The Best Turn-Based Tactics Games Like XCOM

Classified: France ’44

• Release Date — March 5, 2024
• Publisher — Team17
• Developer — Absolutely Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 75% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 74% (Mostly Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

World War II is an ideal setting for tactical video games that, for whatever reason, is a less-explored theme in the TRPG subgenre. Absolutely Games’ Classified: France ’44 changes this by putting players in direct control of a fictional version of a very real World War II squad, engaging in the covert missions intended to soften up German resistance in occupied France ahead of the D-Day invasion. The title mixes pre-combat stealth and subterfuge with some surprisingly competent turn-based combat once things get loud, even if it lacks some of the polish of its obvious inspiration in the modern XCOM games. Players are always working against a “Doomsday Clock” thanks to the impending invasion timeline, but Classified: France ’44 does a good job of balancing its difficulty to where players never feel too behind the curve.

The Lamplighters League

• Release Date — October 3, 2023
• Publisher — Paradox Interactive
• Developer — Harebrained Schemes
• Review Aggregate Score — 73% (Mixed or Average)
• Steam User Score — 72% (Mostly Positive)
• Platforms — PC, Xbox Series X/S

From real-world history to alternate history, The Lamplighters League is a phenomenal TRPG that has only gotten better since its launch. While the title was host to a surprising number of bugs and performance issues upon release, Harebrained Schemes put in the work to improve and polish the title through patches, allowing its impeccable atmosphere and unique spin on tried-and-true turn-based tactical mechanics to shine. Other than its excellent pulpy atmosphere, The Lamplighters League offers some new mechanics to set it apart from its contemporaries, especially where its deckbuilding elements are concerned. While not a “deckbuilder” in the traditional sense, players can unlock equippable cards that dramatically change their heroes’ abilities, giving them an edge that can turn the tide of battle in their favor.

Miasma Chronicles

• Release Date — May 23, 2023
• Publisher — 505 Games
• Developer — The Bearded Ladies
• Review Aggregate Score — 76% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 79% (Mostly Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

A spiritual successor of sorts to the studio’s previous game, The Bearded Ladies’ Miasma Chronicles is another turn-based tactics game with an emphasis on stealth and setting up ambushes rather than all-out combat. Similar to the studio’s work on Mutant Year Zero, Miasma Chronicles can be a somewhat unforgiving game even on the standard difficulty, which should appeal to all the masochists out there who prefer to play their XCOM campaigns on Ironman mode. Enemies are, more often than not, incredible sharpshooters capable of landing near-impossible shots, but the player has plenty of tools available to soften them up before combat even begins. If players exercise a little bit of caution and forethought before engaging enemies in Miasma Chronicles, they’ll discover that the game does a great job of rewarding the more strategic and stealthy.

Hard West II

• Release Date — August 4, 2022
• Publisher — Good Shepherd Entertainment
• Developer — Ice Code Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 77% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 80% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC

Following the success of XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its sequel, developers of TRPG games have been trying a similar formula in a variety of settings, often incorporating atypical themes and locations as a way to help their games stand out. One such title is Hard West II, which (like its predecessor) is a turn-based tactics game set in the Wild West. Hard West II improves upon the original game in the series by every metric, offering better stealth sequences, better all-out combat and firefights, better writing, and more interesting map design. Hard West helped set itself apart from the pack thanks to its incorporation of occult and horror elements along with its Wild West theme, and those elements are back and better than ever in the sequel, with more competent gameplay to boot.

Midnight Suns

• Release Date — December 2, 2022
• Publisher — 2K
• Developer — Firaxis Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 82% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Firaxis surprised many of its fans by following up XCOM 2 not with a third entry in the series but with a new turn-based tactics game using the Marvel Comics license. In what would end up being XCOM designer Jake Solomon’s final game with Firaxis, Midnight Suns is a mixed bag. On one hand, the game’s unique blending of turn-based tactical combat and deckbuilding is a triumph. On the other, Midnight Suns‘ somewhat stilted writing and half-baked social systems leave a lot to be desired. If Midnight Suns were purely an XCOM clone involving nail-biting combat missions and base building, it would be a near-perfect experience. Unfortunately, the in-between mission segments drag the title down a bit. Still, Midnight Suns‘ combat is so good that it’s worth suffering through the pacing issues and weird gameplay choices.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden

• Release Date — December 4, 2018
• Publisher — Funcom
• Developer — The Bearded Ladies
• Review Aggregate Score — 78% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 90% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

While Miasma Chronicles is a commendable effort from The Bearded Ladies, the studio’s initial foray into turn-based tactics with Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is undoubtedly the better game. Both games are post-apocalyptic sci-fi sagas featuring anthropomorphic animals and tough-as-nails tactical gameplay, so it makes sense to compare them head-to-head. Though Miasma might have the edge in terms of its characters and story, Mutant Year Zero takes the lead in the gameplay department, even if it is an incredibly demanding turn-based tactics experience. Still, even with its impressive difficulty, Mutant Year Zero is still a much more forgiving game than either XCOM: Enemy Unknown or its sequel, offering players a much more manageable onboarding to the genre and some interesting characters to follow through some very well-designed maps.

Battletech

• Release Date —
• Publisher — Paradox Interactive
• Developer — Harebrained Schemes
• Review Aggregate Score — 78% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 83% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC

Harebrained Schemes has made a name for itself in the turn-based tactics genre thanks to some standout efforts, and it’s safe to say that Battletech is one of its best. Truthfully, if you’re someone who has a fondness for MechWarrior and other similar mech simulation games as well as turn-based tactics, you owe it to yourself to dive headfirst into Battletech‘s immense and deep pool of rewarding tactical gameplay. Everything from the maps and mission variety to the design and customization of the mechs themselves givesBattletech a level of quality that is typically reserved for the XCOM games, and the support of the community via a robust catalog of available mods means players could potentially sink hundreds of hours into what’s intended to be a 40-50 hour experience. Both mechanically and in terms of its value, it’s hard to beat Battletech.

The Banner Saga

• Release Date — January 14, 2014
• Publisher — Stoic Studio
• Developer — Stoic
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 88% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — iOS, PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

Outside the Japanese TRPG/SRPG classics like Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics, few games in the turn-based tactics genre place narrative at the forefront quite like The Banner Saga trilogy. While all three games in the series are impeccable experiences from both a gameplay and story perspective, the original Banner Saga still stands out as one of the more emotionally gripping and mechanically dense titles in the genre. Aside from the excellent gameplay and narrative elements, The Banner Saga also has Ralph Bakshi-style art direction and animation that make it look like a forgotten Heavy Metal cartoon come to life. But don’t let the cartoonish visuals fool you, as The Banner Saga might be one of the toughest games on this list whose difficulty is only enhanced by the impossible choices players must make to help determine the campaign’s outcome.

Showgunners

• Release Date — May 2, 2023
• Publisher — Good Shepherd Entertainment
• Developer — Artificer
• Review Aggregate Score — 75% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 94% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC

Artificer immediately placed itself on the map as a developer to watch with last year’s Showgunners, a cyberpunk TRPG with very strong similarities to The Running Man thanks to its biting satire and dystopian future setting. Atmosphere and writing aside, though, Showgunners is just a rock-solid turn-based tactics game with enough interesting mechanics to set it apart. The first several missions of Showgunners might feel as if the game is playing it safe. And, to be fair, it kind of is, with the main goal of the first several hours of the game to acclimate players who might be new to the turn-based tactics genre. Once the campaign opens up, though, Showgunners begins flexing its tactical depth through its inventive map design and use of crowd control and subterfuge abilities to make each map feel like a mini-puzzle worth solving to get the best outcome.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director’s Cut

• Release Date — September 18, 2014
• Publisher — Paradox Interactive
• Developer — Harebrained Schemes
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 89% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — iOS, PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Harebrained Schemes’ take on the classic Shadowrun IP would lend itself to three excellent games, the best of which is the fantastic Shadowrun: Dragonfall. Like the other two games in the series (Shadowrun Returns and Shadowrun: Hong Kong), Shadowrun: Dragonfall features some excellent XCOM-style turn-based tactical gameplay set alongside an excellent cyberpunk RPG with some smart writing, compelling quest design, and a story that leaves you wanting more. Of course, none of that would really matter were it not for Dragonfall‘s excellent tactical gameplay, which features just the right amount of difficulty and variety to help it stand out as one of the best games in the turn-based tactics genre. Were it not for another game on this list, Shadowrun: Dragonfall would stand as one of the best RPGs with a tactical combat focus.

Wasteland 3

• Release Date — August 27, 2020
• Publisher — inXile Entertainment
• Developer — inXile Entertainment
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 89% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Right up with Shadowrun: Dragonfall in terms of great RPG experiences that just so happen to feature strong tactical combat is Wasteland 3. The Wasteland series is famously the starting point for what would eventually become Fallout, with both the first and second entries in the series falling squarely under the CRPG subgenre. For the third entry, developer inXile Entertainment would switch things up by borrowing liberally from both XCOM and games like Divinity: Original Sin 2 to deliver a turn-based tactical experience with an almost staggering amount of depth. What’s most impressive about Wasteland 3 is how the game accounts for just about every scenario to always keep players on their toes, proving that no character build or strategy is beyond the game’s persistent AI and tendency for missions to fall apart at the slightest provocation.

Phoenix Point

• Release Date — December 3, 2020
• Publisher — Snapshot Games Inc.
• Developer — Snapshot Games Inc.
• Review Aggregate Score — 74% (Mixed or Average)
• Steam User Score — 72% (Mostly Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Despite some somewhat middling user and critical reviews, Phoenix Point is a phenomenal turn-based tactics game that deserves a fair shake following some significant patches and updates. The main issue most players seem to have with Phoenix Point is its balance between the statistical minutiae of the old XCOM games and the user-friendly turn-based tactical combat of the modern ones, with the title striking an interesting middle ground between two distinct eras of the franchise. It’s a position that makes sense given Phoenix Point‘s place as a spiritual successor to the XCOM games of old spearheaded by one of the series’ original developers. While it definitely errs on the side of being just slightly too difficult and bogged down by some of its systems to have the mass appeal of the modern XCOM games, Phoenix Point is no less one of the better turn-based tactical games available.

Gears Tactics

• Release Date — April 28, 2020
• Publisher — Xbox Game Studios
• Developer — Splash Damage, The Coalition
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 75% (Mostly Positive)
• Platforms — PC, Xbox Series X/S

On paper, you wouldn’t think that a turn-based tactical spin-off of a best-selling third-person cover shooter franchise would work, but Gears Tactics proves that the Gears of War series is more than just its mainline entries. What’s most surprising about Gears Tactics is how it successfully blends the gameplay of the mainline entries into a compelling TRPG experience, and it’s such a natural fit that it’s a wonder we haven’t seen a sequel yet. Gears Tactics is also a fairly brisk experience that offers plenty of turn-based tactical thrills in a fraction of the time that most other entries in the genre do, proving that a TRPG can be a short, concise thrill ride and still offer plenty of mechanical depth. Even if players have zero interest in the mainline Gears of War games, Gears Tactics is well worth the time for even the most casual fan of tactical RPGs.

Divinity: Original Sin 2

• Release Date — September 14, 2017
• Publisher — Larian Studios
• Developer — Larian Studios
• Review Aggregate Score — 92% (Universal Acclaim)
• Steam User Score — 95% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Platforms — iOS, PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

Wasteland 3 might strike a careful middle ground between being a fully-fledged CRPG and a turn-based tactics game, but it arguably gets most of its inspiration from the game that accomplishes that balance better than any other — Divinity: Original Sin 2. A massive RPG with plenty of depth in its systems and gameplay, Divinity 2 also happens to feature best-in-class tactical combat that presents the player with an almost unprecedented amount of freedom in terms of player expression and embracing role-playing mechanics. It’s a blend that Larian Studios would attempt again with its work on the award-winning Baldur’s Gate 3, with similar success. However, where Baldur’s Gate 3 is an RPG first and TRPG second, Divinity: Original Sin 2 places its combat sandbox front and center as the main reason for players to dive in and stick around for its long and excellent campaign.

XCOM 2

• Release Date — February 5, 2016
• Publisher — 2K
• Developer — Firaxis Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 84% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

It might seem like a bit of a cheat to include XCOM 2 on a list of the best turn-based tactics games “like ” XCOM, but there’s no denying what’s an objective fact about this sequel. XCOM 2 is still the “gold standard” by which most turn-based tactics games are judged, evidenced by how many of them either name-check the title in their release promotion or are name-checked by fans in reviews.

Regardless of how important XCOM 2 is to the popularization and mechanics of other turn-based tactics games, though, it’s just a phenomenal experience that deserves to be played by anyone with even a passing interest in TRPGs, strategy games, or science fiction. That we’re almost 10 years out from its initial release and players are still talking about XCOM 2 as if it’s the greatest game in the genre tells you all you need to know about how integral this game is to turn-based tactics.