It's not a trailer for gameplay but a glimpse into an ongoing battle.
We can see that Defiance has standard RTS elements such as resource management, faction control, and large-scale warfare. The game looks great, but very little is known about it.
These were our top picks in upcoming strategy and tactics games in 2022. While you are here, you may also want to check our list of the best tank games on PC.
