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XCOM: Chimera Squad struggled to impress fans of the series, exemplified by its brutal 4.7 User Score on Metacritic. Consequently, many fans will be looking for similar games to play. So, for anyone looking for some excellent turn-based strategy games like XCOM, here are some great options.
Updated January 25, 2023 by Michael Llewellyn: With the inevitable launch of a third XCOM game, the wait for a new entry in the celebrated series is painful for long-time fans. Luckily, fans of the turn-based strategy genre have other options for playing quality tactical RPGs. Whether conquering nations as an emperor or defeating brigands on the battlefield as a commander, this list has something that fans can sink their teeth into. The list is updated to include more titles to fit the bill until a mainline XCOM sequel hits the shelves.
18 Fire Emblem: Engage
Fire Emblem: Engage is the latest entry in one of the longest-running tactical RPG series on consoles. Leaning toward a more anime style than anything in the XCOM series, Fire Emblem: Engage is just as deep and engaging. It dials back the social sim aspects of its predecessor Three Houses but focuses more on strategy and combat elements instead.
Although not as technical as the headquarters in XCOM, the home base in Fire Emblem: Engage is known as Somniel. Here players can develop their characters, ready them for combat, manage funding to unlock new weapons, and more. Hanging around at the floating fortress Somniel has surprising depth, but most of it is optional, and fans can focus on the gameplay and the narrative instead.
17 Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Before - and after - Final Fantasy Tactics launched, Tactics Ogre was considered the gold standard for the strategy JRPG subgenre. Thanks to its remastered debut on the PSP, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together was more accessible to fans outside of Japan.
However, the updated and remastered version titled Tactics Ogre: Reborn is the definitive way to play the classic SRPG. The quality-of-life improvements, gameplay rewinds, and polish make the game less of a chore to level up and change classes. Combat is challenging and in-depth, the world-building is extraordinary, and the old-school character designs hide a dark tale of civil war, genocide, and loss that is ageless and affecting.
16 Marvel’s Midnight Suns
As a title developed by the team that created the latest XCOM, Midnight Suns is an easy recommendation for fans. However, one should not expect Midnight Suns to play like a superhero version of XCOM. Midnight Suns is its own game.
However, the quality, depth, and gameplay fans would expect from Firaxis are present in this title. The combat is card-based, but the system is more tactical and involving than it sounds. The battles are more accessible than in XCOM. There are no Overwatch or aiming systems to fiddle with, and players can focus on movement, attacks, and positioning. Midnight Suns’ base of operations takes place at the Abbey. At the headquarters, players can explore, unlock side quests, interact with the other heroes, build friendships, and unlock combo attacks like in the Fire Emblem series.
15 Civilization 6
The Civilization series has been a staple of the turn-based strategy genre since the first game was released in September 1991. Civilization 6 is the latest entry in the series. It builds upon the critically-acclaimed Civilization 5 and is considered one of the greatest turn-based strategy games ever.
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The 4X series has significant differences from XCOM, but when looking for a superb turn-based strategy game, players should not look past Civilization 6. Just like XCOM, Civ 6 comfortably ports from PC to console. So gamers that prefer to become a world power from the comfort of their couch can do so without many drawbacks.
14 Humankind
Realistically, most turn-based strategy fans will have already played one of the entries in the Civilization series. So, for anyone looking for a 4X strategy game that scratches the same itch but isn’t from the same series, Amplitude Studios’ Humankind provides the perfect alternative.
Humankind is unapologetic in how comparable it is to Civilization, with much of the core gameplay being extremely similar. However, Humankind does implement a few interesting mechanics, such as the Fame system that determines who wins the game and attempts to offer a more rounded experience than Civilization.
13 Valkyria Chronicles
The Valkyria Chronicles series began in 2008, and there have been a further three main series games since, along with the spin-off Valkyria Revolution and Japanese-exclusive mobile game Valkyria Chronicles D. Valkyria Chronicles is the first entry in the Sega series and is believed to be the pinnacle.
The tactical role-playing game implements a turn-based combat system known as BLiTZ, which stands for Battle of Live Tactical Zones. It offers a unique combination of overhead tactical views known as Command Mode and a third-person perspective known as Action Mode. A remaster of Valkyria Chronicles was released on the PlayStation 4 in 2016, and the game has since come to Nintendo Switch as well.
12 Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses was released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch in July 2019 and is already regarded by some as one of the greatest tactical RPGs of all time. Along with its excellent fan reception, Fire Emblem: Three Houses was a hit with critics, exemplified by its handful of award wins, including Best Strategy Game at The Game Awards 2019 and the Game, Strategy accolade at the NAVGTR Awards.
Three Houses is the sixteenth entry in the long-running Fire Emblem series and has been pivotal in firing the franchise back into the attention of mainstream fans.
11 Final Fantasy: Tactics
As the name suggests, Final Fantasy: Tactics is another entry on this list from the tactical RPG genre. It was the first entry in the Tactics series, which includes other critically-acclaimed games like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift.
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Final Fantasy: Tactics scored well with critics back in the late 90s, and its PSP remaster titled Final Fantasy: Tactics War of the Lions scored even better. FFT is often regarded as the best tactical RPG of all time, with its turn-based strategy gameplay and storyline being two of its most praised features.
10 Phoenix Point
Phoenix Point was released in 2019 by Snapshot Games, the same company that released Chaos Reborn. The game takes players to the year 2047 and pits them against alien forces who have invaded Earth.
Phoenix Point is an obvious choice for this list, as it’s considered a spiritual successor to XCOM due to Julian Gollop, XCOM’s co-creator, working on the 2019 release. Consequently, Phoenix Point, from its presentation to the gameplay, has many similarities to XCOM.
9 BattleTech
2018’s BattleTech puts a mechanized spin on the turn-based tactics formula by putting players in control of enormous mechs. These mechs add a fascinating dynamic to the game’s combat and provide tons of pre-battle strategy, as players can customize their mechs’ models, weapons, skills, and more.
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Harebrained Schemes’ BattleTech was nominated for the PC Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards. The studio’s experience with turn-based combat also translated nicely to the Shadowrun Trilogy, another set of games that fans of tactical combat should try.
8 Wasteland 3
Wasteland 3 was developed by inXile Entertainment and released on August 28, 2020. The game puts players in a post-apocalyptic iteration of Colorado and turn-based combat battles while also making narrative decisions that can heavily affect the story.
The Wasteland series is hailed as an influence on the original Fallout games. As properties owned by Microsoft, the Wasteland series are permanent fixtures on the Xbox Game Pass service.
7 Warhammer 40,000 Mechanicus
The iconic miniature wargame Warhammer has dabbled in its fair share of video game releases, with Warhammer 40,000 Mechanicus being one of the many Warhammer 40,000 gaming titles.
Warhammer 40,000 Mechanicus provides what many Warhammer fans want in a video game; it makes good use of the license but doesn’t make it the main selling point. Mechanicus is a terrific turn-based tactics game in its own right, providing a main story that is a good length, has well-constructed lore, and battles that engage the player.
6 Battle Brothers
Battle Brothers differentiate itself from the majority of entries on this list with its plethora of RPG elements and procedurally generated open-world. Despite its wide range of mechanics and features, it has an excellent balance of combat, exploration, and storytelling.
Batt;e Brothers does a great job of engaging players and encouraging them to push forward with their journey. Battle Brothers are the first major release from Overhype Studios, an independent studio from Hamburg, Germany.
5 Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Not all of the games on this list are filled with alien invasions or bloody battles, as Nintendo’s flagship character Mario jumped aboard the turn-based tactics hype train in 2017, along with the Raving Rabbids who have grown tired of their limbless friend, Rayman.
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As one would expect, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is not the most complex tactical or strategic. However, it deserves a spot on this list as its bright visuals and wholesome character models provide a nice change of pace with an enjoyable 20+ hour experience. The sequel Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope launched in 2022 and was generally well-received by our reviewer here at GR.
4 Gears Tactics
Mario and the Raving Rabbids are not the only notable franchises that have tried their hand at the turn-based tactics genre, as the Gears of War series gave it a try in 2020. The Gears of War franchise is a natural choice for the genre, as the impressive range of enemies and weapons that already existed in the series makes for a great variety in the battles.
Gears Tactics falls short of reaching the quality of some of the best releases in the genre, but the Gears branding can make it the best choice on this list for fans of the franchise.
3 Invisible, Inc.
Invisible, Inc. was launched in 2015 on home computers before coming to PlayStation 4, iOS, and Nintendo Switch in the years that followed. The game was developed by Klei Entertainment, who are best known for their work on Oxygen Not Included and Don’t Starve.
The fundamental mechanics of Invisible Inc. are similar to the XCOM series, but it differentiates itself with its focus on espionage. In keeping with its espionage themes, the missions consist of sneaking into a building or area and retrieving an object or person.
2 Xenonauts
Xenonauts doesn’t hide its influences from the early XCOM games, particularly X-COM: UFO Defense. Chris England, the project lead, said in an interview with Rock Paper Shotgun that X-COM: UFO Defense (UFO: Enemy Unknown) was one of the “formative games” in his life and that he wanted to “stay faithful to the original game mechanics,” while also “translating those game mechanics into the modern age.”
Xenonauts does an excellent job in accomplishing its goal of reinventing the classic game and is consequently an exceptional choice for fans of the 1994 release.
1 Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden was launched in 2018 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One before coming to Nintendo Switch the following year. The game was developed by The Bearded Ladies, who put players in control of a party of three characters, Selma, Bormin, and Dux, who all have unique sets of abilities and weapons, offering great depth to the combat.
The setting balances a post-apocalyptic survival theme with dark humor that tells a solid story of survival. More importantly, Mutant Year Zero has that XCOM feel with depth and impactful gameplay that keeps its playing coming back for more.
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