Summary
- Accessible strategy games exist, but many are unforgiving and quick to punish mistakes.
- Games like Duskers and Battle Brothers offer unique and rewarding yet challenging experiences.
- Unforgiving games like Quasimorph, Kenshi, and Darkest Dungeon demand constant attention and solid planning.
Accessible strategy games do exist in varying degrees, with games such as Into The Breach, for example, giving players plenty of room for mistakes. However, this genre is abundant with unforgiving experiences that are quick to punish mistakes.
7 Most Satisfying Strategy Games
Between their design and visuals, these strategy games provide players with a highly satisfying experience.
Whether it's permanent death mechanics, dangerous enemies, or a fast rate of play, there are many strategic experiences on the market that challenge players in unique ways. These unforgiving strategy games can be frustrating, but beneath their challenging exteriors are often rewarding gameplay loops.
8 Duskers
Methodical Exploration Of Dangerous Environments
Duskers
- Released
- August 20, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- nr
- Genre(s)
- Strategy
DUSKERS is a distinctive top-down strategy game that hinges its design around a unique method of controlling units. In the game, players are tasked with salvaging what they can from derelict spaceships by controlling a small squad of drones via a command console.
Best Slow-Paced Strategy Games
Strategy fans who prefer a more methodical and slow approach to their favorite genre should look no further than these games.
This slow and methodical control adds a great deal of tension to the already-tense atmosphere; the laborious and intentionally-clunky process of moving drones around emphasizes cautious play and careful planning, punishing players for acting rashly or misreading the situation. As a result, DUSKERS can be a tremendously unforgiving experience.
7 Quasimorph
Brutal Survival Mechanics & High Lethality
Quasimorph
- Released
- October 2, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+
- Genre(s)
- Extraction, Shooter, Roguelike
Quasimorph is a turn-based strategy game with the structure of an extraction shooter, tasking players with looting industrial facilities and completing objectives while contending with a myriad of threats. In keeping with its grim-dark setting, Quasimorph is an unforgiving experience, thanks in large part to the brutal nature of its survival mechanics.
Players must not only worry themselves with fighting or fleeing from the game's abundance of enemies, but they also must contend with starvation, injury, and impending insanity. This results in a gameplay loop that requires constant attention on the part of the player and solid planning if they're to survive any of its sci-fi dungeon-crawls.
6 Kenshi
A Harsh & Hostile Open-World
Kenshi
- Released
- December 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- nr
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Open-World, Survival
This open-world sandbox allows for a great deal of freedom, championing player agency with emergent gameplay and RPG mechanics. However, this comes at the expense of accessibility, not only in the game's controls and busy user-interface but also with the sheer hostility of its world.
This is in large part thanks to the deep well of knowledge required to navigate the world appropriately. There are many, many threats, both obvious and not, lurking in Kenshi's crevices, and it takes time and practice for players to gain the strength and knowledge needed to survive.
5 XCOM 2
Turn-Based Tactics & Permanent Death
XCOM 2
- Released
- February 5, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Use of Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, RPG
XCOM 2's deeply tactical turn-based combat encounters offer tense, nail-biting scenarios that can be tremendously rewarding. However, this addictive tension is only possible via the game's addition of permanent death mechanics.
With each squad member under the constant threat of kicking the bucket for good, XCOM 2's combat becomes deliberate and entirely consequential. For better or worse, this makes XCOM a fairly punishing and unforgiving strategy game.
4 Wildfrost
A Tactical Deck-Builder That Can Quickly Snowball
Wildfrost
- Released
- April 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Genre(s)
- Digital Card Game, Strategy, Roguelike
Wildfrost is a game of open information. It's a roguelike deck-builder with a tactical twist, providing players with dynamic battlefields with which to freely maneuver units and play cards. However, with its generosity of rewards and information, Wildfrost can be tremendously punishing; just one mistake or one misread can result in a steady death spiral or even instant defeat.
Best Tactical Games That Are Immediately Fun
These excellent tactical video games forgoes the slow onboarding typical in the genre, providing fun and engaging mechanics right away.
In sharp contrast to the game's unforgiving combat, however, is an innovative rewards system that allows for tremendous freedom when build-crafting. Furthermore, the wealth of rewards between battles ensures that Wildfrost maintains a brisk pace, keeping defeat from feeling too crushing.
3 Battle Brothers
Quick & Unforgiving Deaths Lead To Downward Spirals
Battle Brothers
- Released
- April 27, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Indie Games, Tactical, RPG, Strategy, Adventure
Battle Brothers is a sandbox RPG that takes place in a dark and hostile low-fantasy setting. In keeping with the tone of its world, Battle Brothers is quick to punish mistakes in a swift and often brutal manner, resulting in an unforgiving gameplay loop that's rarely kind to newcomers.
In Battle Brothers, players are tasked with managing a company of mercenaries, completing dangerous contracts in order to make a living. This means that conflict is simply not avoidable in Battle Brothers, and sooner or later, players will have to face down its myriad dangers.
2 StarCraft 2
A Competitive RTS In Which Mistakes Can Quickly Add Up
StarCraft 2
- Released
- July 27, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
Despite its age, StarCraft 2 remains a competitive game in online play, featuring a multiplayer versus mode that can be a deeply unforgiving experience for newcomers. This is in large part due to the pace of the gameplay, with every decision and every mistake having a potentially massive impact on the state of the game.
Since a single mistake can quickly snowball into a full-on death spiral, StarCraft 2 can be a frustrating experience at times. However, those who stick out the frustrations and learn to overcome the weaknesses in their play will find a truly expressive and diverse sandbox of competitive strategy.
1 Darkest Dungeon
Brutal Combat That Punishes The Unprepared
Darkest Dungeon
- Released
- January 19, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Darkest Dungeon is a strategy RPG in which death and defeat are ultimately unavoidable. While preparing properly and exercising caution during its harrowing dungeon-crawls can increase a player's chance of success, the game's combat mechanics and dangerous array of enemies aren't afraid to punish even those who have made the necessary preparations.
As a result, Darkest Dungeon can be a decidedly unforgiving experience. However, this synergizes with the game's grim-dark tone. Furthermore, this difficulty only makes victory all the more rewarding to accomplish.
Game Settings That Would Be Perfect For A Soulslike
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