Upcoming strategy games in 2024
We’ve had some amazing strategy and tactics games in 2023, but 2024 is shaping up to be an even greater triumph for fans of the genres. We are looking at several sequels to iconic series, exciting indie titles, and a double-whopper of 4X turn-based strategy goodness while we await Civilization 7.
Hooded Horse, Microsoft, Paradox Interactive, and many others have promising strategy and tactics games in the works, which are guaranteed to fulfill our wildest power fantasies and be that one title we can’t stop talking to our friends about even though they’ve never heard of it.
Here are the most-anticipated tactics and strategy games we can finally play in 2024 (or at least hear more about), be they real-time, turn-based, 4X, grand, and whatever else you want to label them as.
Solium Infernum
- Release: February 22, 2024
- League of Geeks
Based on a classic, the remake basically answers the question of what Game of Thrones would look like if it took place in hell. You are one of the demon lords vying for hell’s throne, but all-out war is forbidden – as a true devil, you need to intrigue and backstab, find loopholes, and lie to gain power. You better play this one with very good friends. For gameplay impressions, check out our Solium Infernum first look from gamescom 2023.
It's all just a game.
League of Geeks
Homeworld 3
- Release: May 13, 2024
- Blackbird Interactive / Gearbox
After a series of delays fans will finally be able to dive into the iconic Homeworld series’ next chapter – and after a ground-based spin-off, we’re finally back in space! Featuring the intense space combat of its predecessors, Homeworld 3 adds an additional tactical layer by introducing terrain into the equation: From asteroid fields to the burnt-out hulls of ancient space hulks, you can expect your three-dimensional battles to be even more tactical. The game will also feature a quick-paced co-op roguelike mode for the first time aside from multiplayer and a campaign.
Those are some big space rocks.
Blackbird Interactive / Gearbox
Manor Lords
- Release: April 26, 2024 (Early Access)
- Slavic Magic / Hooded Horse
Best described as a medieval city-builder that incorporates Total War-style battles, Manor Lords is one of the most highly anticipated strategy games in years. Manage your domain carefully as you contend not only with harsh winters and plagues, but also with envious neighboring lords who’d love nothing more than to take your flourishing lands for themselves. Beware of the cost of war, though, for every man lost in battle equals one missing worker back home.
Manor Lords is finally arriving in 2024.
Slavic Magic / Hooded Horse
Nebulous: Fleet Command
- Release: Estimated 2024
- Out in Early Access
- Eridanus Industries / Hooded Horse
This real-time tactics game puts you in control of a small and formidable fleet of ships, which you must lead through a series of skirmishes and battles. Use all the tools of the trade from missiles and beam weapons to electronic warfare to overcome your foes – and regret every mistake you make, for no reinforcements will join you.
Brace for impact!
Eridanus Industries / Hooded Horse
Ara: History Untold
- Release: Estimated 2024
- Oxide Games / Microsoft
Combining city-building elements with 4X turn-based strategy a la Civilization, Ara: History Untold is one of Microsoft’s long-awaited PC gaming investments. You can zoom in to watch townsfolk go about their daily business only to zoom out and look at your continent-spanning empire from one second to the next. Keep an eye on production chains and persistent resource income as you expand your reach turn by turn. For gameplay impressions, check out our Ara: History Untold first look from gamescom 2023.
Ara brings the hustle and bustle of city-builders into the turn-based 4X genre.
Oxide Games / Xbox Game Studios
Millennia
- Release: March 26, 2024
- C Prompt Games / Paradox Interactive
Here’s the double-whopper I mentioned in the intro: Millennia is also a 4X turn-based strategy game that integrates city-building elements into its recipe, but it comes with some other fresh ideas as well. Taking the whole “ahistorical” aspect of this genre to the next level, Millennia isn’t just offering stuff like Antiquity and the Middle Ages for playable eras, but mixes things up with whacky ideas like a steampunk age or a plague age. Victories can be achieved in completely different ways depending on the match, from regular world conquest to successfully defending the planet against an alien invasion. For gameplay impressions, check out our Millennia first look from gamescom 2023.
Millennia is looking like a regular genre entry, but has lots of innovation to give.
C Prompt Games / Paradox Interactive
Songs of Silence
- Release: Early 2024
- Chimera Entertainment
A beautiful turn-based strategy game with auto-battler aspects, Songs of Silence looks and feels a little bit like The Banner Saga meeting Heroes of Might and Magic. You conquer cities and build structures on a turn-based campaign map, while battles and sieges prompt a real-time battle in which units act automatically. The player intervenes through abilities obtained from their heroes, which are represented as a hand of cards that can be played out. It’s a neat system with solid tactical depth. An intriguing world and narrative rounds off this promising package, which has become one of the most-anticipated strategy games on my personal wishlist. For gameplay impressions, check out our Songs of Silence first look from Steam Next Fest 2023.
Songs of Silence is looking like one of the dark horses for 2024.
Chimera Entertainment
Menace
Menace
- Release: 2024 (Early Access)
- Overhype Studios / Hooded Horse
Everyone’s looking forward to this one: Created by the developers of Battle Brothers, to which Menace is a spiritual sequel, this game brings the tactical turn-based battles and the strategy layer to a grimdark sci-fi setting – but with more of a narrative focus this time around. Each run will still be unique, but end up with the player facing a great alien-induced crisis in the end, and characters aren’t nameless grunts with a generic backstory this time around, but fleshed out personalities with their own traits and motivations. For more information, check out our Menace developer interview from gamescom 2023.
Sand. It's rough, coarse, and gets everywhere.
Hooded Horse
Stormgate
- Release: Summer 2024 (Early Access)
- Frost Giant
Stormgate is an upcoming real-time strategy game developed by Frost Giant, a studio founded by former Blizzard Entertainment employees responsible for the popular genre entries StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3. It's a free-to-play game that will be released on PC and aims to provide a single-player campaign, co-op mode, competitive 1v1 mode, and casual team matches. Stormgate runs on a specially modified version of Unreal Engine 5, which is supposed to be able to surpass the smoothness and reactivity of StarCraft 2's controls.
It's still early days for Stormgate.
Frost Giant
Fragile Existence
- Release: 2024
- Stutter Fragile Continuum / Hooded Horse
Fragile Existence for those among you loving Battlestar Galactica. Humanity has been almost wiped out by a surprise attack and all that’s left is your fledgeling fleet of surviving ships. Lead them to the unknown to ensure mankind’s continued survival. You can scout nearby systems, scan for resources and enemies, and send out ground expeditions to set up temporary towns. Managing everything from ammunition supply to having enough living space aboard your ships, humanity’s fate is in your hands.
Fragile Existence has a grand vision.
Fragile Continuum / Hooded Horse
Espiocracy
- Release: 2024
- Stutter Ex Vivo Studios / Hooded Horse
Work tirelessly behind the scenes of the Cold War to advance the agenda of one of 74 playable countries and bring about a new world order headed by your nation. In an era where open war between world powers would result in nuclear armageddon, you manage an intelligence service to supply your government with information, stage coups in foreign nations, assassinate leaders, and steal military secrets. Handle day-to-day affairs like staff management and make critical decisions like abandoning an agent that’s been discovered – and deal with the consequences.
The end of WW2 is your war's beginning.
Stutter Ex Vivo Studios / Hooded Horse
Frostpunk 2
- Release: 2024
- 11 Bit Studios
Frostpunk’s sequel ups the scale: You’re not just in charge of a handful of survivors now, but must manage the affairs of an entire city of them. Illnesses, famines, and cold snaps are still powerful foes, but in the wake of improving living conditions comes the greatest danger of all: human nature. Will your city survive political strife and infighting under your leadership, and which kind of society has emerged from the eternal ice? Will you have blood on your hands or create a utopia by peaceful concord? The decisions ain’t getting easier.
The stakes are higher than ever in Frostpunk 2.
11 bit Studios
Tempest Rising
- Release: Estimated 2024
- Slipgate Ironworks, 2B Games / 3D Realms
Missing Command & Conquer both in terms of vibes and gameplay-wise? Then Tempest Rising should satisfy your craving. Featuring three distinct factions to control, classic base-building, two campaigns, and several multiplayer options, this title brings RTS from the 90s and early 2000s back on the menu.
Can you suddenly hear "Hell March" playing as well?
3D Realms
City of Atlantis
- Release: Estimated 2024
- Gambit Games Studio, Mean Astronauts / Games Operators, CreativeForge Games
Atlantis has reemerged from the depths and put you in charge to rebuild the legendary ocean city – hopefully able to withstand both enemies and nature this time around. Make sure your city has enough goods and space to satisfy its inhabitants, expand with impressive sections and bridges, and erect powerful defenses against anyone envious of your success.
Both nature and other other humans want to sink Atlantis for a second time.
Gambit Games Studio, Mean Astronauts / Games Operators, CreativeForge Games
Songs of Conquest
- Release: 2024
- Out in Early Access
- Lavapotion / Coffee Stain
Heroes of Might and Magic-inspired gameplay? Check. The prettiest pixel art visuals you’ve ever seen? Check. Songs of Conquest is another take on the time-tested HoMaM formula and it may well become the genre’s new measuring stick after release, adding some fresh and innovative features to present a more modernized and yet authentic experience. For more impressions, check out our Songs of Conquest first look at gamescom 2023.
One dares say that Songs of Conquest surpasses Heroes of Might & Magic in many ways.
Coffee Stain / Lavapotion
DORF
- Release: Estimated 2024
- DORFteam
Another Command & Conquer-inspired RTS? Oh, yes! DORF has all the whacky aesthetics and unit designs you’d expect from the likes of Red Alert and even brings the familiar visual style. You can command three distinct factions, build bases, and wage war on land, water, and in the air. There is even close-quarter combat inside of buildings, allowing you to capture enemy bases to use their infrastructure and technology against them.
That's a proper old-school RTS look.
DORFteam
Dust Front
- Release: Estimated 2024
- RtsDimon
This indie game’s grimdark vibes put even most Warhammer 40,000 titles to shame: Dust Front has an incredible art style and mixes classic RTS gameplay with some grand strategy elements in the form of a procedurally generated world map that makes each campaign unique. Crush the human empire’s mutated and robotic foes, squash any rebel factions, and reestablish peace – wait, are we sure the God-Emperor isn’t involved?
I have no clue what's going on, but those visuals go really hard.
RtsDimon
Mars Tactics
- Release: 2024
- Takibi Games / Hooded Horse
Combining the intense turn-based combat of XCOM with a more strategic element, Mars Tactics offers a lot of freedom to players. Environmental destruction means that you can shape the battlefield as you need it to be and the versatile character trait system that awards fighters with special attributes depending on their deeds on the field is both a cool gameplay element and fantastic for telling a story.
Look at them fly!
Hooded Horse
Inkulinati
- Release: Estimated 2024
- Out in Early Access
- Yaza Games / Daedalic Entertainment
This is a turn-based strategy game like no other. Featuring unique ink art in the style of medieval manuscripts, you field your very own army of beastly fighters to defeat your enemies in combat. Despite the playful looks, Inkulinati has some serious tactical depth to it. Featuring a huge variety of beasts, the game adds opportunities through Inkulinati Master actions and interactive objects on its battlefields.
Inkulinati: Kind of weird, but bloody good.
Yaza Games / Daedalic Entertainment
Xenonauts 2
- Release: Estimated 2024
- Out in Early Access
- Goldhawk Interactive / Hooded Horse
You think XCOM is too forgiving and for bloody casuals? Welcome to Xenonauts 2, which offers a more old-school take on the turn-based tactics genre, including its isometric perspective and visuals. Fight unforgiving battles as you try to prepare the world for an impending alien invasion by getting rid of their scouting parties and any collaborators. The clock is ticking and the enemy is never far.
Building your base up is essential for defending Earth.
Hooded Horse
Men of War 2
- Release: 2024
- Best Way / Fulqrum
Men of War 2 is a RTS game set in World War 2, which has you take command over large battle groups in a huge variety of different game modes. Hundreds of unit types await your orders in campaign, co-op, and multiplayer scenarios that are designed to give Men of War veterans as well as any newcomers a home – it’s Best Way’s biggest game yet.
A last-minute delay pushed Men of War 2 into 2024.
Best Way / Fulqrum Publishing
Breachway
- Release: March 22, 2024
- Edgeflow Studio / Hooded Horse
Slay the Spire meets Faster Than Light in this sci-fi roguelike deck-building game. You assemble a crew and pick your ship’s starting loadout before you embark on a galactic quest that has you face off against powerful foes and manage relations with different factions found on the map – play nice with the right people and you’ll be able to access mighty card combos that will give you space supremacy.
Breachway has nice visuals on top of snappy mechanics.
Edgeflow Studio / Hooded Horse
Falling Frontier
- Release: 2025
- Stutter Fox Studios / Hooded Horse
Intrigued by the space battles in The Expanse? Then Falling Frontier is one to keep your eyes on. Simulating not just an authentic take on space battles, this game focuses on areas like scouting, logistics, and ship design as well. Wars can be won with decisive battles, but you may be able to whittle down the enemy just as well by raiding supply lines, ambushing convoys from the cover of asteroid fields, and spying on their fleet development, allowing you to exploit weaknesses in designs.
Falling Frontier is planned for a 2025 release, but 2024 should bring more news around the title.
Stutter Fox Studios / Hooded Horse
