The best tactics games on PlayStation and Xbox
Plan, position, strike: games where the better plan wins, not the faster finger.
How to find games that really suit you: Tap “I like it” on up to 5 games. Playalike compares 20 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.
-
1 Baldur's Gate 3
- Tactical depth
A sprawling D&D-based CRPG where inventive turn-based combat rewards creativity and nearly every decision reshapes the story and your bonds with its superbly written companions.
-
2 Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
- Tactical depth
The timeless real-time strategy classic: build a medieval civilization, gather resources, advance through the ages and lead armies in historical campaigns or intense multiplayer matches.
-
3 Sid Meier's Civilization VI
- Tactical depth
A classic 4X turn-based strategy game where you lead a civilization from the Stone Age to the Information Era, planning cities district by district across the map. Win through conquest, science, culture, religion or diplomacy, and get hooked on the famous 'one more turn' loop.
-
4 XCOM: Enemy Unknown
- Tactical depth
Turn-based tactical battles against alien invaders where cover, positioning and class abilities decide the outcome. Between missions you manage your base, research and funding, and fallen soldiers are gone for good.
-
5 Slay the Spire
- Tactical depth
A deckbuilding roguelike in which every run demands new card combinations and strategies.
-
6 XCOM 2
- Tactical depth
Turn-based tactics against an alien occupation, with permanent death for your soldiers.
-
7 Sid Meier's Civilization VII
- Tactical depth
Turn-based 4X strategy where you guide an empire through three historical ages, reshaping your civilization at each era transition. City building, diplomacy and warfare combine into the series' trademark one-more-turn pull.
-
8 Dragon Age: Origins
- Tactical depth
A grim fantasy RPG where you lead a band of memorable companions as a Grey Warden against the Blight. Tactical pausable combat, distinct origin stories and weighty moral choices shape the fate of Ferelden.
-
9 Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
- Tactical depth
A real-time tactics stealth game set in Edo-period Japan where you command a team of five specialists and chain silent takedowns with Shadow Mode. Each mission is an intricate puzzle of sight cones, guard patrols and character abilities.
-
10 Final Fantasy Tactics
- Tactical depth
A genre-defining tactical RPG where you lead a party through isometric battlefields using a deep, flexible job system. Its dark, politically tangled story of betrayal and war is matched by challenging fights that reward careful planning and class combinations.
-
11 Commandos 2: Men of Courage
- Tactical depth
A demanding real-time tactics game set in World War II, where you guide a squad of specialists with unique skills through richly detailed maps you can explore freely, even inside buildings. Each mission plays like an intricate stealth puzzle that rewards careful planning and clever combinations of your team's abilities.
-
12 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
- Tactical depth
A landmark stealth sandbox where you tackle missions across open Afghanistan and Africa any way you like, fultoning enemies away and growing your own mercenary base. Kojima's bleak revenge tale about Big Boss frames the systemic freedom.
-
13 X-COM: UFO Defense
- Tactical depth
The legendary tactics classic pairs tense turn-based squad missions against aliens with global base building, research and tight budget management. Soldiers die permanently, and every strategic decision can save or doom humanity.
-
14 Desperados III
- Tactical depth
A Wild West stealth real-time tactics game where you guide John Cooper's gang through huge, intricately designed levels and coordinate simultaneous moves with Showdown Mode. Every mission plays like an open-ended puzzle with many solutions, carried by a revenge story and banter between distinct characters.
-
15 Rainbow Six Siege
- Tactical depth
A tactical 5v5 shooter where attackers and defenders clash using unique operators and fully destructible walls, floors and ceilings. Communication, map knowledge and clever gadget use matter as much as aim.
-
16 Invisible, Inc.
- Tactical depth
A turn-based stealth tactics game where you guide a small team of agents through procedurally generated corporate facilities while a ticking clock pressures you. Every move matters, since mistakes can permanently cost you agents.
-
17 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
- Tactical depth
A genre-defining tactical shooter built around meticulous mission planning: you assemble squads, plot routes and actions, then carry out counter-terror raids where a single hit can be fatal.
-
18 Supreme Commander
- Tactical depth
A colossal real-time strategy game with huge maps, seamless strategic zoom, and hundreds of land, sea and air units, capped by game-changing experimental superweapons. Three warring human factions battle for the galaxy in the Infinite War.
-
19 Valorant
- Tactical depth
A competitive 5v5 tactical shooter that blends unforgiving, precision gunplay with distinct agent abilities. Team coordination and round-by-round strategy matter as much as raw aim.
-
20 Battle Brothers
- Tactical depth
You lead a mercenary company through a gritty, procedurally generated medieval world, juggling contracts, gear and recruits. The turn-based battles are brutal, and losing your men is part of the experience.
-
21 Darkest Dungeon
- Tactical depth
A merciless dungeon RPG where stress and madness are as dangerous as the monsters.
-
22 Frostpunk
- Tactical depth
Lead the last city on a frozen, steam-powered Earth, juggling heat, coal and food while signing laws that test your morals. A bleak, tense city-builder where survival constantly clashes with humanity.
-
23 Commandos: Origins
- Tactical depth
A real-time stealth tactics game set in World War II where you guide a team of specialists, each with unique skills, through tricky infiltration and sabotage missions. The appeal lies in careful planning and coordinated takedowns of patrols.
-
24 Balatro
- Tactical depth
An addictive poker roguelike where Jokers, card upgrades and wild synergies push your scores to absurd heights. Every run plays differently, and the hunt for the perfect build never gets old.
What matters with Tactics games
Tactics games reward thinking over reflexes: you win by reading the situation, positioning carefully and making every action count. The list above spans a wide range, so it helps to decide first whether you want turn-based play, where you can take your time over each move, or real-time strategy, where planning has to happen under pressure. Difficulty varies a lot too, and so does structure: some games are long story campaigns, others are built around short, repeatable runs or competitive matches.
If you want deep tactical combat inside a big story, Baldur's Gate 3 is the standout, with D&D-based turn-based fights that reward creative solutions and choices that reshape the plot and your companions. XCOM 2 is the pick for tense squad tactics, since permadeath means a single bad move can cost you a soldier for good. Heroes of Might and Magic III combines town building and map exploration with hex-grid battles, and its hot-seat multiplayer makes it great for sharing one PC with friends.
Prefer real-time decisions? StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty offers a varied campaign where almost every mission adds a new twist, plus a famously sharp competitive multiplayer. For something bite-sized, Slay the Spire turns tactics into card combat, with every run asking for new combinations, which makes it easy to play in short sessions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best turn-based tactics game for beginners?
Civilization VI is a friendly starting point thanks to its steady pace and multiple ways to win. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a good next step if you want squad combat, though it is tough and losing soldiers stings.
Which tactics games can I play with friends?
Heroes of Might and Magic III is known for its hot-seat multiplayer, and the Civilization games support multiplayer matches. Dota 2 is entirely team-based, while StarCraft II and Age of Empires II offer competitive and team matches.
Are there tactics games with a strong story?
Baldur's Gate 3 is the obvious choice, with superbly written companions and decisions that reshape the story. The original StarCraft and StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty also feature gripping sci-fi campaigns full of betrayal and intrigue.
Not quite your taste?
Tell us your favourite games and we'll find recommendations that fit you exactly.
