Marine economic strategies on PC. Economic online strategies

In the game of the economic simulator genre on PC, the player will have to manage some large object, improve it, monitor its condition and increase its value. This category of projects is small in number, and during the existence of the industry, you can collect up to ten projects that are worthy of attention and can interest a person for a long time.

The essence of the genre

It is worth understanding that everyone on a PC is as close to reality as possible. Some developers even make the game in real time. This means that the required time to build or perform work is measured in natural hours and minutes. Graphics and physics also work according to the canon of realism. Traffic in cities follows the rules, there is the influence of weather, the change of day and night and many other similar elements. All of them make the gameplay interesting, force you to focus on your goals and take into account possible obstacles. During such entertainment, the player thinks about ways of development, but at the same time does not stress over complex tasks, but enjoys his free time.

Game Settlers

The Migrants Project is a classic economic simulator on PC, where the player needs to build and develop his own town. Settlers is considered one of the genre, because its simplicity does not force the user to strain while passing. The player takes on the role of the head of a small medieval village and develops it to the level of a large city. Units have built-in artificial intelligence and understand what tasks they need to perform. This system allows the user to focus all his attention on developing the city and extracting the necessary resources. The gameplay does not get boring, because it has many different small features.

After the development of the town, you will have to think about protecting it and organizing your own army. All this is more fun to do in co-op mode or multiplayer. The developers took care of this possibility and added them to the game. The result was an interesting project with high marks from critics and society.

Stronghold

If you ask a fan of the genre which economic simulator on PC is considered the best, he will immediately answer: Stronghold. This series includes several high-profile projects and is remembered for its interesting and balanced component in the development of the city. The player takes on the role of the mayor of a settlement in the Middle Ages, which must be improved in every possible way and defended from external threats. The main factor here is the “popularity” of the mayor among the settlement. If you bring it to the maximum by building temples, taverns and reducing taxes, then revelry will begin, and as a result, work productivity will drop. Building gallows and prisons can force the population to work, but such actions will reduce authority in society.

The user will have to find a delicate balance, and in this regard, other economic games are losing the baton to Stronghold. Here the true abilities of man to lead the population in the harsh conditions of the Middle Ages are revealed.

ANNO series

The ANNO project was at the origins of the “economic simulators” genre. The list of the best at that time was topped by the game Anno 1602, which opened up the world of American expansion to the user. The player had to expand his possessions from one small island to a huge archipelago.

After the original game, the world saw four more parts that throw the user into different conditions. The main feature of these projects is the interesting combination of trade, diplomacy and economics. The user will have to monitor the state of his settlement and at the same time look at ways to expand it. The annexation of new territories will negatively affect relations with neighbors, and therefore it will be necessary to use diplomatic skills.

The project will not let you get bored even for a minute, because some events are constantly happening in this world, and the player will have to constantly monitor them. If you don’t do this, you may miss the chance to rise to the next level. We will have to accumulate resources again and wait for an opportunity to expand.

Farming Simulator

In the category "Best economic simulators on PC", games from the Farming Simulator series have been in the TOP for several years. This is the most thoughtful, detailed and realistic copy of the life of a farmer who owns a huge farm. The series includes a strong economic basis. Players will have to explore the market, choose crops to plant, monitor weather conditions, collect and sell crops. A mistake in choosing vegetables can be costly if they are not in demand by buyers.

In addition to the economic component, the project has many other interesting elements. One of the main features is independent play. The player himself gets behind the wheel of a vehicle and goes out into the field to plant or harvest crops. Thanks to maximum realism and thoughtful gameplay, other economic games look up to this project. The developers work annually to improve all elements and release new interesting parts of the series. The latest project added the influence of weather and changing times of day on agricultural activities, significantly expanded the vehicle fleet and tightened the conditions of economic struggle in multiplayer.

Development in space

Economic simulation games use many settings to increase player interest. A striking example is a project called Buzz Aldrin’s Space Program Manager. In it, users will have to lead a large company that is engaged in research and development of the space environment. Players will have to hire astronauts, send them on missions, erect buildings and take care of a sufficient amount of all resources.

The developers have created two modes - campaign and sandbox. The first involves the passage of a storyline, and the second involves free construction on a vast territory. The project is large-scale; the map is not limited to a few asteroids. It entered the category of the best simulators of the genre thanks to its unusual setting, beautiful design and easy gameplay. These features made the project popular, and even now thousands of gamers continue to improve their personal space organization.

Cold War connection

If Farming Simulator is the best economic farm simulator, then Tropico is the leader in terms of building your own state. Users are provided with a small territory somewhere in the depths of Latin America. The task is extremely simple - to develop the settlement to the level of a world state, so that everyone hears about it.

At first, the player will feel a constant lack of funds, and only handouts from the USA and the USSR will be saved. At this time, the Cold War is in full swing, and the two great states are trying to win over new allies to their side. Interest in the game is fueled by random events. This could be either a natural disaster or the discovery of valuable materials in the country. In this way, the developers hint to users that they need to be constantly prepared. Leading a country is not an easy task and this game will test every person's skills in this activity.

Airport Tycoon Series

There is only one well-made economic airport simulator - Airport Tycoon. All users in this game will have to take charge of a small flight company and develop it to the level of an aviation tycoon. The development scheme of the project is simple. It is necessary to save the proceeds and use them to buy new transport or expand the airport. The more money flows into the treasury, the brighter the opportunities will open up for the user. The project is distinguished by a large number of different aircraft, buildings at the airport, the importance of personnel, and most importantly - realism. The developers have done everything possible to make players feel like real leaders of a flight company.

08.08.2018 Pavel Makarov

The genre of economic strategies for PC can be divided into 3 large subgenres: global strategies, economic managers, tactical strategies combined with city-planning simulators. At different times, one or another subgenre became popular thanks to its prominent representatives. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the list of the best, in our opinion, games in the genre of economic strategy for the PC platform.

Release date: 2018
Genre: economic simulator survival in post-apocalypse, steampunk
Developer: 11 bit studios
Publisher: 11 bit studios

A city-planning simulator with elements of the Frostpunk economy, the player is sent into a post-apocalypse when an eternal, insurmountable cold has fallen upon humanity. This is a real-time strategy game in a steampunk setting that requires the construction of cities in the middle of frozen ground. Here you will have to literally survive, adapting to the surrounding climate and slowly developing your city with the help of steam engines.

Many gameplay elements do not let you get bored, because you constantly need to monitor not only the amount of resources, but also the hope of the population, which in no case should leave them.

Sid Meier's Civilization V

Release date: 2010
Genre: global turn-based strategy, development of civilization
Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K

Sid Meier’s Civilization V is the next part of the global economic strategy on PC, which the public has already loved with its previous versions. The developer of this brainchild is Firaxis Games. As in previous parts, the player will have to take on the role of the ruler of one of the proposed states and lead it to victory. You can play both with computers and with real people online.

Screenshots of Sid Meier's Civilization V

The game begins in ancient times and continues to the present day. To win, the player will have to develop his state, moving up the technology learning tree. Victory is possible in several ways. You can completely conquer other powers, or you can focus on science and be the first to conquer space, which also counts as a victory.

Release date: 2015
Genre: city ​​planning simulator, construction and city economy
Developer: Colossal Order Ltd.
Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Next up is an urban planning strategy with economic elements, Cities Skyline, which attracts with its closeness to the real world. Here the player can feel like the owner of an entire city: divide it into residential, commercial and industrial areas, build road junctions, assign public transport and much more.

There is no plot or script component to be found here. Cities Skyline is a classic sandbox that allows the player to build their own world. You just need to choose a starting area and you can build your own city. And if you suddenly get tired of the game, you can find a huge number of user modifications that will pleasantly modernize the gameplay.

Release date: 2012
Genre: economic strategy, state development
Developer: InnoGames
Publisher: InnoGames

Economic strategies on a PC are not always voluminous games installed on a computer. Thus, the popular game Forge Of Empires is completely browser-based, but is no less popular because of this. As is usually the case in such games, the player’s journey begins with a small village that needs to be developed. Over time, the city can turn into an entire empire.

You can develop your state independently, without interaction with neighboring countries. However, if desired, the player can establish diplomacy with neighbors, which will speed up or slow down the development of the empire. The entire gameplay is divided into different eras, which change as the game progresses. There are about 18 such eras in total.

Release date: 2011
Genre: dictator simulator, banana republic economic development
Developer: Haemimont Games
Publisher: Kalypso Media Digital

If you are tired of the usual economic strategies, then turn your attention to the game Tropico 4. Here the player will have to play in the shoes of a dictator and develop his banana republic. One of the main features is the individuality of each city resident. You can track his relationship with the government, salary, usefulness and the like, and just shoot him in case he poses a threat.

In addition to the usual sandbox, Tropico has a scenario component. The player will have to move between different small states and solve their local problems. In this way, tasks will be completed and open up new opportunities, as well as missions in the game.

Release date: 2012
Genre: economic strategy about the Middle Ages
Developer: FireFly Studios
Publisher: FireFly Studios

Many fans of real-time strategy games are familiar with the Stronghold Kingdoms universe. This time, Firefly Studios presented a multiplayer strategy called Stronghold Kingdoms, where each player is engaged in the construction and economy of his castle, and at the same time builds diplomatic relations with other kings.

Single player play is not provided here, because this is MMORTS. That is why many fans of the series did not like the game, since it is extremely similar to a regular browser strategy, of which there are already a huge number on the Internet. Very little remains from the first Stronghold Kingdoms games in this version: similar locations, the same models of buildings and units, as well as settlers.

Release date: 2018
Genre: economic manager, train strategy
Developer: Gaming Minds Studios
Publisher: Kalypso Media Digital

Those who are tired of the same type of economic strategies, in which it is necessary to simply develop the state in the Middle Ages and more ancient times, can try the railway tycoon simulator. The player will plunge into the world of North America in the 19th century.

The developers successfully chose the game genre to simulate making money on the railroad. The player must found his own transport company, then plan the development of his business and lead it to the financial pinnacle. Many people think that this is a game exclusively about driving trains. Naturally, this is not so. The railway here is just a tool with which you can earn money and have a good time in your free time.

Release date: 2018
Genre: economic manager, fantasy strategy
Developer: Realmforge Studios
Publisher: Kalypso Media Digital

When analyzing the economic strategy of Dungeon 3, it is worth considering it as an independent creation, independent of the previous parts. Oddly enough, the player will have to play for the forces of evil, helping the Lord of Darkness to unite all the forces of evil and defeat good, simultaneously rebuilding dungeons and prisons.

Fans of cooperative games will also be pleased, because here it is not necessary to advance through the storyline alone. You can create your own session, wait for your friends to connect and start working together to get rid of enemy mobs, as well as rebuild your kingdom of darkness.

Release date: 2018
Genre: economic MMO strategy about Vikings
Developer: Plarium
Publisher: Plarium

Vikings: War Of Clans is, for the most part, an economic strategy MMO for mobile platforms and PC. The player will have to immerse himself in the world of the Northern Kingdoms, establishing his own village. As you earn a level, you will be able to build new buildings for resource extraction, improve your town hall, and study new technologies in the Oracle.

The main disadvantage of the game is that there is too much donation, without which it is almost impossible to compete with other players. So this is definitely not the kind of game you can quietly spend an evening playing after a hard day. This requires persistence and a lot of free time from the player. And the gameplay component is practically absent. The entire gameplay boils down to the fact that the player moves between buildings and presses buttons, after which he waits many hours for the process to complete.

Release date: 2014
Genre: economic simulator of settlement development
Developer: Shining Rock Software LLC
Publisher: Shining Rock Software LLC

Next up is the urban planning simulator Banished, which lacks elements of diplomacy with other rulers and pays much attention to the internal economy. The player finds himself in an isolated world where he has to focus on his people and develop a large city. You have to focus not only on extracting resources and building new buildings, but also on the well-being of people, otherwise the game will be lost.

The technology tree is not implemented in this game. The player must use all available means to survive the harsh winter or hot summer. The plot here is practically not developed. The game begins with a few poor travelers with a cart founding a small village.

Release date: 2009
Genre: indirect control strategy
Developer: 1C:InoCo
Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim is a rather unique real-time economic strategy with indirect control, more than 15 years have passed since its release. However, even today you can find amateurs who are still improving their bases.

The player will experience himself in the shoes of the sovereign of Ardania, the country in the fantasy setting of the game. The entire strategy is divided into many small scenarios, each of which requires the player to perform various tasks. Each session has a main building - the palace. If the player loses it, the game will not end in his favor. If you deprive the enemy of this building, the game will end in victory. Some people believe that the game's gameplay is very reminiscent of Warcraft III.

Release date: 2013
Genre: global historical strategy
Developer: Paradox Development Studio
Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Global economic strategy on PC Europa Universalis IV takes the player to the Middle Ages and offers to live the period up to the Napoleonic wars. Such a setting is often quite well received by the audience, and the game in question was no exception. In 2013, it was recognized as strategy of the year by Igromaniya magazine.

The player chooses the state for which he will play, after which he begins its diligent development. The game does not start from a small village, as is usually the case. It all depends on the chosen state. You can engage in diplomacy, religion, construction of new structures, hiring troops, and so on.

Friends, hello everyone. The Gamebizclub team is on air, and today we will continue to introduce you to the genres of the world of computer games. At the end of May, we dove in and revealed the 12 best games in the genre. And in this article we will tell you in detail about the best strategies on PC over the past few years and compile our top best games in this genre.

It would seem that making ratings is a simple matter. It’s worth taking a list of the games you like, choosing the best ones and putting them in order. We would have done so, if not for one nuance - the Gamebizclub team included people who had experienced Warcraft 1 and Heroes of Might and Magic.

Since then, many games have been released, one way or another, we managed to play most of them and form our own opinion. Therefore, we made a plausible rating taking into account all opinions - we retested old games and new ones, refreshed our memory. And this is what happened.

From this article you will learn:

14. DEFCON

The last place in our ranking goes to DEFCON, a game about nuclear strike tactics released in 2006. The name translates as “defense readiness” - this is a real-life scale of the US Army’s readiness for possible combat operations.

DEFCON is based on the plot of the American film “War Games”, which shows the global nuclear conflict between the USA and the USSR. Not only the events of the game, but also its style echo the film, as evidenced by the motto “Everybody dies” (translated as “Everybody Dies”).

In DEFCON you will not be able to create combat units, collect resources and develop technologies. But you can choose the location of forces on the territory of North or South America, Europe, Russia, Africa or Asia. The game starts when the DEFCON scale shows alarm level 5. Then you move to the following levels sequentially. All this time, the conflict is developing, tension is growing. When the level reaches 1, a nuclear attack can be launched.

The main goal is to inflict damage on the enemy while avoiding your own losses. There are no moral restrictions, so you should follow only your thoughts, desires and emotions. Up to 6 people can participate in the game. Nuclear missiles of various types, fighters, bombers, submarines, aircraft carriers, cruisers, airfields, and radars are used as combat units.

DEFCON is similar to a real command post, where the president of the country sits and plans military operations. There is nothing superfluous - just a map, marks of friendly and enemy troops, the most important targets and cities. And you can do whatever comes to your mind: take on the role of the main villain, save peoples and countries, destroy cities and entire regions with one click.

The only negative that outweighs all the advantages is that DEFCON does not have a graphics engine. Despite the interesting gameplay, after a while the process of exchanging nuclear warheads gets boring - it becomes boring to move warheads and combat vehicles around the map, destroy secondary countries, and so on.

And all because there are no special effects or any accompaniment. Therefore, it is suitable instead of Minesweeper or any other game with low requirements - it takes up only 60 MB on your hard drive and will run on any PC.

13. Dune

In thirteenth place is the Dune series of games about the world of Arrakis, which became one of the first real-time strategies. Dune was released in 1992 on the Sega console, and after some time it became available on PC. At that time it was a breakthrough that could be repeated only three years later.

Interesting fact: on behalf of the publishing company Virgin Interactive, two independent developers worked simultaneously to create the game. The French company Cryo Interactive released the game first. American Westwood Studios - a little later. That's why the title of the game from Westwood Studios contains the number "2".

The plot is based on the science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. During the passage you will meet the main characters, take the role of the leader of one of the great houses and conquer the planet Arrakis.

The only negative is that the events of the book and the game are loosely connected; the gameplay is based on missions to clear the territory of the enemy and extract useful resources.

In the struggle for dominance on the planet, three great houses collided - the Atreides, the Harkonnens and the Ordos. Each home has its own pros and cons, unique technologies and powerful leaders.

You can choose any house, but you cannot change it later. After choosing, you will find yourself on the battlefield, command an army, build a base, extract resources and destroy the enemy. Important - to win, you need to destroy all enemies on the map.

For example, if you have destroyed the enemy base, but one soldier is hidden in the corner of the map and is constantly moving, you will not win until you destroy him.

Dune pioneered the approach that would become the basis of the RTS genre. This is a global map, an economic model, a command panel and a mini-map in the user interface, the “fog of war” and various capabilities of the warring parties.

In 1998, a remake called Dune 2000 was released, and in 2001, the developers continued the series by releasing Emperor: Battle for Dune. Unfortunately, after that, no more games about Dune appeared. 15 years have passed, but the series remains only in the memory of the most devoted fans - that’s why only the penultimate place.

12. Age of Empires

We give twelfth place to Age of Empires, which became the basis for many RTS that came out after it. The first part was released in 1997, and since then Microsoft Game Studios has released 8 games and 4 additions to them. The series also includes Age of Empires Online (MMORTS).

In Age of Empires, you will find yourself as the leader of one of 16 civilizations, reflecting a specific architectural style: Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Asian and Roman. By completing missions and developing, you will move from era to era - from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.

Civilization develops through the construction of buildings, technology research and war, where would we be without it. Besides you, there will be several more civilizations on the map competing for resources. Therefore, you will constantly be at war - defending behind walls or attacking the enemy.

The game contains campaigns, including educational ones. The educational process is built on 12 scenarios that explain the gameplay. This will help you quickly master the basics of control, work effectively with units and fully use the camera. Other campaigns consist of different missions in which you will defend in a fortified fort, attack castle walls and much more.

Multiplayer is available for a maximum of eight people. To play online, you can choose who to fight with - bots or other people. If you choose a mode with other users, you will have the opportunity to form an alliance, declare war on the selected enemy, or take a neutral position.

Age of Empires doesn't require a powerful computer. Even with the most modest configuration, the game looks realistic, and the image is pleasing to the eye at maximum zoom.

For many people, Age of Empires has become a guide to the world of strategy. But the series gradually faded away and lost popularity - the third part was released back in 2005, and there is still no full-fledged fourth part, if you do not take into account AoE Online. Therefore, we recommend the game to those who want to see the beginning of the RTS era.

11. Star Wars: Empire at War

In eleventh place is Star Wars: Empire at War, a game released in 2006 based on the setting of the world-famous Star Wars saga. The plot is based on Star Wars episodes 4, 5 and 6, namely the civil war between the Rebels and the Imperials.

You will find yourself in the role of a commander of one of the sides, you will control the fleet, command in battles with opponents, destroy bases and much more. The storyline consists of missions in which you will meet famous heroes - Darth Vader, Palpatine, Firmus Piett, Han Solo, Boba Fett, Chewbacca and other characters.

Each character provides certain bonuses, and if necessary, you can hire additional supporting characters - agents, smugglers and others.

Star Wars: Empire at War consists of two parts:

• Conquest of the Galaxy - a global strategy on the galaxy map. In this mode, you will manage controlled planets, study (or steal) technologies, seize strategic resources, attack and defend.
• Tactical mode - consists of space and ground operations. You will spend a lot of time in this mode, because a lot will depend on the outcome of the battle. It is here that you will see the main combat vehicles, infantry and ships of both sides, and you will be able to demonstrate your team skills and win.

The main thing is to choose the right side. The Imperials have more opportunities to master new technologies, improve weapons and ships. And the rebels cannot do science, but they know how to steal the technological achievements of the Empire.

Become the ruler of the galaxy with Darth Vader, or free the planets from the tyranny of the Empire with Luke and his friends. Choose a side and go into battle. You will definitely like it.

Star Wars is a super popular project by George Lucas. Therefore, it is not surprising that many interesting games have been released based on the film, but we still haven’t seen a sequel to Empire at War, which is a pity. Only eleventh place in our ranking, let's move on.

10. World in Conflict: Soviet Assault

Rounding out the top ten is World in Conflict: Soviet Assault, a real-time strategy game released in 2009 that continued the events that happened in World in Conflict. In other words, the developers took World in Conflict and added 6 new missions - the game became one and a half times longer.

Gamebizclub's opinion: in our opinion, this is the best strategy about the beginning of the Third World War. Events begin with the fall of the Berlin Wall, which is destroyed by Russian tanks. USSR troops begin an offensive along the entire front and create a meat grinder for NATO forces.

You will find yourself in the role of a Soviet paratrooper and unit commander, standing at the forefront of the attack, destroying enemy soldiers and equipment. Indescribable sensations!

Combat operations take place either in Berlin or in rural areas, where they have to fight with NATO troops. You will also be able to command an artillery battery and provide air escort for the convoy.

Each mission has a specific plot, but the main thing is that there is no need to build a base. You have a limited number of troops at your disposal, but you can request reinforcements.

The developers could not avoid stereotypes about Russians - the ideas of Americans, British, Germans and other peoples are very noticeable and often hurt the eye. Therefore, in the dialogues there is sometimes a feeling of unreality of what is happening until the fighting begins.

You can also choose the side of NATO - in this case, the plot will begin on the territory of the United States, where you will defend cities and the coast. Gradually you will push back the USSR troops and move to Europe. Let us add that both storylines are inextricably linked, so the side you choose will win.

The game attracts with its sharp plot, large-scale battles that take place not only nearby, but all over the map - you get the feeling that you are participating in a large-scale military operation. It all looks very realistic, as if you were really in the center of a battle.

World in Conflict: Soviet Assault is in tenth place only because we did not see the continuation of this series. The game should be on the shelf of every fan of the genre - this is 100%.

9.Stronghold

In ninth place is the Stronghold series of games - a strategy about the Middle Ages, the Crusades, knights and kings. The first part of Stronghold was released in 2001, and the last Stronghold 3 in 2011. Let us add that in 2010 the developers released the first MMORTS - Stronghold Kingdoms, where online play against other people became available.

The action takes place during the early Middle Ages, so you will take on the role of a baron or count - you will build a castle, develop production, establish settlements and fight the enemy. Depending on the chosen part, you will be taken to the territory of Europe or Palestine.

In Strongold Crusader the action takes place in the hot lands of Palestine. As a crusader, you will build and defend a castle, establish production, and attack the impregnable fortifications of desert warriors.

Stronghold 3 takes place in Europe. The plot begins seven years after the end of the events of the first part.

The series became successful due to the combination of economic strategy and medieval surroundings. You can build your own castle, besiege your neighbor’s castle, pour boiling oil and tar on the attackers - all the medieval romance is present. But before the start of hostilities, it will be necessary to provide the rear with food and develop production so that everything is enough for the duration of the war.

Computer opponents are controlled by artificial intelligence - like you, they extract resources, build castles, form their own army and start a war. And in multiplayer you will be opposed by those people whom you invite to the game - friends, acquaintances or family members.

8. Heroes of Might and Magic III

In eighth place is one of the best turn-based strategies, Heroes of Might and Magic III. Despite the fact that the game was released back in 1999, it still remains the most revered in the turn-based strategy genre. And the following parts of “Heroes”, released after it, could not surpass the third part.

The game takes place in a fantasy world where there are dragons, elves, goblins, gnomes and many other mythical creatures. You will lead one of the factions, command a squad, capture and manage cities, and explore the world.

The adventure map is difficult to navigate in places. Movement in the game world is not always predictable - there are areas where it is very difficult to get to and you have to follow an unobvious path.

One of the main tasks is to develop cities in such a way that they generate income, provide combat power and give power to magical spells. If a city is well developed, it brings in enough gold and allows you to hire a strong army to capture adjacent territories and destroy the enemy.

As it should be in a turn-based strategy, time in the game flows discretely. The main unit of time is the move, which is also called a day. During a turn, you can perform a certain number of actions - make a move with heroes, plan the construction of a building, and so on.

And in battle, actions take place one by one and resemble a chess game. Each unit has a certain number of action points, attack type and amount of health. The stronger the unit, the harder it hits and the harder it is to kill. The troops are led by a hero who, upon victory, receives experience and artifacts from defeated enemies.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is available in single and multiplayer. Although multi-user is a strong word. The first mode is called “Hot Seat” and is translated as a hot seat - two people at one computer take turns making moves and finding out who is stronger.

The second mode is network. You need to create a separate “room” and give the address of this room to friends and acquaintances. Then you don’t have to sit in one chair, but really surf the net.

In 2015, the version of Heroes of Might and Magic III HD was released - a remake of the popular game, made for a PC with average characteristics. We advise everyone - HoMM should be on the shelf of every turn-based strategy fan. And we move on.

7.Command & Conquer

In seventh place is the famous Command & Conquer - a real-time strategy about the confrontation between the NoD brotherhood and the World Defense Initiative (if translated into modern realities - Terrorists and the Security Service).

The first part was released back in 1995, and the last one was released in 2013. Note that the first part, along with Dune, became the basis for the RTS genre. But compared to the world of Arrakis, the Command and Conquer saga lasted much longer. The two games have the same developer - Westwood Studios, so it is quite possible that they decided to sacrifice Dune in favor of the more popular C&C.

The Command & Conquer universe includes 3 story subseries: Tiberium, Red Alert and Generals. This is a total of 15 games.

The plot of C&C is built on the conflict surrounding Tiberium, an alien substance sent by aliens to Earth in a meteorite shower. This substance extracts minerals, it can be used as an energy source, and in general Tiberium is a valuable element.

World governments consolidate and begin to mine Tiberium. At the same time, terrorists also begin to mine it, as a result they quickly gain strength and receive financial injections from countries where there is no Tiberium.

After some time, IVZ decides to put an end to NoD, but that was not the case - the Brotherhood strikes back and a long and exhausting confrontation begins.

You can become a member of the terrorist brotherhood NoD, which seeks to take over the world. But if high ideals are closer, you should choose IVZ. Although the main emphasis is not on the side of the conflict, but on how you will command in battle.

Each game has missions that you need to complete and achieve your goals. In principle, everything is simple - build a base, mine Tiberium, recruit troops and build military equipment. And then you send an army to attack and command how, where and who to destroy. Easy?

But the enemy does not sleep, so it is never easy. They will constantly attack you and try to destroy your base, attack from unexpected directions and deprive you of the opportunity to earn money. Therefore, you need to constantly be prepared for sudden attacks by the enemy, which suddenly appears in the most vulnerable places. The main factor of victory is not superiority in combat power, but the absence of mistakes.

It is unknown what will happen to the C&C series next. Four years have passed, but there is still no clear news or comments. Although there are still many fans of the game who continue to hone their skills in online battles. Therefore, so far only seventh place.

6. Civilization

We decided to give sixth place to Civilization, a step-by-step strategy about the development of humanity on Earth. The game, created by Sid Meier back in 1991, and its subsequent remakes were and remain the flagship of the turn-based strategy genre.

Now 6 parts with modifications and additions have already been released. Civilization has received a number of awards and has been inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame. More than 9 million copies have been sold in different countries - a great success, confirmed by numerous critics from all over the world.

The main task is to develop the chosen civilization, from primitive society to modernity. Become Stalin and rule Russia, or take the place of Napoleon, Ramses, George Washington and lead your people on the path to prosperity.

To achieve power and prosperity, you need to build cities, engage in economics and science, create technologies and wonders of the world, build up military power, establish diplomatic relations with other civilizations and fight with competitors.

In general, everything is like in real life - put yourself in the place of the president or dictator. Events take place on a given world map, chosen randomly or exactly replicating the Earth.

Settlers, soldiers, diplomats and other characters (units) participate in the development of civilization. You can change the political regime by choosing despotism, monarchy, democracy, communism, republic. The higher the selected difficulty level, the better you need to plan your actions.

The easiest way is to be a leader - opponents hardly interfere. And the hardest thing is to be a deity, in which case the whole world will take up arms against you and will constantly put a spoke in your wheels - declare war, suddenly attack, plunder and destroy cities, and so on.

The score is determined based on the outcome of the game. When calculating points, the number of population, the number of created wonders of the world and other criteria are taken into account.

Editor's opinion: There were some funny moments in early versions of Civilization. If one nation was significantly ahead of others in development and began to fight, then its tanks and infantry clashed with knights, swordsmen, crossbowmen and other units of the Middle Ages, and sometimes even antiquity. And often tanks lost when simultaneously attacked by several units of earlier eras. In Civilization VI, the developers have improved the balance, but problems still arise - with a coordinated attack, crossbowmen and catapults can destroy a tank.

The main feature of the game is the opportunity to see the development of civilization, participate in this process and rewrite history. Imagine the Aztecs launching the first satellite into space, the Egyptians building the Pentagon in Cairo, the Romans launching the Stealth bomber.

Within the framework of game mechanics, everything is possible. The latest part of the game was released in 2016, and the continuation should be expected in 2019-2020.

5. Total War

We decided to give fifth place to Total War, a series of historical games where tactics and strategy are organically combined. The series itself contains 10 parts and 7 additions. The first part was created in 2000, and the last one was currently released in 2016 under the name Total War: WARHAMMER.

The main feature of Total War is the transfer in time to a specific era of human development. The plot takes you to Japan during the Warring States era, to Europe during the Napoleonic era, to the Middle Ages and earlier times. In the role of Attila you will conquer the European continent, in the role of Charlemagne you will create an invincible empire, in the role of Peter the Great you will bring Russia to the level of the leading world powers.

If we describe Total War in a nutshell, then the most suitable ones are large battles. In addition to capturing cities, establishing economic ties and production cycles, you will fight. War consists of many battles of different sizes, and you will command an army in each of them. Castle sieges, city defense, ambushes and wall-to-wall battles - there is everything that fans of the genre need.

In strategic mode, battles are fought on a global turn-based map, where cities, armies, territorial boundaries, valuable resources and roads are indicated. And in tactical mode, you are transported to the battlefield, to a real terrain with hills, trees, buildings and other landscape details.

If you get tired of constant battles, click “automatic calculation of results.” If your army is greatly superior, the enemy will be defeated without your participation.

But if the forces are equal or the enemy is superior in numbers, then you cannot do without your participation. In the “automatic calculation of the results” you will most likely lose, but in the manual mode there is a chance to win. Moreover, it often happens that a smaller army first defends itself, and then successfully advances and cuts out the fleeing enemy troops - but only if you command the army.

Defeats also happen, where would we be without them. But after each defeat, you will learn to think and make innovative decisions, manage your troops more effectively and skillfully use the features of the landscape.

Let's give an example - if you are defending a city, then you need to sit behind the walls and not make forays. But if the enemy let the army down too quickly, and the siege equipment is only on the way and is slowly moving along the walls, feel free to bring the commander and cavalry units into the attack, try to destroy the siege towers and ram first. Without them, the enemy will not fight much.

In major battles, armies of several thousand people clash. Considering that most armies have a maximum number of units (15-20 depending on the version of the game), the largest battles involve several units of the maximum size - this is enough to litter half the map with the bodies of fallen warriors.

We could write a lot about Total War, but we will say this - do you want to become King Leonidas and lead the Spartans? So do it. You can take more people into battle than 300 elite fighters. And in the end, kick Xerxes in one place, completely changing the course of history. That's why Total War is in the top five.

4. Halo Wars 2

Fourth place goes to Halo Wars 2, the continuation of the saga about the war between people and alien invaders. The series developed by Microsoft has been trending for more than 15 years. Several dozen books and one film have already been released based on the plot of the game, and this is not the end yet. The series is developing, and after a while we will see a continuation in the form of a shooter, and maybe another film.

And now the background: in the distant future, people populated many planets and controlled a large area of ​​space until they encountered the Covenant empire. The collision took place on the outskirts of “human space” and ended with the destruction of several patrol corvettes and a planet with a population of ten million people.

From that moment on, events developed badly for the people - dozens of lost systems, hundreds of millions of lives lost and the loss of half the fleet. In this situation, K.K.O.N decides to send the colony ship "Spirit of Fire" into an unexplored sector of space for colonization.

Halo Wars 2 begins with people waking up from cryosleep at The Ark, a space structure created by a mysterious ancient race. When landing on a space facility, the soldiers encounter an army of Covenants - the war overtakes the colonists.

Battles break out throughout the “Arch”, both sides lose fighters and equipment. The conflict is developing rapidly, and only you can defeat the enemy.

The gameplay in Halo Wars 2 is not much different from other strategies - building a base, collecting energy and supplies (they can be collected by ordinary soldiers), forming an army and fighting. That said, Halo Wars 2 is a story-driven game where you participate.

The missions have many additional tasks that need to be completed. For example, in one mission you will destroy the enemy with one Spartan with a machine gun, push through power shields and free prisoners - every mission is in this spirit.

Microsoft made not just an RTS, but a strategy with a high budget. The graphics and image quality look amazing - the soldiers, equipment, buildings and other details are made at a very high level. And you will remember the local beauty for a long time. This is a proprietary Halo feature that Microsoft is actively developing.

Halo Wars 2 is a stunningly beautiful strategy game that you can play for hours without stopping. It will be available on Xbox One and PC. However, there is one small drawback. PC owners may feel that tasks end too quickly. I would like to put it in the top three, but in terms of “legendary” it is inferior to more successful strategies. Let's move on to them.

3. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III

We decided to give bronze to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, an epic strategy about the war between a human empire and other races in space. Since its release in 2004, 3 parts of the game have already appeared, and the last one was released on April 27, 2017.

The world of War Hammer is very large. Everything in it is tied to a fierce confrontation between several races - people, orcs, elves, chaosites, necromancers and other factions. Moreover, each faction has its own policies, troops, development path and other features that make it different from the rest.

The events of the plot unfold on the surface of planets, where representatives of different races collide in a bloody battle. As a result, only one winner remains, and the rest are mercilessly destroyed.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 was included in the top three, and this is justified - the game is new, made at a very high level, and the plot continues the established traditions of the Warhammer series. The graphics and design of locations and nature, combat vehicles and infantry, buildings and heroes are pleasing to the eye - if you have a widescreen monitor, you will seem to be transported to the distant future. But little has changed in the gameplay - it is still a strategy made in the classic style.

On the battlefield, you will build a base, recruit infantry and build combat vehicles, form units and throw them into battle with the enemy. Try to take into account the vulnerabilities of each soldier or combat vehicle: light armored vehicles lose to heavy ones, anti-tank squads will quickly multiply the coolest tank by zero, but are vulnerable to infantry, and infantry are afraid of snipers and light equipment. Familiar scheme, right?

There is also an interesting feature - for the first time, unique super-heavy warriors have appeared, which turn the battle on its head. The Phantom Knight for the Eldar, the Imperial Knight for the Humans, and the Orc Stomp for the Orcs. But they appear closer to the end of the plot, so you won’t be able to control them for a long time.

Multiplayer - in the classic format 1 on 1, 2 on 2 and so on. It's simple - choose a race, build a base and try to quickly take out your opponents. Well, or they take you out, it all depends on the skill.

Overall, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III is a pure thrill. The plot and battles are captivating and literally do not allow you to tear yourself away from the monitor screen. In the heat of battle, you don’t even have time to pay attention to mistakes in the voice acting and phrases of the heroes. For example, imagine orcs speaking normal Russian - a fantastic sight. Bronze is well-deserved, let's move on.

2. StarCraft II

Second place goes to StarCraft II, a popular real-time strategy game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first part of the game, called Wings of Liberty, was released in 2010, and in 2013 and 2015 the second and third additions Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void were released.

StarCraft 2 is the main representative of strategy games in eSports. StarCraft championships are held regularly, and the winners receive valuable prizes. Note that the game is inferior in popularity to other representatives of e-sports - CS: GO, Dota 2, League of Legends.

But still, she has millions of fans from different countries, and the first day after the release of Legacy of the Void, sales amounted to more than 1 million. Simply put, StarCraft II remains very popular.

Time and place of action: a distant part of the Milky Way, 26th century. The plot is based on a war between three races - protoss, zerg, terrans. Terrans are the descendants of exiled criminals who have severed all ties with their home planet. Zerg are mutated creatures from various planets controlled by the Overmind and the Queen of Blades. Protoss are representatives of a high-tech civilization with psionic abilities.

StarCraft 2 is a classic strategy game. By choosing one of the races, you will build a base and combat units, extract resources, develop technologies, form armies and participate in battles. To win, you must destroy buildings, the main base and destroy all enemies.

For example, if at least one builder survives, then after five or ten minutes of the game you risk running into the second base of the enemy, who will have time to prepare for defense.

In single-player mode, you will follow the storyline, go through 26 missions, meet the main characters and get used to the gameplay. In addition to the plot, you can pass tests that require special ingenuity. If you pass successfully, you will receive a medal. After everything has been completed, you can move on to multiplayer.

Players from the CIS, USA, Asia and Europe can take part in the network game. Here you can make friends, organize a clan (online community), take part in tournaments and get to the big championship. The better your skill, the greater your chances of winning something. If you want to achieve good results, train on different maps, communicate with people and see what professional players are doing.

Starcraft II should be on every fan's list of games. It will remain trendy for a few more years, and then Blizzard will outdo themselves and release the third part. The neighbors have already done this - the example of Diablo is before our eyes. Now let's move on to the winner of our rating.

1. Warcraft III

Gold goes to the legendary game Warcraft III - a real-time strategy and RPG made in the fantasy genre. Blizzard Entertainment developed and released the game in 2002, with sales exceeding 2 million copies in its first month. We put Warcraft III in first place for just one reason, the name of which is that it is the best game in every sense.

Let's be clear: Warcraft established for a long time those principles of RTS and RPG that remain relevant 15 years later. All modern open-world RPGs and MMORPGs use the progression system established by Warcraft 3 in one way or another.

Fantasy races, an interesting plot, combat and magic mechanics - all this is organically combined and makes you return to the game again and again. And it’s no coincidence that World of Warcraft and Dota 2 remain at the top - they continue the genre established in the third Warcraft.

Let us add that the plot of the game was filmed, released in 2016. Box office receipts for several months of release worldwide collected more than $300 million - this is a great success that few can repeat.

We've sorted out the popularity, now we'll talk about the gameplay and fundamental differences from other strategies.

Warcraft III is a classic strategy game with RPG elements. Everything is here from strategy: from building a base and recruiting an army, to tactics of battles on the map. You have a small army at your disposal, limited by the number of farms that produce food for it.

Workers mine gold in mines, cut down forests and build structures - barracks, farms, workshops and other buildings. And the RPG component is about leveling up the heroes.

According to the plot, in each task you control a hero who increases the level by destroying the enemy, uses artifacts, and applies powerful abilities and spells. The higher the hero's level, the stronger he is and the more powerful the damage from his abilities.

The plot is based on a bloody confrontation between two races - humans and orcs. There are also night elves, gnomes, undead and other races that influence the balance of power in battle. Someone will be your ally, someone will put up fierce resistance and will be destroyed - it all depends on the chosen side.

Combat actions take place on maps - in locations with forests, rivers, lakes, mines and neutral characters. Picture quality may seem a little dated, but it's 2002, when PC requirements were much different. But W3 will work on any computer, plus you can chat online with other people from different countries. There are still enough fans of the game.

Warcraft 3 should be in every strategy fan's favorites. Best of the Best – just like that and no other way. And we are waiting for news about Warcraft 4, rumors have been circulating for two years, but the Bliz remain silent.

Let's sum it up

Despite the fact that the strategy genre is gradually losing ground, worthy strategies like Halo Wars 2 or Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 still appear. And we see a new trend - developers are trying to make games interesting. The new games feature an exciting plot, well-developed unit models and beautiful location design.

Let's see what happens in two or three years - perhaps we will see a really interesting and exciting strategy and we will definitely write about it. Good luck everyone, bye bye.

Economic strategies are gaining more and more popularity. Developers are racing to present players with their creations with interesting tasks, realistic and colorful graphics and, of course, an exciting plot.

TOP 10 best economic strategies

10. Victoria II / Victoria 2 is a continuation of the already well-known Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun from 2003, with the only difference being that now the player is not tied to a specific historical framework. Now he himself is the creator of all heroic events.

9. Civilization 3 A turn-based economic and construction strategy in which the player is the creator of his world, a ruler who leads his village to economic prosperity.

8. Victoria II: Heart of Darkness / Victoria II: Heart of Darkness The same familiar game Victoria 2, but here the creators immerse the player in the world of Africa.

7. Rise of Heroes This is an online strategy that shows a completely new approach to the development and prosperity of the eastern world.

6. StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm Continuation of the acclaimed first episode with Jim Raynor. Now the player will have to face new challenges.

5. Wargame: AirLand Battle An updated continuation of Wargame: European Escalation with new nations and military equipment that the player can control.

4. Empire: Total War A complete turn-based strategy involving the management of an entire state.

3. Might and Magic: Heroes 6 - Shades of Darkness The famous continuation of the already well-known Heroes of Might and Magic. Strategy role-playing game with completely new characters and creatures. The player creates his own city and fights enemies during a turn-based strategy.

In a genre like strategy, you won't see incredible action or a beautifully written plot. These games will force you to think several steps ahead, think through different, clever moves and solve various kinds of problems. In our Top 5 we have collected the best economic strategies in which you will have to solve vital issues with limited resources, time and opportunities.

Anno 2070

Anno 2070 is one of the oldest and greatest Anno series of games. If you were into strategies, you might not know about this masterpiece. In this game you have to develop your city, managing all spheres of its existence. You will start with the usual extraction of resources and in the process everything will reach the international arms trade. You have to build your own raging one, colonizing islands and developing your metropolis.

Anno 2070 Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+
• RAM: 2 GB
• Video card: nVidia GeForce 7800 / ATI Radeon X1900
• Disk space: 5 GB

Stronghold: Crusader 2

Stronghold: Crusader is a strategy that will allow you to fully immerse yourself in the times of the Crusades and the Middle Ages. Complete the Crusades as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, Sultan of Syria. Lead an army of crusaders whose courage was forged over centuries in the hot deserts of the Middle East. Although the game is about wars, most of the time you will spend developing the economic power of your state.

Minimum system requirements for Stronghold: Crusader 2

• OS: Windows XP
• Processor: Intel Core2 Duo 2 GHz or faster
• RAM: 2 GB
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT 512 MB or AMD Radeon HD 2900XT 512 MB
• Disk space: 5 GB

Best Economic Strategies

Port Royale 3

Port Royale 3 - this wonderful strategy will take us to the era of sea battles and piracy. In short, the 17th century will be presented to you in all its beauty, where Spain, France, the Netherlands and England fight for colonies. The game is based on trade, and you will become a young captain who wants to become the most powerful man in the Caribbean. You choose the policy of relations yourself, or you will become an honest trader or adventurer. This part of the game features a multiplayer mode for up to four players.

Minimum system requirements for Port Royale 3

• OS: Windows XP
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.0 GHz) / AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+
• RAM: 2 GB
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 / AMD Radeon X1600 / 256 Mb / DirectX 9
• Disk space: 4 GB

Civilization 5

Civilization 5 is a legendary series, the fifth part of which is one of the most famous in the field of economic strategies released for PC. You have to manage an entire state, and the political and economic state will depend only on your decisions. You only choose the policy of conducting relations, either you will become an invader and decide the polls with a sword, or you will destroy a hostile state without leaving the capital. You will start with a primitive society and go through an incredible path to the present day.

Civilization 5 Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows 7
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 64 2.0 GHz
• RAM: 2 GB
• Video card: ATI HD2600 XT with 256 MB video memory or better, nVidia 7900 with 256 MB
• Disk space: 10 GB

SimCity

SimCity is a great city planning simulator. As in previous games in the franchise, the main task is to build and develop a city. The gamer will have to act as the mayor of his city, who will tirelessly have to fulfill the requests of residents and manage the economy. You have to solve a variety of problems from lack of parking spaces to natural disasters and alien invasions. It is also worth noting the nice graphics of the game and the highest quality of the models. If you have time for a full-fledged game, its smaller version is available for mobile devices.

SimCity Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP / 7
• Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4000+, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor 2.0 GHz
• RAM: 2 GB
• Video card: ATI Radeon HD 2×00, NVIDIA 7800
• Disk space: 11 GB