Summary
Strategy gameshave a weird relationship with theSteam Deck. On the one hand,those games tend to be lightweight, and they don’t require too much computational power or a high-resolution screen. On the other hand, many are built specifically for a mouse and keyboard configuration, which most Steam Deck owners would rather avoid.
Some strategy genres have always had problems landing on consoles, including portable consoles like the Steam Deck. Real-time strategy, in particular, has pretty much held a monopoly on PC gaming, since it relies so much onfast mouse movement and plenty of hotkeys. Other genres have had more luck, especially turn-based tactics likeFire Emblemand slow-moving 4X games likeCivilization,and are far more viable for handheld consoles like the Steam Deck.
7The Battle Of Polytopia
Metacritic Score: 72
The Battle of Polytopiais a fairly popular take on the 4X strategy formula. It most closely resembles a verystripped-down version of theCivilizationseries, which makes it a great fit for the Steam Deck. Short sessions and low complexity with plenty of replayability have already madeThe Battle of Polytopiaa popular strategy game on mobile platforms, and it will probably do the same on Steam Deck.
The Battle of Polytopiahas everything that 4X players expect. Factions develop their technology, expand their territory, and capture resources. Eventually, war will take over the world map, and each faction will have to fend for itself. Everything ends in just an hour or two, a merciful time when compared to the averageCivilization 6campaign.
Dorfromantikis a tile-placing game, a subgenre that is probably more popular among board game fans than strategy game enthusiasts. Perhaps due to the inherently slow pace of the genre, at least when compared to most action games, strategy video games are almost always a violent or adventurous affair. That’s not the case withDorfromantik.
In this peaceful, relaxing game, players place tiles togrow a small town into a moderately-sized village. Even if the settlement starts approaching the size of a city, the difficulty doesn’t grow with it. The point ofDorfromantikisn’t to manage a larger and larger settlement but to relax and enjoy the pretty biomes, merged into one another as the city grows and grows. This is the perfect game to fire up on the Steam Deck and curl up on the couch.
Marvel’s Midnight Sunsis a turn-based tactics game about a team of superheroes, the titular Midnight Suns. Together withMarvel Snapand Insomniac’sSpider-Manseries, this is Marvel’s most successful attempt yet to break into the video game market. It certainly helps thatMidnight Sunswas developed by Firaxis Games, turn-based strategy legends that created the XCOM reboot series.
That isn’t to say thatMarvel’s Midnight Sunsis a game for established fans alone. Anyone who loves turn-based tactics can play and enjoy this game. Having an extensive lineup of iconic and lesser-known characters to compose one’s team ultimately means more choices for the player. It’s one of the more graphically-detailed strategy games available for the Steam Deck.
Plague Inc: Evolvedis an improved version of the originalPlague Inc. in which players control and evolvea deadly virus with the objective of annihilating humanity. Compared to the original, theEvolvedversion is much more expansive, adding plenty of content and options. Most noticeably, it adds co-op and competitive multiplayer, as well as a solid custom scenario creator.
Plague Inc: Evolvedhas received a DLC calledThe Cure, in which the roles are reversed. Instead of rooting for the virus, players try to eradicate it before everyone is infected. It’s no wonder that this game is great on the Steam Deck, as the originalPlague Inc.was a mobile game. There are also plenty of creative mods forPlague Inc: Evolvedavailable through the Steam Workshop.
Democracyis one of those unique strategy series that is actually a mix of simulation and large-scale roleplaying. While this definition might sound like it encapsulates most strategy games, there is a difference between pretending to be a medieval general in theAge of Empiresseries and taking on the role of prime minister inDemocracy 4.
Democracy 4sells itself on the premise of being an accurate political simulation. As explained onthe game’s Steam Store page, the developers tried to make sure that the game has “no implied bias whatsoever.” Alas, a bias-less political simulation doesn’t exist, and as such, not everyone will be able to appreciate whatDemocracy 4offers. However, for hardcore strategy game enthusiasts looking for a deep-dive game while on the go, this is a perfect fit.
Total War: Warhammer 3is the latest title in theTotal War: Warhammerseries. While it has taken a while for developer Creative Assembly to bring the game to par with the previous entries in the series, fans mostly agree that the third installment is now the most completeWarhammerreal-time strategy title on the market.
ButTotal War: Warhammer 3is more than an RTS. Like thebest games in theTotal Warseries, this game mixes turn-based strategy with real-time battles. The battles are a unique blend of semi-realistic tactics, where positioning and unit formation are really important, with the classic paper-rock-scissor system of advantages and disadvantages between different unit types. Playing anyTotal Wargame on a portable system was the stuff of sci-fi 15 years ago, but this entry in particular is worth checking out.
Tactics Ogre: Rebornis theremake of the originalTactics Ogrestrategy gamereleased on the Super Nintendo in 1995. While this is arguably a tactics RPG, the heart of the game is in its turn-based strategic battles, but unlike most pure strategy games,Tactics Ogre: Rebornhas dialogue choices and battle results that can lead to multiple endings.
The original 1995 release and the 2022 remake are very similar, but that’s just a testament to how good the originalTactics Ogreis. TheRebornversion adds quality-of-life features like an auto save function and a better UI, as well as improved enemy AI. The original chiptune soundtrack has been turned into a full orchestra, and every piece of dialogue features voice acting.Tactics Ogrewas already an all-time great strategy game, and taking the remake on the go with a Steam Deck is a nostalgic dream.
