The coolest strategies for the computer. The best strategies on PC

There is a huge variety of genres and types computer games, but PC strategies occupy leading positions, because only thanks to them can you manage universes, build or destroy civilizations. So if you want to feel like a god, then feel free to launch one of these games. What can we say, there are a lot of games in this genre, but we have selected for you a rating of the best.

Civilization V

In this strategy for PC, you will immerse yourself in the history of our world and guide humanity through all branches - from the Stone Age to modern reality and much further. The player will have to make many different decisions: social, political, economic, military.

Freedom of choice is what characterizes this strategy. You can be a conqueror or build a state focused on tourism or industry. Even a beginner who discovers the world of strategies can understand the game. After all, Civilization V has an excellent hint system and a huge database of tutorials. The rethought battle grid immerses you into the game headlong, and the nice graphics also please.

Total War: Shogun 2

The list of “Best Strategy Games for PC” continues with a game that will take us to feudal Japan of the 16th century. You have to manage an entire empire - from the economy to protecting the state from invaders. The game has two modes, and you need to demonstrate all your strategic abilities to successfully maneuver between them.

Manage your empire in the mode without forgetting that real-time tactical battles await you. Battles in Total War: Shogun 2 are a separate matter. The player will have to think through battle tactics, and even an enemy with numerical superiority can be defeated thanks to a skillfully conducted battle or ambush.

StarCraft 2

If you like sci-fi real-time strategy games on PC, then StarCraft 2 is worth a look. It's all about the classics: collect resources, build troops and defend the galaxy from evil space elves and xenomorphic aliens.

The game will require quick decisions and actions. The multiplayer is especially pleasing, because the opportunity to fight with another player tickles your nerves much more. Although the single-player campaign has its advantages. A huge number of quests and additional tasks will not let you get bored, and their variability and originality will delight any player.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Space strategies installed on a computer can really surprise you. In XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the player will have to repel an invasion in turn-based strategy mode. You need to assemble a team of six fighters and boldly send them against robots, aliens and other opponents.

The game has a large number of maps of the area, where the heroes will have to engage in tough skirmishes, and after the battle they will find a base where they need to study technologies, increase their abilities and solve problems with financing. The strategy will seriously drag you on. If you don’t want to follow the path of a single-player company, and have a great desire to engage in battle with a real opponent, then the multiplayer mode will give you this opportunity.

Tropico 5

The “Best Strategy for PC” rating continues with an excellent city builder where you will feel like a dictator of the Caribbean. A small republic can become a great country, but only under skillful leadership. The player will have to decide for himself which path his little kingdom will take, because this is the beauty of a totalitarian regime.

But you shouldn’t go too far, because your people can rebel and overthrow the regime. And if you are not careful enough foreign policy, then the country will face a military invasion. Tropico 5 is an excellent and fun city builder that will provide a lot of fun.

Age of Wonders 3

Classic fantasy strategy games on PC will never lose their relevance. Despite the fact that diplomacy and city management are rather poorly thought out in this game, Age of Wonders 3 is not in vain on the list of the best.

A huge number of different units, and battlefields strewn with obstacles, immerse you in battles headlong. With the right tactics and skillful strategy, you can build a truly huge army that will sweep away everything in its path. So if you are close in spirit to elves, gnomes, giants, and you are not averse to practicing magic, then feel free to purchase this game.

World in Conflict: Soviet Assault

In this strategy, installed on your computer, you have to defend yourself from “evil Soviet soldiers", who decided to conquer the whole world. The topic is quite hackneyed and has already lost its relevance, but the way it is presented in World in Conflict: Soviet Assault is worth special attention.

In this strategy there is no longer any need to build bases or manage resources; victory or defeat depends on the command points that are given for completing missions. Impressive graphics and a truly interesting single-player campaign will keep you engrossed throughout the game.

Online strategies

"Rules of War" opens up a similar genre. In this one you have to become a fearless commander who survived a nuclear war and is trying to improve relations with not entirely friendly neighbors.

The game has won a huge number of fans among users social networks all over the world, and for good reason. Excellent graphics and voice acting, addictive gameplay, the ability to communicate with other players and create alliances - this is not a complete list of advantages thanks to which the “Rules of War” project was included in the “Rules of War” rating The best strategy games" You can play for free right in your browser, which makes the game even more attractive.

"Might and Magic"

The idea of ​​bringing the legendary series online has been around for a long time. And this moment has come when you can play your favorite “Heroes” for free by opening a window in your browser. Little attention is paid to economic development and castle building, but this is compensated by a huge number of quests, thanks to which you will have plenty of time to travel around the world. Searching for artifacts, leveling up your character and clashes with enemies will not let you get bored.

The game "Might and Magic" is quite thought out and the passage storyline can take almost 100 hours - that's quite an impressive amount of time for an online strategy game. But, as in any browser project, the hero will have to interact with real players. Some of them will become friends, and some will turn out to be sworn enemies. It's safe to say that Ubisoft managed to make the dream of many fans of the series come true.

Anno Online

Strategy games in Russian most often involve a sequence of urban planning and bloody battles. But if you don’t want to participate in battles, and are eager to indulge in the creative process, then you simply need to play Anno Online. Here you also have to interact with other players, but only through trade and cooperation.

The main task will be the development of your city. You also need to think about population growth and problems with its settlement. You will establish trade and production connections, build houses and industrial buildings, and much more. is thought out, and you will not find a city similar to yours, because each player develops in his own way.

Warhammer 40,000 series

Release date: 1992-2011

Genre: Real-time strategy

The Warhammer 40,000 series is the most popular and one of the best-selling games. Fans are constantly waiting for the release of a new game. The most famous is Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. The player selects a race (Imperial Guard, Space Marines, Tau, Necrons, Orcs, Chaos, Eldar, with each game new races appear) for which he wants to play, after which he selects a place on the planet or planets that he wants to capture and fights with the race that owns it earth. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is included in .

The battle takes place in real time on the terrain where the battle takes place. Players capture special points that give influence and build generators that provide energy; these resources are used to build structures, troops and make improvements. Each race has its own troops, super units and heroes and abilities. The goal of the game in the campaign is to capture all the lands and become the patron of all lands.

Civilization Series

Release date: 1991-2013

There are 4 races in the game: Alliance (humans), Undead, Horde (Orcs) and Night Elves. Each race has its own unique heroes, who gain experience and a new level in battles. With each level, new hero abilities are unlocked. Heroes can also buy or pick up items from killed mobs that improve the combat characteristics of the heroes and the troops around them. On different maps, players capture gold mines and extract timber, using these resources to build a base and units and improve their characteristics.

Heroes of Might and Magic III

Genre: Turn-based strategy, RPG

The player travels across a global map with heroes who control mythical creatures, exploring new lands, capturing cities and fighting enemies. On the map, the player moves only one hero and can only walk a certain distance or do one or more actions, after which he misses a turn and the computer-controlled enemies make their move. By attacking enemies, you move into combat mode, the army of enemies and your army of creatures stand opposite each other, moving combat units in turn to destroy the enemies. As cities develop, new opportunities and spells can be discovered. Hire troops.

StarCraft II

StarCraft II is the second part of the cult first part, released back in 1998. The second part of the game became the most anticipated game of the year due to the great popularity of the first part and fully met its expectations among players. Many Russian and foreign gaming portals gave the game scores of over 9 points out of 10. In the player rating it received 9.3 points.

The plot of the game and all the actions take place in the distant future, or more precisely the 26th century in a remote part of the Milky Way galaxy. The three races of Terran, Zerg, and Protoss are opposed to each other. Players extract two types of resources: minerals and vespene gas, which they then use to build buildings and hire combat units. The main task is to destroy the enemy base. Each type of unit has its own strengths and weaknesses, so to destroy certain types enemy troops need to hire troops that destroy them well.

Total War series is the best Rome: Total War

Release date: 2000-2015

Genre: turn-based grand strategy, real-time strategy

Total War rus. “Total War” is a series of games that already has seven games and various additions. Different games cover different historical periods and states. The most popular and iconic is Rome: Total War, released in 2004, in which the action takes place during the Republic period from 270 BC. e. up to 14 AD e. For example, Shogun: Total War takes place in . Shogun: Total War in the 16th century where ruling dynasties oppose each other. Empire: Total War - during the European colonial wars and so on.

The gameplay of the game is very similar to Civilization. The player controls troops, cities and settlements on a global point. After completing all actions, the player misses a turn, after which the AI-controlled competitors make their move. If you or your enemy attack each other, then you move to the tactical map, where you control all your troops in real mode, attacking them and placing them in convenient positions on the map.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 1,2,3

Release date: 1995-2009

Genre: Real-time strategy

Red Alert is a game that was released in the last century and captured the minds and souls of gamers around the world; thousands of people still play it, more than 30 million copies sold. The game takes place in an alternate history, where Allied troops defend Europe from an aggressive Soviet Union. The player can choose one of two warring parties: Alliance or USSR. Accordingly, the goal of the game for the Allies is to stop Stalin before he takes over the whole world, for the USSR - to achieve the complete capture of Europe. Depending on the side chosen, a player's victory results in one of two alternative endings.

Battles in the game take place both on land, on water and in the air. Each side can have its own base and can train ground troops, Air Force and Navy. Each side also has unique features. The game mechanics mean that now even a simple infantryman can destroy a tank. A tank can easily destroy a machine gun pillbox; a small group of grenade launchers can just as easily deal with a tank if it is not covered by anti-personnel equipment or its own infantry, which forced them to use it in battle Various types troops.

Europa Universalis series of games

Release date: 2000-2013

Genre: turn-based global strategy

Continues the series of global strategies Europa Universalis. Like previous games in the series, the third part invites you to lead one of the states of the world . The essence of the game: to develop national ideas that give the game power certain advantages; As new government technologies are discovered, it becomes possible to choose one of the national ideas. The game takes place in real time, but the player’s reaction speed is not required, since the game can be paused at any time. The game takes place on a schematically depicted world map, divided into more than 1,500 sea and land provinces.

The player can take control of any country that existed during this historical period (about 200 states in total). Under his control are the country's economy, the formation and management of armies and navies, diplomacy, the introduction of new technologies, the internal politics of the state, changing the state religion and the colonization of new lands.

A special feature of the game is its connection to real history (note that in the third part of the series it is no longer tied to history and the gameplay is more free); there are historical rulers predetermined for each country, each of whom has certain abilities that influence the game, real-life commanders (such as Suvorov or Napoleon I Bonaparte), pioneers, explorers and sailors (such as Columbus, Ermac and Ferdinand Magellan ), as well as historical events that usually occur in the same country and at the same time as in real history (for example, in 1517 an event occurs that makes it possible to convert to Protestantism)

Company of Heroes 1.2

Release date: 2006

The gameplay of Company of Heroes is very similar to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. The player commands entire squads of fighters, but there are some unique units. Each squad has a life scale (not an individual fighter) and if the squad’s lives run out when damaged, the entire squad dies. The player can equip various weapons, infantry detachments, choosing for themselves which weapon is more promising in battle. After the death of a squad, weapons remain that can be picked up and equipped with them for another squad. This even applies to stationary weapons such as anti-tank guns, heavy machine guns and mortars.

Each side in the game is divided into three unique directions - infantry, airborne and tank for the Americans and defensive, offensive and propaganda for the Germans, advancement in which gives access to new combat units and attacks (for example, attack aircraft). Another important difference is that squads and units in the game have three levels of experience. After destroying an enemy, a new level is obtained that increases the damage, speed, health, armor or viewing range of the combat unit, depending on its type.

The game has three types of resources: weapons, fuel and personnel. Personnel are used to construct buildings, recruit new combat units, both infantry and armored vehicles, fuel, in turn, to build buildings and armored vehicles, and weapons - to provide units with additional weapons, such as a grenade launcher, for artillery and air strikes, or for to give your equipment new capabilities. Replenishment of resources is carried out using checkpoints.

Age of Empires III

Genre: Real-time strategy

Age of Empires III is a strategy game that has earned worldwide recognition thanks to its innovative and exciting gameplay. Age of Empires received big ratings on gaming portals and magazines. A special feature of this game is its well-developed artificial intelligence (the enemy is controlled by a computer). The player controls one of the powers (Great Britain, Prussia, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Russian Empire, Ottoman Empire, France), which set off to conquer the new world (America).

The main action takes place in the colonies, on a map familiar to such games, but now each power has a hometown in the Old World. He serves the sole purpose of helping his colony. There are three resources in the game: food, wood and money. Which produce various buildings. Transitions between eras, five eras: exploration, colonization, fortresses, industrial and imperial era. He trains military academies, bandages soldiers and sends them to colonies. The infantry depends on the nationality of the city, for the Spaniards it will be rodellers, and for the Russians it will be archers and Cossacks. The academy is also improving the parameters of the troops.

Battles take place in real time. The maximum size of a detachment and group of soldiers highlighted by a “frame” is 50 units. The shooting infantry has four formations: a regular line, which is convenient for firing in volleys, a sparse formation, which reduces losses from artillery fire, hand-to-hand combat and square. Melee infantry has three formations, two of the same, melee and square, and a circular formation to cover the riflemen. The cavalry learned three formations - the same close combat and square, as well as an offensive mode with reduced speed, but with damage inflicted over an area.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Genre: Turn-based strategy, Tactical RPG,

The game is a remake (remake) of the popular and old game X-COM: UFO Defense, released back in 1993. Aliens attack planet Earth and begin an alien invasion. The game is played from the perspective of the secret commander international organization XCOM (anti-alien division), which has the most advanced technologies, weapons and scientific developments of mankind. It employs the best specialists in the world - military men and scientists. The organization must conduct military operations against aliens that threaten the existence of human civilization.

The player is provided with the central XCOM base, from which the strategic management of the organization is carried out: monitoring the actions of aliens on the global world map using a satellite network, distributing funding for the development of scientific and technical potential, arming and deploying interceptors to destroy flying saucers, as well as conducting combat operations against aliens using existing fighters in ground skirmishes. The base is presented to the player in the form of an “ant farm” - a section of soil that allows you to look at the premises from the side.

IN Tactical combat fighters perform up to two actions in turn - running, shooting, throwing a grenade, using a first aid kit. Each fighter has only three characteristics: accuracy, willpower and health points. After the first promotion in rank, a soldier receives a specialization. This could be an attack aircraft, a sniper, a heavy infantryman or a support soldier.

Homeworld

Genre: real time strategy

Well-developed graphics and three-dimensional gaming space - the implementation of six degrees of freedom (you can view the battlefield, the battle fleet from different angles) of the movement of game objects and the presence of thoughtful fleet management in three dimensions. A rich and complex plot that gradually reveals itself during the game. In the next game mission, the player receives the fleet with which he completed the previous one.

At the beginning of the game, the player can choose a fleet of two races, Kushan or Taidan: this does not affect the further plot in any way, only the combat units change. A key feature of both the Kushan and Taidan navies is the presence of a main mothership that serves as the main base of operations. The mother ship has its own weapons and a hyperdrive, which allows it to overcome significant space.

The entire space fleet is divided into a combat fleet and a support fleet. The support fleet includes special ships, such as a resource collector and controller, a research ship, a probe, a stealth ship detector ship, and a gravity well generator. The combat fleet is divided into classes: Small ships - fighters, corvettes, Heavy ships - frigates, Super-heavy ships, Flagships.

Stronghold game series

Release date: 1993-2014

Genre: Real time strategy,

The game system of all games in the series is based on an economic simulator of a medieval city or castle. The games have a number of unique parameters that are typical only for games in the Stronghold series. Thus, in the first Stronghold, the “popularity” parameter was introduced for the first time, affecting the performance and population size. The combat system is standard for strategies - direct control of groups of units. The economic component is one of the main ones in the games of the series. There are quite complex and long production chains. As a rule, in the games of the series, more attention is paid to the economic rather than the military component of medieval castles.

All games in the series, except Stronghold Kingdoms, have campaigns (a series of story-related missions) and a map editor mode. Stronghold has a single campaign, while other games have multiple campaigns.

All games except Stronghold and Stronghold Kingdoms allow you to play against computer opponents on a selected map. Stronghold and Stronghold 2 have a siege mode (siege or defend a castle without running an economy). In the first games in the series (up to and including Stronghold 2) there is a free construction mode (running an economy without war).

Spore

Spore game is a simulator of the evolution of life on the planet, as well as a strategy and space simulator. The goal of the game is to develop a creature from a microorganism to an advanced space race. While progressing through the game, it is possible to make changes to the creature, improving its characteristics. Also, as it develops, the player will independently create various equipment and buildings, or choose ready-made options from the catalogue.

At the beginning of the game, the player takes control of a microorganism living in an aquatic environment. At this stage of the game - To survive, the microorganism needs to feed on pieces of meat or algae, and also try not to be eaten by other carnivorous creatures. When food is eaten, the cell grows and turns into a microorganism. After which the creature gets out to the ground, where it also develops. Over time, under your leadership there will be a tribe, civilization and space that you will have to manage.

Ground Control 1.2

Release date: 2000, 2004

"Deity: Original Sin" - a strategic turn-based RPG with a top-down view. The game takes place in a fictional fantasy universe, where two heroes go on a dangerous adventure in search of a mysterious order called “The Source”. Adherents of the order use forbidden magic and practice sacrifices for their dark purposes. One of the best indie projects Lately. The game was made with money from donations from players and thanks to this it turned out to be a one-piece project made with soul.

The project is distinguished by good graphics, a large and interesting universe, as well as many quests and side tasks, but the main feature was the interaction with the outside world. The player can combine various items, use them as barricades and weapons, or harness the power of the elements. Became the best indie project according to many gaming magazines.

Cities: Skylines

Release date: 2015

Genre: City planning simulator,

Urban planning strategy with elements of economics and logistics. The game is an advanced simulator in which the player must build a modern metropolis and create Better conditions for a comfortable life for city residents, with limited finances and resources.

The game will delight you with ample opportunities in the construction of buildings, the creation of communications, as well as the development of the infrastructure of your city. Particular attention is paid to small details such as electrifying houses, laying water and sewerage systems, as well as creating good conditions for business.

XCOM 2

Release date: 2016

Genre: Turn-based strategy, RPG

XCOM 2 is a turn-based tactical strategy with RPG elements. The plot of the game tells about the Earth, which was captured by aliens. The interventionists broke the resistance and completely colonized the planet, establishing constant surveillance and control over the remnants of humanity. But on one of the outskirts of a big city, the XCOM organization begins to work again. A lot of people were waiting for this game and it was a success. Most gaming magazines recognized it as the best game of the year, as well as the best strategy game of the year.

The gameplay is the same as in the first XCOM. We download the flying base, land on missions with our squad and on hexagonal maps in a step-by-step mode, destroy all the aliens, gain experience, fighters and download their perks. During the passage, you can try out a large set of alien weapons, upgrade your skills and specializations, and also fight with superior forces of space invaders.

Stellaris

Release date: 2016

Genre: Global space strategy.

Space 4X real-time strategy. The plot of the game is about the confrontation between extraterrestrial civilizations that explore the depths of space, colonize new planets, extract valuable resources and strive for complete dominance in the entire galaxy.

The player will be able to choose one of many races, determine political views and main directions in development, and then bring the created civilization to world domination. Key features of Stellaris are generated galaxies and planets, a wide arsenal of warships, and the ability to use military force or diplomacy.

Good day, dear readers!
Now the time has come to draw a line under the next material from the “TOP 10: Your Choice” series, the topic of which was the best strategies. If anyone missed the beginning, let us remind you that the selection of the top ten was done exclusively by our users, who first proposed their options on the forum, and then voted for the best one. Our task now is to talk about the results in this material and, in fact, show them in the video attached to the article. That's what we'll do.
So, let’s meet – the best strategies according to our users!

Just a few years ago, the industry was experiencing a deluge of games with the age-old WWII theme. It’s even scary to think how many projects have been produced, and are still being produced, with the same Third Reichs, endless Battles of Kursk and the triumph of the Red Army. Standing out from this crowd is difficult, but nothing is impossible.

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

Company of Heroes does not fall into infantilism, proposing to plan the soldier's barracks, fill the bins with barrels of fuel and ammunition - everything looks much more serious than in any strained one. And then we take the locally assembled army and go crush the fascist vermin with our boots, giving orders to each unit and occupying strategically important points in the cities. It sounds simple, but it’s impossible to count how many heads were killed in all these virtual battles. That's why it's attractive Company of Heroes.

"Age of Empires"- a name familiar to many strategists. If your gaming journey dates back to the mid-90s, then you know that without Age of Empires It's hard to imagine an RTS horizon. Without exaggeration, the first two games in the series were truly brilliant and amazing in every aspect. Countless players spent their time recruiting enemy mounts to priestly forces, hunting deer, collecting berries from fruitful trees, chopping down trees, 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, the cavalry acquired armor, new combat units hatched, and the number of workers grew exponentially. Leading this entire celebration of life was so interesting that ten-hour marathons were worth it.

Age of Empires 3 did not become a big breakthrough for the entire series and, by and large, did not surpass its predecessors. Not to say the fans AoE We were disappointed, but little has changed since the second part. A nostalgic tear, of course, rolled down a cheek that had grown stubble over the years, but it failed to become a new standard for the strategy genre.

Nevertheless, we pay our respects to the now dead Ensemble Studios. She deserved them.

Massive Entertainment paid for sensible strategists who snort at the sight of tank rushes has earned itself a reputation in the ancient Ground Control. IN World in Conflict it did not change its principles and created, one might say, an ideal tactical component and a grandmaster balance of troops - infantry, aviation, heavy ground equipment and support units.

No bases, no construction - only a limited number of points with which you can call for help. Every combat unit in World in Conflict need to be valued, protected and not thrown into meaningless attacks. Every move and decision here needs to be weighed and only then rush to go on the attack, unleashing a blow on the enemy’s fortified positions both from the air and from the ground.

The paranoid wars between the “Soviets” and the homeland of freedom and democracy, the USA, may seem a little hackneyed, too “noble”, but the multiplayer World in Conflict for sixteen commanders more than makes up for all the hackneyed plot devices. The joint command of the army and the ranking system are done here at such a level that at some point you begin to feel some similarity with multiplayer action games like. Meanwhile, it’s a nice compliment, if you remember that we have a serious strategy here.

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

Religion, travel through the tree of inventions and the birth of geniuses that will lead civilization forward - all aspects play an important role in Civilization 4. If digging through all these menus gets boring, you can always unwind by concluding an alliance with brothers in mind or attacking careless 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 just half an hour ago prehistoric people were running across the screen and did nothing but fight with each other.

This year, “Civilization” will dawn again and, without a doubt, will take its personal throne on strategic Olympus. Firaxis Games will not let you down.

There wouldn't be StarCraft– strategies would look completely different today. No jokes. Blizzard Entertainment moved the entire RTS genre forward. Although on the one hand, the recipe StarCraft well, very simple - create several races, put resources into the game, dilute everything with the construction of bases and different landscapes. Stretch the plot into three separate companies and go ahead - sell boxes of the game for 60 bucks apiece.

At first glance, it’s a trivial matter, but it’s bad luck - until Blizzard Entertainment no one was able to work out the balance of each race well, provide the game with a decent plot (very rare 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 twelve years later. It's no surprise that the exit StarCraft 2 They are waiting for the coming of Jesus - after him the end of the world is not terrible.

In short, an icon for all fans of good strategic games. Neither add nor subtract.

Another step by step lady on the list! Series Total War Since the time of the samurai war, it has snatched a significant part of the audience from its venerable rivals. IN Rome: Total War the merits of the shogunate and the Sengoku period of Japanese history were squared. Or even into a cube!

All fundamental parts have grown both in breadth and height. Managing armies on the global map has become more meaningful. Diplomatic relations now had much more meaning develop by building alliances and preparing conspiracies. The spies and assassins roaming the European map were of great help - it was easy to kill one of the important members 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 - words cannot describe.

Rome: Total War gave everything that fans of turn-based and thoughtful strategies wanted for so long, combining a slow and measured exchange of moves and dashing RTS battles, not devoid of 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 deserve the title of “great and terrible” and will easily lose the battle to its predecessors. There is not enough strategic depth, the arcadeiness comes out and sticks out from all places, and the best tactic is throwing hats. In short, the claims can be listed for a very long time.

However, the degree of madness in the new part, which has always been famous for its simultaneously idiotic and very serious plots, has not dropped. The war between the descendants of Soviet leaders and allies was diversified through naval battles. The balancing of the units’ characteristics may not have been ideal, but anyone could understand the workings of the strategic mechanism in a few minutes Red Alert 3. Not yet degradation, of course, but not a revolution for a long time. That did not, however, prevent the game from taking fourth place.

Bury the series Command & Conquer It's too early. We don’t argue, receiving slaps and slaps hardly indicates a good life C&C, however, nothing stops us from dreaming that someday “She” will return.

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

For the “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 lives and prospers!

Continues the path of life, despite the death of his fathers and mothers. Yes, the last “large-scale” release in the series dates back to 2007. But Ubisoft Not one of those companies that throws old series into the dustbin of history. Who knows, maybe the French will announce something this summer. Cross your fingers.

Quite unexpected! Second project Relic Entertainment, who made it to the top, managed to climb almost to the top. I must say that it is deserved - Dawn of War It didn't reinvent the genre, but it managed to infuse an unfunny strategy game with adrenaline and action. And also the Imperium, Orcs, Eldar and Chaos!

For the devoted servants of the 40,000 universe, the battle cry of the Space Marines would be enough to kiss the game to death. Relic Entertainment I could have cheated. However, the sacred development principles and the desire to fashion an excellent RTS still outweighed the destructive attraction to profit. All the hallmarks of the strategic genre are present - several races, building a base, purchasing upgrades and attentive attention to the strengths and weaknesses of each side of the conflict. Filigree!

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

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

Marked for the entire franchise WarCraft the beginning of a new era. Two new races were added to the universe, diversifying the hero’s life with role-playing elements, artifacts and magic spells that can and should be cast on the heads of enemies. Building a base, collecting resources - the traditional elements have not gone away. But the field of their application has expanded. And not least due to the weighty multiplayer mode - the godlike Battle.net did not disappoint here either, having built WarCraft 3 to the rank of legendary games. Natural result.

Congratulations WarCraft 3. The golden cup has already been sent by diplomatic mail to the den Blizzard Entertainment!

Well, that’s all for today regarding texts, but there is still excellent video material ahead, which you will find just below. All we can do is say thank you for your participation and say goodbye until May 1st. I was with you today Evgeniy “Mumby” Molodov.

In addition, we remind you that right at this moment the first stage of preparation of the next material from the series “TOP-10: Your choice” began, in which you can take part. The topic was games that PISS YOU WILDLY.

From the early 90s to the mid-00s, strategies dominated the minds of 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 we 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 us to identify the most worthy representatives of the genre, as well as learn about the latest releases that have given some classic strategies a second life. We hope this TOP 10 will be informative. If not: comments and voting at the bottom of the article will help.

10. Stronghold

Stronghold was released during the golden era of RTS - in 2001. At the time, most strategy games tried to emulate either C&C or Warcraft, but Stronghold had other plans. Although critics try to claim that this strategy did not bring anything significantly new to its genre, its fans will argue with this and, in my opinion, they will be right.

Stronghold had a fairly 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 introduced such an unusual parameter as “Popularity”. It provided an influx of new residents to the city and depended on many factors: taxation, variety of available food, entertainment (taverns with ale) and other things.

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

A typical, serene morning in Stronghold Crusader

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

The game remains popular to this day thanks to 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 for constructing 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 with water around the perimeter.

Of course, there is an equally large arsenal of siege weapons, from rams and ladders to catapults and trebuchets, which can fire at enemy fortifications not only with stones, but also... with cows. Add to this the ability to start a fire in the enemy’s city or undermine its economy with the help of hunger: the choice of combat strategy is quite extensive, as for an RTS. This variety made the game quite interesting for online play.

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

• Players could select an entire group of units and command them with just one click;
• There were neutral units, buildings and other objects on the map that could be interacted with (read “smashed into trash”);
• It was in C&C that the system of dividing units into classes, such as “rock, paper, scissors”, first appeared - 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 just another nameless chessboard to hone their tactical abilities;
• Another signature feature of Command & Conquer is the presence of only one resource, Tiberium - it is for this that all wars in the universe of this game are fought.

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

• Red Allert

The Soviets, as it were, convey ardent greetings to old man Einstein

Red Allert deserves its own 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 is a brief description of the backstory of the universe of this game: after seeing enough of the horrors of World War II, old man Einstein in 1946 decides to build a time machine and go back in time to destroy Hitler. As a result, the scales swung in the other direction: Comrade Stalin decides to build his own, communist Reich, and Europe, together with its 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 stating that Red Allert is the best-selling RTS in the world. Red Allert 2 and Red Allert 2 were released in 2000 and 2001: Yuri’s Revenge, which are 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 based. However, there are two versions of this universe: Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000. In the first case, as the name suggests, 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” by 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, is not given 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 you can get by holding checkpoints under enemy pressure.

From the very first minutes, the creators of the game directly state: leave all this fuss with base construction and economic development for the nerds. The WH40K universe was created solely for the purpose of forcing armored paratroopers to fight various monsters (from orcs to more exotic creatures). So no long term economic development nothing is foreseen in it: only battles from the first to last minute.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 looks like it was created for Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear: with a cry of “Power!!!”, the player will scatter all the enemies in his path. Tactics? No, have not heard.

In 2009, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 was released, which received high ratings from players and was thoroughly praised by many gaming publications, but... suddenly it turned out to be not a strategy. Loyal fans of the first part were horrified to discover that the long-awaited Dawn of War 2 began to resemble a Diablo-type RPG more than it did 5 years ago. True, this did not prevent the game from finding its fans, who claim that the multiplayer has retained all the necessary elements of an RTS and is quite satisfactory.

7. Total War

It's funny that Total War and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War are located next door in the ranking of the best strategies, because just in May of this year Total War: Warhammer was released - the first TW dedicated to the Warhammer universe. True, it’s not Warhammer 40,000, but Warhammer Fantasy - so it will, first of all, appeal to fans of fantasy worlds. 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.

The main distinguishing feature of Total War is the 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 battles are loaded separately and rapidly develop in real time. Players will have to wisely use the terrain 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 series became famous worldwide thanks to its third part, Rome: Total War, which used a 3D engine. As the title suggests, the story 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 side chosen, not only the units, but also the architecture of the cities differed. Subsequent TWs were never able to surpass the popularity of this part.

In 2013, Rome: Total War II was released - initially buggy, but later brought to mind with the help of numerous patches. Perhaps 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 had managed to create a product as successful as Warcraft, I would have rested on my laurels for 20 years, wasting all my money in some completely senseless way. But the guys from Blizzard are not like that: having received a well-deserved ovation after the release of Warcraft 2, Blizzard got to work on a space RTS. True, as a result, they still ended up with Warcraft: the beta version was mercilessly criticized and perceived as “orcs in space.” Fortunately, the developers listened to the criticism and completely redesigned the graphics engine and setting. Thus, in 1998, the legendary StarCraft was born.

The game features 3 races: Zerg, Protoss and Terrans, which are borrowed from the Warhammer 40,000 universe (Tyranids, Eldar, Imperial Guard). However, the similarity is extremely superficial: when StarCraft was born, it followed its own path of development - the universe of this game acquired its own characteristics and now has little in common with Warhammer.

In most strategies, in order to maintain a fragile balance, all nations have the same set of units and buildings + several unique buildings/soldiers, which add some variety, but do not fundamentally affect the tactics of the game. StarCraft doesn't care about these canons. All 3 races are completely different:

• Zerg far from technology and science, they achieve superiority solely in quantity.
• Highly spiritual protoss are the complete opposite of the zerg: every protoss fancies himself important person with a rich inner world, therefore it costs a lot of resources, but it also hits, respectively, painfully and strongly.
• Terrans(from the word “terra”) represent people in the game. They are the “golden mean” between zerg and protoss.

The beautiful lights of Star Craft 2 lure gullible schoolchildren and cause a skeptical smile from oldfags

Such striking differences between the races gave the game a solid advantage over other RTS, earning it a reputation as a “smart” strategy in which you don’t just need to “breed” as much as possible big army, but think through your actions in advance, demonstrating strategic and tactical skills. Microcontrol also plays an important role: if the Protoss are not particularly demanding on precision control, the success of the 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 e-sports. Although the oldfags claim that the unique balance of the first SC has been partially lost, StarCraft 2 received high ratings from a variety of gaming publications (an average of 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: the same Warcraft, only in profile. Instead of fantasy races, the game featured 12 human nations that could develop 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.

2 years later, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings was released, which became truly legendary. It eclipsed not only the first part, but also many of the then “whales” of this genre, winning over 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, as well as additional missions and technologies to the game. It was this part of the game that became the most popular in the Age of Empires series. What is the reason for its 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 started the fashion for strategies with many different civilizations.
• Opportunity for development. The second “trick”, which was implemented for the first time among strategies, was AoE 2 - transition from one historical era to another. All this was accompanied by a fairly extensive tree of technologies, for the research of which it was necessary to build various buildings and spend resources.
• Balance. Of course, the nations differed not only in color and different design of buildings. Each of them had its own bonuses and unique units. Some had an economic advantage, others had stronger cavalry, others had great siege weapons, others had long-range fleets, etc. All this variety was fairly balanced with no clear favorites. As a result, Age of Empires 2 attracted many fans of online battles.

As it turned out, a beautiful picture cannot replace interesting gameplay

Age of Empires III was released in 2005. She wasn't bad, but she didn't come close to the success of her predecessor. As a result, after several addons, Microsoft gave up and, to the delight of 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 the 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 attracted the attention of many game makers: they stopped trying to create 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 an RTS, which conceptually has a lot in common with AoE.

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

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

Unlike other strategies, in “Cossacks” resources were spent not only on acquiring units, but also on their maintenance. Without food, famine began, and mercenaries, purchased for gold, rebelled as soon as the treasury was empty. To use firearms, iron and coal were needed - without them, riflemen and artillery were defenseless.

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

• Cossacks 2

In 2005, “Cossacks 2” was released: despite the high ratings of many gaming publications, the game did not evoke the same enthusiasm as the first part. Absolutely everything in it has been redesigned: it has become more realistic and thoughtful. No “disputed” nations, raids by 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 you to take into account the terrain, reload your guns for a long time and monitor the morale of the soldiers, who could become cowardly and rush into chaos. It sounds like a good idea, but in the online game there is no trace of the former fun left.

• Cossacks 3

And on September 21, 2016, the long-awaited “Cossacks 3” was released, which no one had even dreamed of. And everything would be fine if it weren’t for the number 3 in the title - everyone was expecting a continuation of the series, but they received a remastering of the first part. Old game was transferred to a new graphics engine, the gameplay was completely taken from the original “Cossacks”. Add to this a decent number of bugs that GSC Game World actively corrected after release using various patches, and you can understand why many gamers felt deceived. Still, GSC should have announced that the game is a remastering 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 somewhere closer to 1999.

The action of all “Heroes” takes place in a certain fantasy universe. There are races, but the player is not tied to them: the hero can conquer castles of any factions and hire any available units. So the most diverse and wild brethren can gather under the same banners: 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 turns, while the hero looks at this action from the outside, 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 came out in 2004 and was received, 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, cause damage and be attacked like other units. Heroes could travel without troops at all: alone or in a gang of 7 characters. Having pumped up properly, a lone hero could independently take out 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, kill the leader of the army and retreat - the headless army lost the opportunity to capture mines and castles, which forced it to retreat and drag the lifeless carcass of the commander home.

All these innovations have given rise to countless opportunities 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 experienced mixed feelings.

• Heroes of Might and Magic V

The debate 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 complaints about cartoon graphics for anime fans. If you close your eyes to the picture, the gameplay of “Heroes 5” was a modernized copy of the third part - obviously, the developers did not experiment in order to make money on the nostalgia of 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 the earlier versions, from 3 to 5. But the Third HoMMs remain the most popular. Moreover, the HD version of this game was released in 2015.

2. Civilization

The first “Civilization” appeared in the shaggy year of 1991 and, as they say, was a digital version of the board game of the same name from the early 80s. Since in those days ordinary mortals did not have computers, few people suspected the 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 to try on the role of Stalin or Gandhi after a busy work shift? The presence of the Civilopedia, a detailed gaming encyclopedia, distinguished Civilization from other strategies of that time.

• Civilization II

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

• Civilization III

2001 was marked by the release of Civilization III: the first Civ with nice graphics. Even now she looks quite attractive, but in 2001 this picture caused real delight. The gameplay has also undergone certain 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: creating a so-called stack - a crowd of motley units on one cell. From time to time a leader would appear who could unite 3 units under his banner. This formation was called an army and was a kind of thick unit with 20HP. With the help of the army it was possible to cut out almost anything.

City Window - the best thing in Civilization III

A signature feature of the second and third Civs 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 a precise blow, or an archer, properly pulling the bowstring, shot down an enemy bomber. Particularly amusing 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 attacks of hysteria.

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

• Civilization IV

Civilization IV, released in 2005, acquired a three-dimensional image. Players who were accustomed to the third Civa were wary of the unusual graphics, which were so different from the previous part. Religion and espionage appeared in the game (the Beyond the Sword addon), and aviation actions became more realistic: planes carried out raids from the city and could not be shot down by some harsh spearman. The problem of accumulation of a large number of units on one cell was partly solved precisely 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 this, the enemy agreed to capitulate and became a vassal. Also, vassal status could be granted to a group of its cities on another continent or islands, turning them into a kind of autonomous republic.

2010 came and Civilization V was released. 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 completely demolished: now only one military unit could be placed on one hexagon. At the same time, they were made more efficient and stronger.

The maintenance of certain units required the expenditure of strategic resources: horses, iron, oil, coal or uranium. Without them at hand, the state risked being left without cavalry, battleships, nuclear weapons and aviation, which not only added realism, but also forced players to carefully manage resources instead of riveting in incredible quantities whatever they wanted.

The tactic of building as many cities as possible also became obsolete: large empires received penalties for culture and science, and the population began to show discontent. So several different tactics emerged: developing through 4-5 cities with more population, or building more settlements, but with fewer inhabitants in the cities. Victory became possible with just one 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 pass various resolutions in Congress and the UN - all this was not present in the initial version without addons. Therefore, reading reviews of the game, it is not difficult to see how the anger of fans of the series gradually gave way to mercy.

Civilization VI was released on October 21, 2016. 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 not possible to build everything - there 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 due to its freshness. But the game has already received the highest ratings from various gaming publications, and reviews on Steam are, by and large, very positive. And this despite the fact that usually the first version of Civilization turns out to be somewhat damp and only over time, with the help of several add-ons, it turns into a masterpiece. But, apparently, the sixth Civilization may become the first representative of the series that is good from the very beginning.

1.Warcraft

By a large margin, Warcraft, one of the founders of the RTS genre, whose achievements became the standard for dozens and hundreds of subsequent games, climbs to the first place in the ranking of the best strategies. It should not be surprising that C&C and StarCraft could not get close to Varych: his influence on the gaming industry cannot be overestimated. Dota, World of Warcraft, board and card games, and now a full-length film - all this was born 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, orcs fall out of a portal into the human world and a struggle begins between them for a place in 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 in the schedule that have occurred in this short period! Add interesting videos and a good plot to a pleasant picture, and that’s it - a masterpiece is ready.

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

• Warcraft III

But we had to wait a long time for the continuation of the banquet - seven whole 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);
• Quite a lot of neutral units and monsters appeared on the maps;
• Heroes were added to the game, who accumulated experience, upgraded skills and cast all sorts of things (why not RPG?);
• The videos 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 DotA game (I’m unlikely to discover America if I remind you that DotA was created in the regular map editor of Warcraft 3 and was not considered as a full-fledged independent game).

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Strategy is a game genre in which you have to use both hemispheres of your brain. Strategies give you the opportunity to be a king, a warlord, a lord, a rebel, or even a god himself. Over the years of the existence of this genre, thousands of games have been released, and choosing the right ones is now very difficult. So below you will see best PC strategies of all time, the top 3 included the most popular and original games of this genre.

1. Total war game series

It is impossible to choose one specific game from the Total War series, because each of them has its own advantages. In Total War games you have to be the ruler of one of the states at a certain time in the existence of mankind. For example, in Rome Total War you can take control of the Roman Empire or dozens of other states from times ancient world. In Empire Total War, under your rule there may be an indestructible Russian empire, ambitious France, powerful Great Britain and many other countries of the 17th and 18th centuries. During the existence of this series, more than 10 games were released, the plot of which takes place in different eras. The main feature of these strategies is that the history of the whole world depends on you. You can take over the whole world or destroy your country. Politics, economics, combat, sieges, naval battles, this game has it all, which is why it ranks first among the best strategy games on PC of all time.

2. Civilization V

Civilization is a strategy where you have to manage humanity from primitive times to the space age. During the game you will need to capture opponents' lands, discover new technologies, extract resources, and build cities. You will later create a great power or fall in the attempt. In the game you can choose more than 20 states, which have their own style of introducing politics, economics, and scientific progress. Also, for the Civilization series of games, gamers came up with a special term “one more move and I’m going to bed” - you know, the game is so exciting and interesting that you won’t be able to stop.

3. Starcraft 2

Starcraft 2 is a strategy where indestructible people, aliens and elves collide in mortal combat on various planets of the endless universe. The objective of the game is to extract resources, create an army, and destroy the enemy. To win you need to make quick and smart decisions, otherwise you will be destroyed.

The game has multiplayer and single player campaign. In multiplayer you will face the same users as you, so to win you must be one step ahead of your opponent. The single-player campaign is also interesting; you will play as the mercenary Jim Raynor. During the campaign, you will encounter armies of elves and aliens, and some battles will take place on a map that eventually fills with lava. Between battles, you can research new technologies, communicate with people and make decisions about where to strike again. Great functionality and exciting plot puts the game in third place best PC strategies of all time.

Conclusion

Strategies are not only entertainment and a pointless pastime; during the game you will learn a lot of new things and significantly improve your skills. For example, in the Total war game series you will learn a lot historical facts, in Civilization V you will understand what economics and science are, thanks to Starcraft 2 you will learn to make quick and informed decisions. Play and develop!