Best Strategies and Tactics of 2026
The year 2025 brought strategy and tactics enthusiasts some standout releases, praised for their depth of mechanics, intriguing settings, and fresh ideas. However, the genre overall remained on the fringes of the gaming community's attention: major marketing campaigns bypassed strategies, streams and discussions drowned in the sea of shooters, RPGs, and multiplayer hits, and sales of many worthy projects didn't take off.
2026 promises to change this situation. Developers have gained experience, technology has advanced, and audiences, tired of monotony, increasingly seek intellectual challenges. In this article, we have gathered the most anticipated and already released strategies of the year — those capable of delighting avid fans of the genre and attracting a new wave of players. Welcome to the year when strategies and tactics are finally ready to reclaim their deserved spot in the limelight. Perhaps.
Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown
In Star Trek: Voyager — Across the Unknown, players will command the "Voyager" ship, stranded in the Delta Quadrant after sustaining serious damage. You'll need to repair the ship, restore sections, gather resources, and build necessary facilities — from residential quarters to research labs. Choose your route and style of action: take risks or proceed cautiously, negotiate or wield weapons, delve into dangerous technologies like Borg developments or avoid them. Every decision impacts events, and due to roguelike elements, each playthrough is unique — even leading to the possible demise of key characters.
Atre: Dominance Wars
Atre: Dominance Wars is a real-time strategy where you become a powerful Ancient striving for godhood. Your goal is to unite a world torn by dark magic, unravel its mysteries, and halt the chaos. Lead armies into battle, upgrade and transform troops with mutations, and build and develop cities by attracting followers. As an Ancient, you'll be able to learn powerful forces — from creation to destruction — and even ascend to a divine level, opening gates to other worlds, though this power carries risk. Create unique named artifacts, manage immortal Avatars — your main commanders — and expand territories by seizing new lands and erecting magical monoliths. Every choice from character creation throughout the game alters the world, leading to unexpected outcomes that require careful study of the environment.
MENACE
MENACE is a tactical RPG from the creators of Battle Brothers. Command a squad in an isolated star system engulfed in chaos. The emergence of an alien threat shifts your mission from maintaining order to fighting for survival. Make strategic decisions: choose missions, allocate resources, and manage relations with local factions. Every choice affects the campaign's course. Battles are a series of perilous missions. Consider tactics, equipment (tanks, walkers), and weapon characteristics. The enemy outnumbers and outmatches you in technology. Your commanders are characters with stories and goals. Their survival and morale impact success. Each playthrough offers a unique squad composition and storyline development in the battle against an apocalyptic threat.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV
Dawn of War IV marks a grand return to classic gameplay in the series. The game features four unique factions from the Warhammer 40,000 universe: Space Marines, Orks, Necrons, and Adeptus Mechanicus. Each has its commanders, armies, structures, and special warfare rules. An epic story campaign, created with John French, promises to be the biggest saga in series history. Play it solo or co-op, watching cinematic cutscenes and animations. Build an army, establish a base, and lead your troops into battle, enjoying detailed and brutal melee combat with a system of spectacular kills. In addition to the campaign, enjoy the famous "Last Stand" mode, customizable AI skirmishes, and online battles up to 3v3. Paint your army in unique colors or choose a canonical faction scheme.
Citystate Metropolis
Citystate Metropolis is a city-building simulator with unique tools. Create freeform districts without grid constraints, while procedural generation fills them with diverse buildings. The game features a detailed model simulating the lives of over a million citizens. You have complete control over planning: determine building shapes and heights, parking spaces, and district types. Your decisions affect not only the city's appearance but also its economy and society. Building affordable housing lowers costs and boosts social mobility, while constructing high-end eco-friendly complexes attracts investments and raises land value. Experiment, find a balance between beauty and functionality, and expand the city at your own pace. Transform a small village into a thriving metropolis — your path to the perfect city-state.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a new chapter in the legendary series. Explore a fantastical world, build cities, and gather armies of mythical creatures in epic turn-based battles. Play through a story campaign or conquer procedurally generated maps. Choose one of six unique factions, each with distinct troops and heroes. Build cities to recruit and upgrade armies, explore the world for resources and artifacts, and capture new settlements. Your heroes, gaining experience, strengthen armies and bring advantages to the empire. Tactical battles require consideration of unit features, spells, and artifacts. Use unique creature abilities and accumulated focus for powerful moves that can turn the tide of battle. Play solo, against AI, or with friends in online battles, unlocking countless strategic possibilities in the spirit of the series' classics.
Ashes of the Singularity 2
Ashes of the Singularity 2 is a large-scale real-time strategy where long-term planning matters more than reflexes. Choose a side in the war for the Solar System: fight for humanity (PLP), the enigmatic Post-Human Coalition, or the powerful AI Substrate. Command thousands of units on massive maps, managing forces from orbit down to the frontline. Alter landscapes, turning land into a valuable resource — Turinium — and back, during battles. Experience an epic PLP campaign, online PvP and co-op battles, and skirmishes with advanced AI. Each faction has a unique philosophy, units, and approaches to warfare. It's a direct sequel to the iconic 2016 game about a conflict where humans, post-humans, and AI clash for control over the future. Your tasks: strategy, logistics, and tactical supremacy.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus 2
Having Awakened after millennia of slumber, Necron Overlord Vargard Nefershah gathers legions to expel the secretive Adeptus Mechanicus entrenched on her world. In response, Magos Dominus Faustinius leads into...