Today, the strategy genre is way past its apogee, with more casual games and genres entering the market. That doesn't mean they're outdated and dull, however. One only needs to take a good look at some of Steam's offerings for free strategy games to get an idea of how the genre evolved. These free titles have kept the flame going and also brought some much-needed innovations.
Updated February 5, 2022, by Sid Natividad: Sometimes a more elaborate and asymmetrical chess match is what some gamers need to break the monotony of action and adventure games. Strategy games provide that opportunity. Like every good strategist would say: why spend resources for something more expensive when something free offers the same experience? Thankfully, there are plenty of free strategy games on Steam. Since that's the most PC-friendly platform and strategy games are usually best played on PC, it's a match made in heaven. Genre fans will certainly find some of the best free strategy games on Steam, so even more have been added to the list.
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Conflict of Nations: World War 3 is a grand strategy title set in a modern world where all-out war is as easy as bombing the colored territory. It plays out similarly to games like Civilization, or the campaign mode in Total War. It also helps players familiarize themselves with geography, since the game takes place on a fictional modern version of Earth.
That means that players who want to take control of a certain country to wage a war over something could fulfill their war nerd fantasies. Those who get tired of playing with the AI can also opt for multiplayer where they can duke it out mentally with other human players.
It's poker, so it's automatically included here, as poker is one of the most strategic and mentally taxing games out there. The free price tag is justified by the multiplayer focus, as Governor of Poker 3 is all about outsmarting and out-bluffing other players online.
It also doesn't just feature one poker game but several variants, most of which are viable for multiplayer intensity. Do be warned that some chief complaints about the game are the relentless advertisements and aggressive monetization schemes, but that's to be expected in a free game.
Crusader Kings 2 is one of the most solid and most intricate grand strategy games out there. As the title implies, it's a medieval history and war simulation set in the European theater. Players can pick their European country and manage them through wide variations of victory from diplomacy to war.
One of the most celebrated aspects of Crusader Kings 2 is its deep and thoughtful political systems, where the AI feels more organic and humanlike compared to other grand strategy games. Moreover, players can micromanage every aspect of their kingdom down to chromosome sharing in the family tree.
Fallout Shelter is a cute little spinoff game from the Fallout franchise and unlike the main games, it's less dark as the animation and the art style appear to be the third and fourth game's propaganda visuals. There's also a huge difference in gameplay as Fallout Shelter is a management sim that doubles as a strategy game.
So far, no Game of Thrones video game has had a stellar reception, but Winter is Coming is at least lukewarm. It's a free game, so there's not much debate to be had about its value. Winter is Coming is a Civ-style title where players get to control their own Seven Kingdoms faction and play politics in Westeros or beyond.
A big chunk of the most popular strategy games today consist of collectible card games. They're quite the rage, thanks to the manageable learning curve and high skill ceiling. Shadowverse CCG is one of those and it shares a common trait with most CCGs: easy to learn, hard to master.
Back in the real-time strategy (RTS) heyday, Red Alert was one of the biggest titles, as it was also one of the earliest wargames on the PC. Today, many mobile strategy games have tried to utilize the template that Red Alert established, and one of those is War Planet Online: Global Conquest.
Lords Mobile was made in the same vein as breakout titles of the past such as Clash of Clans and the like. These games presumably took inspiration from Civilization titles, making the gameplay familiar for the same fans. Lords Mobile thus lets players build their own kingdom and battle it out in a turn-based skirmish for territory and supremacy.
Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms is Wizards of the Coast's attempt at making a viable, decent video game about their franchise characters. It's safe to say that based on the reception, it panned out well, unlike most of their Dungeons and Dragons games.
Speaking of accessible gameplay, that's what EVE Online has been trying to achieve ever since it went free-to-play. The space simulator/management strategy title is inching ever closer to that goal. For the most part, though, EVE remains one of the most difficult and complex games out there.
Eternal Return is a good example of what strategy games can be if they start tapping into other genres, such as survival. It's a mashup of several video game elements ranging from MOBA, RPG, and of course, real-time strategy.
One of the last few games that developer Valve created before they started losing interest in game development, DOTA 2 has withstood the test of time and now remains one of the strongest esports titles. This MOBA is the official sequel to the Warcraft mod that transformed the real-time strategy genre into a more action-packed tower-defense game.
It's still strategy in its very essence, as the players need to carefully plan out their attacks and coordinate with one another while being competent with their chosen heroes. The end result is a more intense and visceral game of hero micro-management that the traditional RTS games can't match.
The gaming market is stuffed full of free-to-play titles, but they're something of a mixed bag in quality. Plenty of them are barely worth the cost. Here and there, however, fans find truly excellent games that don't cost a penny.
Any gaming group can find a free game to suit their purposes if they look hard enough. There are free multiplayer games for almost any genre, coming in all shapes and forms, from big AAA releases to small indie efforts, but the best rise to the top. Whatever form they take, these excellent games cost absolutely nothing to check out.
Updated 28th of September, by Isaac Williams: The free games market is enormous, and growing. Plenty of companies now offer hours of entertainment without any money up front. However, it's hard to know which to pick. This list has been updated to include even more of the best free multiplayer games.
The Battle Royale genre has hit it big in recent years. Some of its games are among the biggest of all time. That reputation is greatly aided by the fact most games in the genre are free-to-play. Apex Legends, from Titanfall developers Respawn Entertainment, has proven one of the most popular games in the genre.
Apex Legends stands out from the pack in a couple of ways. It forces players into teams of two or three, making it ideal for smaller groups. Furthermore, it splits the difference between hero shooter and Battle Royale. Each player picks from a Legend, a character with several abilities. These unique properties make Apex Legends one of the best free games to play with a small group.
Launching in 2001, Runescape began as a small indie project run out of the developers' house. It swiftly grew in popularity as more and more players discovered the world of Gielinor. Runescape became one of the most popular games of its era, as well as one of the first free-to-play MMOs.
Over twenty years later, Runescape is still going strong. It has new content and quests added all the time, including a generous stream for free-to-play gamers. The player base has also remained passionate, evidenced by the million subscribers who follow the title. Whether they do so with or without friends, players won't ever be alone when they explore.
Touhou Big Big Battle has plenty for any fans of the franchise. From art, to references, to nods to the rest of the franchise, it should satisfy most fans. Other players may struggle to wrap their head around the game. If they manage it, they'll experience some solid, free gameplay.
With a boatload of events to encounter and items to find, there's a ton of replayability. It has space for up to 16 players, allowing even the largest groups to experience it. Board Game Online is a twist on the classic board games everyone knows, and is approachable by almost any audience.
Plenty of science fiction games emphasize the action aspects of their genre. While many downplay logistics, physics, and economics in favor of getting the player in combat, EVE Online takes a different approach. EVE Online is an MMORPG, which is as far as its genre can be classified. It gives the player a ship and lets them do what they want with it.
Nearly everything in the game's economy is player-driven. Players load up EVE Online to go mining, crafting, trading, and everything else that gets overlooked in many games. It's a unique sort of gameplay, but one that's drawn in countless players. EVE Online isn't to everyone's tastes, but it can be immensely satisfying to the right group.
Destiny is the premiere name in MMO loot shooters. Players work alone or in a group to fight their way through story missions, daily quests, and raids. After several expansions, publishers Activision have made the base game of Destiny 2 free to play across any platform.
Without putting any money down, players are free to go through everything from the game's first year. Players do need to pay for access to subsequent content and DLC. However, for no money at all, the game offers hundreds of hours of multiplayer content for lone players or groups.
Unlike most MOBAs, Heroes of the Storm eschews hard character roles in favor of variety, giving players access to a huge number of characters from across Blizzard's wide catalogue of games. Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Starcraft and more all contribute characters. Players can wind up in highly unlikely teams, battling it out with an equally surprising group. 2ff7e9595c
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