For many players, available playing time is limited due to other interests or responsibilities. So it's almost always better for them to get straight to the good stuff and skip all the busy work that can drag out a game. This applies to strategy games in two ways.
Whether it's games that focus on new gameplay elements with small progression systems or RTS games that test speed and split-second decision-making, there are a wealth of incredible games for players who want to escape the stress.
5 Steel department 2
Blitzkrieg to victory in this World War II strategy game
This is probably the most popular and faithful attempt at simulating large-scale World War II battles, where the player can make microscopic command decisions on the fly. Steel department 2 deserves praise for how committed it is to simulation while also having an innovative morality system.
With battles in which over 1000 individual units can participate, an incredibly detailed strategic level and breathtaking historical accuracy, World War II simulation doesn't get much better than this Steel department 2. Best of all? There is no grinding in sight.
4 Company of Heroes 3
Plan your way out of hell
Even though the beginning was a bit bumpy, Company of Heroes 3 is quickly becoming a fantastic tale of redemption by offering some of the best squad-based tactical gameplay on the market. The esteemed franchise allows players to take control of a World War II force tasked with various missions across the war's many fronts, employing even more interesting factions.
As one of the most modern strategy games with little to no grinding, Company of Heroes 3 Builds on all its predecessors and offers a graphical pleasure. This book is perfect for long-time fans of the strategy genre or for those who want to get their start but aren't sure where to start.
3 Age of mythology
Make the battle epic with creatures from myth and legend
While Age of mythology recently enjoyed a remake in Age of Mythology: RetoldDue to its controversial design choices, it's probably best to stick with the original, even though it was released back in 2002. Still, it's great as a strategy game that's all about making decisions in the moment without looping.
Age of mythology has innovated from its historical predecessors and decided to fill the RTS genre with mythological creatures and blessings. As Norsemen, Greeks or Egyptians, players can build a fighting force full of strange creatures and abilities powered by a selection of gods. This makes for a fascinating and novel experience as these forces collide on the field.
2 Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos
The best story in all RTS
It is widely considered one of the best RTS games of all time. Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos took everything the RTS genre had done up until 2002 and perfected it, resulting in an amazing gameplay loop that spanned an infamous campaign that gave birth to one of the most prolific MMOs of all time. World of Warcraft.
While the gameplay is strong, it's hard to overstate how brilliant the story is of the downfall of Arthas leading to the rise of the Lich King. All gamers fans of epic fantasy stories, even those who are not interested in them World of Warcraft MMO, there should definitely be one Warcraft 3 at least a chance for the campaign. While the recent remaster has made great strides in recovering from its terrible launch, playing a pre-Newly forged Patch still offers the best experience.
1 Age of Empires 2
The greatest thing of all time
Nothing beats the original. Even if it is far from the first RTS, Age of Empires 2 perfected the RTS genre in 1999 to the point that it's still played today, thanks in part to a fantastic 2019 remaster that was extremely faithful to the source and worked perfectly upon release.
Players take control of a variety of historical civilizations and are placed across an even greater variety of large-scale maps to compete on – not to mention the game's brutally challenging campaign mode. With a wealth of game modes, even more strategizing opportunities, and a still-vibrant multiplayer community, Age of Empires 2 is the Platonic ideal of a strategy game that requires no grinding and endures to this day.
