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Strategies have always been very popular with many players. And so we decided to make a full-fledged TOP 10 most popular strategies on PC around the world! I hope you appreciate our work and write your version in the comments!

TOP 10 most popular strategies in the world

10th place: Home world

Perhaps one of the few strategies that would stand out so against the general background. And it stands out due to the fact that the actions of this strategy take place right in space! The game has a beautiful space landscape and very interesting gameplay, as expected space game. But the Russian voice acting complements the picture! A worthy representative of our TOP 10 most popular strategies.

9th place: Dungeon Keeper II

In this game we have to manage a horde of the undead. The game has very funny jokes, as well as addictive gameplay that makes players immerse themselves in it. This game was so popular at one time that its players even asked the authors to release new part! And even collected a petition for the implementation of the new part. So popular strategies are on our list today.

8th place: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II

The famous universe, which included many recognizable images so far. The whole strategy is all action, so if you love it, then this is definitely for you! The game will not force you to waste your time on construction and other nonsense, in front of you is a real combat strategy, which we simply could not help but include in the list of the most popular strategies.

7th place: Stronghold

A strategy in which you have to plunge into the world of the Middle Ages. Castles and kings await you in this great game. It is because of its unique atmosphere that this game has become so popular, and no one can argue with that now. And if you love all these medieval things, then this game just made for you!

6th place: The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom

In this game, we have to create a real kingdom. The game in some place is similar to civilization, you can also pump your state with the most different ways ranging from trade to war with other kingdoms. Of course, the game has found its audience, and thus gets into our TOP of popular strategies on PC.

TOP 5 popular strategies on PC

5th place: Civilization 5

One of the most classic strategies in the history of popular strategies. Every part of this game was a real masterpiece. You start the game as the most ordinary settlers, and then develop an entire country! And in the end, you are able to subjugate the whole world, by any means available, but be careful! After all, it is not so easy to do this ... A great example.

4th place: Heroes of Might and Magic III

The good old Heroes of Might and Magic ranks third in the list of the most popular strategies on the computer. This game can be called a masterpiece without a doubt, because all olfags remember how wonderful it was to play on quiet nights with friends over the network, which at that time was not easy to play. There was a very peculiar graphics and excellent gameplay, which many still fondly remember ...

3rd place: StarCraft 2

The game is the heir to the good old first part. One of the most popular strategies that has become not only the progenitor of its culture, but has also become part of the eSports world. The game also had a great story that still remains in the hearts of many people, the battle of entire races for survival and control ensured for StarCraft the title of almost the most popular strategy in the world.

2nd place: Forge of Empires

Cool and most importantly free strategy that you can play with friends online! Strategy in its most direct sense with the ability to improve your troops and continue the battle on foreign lands. Perhaps only this game was worth showing in our top. And I would gladly put it in first place, but alas, there was one better strategy ... Perhaps you initially guessed what kind of game would be in this TOP in first place. This strategy has many merits, but the main one is that it has a map editor. It was thanks to this editor that players spent many hours on the most unusual plots, and it was thanks to this editor that the famous DOTA appeared. The plot in this game is just on top! The story of Prince Artes, who switched to dark side bewitches. It is also worth noting that it was on the basis of the engine of this game that StarCraft 2 was made, the engine of which was only slightly improved. In the end, a film was even made on this universe ... It was Warcraft - most popular strategy game on pc.

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From the early 90s to the mid 00s, strategies ruled over the minds of the players, receiving well-deserved honor and respect. Alas, their golden age is over: RTS (real-time strategy) cannot compete in entertainment with the next Battlefield, with the dynamics of Overwatch or the plot of Witcher 3. So you have to be content with another replay of the good old classics or wait for the release of the new "Civilization".

However, not everything is so pessimistic. Our rating of the best strategies will allow you to identify the most worthy representatives of the genre, as well as learn about the latest releases that gave some classic strategies a second life. We hope this TOP 10 will be informative. If not: comment and vote at the bottom of the article to help.

10 Strong hold

Stronghold was born in the golden era of RTS - in 2001. At the time, most strategies were trying to emulate either C&C or Warcraft, but Stronghold had other plans. Although critics try to assure that this strategy did not bring anything significant to its genre, its fans will argue with this and, in my opinion, they will be right.

Stronghold had a fairly well-developed and extensive economic component. Although the number of available resources has not gone far from the standard "wood / iron / gold / stone / food", the game has such an unusual parameter as "Popularity". It provided an influx of new residents to the city and depended on many factors: taxation, the variety of food available, entertainment (taverns with ale), and so on.

To hire soldiers, it was not enough to build a barracks. It was necessary to erect buildings that produce weapons. Provide the gunsmiths with the necessary building material, wait until the limping grandfather with an imposing gait delivers a hand-cut bow to the arsenal, and only after that you can hire ... even one archer. And so with all types of troops! It was impossible to simply set up a barracks and "scream" any units - this was preceded by the organization of a full cycle of production of weapons and ammunition. Not surprisingly, the game had a number of economic missions that were not inferior in complexity to the military ones.

Normal calm morning Stronghold Crusader

However, it was not the first part that gained particular popularity, but its continuation: Stronghold Crusaders, which was released the very next year, 2002. As the name implies, the game was dedicated to the confrontation between the Arabs and the Crusaders. Unfortunately, the attack/defense mode of the castle has disappeared (the only thing worth paying attention to in the first part), but more units have appeared, some of which could be hired for gold without producing weapons. For money, only desert warriors were hired, while European soldiers would continue to be equipped exclusively with weapons of their own production.

The game remains popular to this day thanks to the multiplayer and the release of various add-ons (for example, Crusaders Extreme in 2008). This is also facilitated by a simple, but quite diverse system of building fortifications: Stronghold allows you to surround the castle with high battlements and high towers, equip them with protective weapons and archers, install additional traps or dig a moat around the perimeter.

Of course, there is no lesser arsenal of siege weapons, from battering rams and ladders to catapults and trebuchets, which can fire at the enemy’s fortifications not only with stones, but also ... with cows. Add to that the ability to set fire to an enemy's city or starve its economy to death: the choice of duel strategy is quite extensive, as for an RTS. This variety has made the game quite interesting for a multiplayer game.

The first part of Command & Conquer was released in 1995, becoming at that time a real breakthrough in the genre and seriously competing with Warcraft and Dune. Many of the now familiar gameplay features looked revolutionary at that time:

Players could select a whole group of units and give them a command with just one click;
The map featured neutral units, buildings, and other objects that could be interacted with (read: "destroy");
It was in C&C that the system for separating units by class first appeared, such as "stone, scissors, paper" - the first type of unit is effective against the second, but vulnerable to the third, etc .;
The game began to use videos and animated cutscenes, paired with a cool soundtrack, allowed players to "feel" the history of the C&C universe, and not perceive it as another nameless chessboard to hone their tactical abilities;
Another signature feature of Command & Conquer is the presence of only one resource, tiberium - it is for it that all wars in the universe of this game are fought.

C&C turned out to be incredibly popular with all the consequences: many gameplay elements have spread to other games, becoming familiar elements of most strategy games. In addition to the classic C&C series, which still pleases its fans with new releases, over time, two "alternative" versions of the C&C universe have appeared. These are Command & Conquer: Generals (2003) and the very popular line Games Red Alert.

Red Allert

The Soviets, as it were, convey a fiery hello to old man Einstein

Red Allert deserves a separate article. This game has absorbed an incredible amount of madness and "cranberries" on the theme of the Cold War and the confrontation between NATO and the USSR. Here short description the prehistory of the universe of this game: having seen enough of the horrors of World War II, the old man Einstein in 1946 decides to make a time machine and return to the past to destroy Hitler. As a result, the scales swung the other way: Comrade Stalin decides to build his own, communist Reich, and Europe, together with the allies, still has to fight.

Judge for yourself how successful the game was: 35 million copies were sold worldwide, and an entry appeared in the Guinness Book of Records, assuring that Red Allert is the best-selling RTS in the world. In 2000 and 2001, Red Allert 2 and Red Allert 2 were released: Yuri's Revenge, which is still a classic choice for oldfags. However, for fans of more modern graphics, there is a third part of RA.

Warhammer is a vast fictional universe on which many books, comics, films, computer and board games are built. At the same time, there are two versions of this universe: Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000. In the first case, as the name implies, Warhammer is faithful to the canons of fantasy and pleases fans of Tolkien and other "elves". And Warhammer 40,000 creates a mix of fantasy and science fiction, pushing the confrontation closer to the stars.

There are about 20 games related to Warhammer 40,000. But only one of them is always associated with the word "Warhammer" for any strategy fan: this is the one and only Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, released in 2004.

Strategy, in the usual sense of the word, has not been given so much space: the focus is on tactics. Buildings are built quickly, and there are only 2 resources: energy, for which you need to build generators, and special points that can be obtained by holding checkpoints under the onslaught of the enemy.

The creators of the game, as it were, directly declare from the first minutes: leave all this fuss with building a base and economic development for nerds. The WH40K universe was created solely to force armored paratroopers to fight various monsters (from orcs to more exotic creatures). So no long-term economic development is foreseen in it: only battles from the first to the last minute.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 is made for Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson: with a yell of "Power!!!", the player sweeps all the enemies in his path. Tactics? No, have not heard.

2009 saw the release of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2, which was highly acclaimed by players, was thoroughly praised by many gaming publications, but ... suddenly turned out to be not a strategy game. Faithful fans of the first part were horrified to find that the long-awaited Dawn of War 2 has become more like an RPG like Diablo than itself 5 years ago. True, this did not prevent the game from finding its fans, who assure that the multiplayer has retained all the necessary elements of RTS and is quite satisfactory.

7. Total War

It's funny that Total War and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War are next door in the ranking of the best strategies, because just in May of this year, Total War: Warhammer, the first TW dedicated to the Warhammer universe, was released. True, not Warhammer 40,000, but Warhammer Fantasy - so, first of all, fans of fantasy worlds will like it. However, let's talk about everything in order - after all, the release of this game was preceded by 9 other parts, which brought TW worldwide fame.

Home distinctive feature Total War is a successful combination of turn-based mode and RTS: the level of each of them is selected separately. The main action takes place on a global map of the world, in which everything happens step by step. But the battles are downloaded separately and are rapidly developing in real time. Players will have to wisely use terrain features and different types of units, which allows them to gain an advantage even over superior enemy forces.

The first TW came out in 2000. But the worldwide fame of the series was brought by its third part, Rome: Total War, which used a three-dimensional engine. As the name suggests, the action took place during the Roman Empire. In addition to the "classic" European nations, Arab empires (Egypt) and even barbarians were available in the game. Depending on the chosen side, not only the units differed, but also the architecture of the cities. The popularity of this part of the subsequent TW could not surpass.

In 2013, Rome: Total War II was released - initially buggy, but later brought to mind with the help of numerous patches. Probably inspired by Civilization, the developers of Rome 2 added the ability to win not only through conquest, but also through culture and trade. However, this is not the only part worthy of attention: Napoleon, Attila, Shogun 2 and the previously mentioned Warhammer are also interesting in their own way.

If I could create a product as successful as Warcraft, I would be resting on my laurels for 20 years, spending all my money in some completely pointless way. But the guys from Blizzard are not like that: after getting a well-deserved standing ovation after the release of Warcraft 2, Blizzard set to work on a space RTS. True, as a result, they still got Warcraft: the beta version was mercilessly criticized and perceived as "orcs in space." Fortunately, the developers listened to the criticism and completely redid the graphics engine and setting. So in 1998 the legendary StarCraft was born.

The game features 3 races: Zerg, Protoss and Terran, which are borrowed from the Warhammer 40,000 universe (tyranids, eldar, imperial guard). However, the similarity is extremely superficial: having been born, StarCraft went its own way of development - the universe of this game has acquired its own characteristics and now has little in common with Warhammer.

In most strategies, in order to maintain a delicate balance, all nations have the same set of units and buildings + a few unique buildings / soldiers that bring some variety, but do not fundamentally affect the tactics of the game. StarCraft did not give a damn about these canons. All 3 races are completely different:

Zerg far from technology and science, they achieve superiority solely by quantity.
highly spiritual protoss are the exact opposite of the zerg: each protoss imagines himself an important person with a rich inner world, so it costs a lot of resources, but also hits, respectively, painfully and hard.
Terrans(from the word "terra") represent people in the game. They are the "golden mean" between the zerg and the protoss.

The beautiful lights of Star Craft 2 lure gullible schoolchildren and evoke a skeptical grin from oldfags

Such striking differences between the races gave the game a solid advantage over the rest of the RTS, gaining her a reputation as a "smart" strategy, in which you need not just to "spawn" as large an army as possible, but to think over your actions in advance, showing strategic and tactical skills. Microcontrol also plays an important role: if the protoss are not particularly demanding on control accuracy, then the success of offensive operations of other races, especially the zerg, directly depends on the speed and accuracy of the player's reaction.

StarCraft II was released in 2010. Modern graphics and excellent multiplayer allowed the game to return to its former glory and take its rightful place in eSports. Although the oldfags claim that the unique balance of the first SC is somewhat lost, StarCraft 2 received high ratings from various gaming publications (on average 9 out of 10) and gave it a second life.

5. Age of Empires

In 1997 the first part of Age of Empires: still the same Warcraft, only in profile. Instead of fantasy races, the game featured 12 human nations that could evolve from the Stone Age to Antiquity. This game did not make a splash in the gaming world, but on the whole it was received favorably, which inspired its creators to start working on the second part.

Age of Empires II came out 2 years later: The Age of Kings, which has become truly legendary. She eclipsed not only the first part, but also many of the then “whales” of this genre, having won a decent army of fans. In 2000, the add-on Age of Empires II: The Conquerors appeared, which added 5 new nations to the game with unique units, as well as additional missions and technology. It was this part of the game that became the most popular in the Age of Empires series. What is the reason for her success?

Diversity of nations. There were 18 nations in The Conquerors, many of which were quite exotic: Huns, Teutons, Saracens, Celts, Persians, Aztecs, Mayans, etc. In fact, it was this game that laid the fashion for strategies with many different civilizations.
Development opportunity. The second "chip", which was implemented for the first time among strategies, was precisely AoE 2 - the transition from one historical era to another. All this was accompanied by a rather extensive technology tree, for the study of which it was necessary to build various buildings and spend resources.
Balance. Of course, the nations differed not only in the color and different design of buildings. Each of them had their own bonuses and unique units. Some had an economic advantage, others had stronger cavalry, some had great siege weapons, some had a long-range fleet, and so on. All this variety was quite balanced with no clear favorites. As a result, Age of Empires 2 appealed to many fans of online battles.

As it turned out, a beautiful picture cannot replace an interesting gameplay.

Age of Empires III was released in 2005. It was not bad, but it was not close to the success of its predecessor. As a result, after several addons, Microsoft gave up and, to the delight of the fans, returned to Age of Empires 2. In 2013, they released Age of Empires 2: HD edition, and then 2 more addons: The Forgotten (5 new nations, including Slavs) and The African Kingdoms (4 more nations and "African" campaigns). So today AoE 2 continues to develop and delight fans with new additions.

4. Cossacks

The success of Age of Empires caught the attention of many game makers: they stopped trying to create their own "Warcraft", switching to the "Age of Empires" (which was undoubtedly inspired by Warcraft). Here are the guys from the Ukrainian company GSC game world created RTS, which conceptually has a lot in common with AoE.

The Cossacks game, released in 2001, turned out to be so successful that in the eyes of many domestic strategists it overshadowed the Epoch for a long time. If you believe "Igromania", then at one time "Cossacks" became the best-selling domestic game(over 1 million copies).

"Cossacks" continued the idea of numerous playable nations. In the second addon of the first part, which was called "War Again", 20 different countries were available. And if in the "Epoch" there was not a single Slavic nation, then in the "Cossacks" not only Russia, but also Ukraine was available (which is logical, following from the name and geographical location of the developers). There were also more refined nations, like Piedmont and Saxony.

Unlike other strategies, in "Cossacks" resources were spent not only on the acquisition of units, but also on their maintenance. Without food, famine began, and mercenaries purchased for gold raised an uprising as soon as the treasury was empty. To use firearms, iron and coal were needed - without them, arrows and artillery were defenseless.

Also in the game it was possible to capture some enemy buildings, artillery and peasants (except Ukrainian ones, with them as usual: will or death). Compared to the Age of Empires, the Cossacks seemed more dynamic, allowing you to create an incredible amount of some kind of crazy and fearless units - in network game the battles of such hordes looked epic and exciting.

Cossacks 2

In 2005, "Cossacks 2" came out: despite the high ratings of many gaming publications, the game did not cause the same enthusiasm that the first part. Absolutely everything has been redesigned in it: it has become more realistic and thoughtful. No "disputed" nations, raids of hordes of fearless madmen and upgrades of ancient guns to such a degree of efficiency that even Kalashnikov becomes envious.

The battles in "Cossacks II" forced to take into account the terrain, reload guns for a long time and monitor the morale of soldiers who can get cold feet and rush into the loose. It sounds, like, not bad, but in the network game there is no trace of the former fun.

Cossacks 3

And on September 21, 2016, the long-awaited "Cossacks 3" was released, which no one had ever dreamed of. And everything would be fine if it were not for the number 3 in the title - everyone expected the continuation of the series, but received a remastering of the first part. old game was transferred to a new graphics engine, the gameplay is completely taken from the original Cossacks. Add to that a decent amount of bugs that GSC Game World has been actively fixing since release with various patches, and you can see why many gamers felt cheated. Still, GSC should have announced that the game is a remaster of the first part. before release, not after him.

3. Heroes of Might and Magic

First part of step by step Strategy Heroes of Might and Magic came out way back in 1995. Its predecessor was King's Bounty, which appeared back in 1991. But universal love and recognition for HoMM came gradually, covering Heroes of Might and Magic III with a head somewhere closer to 1999.

The action of all "Heroes" takes place in a fantasy universe. There are races, but the player is not tied to them: the hero can conquer the castles of any faction and hire any available units. So, under the same banners, the most motley and wild brethren can gather: elves and skeletons, centaurs and dragons, people and elementals.

Battles take place on a field divided into tiles (hexagons). Units of the same type occupy one cell, regardless of their number. The moves are carried out in turn, while the hero looks at this action from the side, from time to time trying to help his army by casting various spells. Gradually, the hero gains experience, learns new skills and collects various artifacts that make him better and higher.

HoMM IV was released in 2004 and was perceived, to put it mildly, ambiguously: there were too many innovations. The main and key innovation concerned the heroes: from passive observers they turned into active participants in battles who could move, deal damage and be attacked like other units. Heroes could travel without troops at all: one at a time or in a gang of 7 characters. Having pumped properly, a lone hero could independently endure a large army.

Was and back side medals: if you managed to kill an enemy hero at the beginning of the battle, you could get a solid advantage. For example, it made sense to organize a sabotage attack on the enemy, lay down the leader of the troops and retreat - a decapitated army lost the opportunity to capture mines and castles, which forced it to retreat and drag the commander's lifeless carcass home.

All these innovations gave rise to countless spaces for controversy and hollivars: since 6 years have passed since the release of the third part, a new generation of gamers has appeared who have never seen Heroes before - they liked HoMM4. But those who grew up on the previous parts, butthurt experienced mixed feelings.

Heroes of Might and Magic V

Disputes between supporters and opponents of the fourth part was stopped by the release of Heroes of Might and Magic V, which took place in 2006: yesterday's opponents joined forces in a common impulse to express claims about cartoonish graphics for anime lovers. If you close your eyes to the picture, according to the gameplay, "Heroes 5" was a modernized copy of the third part - obviously, the developers did not experiment in order to earn extra money on the nostalgia of the fans of the series.

This is where the classic "Heroes" ends and something completely incomprehensible begins. HoMM 6 and 7 have turned into some kind of alternative product, so far from the original that even Heroes 4 looks like a standard of kosher against their background. Therefore, most fans of "Heroes" prefer to play earlier versions, from 3 to 5. But the Third HoMMs remain the most popular. Especially since the HD version of this game was released in 2015.

2 Civilization

The first "Civilization" appeared in shaggy 1991 and, as they say, was a digital version of the same name board game early 80s. Since at that time ordinary mortals did not have computers, few suspected a new strategic toy: mainly employees of research institutes and other interesting enterprises.

Nevertheless, the game turned out to be quite successful: what engineer could resist the temptation after a busy shift to try on the role of Stalin or Gandhi? The presence of Civilopedia, a detailed game encyclopedia, favorably distinguished Civilization from other strategies of those times.

Civilization II

In 1996, Sid Meier and company released the second part of Ziva, which, thanks to the greater prevalence of computers, became a completely successful commercial product. Despite the mediocre graphics, the game had cool moments: for example, when building a wonder of the world, a video clip of a real newsreel was played. You could see the launch of the Apollo or a nuclear rocket, the shooting of the Sistine Chapel or Notre Dame de Paris. In subsequent parts, the cinema was replaced with conventional animation.

Civilization III

2001 was marked by the release of Civilization III: the first Civa with nice graphics. Even now it looks quite attractive, and in 2001 this picture caused a real delight. The gameplay has also undergone some changes. In Civ 2, players tried not to collect many units on one cell, because. in the event of an enemy attack and the death of one of them, everyone who stood on the cell died. In Civ 3, nothing like this happened: in order to clear the cell of enemies, it was necessary to destroy them all.

Therefore, the obvious and only tactic of waging war in the third Civ: the creation of the so-called stack - a crowd of motley units on one cell. From time to time, a leader appeared who could unite 3 units under his banners. Such a formation was called an army and was a kind of fat unit with 20HP. With the help of the army, it was possible to cut out almost anything.

The city window is the best thing in Civilization III

The signature feature of the second and third Civa was the situation in which a technologically backward unit, having more combat experience, could easily destroy some miracle weapon of the future. For example, in the order of things there was a situation when a spearman tore an enemy tank to shreds with an accurate blow or an archer, pulling the string properly, shot down an enemy bomber. Particularly amused was the fact that the plane was shot down equally successfully not only by an archer, but also by a swordsman. In subsequent parts, this problem was partly solved, but in the first Civs such events gave rise to many bouts of hysteria.

Civilization III had a number of innovations that migrated to all subsequent games in the series: various resources on the map, the Golden Age, cultural influence on neighboring cities, with which it was possible to assimilate a neighboring settlement, a technology tree (in previous parts, you had to memorize or write down the sequence discoveries of various sciences).

Civilization IV

Civilization IV, released in 2005, has acquired a three-dimensional image. Players, accustomed to the third Civa, were wary of the unusual graphics, so unlike the previous part. Religion and espionage appeared in the game (Beyond the Sword addon), and aviation actions became more realistic: planes made raids from the city and could not be shot down by some harsh spearman. The problem of clusters of a large number of units on one cell was partly solved just by aviation or artillery: all units in the stack received damage from their attack.

Another cool innovation that appeared in the Warlords addon is vassal states. Now, instead of completely conquering negligent neighbors, it was enough to defeat the bulk of the troops and capture several key cities. After that, the enemy agreed to capitulate and became a vassal. Also, the status of a vassal could be granted to a group of their cities on another continent or islands, turning them into a kind of autonomous republic.

The year 2010 came and Civilization V came out. Square cells were replaced by more convenient and practical hexes: with them, state borders got rid of the strange linear angularity and became more believable. The system of accumulating a huge number of units on one cell was demolished: now only one military unit could be placed on one hexagon. At the same time, they were made more efficient and stronger.

It was necessary to spend strategic resources for the maintenance of certain units: horses, iron, oil, coal or uranium. Without them at hand, the state risked being left without cavalry, battleships, nuclear weapons and aircraft, which not only added realism, but also forced the players to carefully manage resources instead of riveting everything they want in incredible quantities.

The tactic of building as many cities as possible also outlived its usefulness: large empires received fines in culture and science, and the population began to show discontent. So there are several different tactics: develop through 4-5 cities with more population, or build more settlements, but with fewer inhabitants in the cities. It became possible to win with one single city (greetings from Venice).

Another innovation: the emergence of city-states that do not claim world domination. Friendship with them brought various bonuses: resources, science, culture or religion points, units and additional votes in Congress.

It is worth noting that many of the functions, as in previous Civs, were added in addons: religion and espionage, caravans, the ability to adopt various resolutions in Congress and the UN - all this was not in the initial version without addons. Therefore, reading the reviews about the game, it is not difficult to see how the anger of the fans of the series was gradually replaced by mercy.

On October 21, 2016, Civilization VI was released. Among the notable innovations: 2 technology trees, cultural and scientific, which open independently of each other. Cells around cities must be built up with special areas: scientific, cultural, military, religious, industrial, etc. It’s definitely impossible to build everything - there simply won’t be enough cells. Moreover, each wonder of the world also requires a separate tile.

It is difficult to describe all the innovations and features of the sixth Civa because of its freshness. But the game has already received the highest ratings from various gaming publications, and the reviews in Steam, by and large, are very positive. And this is despite the fact that usually the first version of Civilization turns out to be damp and only with time, with the help of several addons, it turns into a masterpiece. But, apparently, the sixth Civilization can become the first representative of the series, which is good from the very beginning.

1. Warcraft

By a wide margin, Warcraft climbs to the top of the ranking of the best strategies - one of the founders of the RTS genre, whose developments have become the standard for dozens and hundreds of subsequent games. It should not be surprising that C&C and StarCraft could not get close to Varych: his influence on gaming industry cannot be overestimated. Dota, World of Warcraft, desktop and card games, and now also a feature-length film - all this came into being only thanks to the game from Blizzard, which was released back in 1994.

The plot of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans is tied to the confrontation between humans and orcs. As in the film, the orcs fall out of the portal into the world of people and a struggle begins between them for a place under the sun. However, the first part did not attract much attention - all the glory went to its sequel, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, which was released just a year later. But just look at the changes that have taken place in the schedule in this short period! Add interesting videos and a solid plot to a pleasant picture, and that's it - the masterpiece is ready.

As if "before" and "after" - the year was not in vain

Warcraft III

But the continuation of the banquet had to wait a long time - as much as seven years. And the first reaction of the gaming community was ambiguous: too many suspicious innovations appeared in the game:

3D engine;
2 races grew into 4 (night elves and undead were added);
A lot of neutral units and monsters appeared on the maps;
Heroes were added to the game who accumulated experience, pumped skills and cast all sorts of things (why not RPG?);
Rollers have become even brighter and more beautiful;
The plot is even more twisted and pathetic.

The pinnacle of the evolution of the third part was the release of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne in 2003, which gave birth to a memorable DotA (I’m unlikely to discover America if I remind you that DotA was created in a regular Warcraft 3 map editor and was not considered as a full-fledged standalone game).

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10 Strong hold

A typical serene morning in Stronghold Crusader

Players could select a whole group of units and give them a command with just one click;
The map featured neutral units, buildings, and other objects that could be interacted with (read: "destroy");
It was in C&C that the system for separating units by class first appeared, such as "stone, scissors, paper" - the first type of unit is effective against the second, but vulnerable to the third, etc .;
The game began to use videos and animated cutscenes, paired with a cool soundtrack, allowing players to "get into" the history of the C&C universe, and not perceive it as another unnamed chessboard to hone their tactical abilities;
Another signature feature of Command & Conquer is the presence of only one resource, tiberium - it is for it that all wars in the universe of this game are fought.

Red Allert

The Soviets, as it were, convey a fiery hello to old man Einstein

Red Allert deserves a separate article. This game has absorbed an incredible amount of madness and "cranberries" on the theme of the Cold War and the confrontation between NATO and the USSR. Here is a brief description of the prehistory of the universe of this game: after seeing enough of the horrors of World War II, the old man Einstein in 1946 decides to make a time machine and return to the past to destroy Hitler. As a result, the scales swung the other way: Comrade Stalin decides to build his own, communist Reich, and Europe, together with the allies, still has to fight.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 is made for Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson: with a yell of "Power!!!", the player sweeps all the enemies in his path. Tactics? No, have not heard.

7. Total War

The main distinguishing feature of Total War is the successful combination of turn-based mode and RTS: the level of each of them is selected separately. The main action takes place on a global map of the world, in which everything happens step by step. But the battles are downloaded separately and are rapidly developing in real time. Players will have to wisely use terrain features and different types of units, which allows them to gain an advantage even over superior enemy forces.

Zerg far from technology and science, they achieve superiority solely by quantity.
highly spiritual protoss are the exact opposite of the zerg: each protoss imagines himself an important person with a rich inner world, so it costs a lot of resources, but also hits, respectively, painfully and hard.
Terrans(from the word "terra") represent people in the game. They are the "golden mean" between the zerg and the protoss.

The beautiful lights of Star Craft 2 lure gullible schoolchildren and evoke a skeptical grin from oldfags

5. Age of Empires

In 1997, the first part of Age of Empires was released: all the same Warcraft, only in profile. Instead of fantasy races, the game featured 12 human nations that could evolve from the Stone Age to Antiquity. This game did not make a splash in the gaming world, but on the whole it was received favorably, which inspired its creators to start working on the second part.

After 2 years, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings came out, which became truly legendary. She eclipsed not only the first part, but also many of the then “whales” of this genre, having won a decent army of fans. In 2000, the add-on Age of Empires II: The Conquerors appeared, which added 5 new nations with unique units to the game, as well as additional missions and technologies. It was this part of the game that became the most popular in the Age of Empires series. What is the reason for her success?

Diversity of nations. There were 18 nations in The Conquerors, many of which were quite exotic: Huns, Teutons, Saracens, Celts, Persians, Aztecs, Mayans, etc. In fact, it was this game that laid the fashion for strategies with many different civilizations.
Development opportunity. The second "chip", which was implemented for the first time among strategies, was precisely AoE 2 - the transition from one historical era to another. All this was accompanied by a rather extensive technology tree, for the study of which it was necessary to build various buildings and spend resources.
Balance. Of course, the nations differed not only in the color and different design of buildings. Each of them had their own bonuses and unique units. Some had an economic advantage, others had stronger cavalry, some had great siege weapons, some had a long-range fleet, and so on. All this variety was quite balanced with no clear favorites. As a result, Age of Empires 2 appealed to many fans of online battles.

As it turned out, a beautiful picture cannot replace an interesting gameplay.

4. Cossacks

The success of Age of Empires caught the attention of many game makers: they stopped trying to create their own "Warcraft", switching to the "Age of Empires" (which was undoubtedly inspired by Warcraft). So the guys from the Ukrainian company GSC Game World created RTS, which conceptually has a lot in common with AoE.

The Cossacks game, released in 2001, turned out to be so successful that in the eyes of many domestic strategists it overshadowed the Epoch for a long time. According to Igromania, at one time Cossacks became the best-selling domestic game (more than 1 million copies).

Also in the game it was possible to capture some enemy buildings, artillery and peasants (except Ukrainian ones, with them as usual: will or death). Compared to the Age of Empires, the Cossacks seemed more dynamic, allowing you to create an incredible number of some crazy and fearless units - in a multiplayer game, the battles of such hordes looked epic and exciting.

Cossacks 2

Cossacks 3

And on September 21, 2016, the long-awaited "Cossacks 3" was released, which no one had ever dreamed of. And everything would be fine if it were not for the number 3 in the title - everyone expected the continuation of the series, but received a remastering of the first part. The old game was transferred to a new graphics engine, the gameplay is completely taken from the original Cossacks. Add to that a decent amount of bugs that GSC Game World has been actively fixing since release with various patches, and you can see why many gamers felt cheated. Still, GSC should have announced that the game is a remaster of the first part. before release, not after him.

3. Heroes of Might and Magic

The first part of the turn-based strategy Heroes of Might and Magic was released back in 1995. Its predecessor was King's Bounty, which appeared back in 1991. But universal love and recognition for HoMM came gradually, covering Heroes of Might and Magic III with a head somewhere closer to 1999.

There was also the other side of the coin: if you managed to kill the enemy hero at the beginning of the battle, you could get a solid advantage. For example, it made sense to organize a sabotage attack on the enemy, lay down the leader of the troops and retreat - a decapitated army lost the opportunity to capture mines and castles, which forced it to retreat and drag the commander's lifeless carcass home.

Heroes of Might and Magic V

2 Civilization

The first "Civilization" appeared in shaggy 1991 and, as they say, was a digital version of the board game of the same name from the early 80s. Since at that time ordinary mortals did not have computers, few suspected a new strategic toy: mainly employees of research institutes and other interesting enterprises.

Civilization II

Civilization III

The city window is the best thing in Civilization III

Civilization IV

1. Warcraft

By a wide margin, Warcraft climbs to the top of the ranking of the best strategies - one of the founders of the RTS genre, whose developments have become the standard for dozens and hundreds of subsequent games. It shouldn't be surprising that C&C and StarCraft couldn't even get close to Varych: his impact on the gaming industry cannot be overestimated. Dota, World of Warcraft, board and card games, and now a feature-length movie - all this came into being only thanks to the game from Blizzard, which was released back in 1994.

As if "before" and "after" - the year was not in vain

Warcraft III

3D engine;
2 races grew into 4 (night elves and undead were added);
A lot of neutral units and monsters appeared on the maps;
Heroes were added to the game who accumulated experience, pumped skills and cast all sorts of things (why not RPG?);
Rollers have become even brighter and more beautiful;
The plot is even more twisted and pathetic.

The pinnacle of the evolution of the third part was the release of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne in 2003, which gave rise to the memorable DotA (I’m unlikely to discover America if I remind you that DotA was created in the usual Warcraft 3 map editor and was not considered as a full-fledged standalone game).

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Strategy games occupy a special place in the list of genres. They are not designed for a mass audience, because often they do not have outstanding graphics and hurricane gameplay, and the classic “swoop” passage can unpleasantly surprise the player.

Here you need to think, plan and solve the problem gradually, step by step moving towards victory.

The best military strategy games on PC

We present our top of the best military strategies for PC, which have already become classics and should certainly be on the list of those who call themselves a fan of the genre.

Red Alert Series

Release date: 1996-2009
Developer: Westwood Studios, EA Los Angeles

The Red Alert series is a separate series of games within the popular Command & Conquer franchise. The action takes place in an alternate reality in which Hitler was defeated by a time machine invented by Einstein. This led to unforeseen consequences in the form of a huge military power of the USSR, which declared war on the United States and its allies. A little later (in the third part of the series), another side joins the confrontation - the Empire of the Rising Sun.

Developer: The Creative Assembly
Release date: 2000-2017

It is difficult to find a more famous series of war games than Total War. Back in 2000, when many of our readers were running under the table on foot, the world saw the first project of the series - Shogun. The player had to face Japan during the period of feudal fragmentation and taking control of one of the Japanese clans to bring him to power over the entire island state.

Total War: Warhammer

But it was Rome: Total War that instilled love for the series, which impressed with its detail, depth of strategic opportunities and exceptional charm. Today, the collection has the ability to fight in any time period. We can try to bring one of the nations of the Ancient World to greatness, lead the invasion of barbarians in the Dark Ages, build a medieval empire, wage wars and discover new lands during the Modern Age, and even plunge into fantasy world in Game Total War: Warhammer. The series is worth it to spend hundreds of hours on it and get a lot of fun.

Developer: Blizzard
Release date: 2010
Link: http://eu.battle.net

Fans have been waiting for the second part of it for 12 years. And their hopes were fully justified. We are waiting for a new round of confrontation between the three main races in space: Terran, Zerg and Protoss. People rely on their firepower in the form of flamethrowers, tanks, heavy cruisers. Zerg is a highly developed swarm, where each member of the hive is just a tool for solving a specific problem that faces the main brain. The Protoss are an ancient race on the brink of psionic ascension, but still dealing with their own internal conflicts.

Starcraft II is based on a very interesting plot, the development of which does not bother to follow from mission to mission. And the tasks themselves are extremely diverse, they have many side tasks, non-trivial solutions. Many people can really call Starcraft II the best military strategy and they will be right in their own way. After all, it was not in vain that immediately after the release, it was included in the eSports Olympiad in Korea.

Developer: New World Computing, Nival, Black Hole Entertainment
Release date: 1995-2015

It is impossible to make the top strategic war games and miss the legendary series of Heroes of Might and Magic. Having seen the light in 1995, the game has gone through more than 20 years of history. The most successful is still the third part of the series, despite the outdated graphics to date. The second most popular is the fifth part, created by domestic developers.

We will be told about a fairy-tale world where there are constant wars. Almost all the mythical and legendary creatures that are present in the myths of the peoples of the world fight here: genies and wyverns, gremlins and trolls, demons and orcs. This is a turn-based military strategy, each session in which is unique. Everything depends on the decisions of the player, each campaign can be played with the style inherent only to a particular player. And how interesting it is to play multiplayer, it's hard to even imagine. This is a lot of sleepless nights spent storming fortresses.

Release date: April 21, 2016
Developer: Tindalos Interactive
Link: Steam

A real-time strategy game in the Warhammer 40,000 setting. Takes us into space, where we will fight in armadas against enemy fleets. Among the advantages, it is worth immediately highlighting very beautiful graphics. Probably the space landscapes from here are the best in the industry. If you played HomeWorld, you can imagine the gameplay, only with the difference that for some reason, starships obey the laws of physics that apply to Earth. Imagine a navy transported into space. You will receive Battlefleet Gothic: Armada.

Battlefleet: Gothic Armada

As you would expect from the Warhammer 40,000 universe, everything here is epic. If this is the flagship, then it is the largest warship in the galaxy, if there is a battle, then this is the most general battle that decides the fate of space. Yes, and pathos, so inherent in the setting, there is enough.

In general, all games created in the Warhammer 40,000 universe will be of interest to those who are fond of setting. Others can install and play, suddenly this particular project will appeal to you.

Release date: October 21, 2016
Developer: Firaxis Games
Link: Steam

Probably, there is hardly a gamer who has not heard of Civilization. This is a global strategy in which you choose your people and lead them to world domination through the centuries from the stone age to the space age. It can be safely called a military strategy, since it is rare for a player to fight for a religious or cultural victory. Basically, all tasks are carried out with red-hot iron and atomic bombing.

Compared with previous parts several major innovations can be noted. First, and most notably, the graphics have become much more cartoony. At first, this seems like an illogical decision, given that with each new Civilization, the game has become more and more realistic. But after playing one or two games, the design of the game starts to like it.

The second global change is the emergence of districts - suburbs that are responsible for specific areas. Now cities can specialize, so you can develop a city that will bring science and culture by building a campus and a theater square there, or you can build a powerful economic and military port by combining a shipyard and a market square.

Finally, the third notable change is the two technology branches. The first are researched at the expense of science points - these are the main inventions. The second - social, are researched at the expense of culture points. It will no longer be possible to win back the barbarians on top of tanks, you will have to delve into the culture.

The principle of combat operations is transferred from the fifth part, where the war is like a classic wargame with a hexagonal layout. Civilization 6 is a great successor to the entire line. Replay value and many hours spent playing are guaranteed.

Release Date: May 9, 2016
Developer: Paradox Interactive
Link: Steam

Stellaris is a global military strategy in which the player is instructed to take the reins of power over one of the civilizations that has just entered space, and by any means make it dominant in the galaxy. Usually in games we are offered a limited set of races, but here, thanks to the constructor, you can create hundreds, if not thousands of them.

This is a star empire simulator. The player will have to solve all the problems that may be before the ruler. Starting from providing food to the subjects, ending with the control of science and the invention of new engines for ships or the construction of a dome over colonies on planets poorly suitable for life of your race.

And do not forget that you are not the only race in the galaxy and you will have to fight, even if you play a pacifist who is generally against any conflicts. After all, your planets are a tasty piece of cake for some race of militarist bulls.

The whole review is not enough to tell about this game, so you only need to play it. This is truly a masterpiece and the best military strategy of 2016.

Release Date: August 11, 2017
Developer: Kite Games
Link: Steam

The revival of the legendary line, which the domestic gamer knows under the name "Confrontation". It takes us back to the events of the Second World War and poses difficult tasks with the help of tanks and guns to decide the outcome of the conflict. The previous parts received dozens of modifications and unofficial add-ons, which are still being created more than 10 years after the release of official releases.

The novelty offers us three campaigns: For the Axis, the USSR and the Allies. In each mission, you are given a certain number of troops: infantry, tanks, artillery, support. And with this limited supply of military resources, you will need to complete the mission. You can only hope for help in cases laid down by the script.

The scores are twofold. Many swear at cardinal simplifications compared to other parts, while others, on the contrary, call it a worthy successor to the genre.

Release date: February 21, 2017
Developer: 343 Industries, Creative Assembly

Continuation of the popular strategy in the world of Halo. It all started with an action game in which you moved into the Master Chief robot and smashed the aliens on the surface of the Ringworld. In 2009, a strategy based on the setting appeared. And now we can see the continuation.

Halo Wars 2 is a classic RTS with base building, resource extraction and rush towards the enemy base. But how beautifully it is done! The graphics in the game are really on the level military strategy 2017. Animation, drawing, effects from explosions and the use of various energy weapons are simply amazing. There are many units to choose from, from small soldiers to huge walking robots.

The only thing that might seem like a failure is some of the gameplay simplifications introduced for the sake of simplifying the controls on consoles. Yes, the project was originally developed for X-Box. For amateur consolers it will be a real find in the genre of military strategies.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3

Release date: April 27, 2017
Link: Steam

And again we have before us the universe of Warhammer 40,000, but already on earth, and not in space. The game features three races: Space Marines, Orcs and Eldar. And they fight for the possession of a superweapon that can change the balance of power in the galaxy.

Warhammer 40,000
of War III

Before us is the classic Dawn of War with a new storyline and beautiful graphics. The variety of troops has also been added, units cut each other more and more efficiently and beautifully. Compared to the previous game in the series, the number of units that can take part in the battle has expanded. But given that the units are still highly specialized and have many skills and abilities, mass battles will not work. In the best case, it is convenient to manage two or three detachments, inflicting tactically adjusted strikes on enemy positions.

The game turned out great. Fans of the setting are delighted, and all fans of military strategies on PC have already bought the game and spent many hours playing it.

Release date: 2006-2013
Developer: Relic Entertainment

Strategy on the theme of World War II with a very beautiful graphic design and an extensive arsenal of tactical options.

You can very finely tune each unit that will participate in the battle. Fighters level up, gaining new abilities, improving their rate of fire, accuracy, and other important abilities.

company of heroes2

The game is not massive, you control a small amount of equipment, so Company of Heroes can be called a tactical strategy.

The game invites us to fight both on the side of the Allies and the Red Army. Several add-ons have been released for the second part of the project, which expand the possibilities of the game, offering new missions, weapons, units.
Behind enemy lines

The player has a sniper, a machine gunner, a demoman, and other highly specialized fighters under his command. There will be no massive rush-zergs here, only well-thought-out tactical decisions, and the loss of each fighter is not just a decrease in the combat capability of the squad, but the failure of the mission.

In total, two games in the series have been released, each of them has many add-ons and re-releases. So there is where to roam when getting acquainted with it.

Total War: Three Kingdoms

Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: May 23, 2019
Developer: Creative Assembly

Another game in the famous series of historical strategies, this time changing the scene to Ancient China. In a difficult time for the country, when the territory is divided into many independent provinces that have arranged an endless war with each other, it needs a strong leader with remarkable organizational skills more than ever. And you can become this leader by uniting disparate clans and building with their help new empire. The choice is made from 12 famous commanders with their own strengths and weaknesses - some are good at diplomacy, others prefer military operations more.

The gameplay, judging by the information presented about the game at the moment, did not particularly deviate from the classic formula. As before, it is divided into two components - the first is turn-based tactics on the global map, where players must prioritize and think about which region to attack, which to protect, and which to bypass. The second component is spectacular battles of huge armies, assaults on fortress walls and other traditional medieval activities. The troops will have to be controlled in real time, and the units require micromanagement. You can’t just select the entire crowd and right-click to destroy enemies - that way you will definitely lose. You need to think, and only then act (it is for this, however, that players love Total War so much).

King Arthur II

Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: September 20, 2011
Developer: Neocore

Continuation of an exciting strategy with an emphasis on role-playing. Compared to the first part, the battles have become a little simpler and clearer: there is a certain piece of terrain, the enemy is doomedly wandering around it, and while he is alive, the battle is not won. Yes, there are still key objects on the map that give the invader a bonus or a free spell - but they do not affect any abstract "morale" or "victory points". There is not even a time limit: until the archers shoot down the last infantryman, and the rangers find and kill the horseman lost in the forest, the battle will not end. Some confusion is brought about only by heroes running across the field, performing typical feats: either the leader with a wave of his hand will cure all nearby soldiers, then the warrior will send seven people to the next world with one swing of the sword, then the magician will burn all enemy shooters along with the remnants of the allied cavalry, which finally broke through to them.

Thanks to the heroes and their abilities, the most intricate tactical puzzles are solved. For example, the battle for London, when the enemy has a dozen fast-recharging lightning totems at once, and an ordinary squad dies from just two hits. It would seem that the mission is impassable, but only certain characters can overcome it, for example, those who have immunity to lightning or the ability to quickly replenish their health. Of course, the impression of the game was spoiled by countless bugs and crashes, as can be seen from the many negative reviews on Steam, but in all other aspects the game is very good.

Kingdom Wars 2: Definitive Edition

Platform: PC (Steam)
Release Date: Q2 2019
Developer: Reverie W.S.

Good news for fans of the Kingdom Wars series - the developers decided to modernize one of their main hits, transferring it to a new engine that supports all technological standards, and use them to the maximum. The changes affected the graphic component, the interface was redesigned in the direction of greater convenience, and several significant changes were made to the gameplay balance, which fans have been asking for since the last part. Now it has become much more interesting to spend time in this fantasy world filled with elves, orcs and other bizarre creatures, especially considering that co-op and survival mode have been added to the game.

The gameplay formula of the game is quite diverse. There are also economic elements, and city building simulator, and epic battles of huge armies in real time. It turned out to be a kind of Warcraft 3, but significantly improved and with a deeper gameplay. There are also powerful units here - heroes who, with the help of their powerful abilities, can mow down entire squads of ordinary mortals, as well as wizards who control the forces of nature and have the ability to summon a destructive hurricane or thunderstorm. Special units can be strengthened using an advanced crafting system, for which you will have to collect resources and recipes. Some of them won't be easy to get.

Steel Division 2

Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: May 2, 2019
Developer: Eugene Systems

Sequel to the game of the same name, scheduled for release in May 2019. Unlike its predecessor, where we were given the opportunity to play as the Americans, the new Steel Division will tell the story of the events in the east of Europe from the point of view of the USSR. For other factions, however, they will also be allowed to play, but even without them the gameplay is quite diverse. All the necessary units for combat are present here: infantrymen (machine gunners and arrows, officers, etc., performing various tactical tasks), tanks (from light to heavy), artillery (mortars, anti-tank artillery and howitzers), air defense, aviation. Bombers and attack aircraft, according to the assignment issued by you, will bomb targets, scouts will conduct aerial reconnaissance, fighters will fight enemy aircraft.

In the game, as in a real battle, very close attention is paid to the morale of the foot soldiers. So, once surrounded, the morale of the detachment falls (the exception is paratroopers) and, if the rescue is not carried out, the infantrymen will begin to surrender. Run into a bayonet attack, under the fire of German machine guns, your infantry will also not, if it is not motivated. An officer will be able to raise the spirit of the soldiers. Much attention is paid to the terrain in the game: by placing scouts on high buildings, you can detect the advancing enemy in advance, and by hiding behind shelters, you can get an additional level of protection.

oil rush

Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: January 25, 2012
Developer: Unigine Corp.

Gameplay cuts have long been the norm among real-time strategy games. One gets the impression that this genre was born too heavy, therefore, so that the player is not torn between three things at once, good developers will either cut off direct control over units, cut off resource extraction, or prohibit the production of new combat units. The developers from the Russian-Czech studio Unigine Corporation went the other way: they cut off everything, but a little bit. Therefore, on the post-apocalyptic Earth of the future, where the action of the game takes place, it has become as simple and fun as possible to fight.

It is quite possible to do without minerals: new ships, planes and helicopters are stamped for free, you just have to capture the appropriate platform. It is impossible to build new factories or repurpose existing ones, but even a nuclear warhead will not be able to destroy the structure. That is why a struggle is constantly raging around all resource-extracting towers and platform-factories - and the winner in it is often determined by oil. Black gold is needed both to activate special skills and to provide factories with autonomous protection in the form of turrets. The result is a rather curious version of the strategy, where the life of the wards means almost nothing, and it makes no sense to accumulate resources (especially since there is a maximum limit above which you cannot store oil with all your desire), but the price is a cavalry attack and daring raids to the rear enemy. Thanks to them, the parties are played extremely dynamically.

Games are countless virtual worlds, allowing us to become those who we want, but cannot in real life. However, among these worlds there are those that have earned the title of the best, both from gamers and from impartial critics.

To select the best games on PC, we studied popular Russian-language resources such as Iwantgames, stopgame and kanobu and read reviews about popular games ah on Metacritic. Thus came the list of twenty best games on PC of all time which we present to your attention. The rating of games is given according to the data stop game.

Genre: MMORPG.

Release date: 2004-present.

Platform: Mac, PC.

One of best online games for PC offers not only an epic confrontation between two opposing alliances - the Alliance and the Horde, but also a beautiful, very Big world, interesting quests, a carefully crafted story and raids.

In them you can fully show your talent as a healer, a melee or ranged fighter, or a powerful defender. Or just kiss squirrels in the nearest forest, if the soul lies only in peaceful pursuits.

The game is quite old by today's standards, but additions are regularly released to it. Next - Battle for Azeroth will be released August 14th.

19. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Shooter, addon.

Release date: 2015

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE.

According to many players, this is the most realistic and intense tactical first-person shooter. The game does not have a solo campaign, but there is an exciting team game. The task of the attacking side is to take the opponents by storm, and the defensive team must strengthen their positions as much as possible and set up cunning traps for the enemy.

The plot is based on real events that took place during counter-terrorist operations.

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2011

Platform: PC, PS3, X360

As bullets whizz overhead and explosions slam into the ground, the battlefield feels more realistic than ever before. In Battlefield 3, players will have to transform into the elite US Marines for a while. They are waiting for dangerous missions, both single and cooperative.

Great graphics, a wide variety of vehicles, a well-thought-out environment and a nice reward for a good game. team game- that's what even very picky gaming publications praise Battlefield 3 for.

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Arcade.

Release date: 2015

Platform: PC, X360, XONE

This is perhaps the most beautiful platform arcade in our ranking of games. From the very first minutes, its unusual graphics attract attention and do not let go until the game is completed. Atmospheric world, a pleasant and unobtrusive soundtrack, RPG elements, a cute character that will appeal to both young and adult gamers - what else do you need to pass a couple of evenings in front of a computer?

Rating: 8.9.

Genre: Strategy.

Release date: 2017

Platform: Mac, PC.

For many people, the sci-fi strategy StarCraft represents one of the greatest computer games of all time. And StarCraft: Remastered lives up to the high bar set by its predecessor. With stunning new Ultra HD visuals, re-recorded audio and updated online support, this game is highly recommended.

15. Assassin's Creed 2

Rating: 8.9.

Genre: Action.

Release date: 2009.

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

The product of over two years of hard work and part of the popular Assassin's Creed franchise. In a vast open world environment, the game invites you to play as Ezio, a young nobleman living in the Renaissance. interesting story about vengeance and vengeance, complement the diverse missions, unusual gameplay elements, wide selection of weapons and character development that fans of the original Assassin's Creed love so much.

Rating: 9.0.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2007

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, WII, X360.

This game was amazing for its time, thanks to the atmosphere of a real war, a coherent story, an exciting multiplayer mode, hundreds of beautiful cutscenes and the most meticulous study of the game environment. Even now a military blockbuster Modern Warfare can give several hours of exciting gameplay.

Rating: 9.0.

Genre: Action.

Release date: 2012

Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XONE

The main character of the game is Jason Brody, a man stuck on a mysterious tropical island. In this wild paradise, where lawlessness and violence reign, Brody will determine the outcome of the war between the rebels and pirates for control of the island.

Rating: 9.1.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2017

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE

Twenty hours into this RPG, you'll still be discovering new mechanics you never knew existed. In this respect Original Sin 2 is not very friendly to beginners, and requires some perseverance and patience from them.

That being said, the huge amount of quests and secrets, the non-linear nature of the game, and its world, which is almost unparalleled in terms of scale and detail, are an experience not to be missed.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: Action, RPG.

Release date: 2010

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

This exciting space saga takes players to unknown alien civilizations and battles with aliens, mercenaries and sentient robots. In addition, it offers one of the most interesting and well-designed characters in RPG games.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2011.

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

An open-world adventure from Bethesda Game Studios doesn't have a better combat or magic system or even better graphics than the competition. Instead, it offers something much more - one of the biggest, richest, and totally immersive worlds you'll ever see.

Traveling through locations in Skyrim will take such a long time that you can lose sleep, take off from work, and test the patience of family and friends while playing.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: Action, racing

Release date: 2013

Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XONE

The best games of all time would be incomplete without this superbly optimized, atmospheric game. Its action takes place in sunny city Los Santos, where the criminal trio operates:

Franklin, a young thief looking for some serious money.
Michael, a former bank robber whose retirement was not as rosy as he thought.
Trevor, a violent guy suffering from a mental disorder.

Players can switch between characters at any time, and it's definitely worth doing. After all, each character has his own set of quests, as well as primary and secondary skills that help to survive and get the most out of the world of GTA5.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Strategy.

Release date: 1999

Platform: PC.

This legendary game became the most popular entry in the Heroes of Might and Magic series. Compared to previous installments, it offered new types of cities, seven small story campaigns for each faction, and at the same time ran even on low-powered computers. Thanks to good localization, The Restoration of Erathia was a huge success in Russia.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2009

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, X360.

As the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, one of the most successful role playing in branch, dragon age: Origins combines the best fantasy elements with stunning visuals. It cannot be called a revolution in the RPG genre, it is rather an evolution.

The story of Dragon Age: Origins is captivating and eventful, the characters are unforgettable, and the journey through the game world inhabited by humans, dwarves and elves is something that will captivate you and not let you go until the very end.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Puzzle.

Release date: 2011

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, X360.

Valve has created a fun puzzle game with excellent game mechanics. It offers players not only a single-player game for the main character Chelsea, who has to escape from the Aperture laboratory, but also a cooperative mode for two players. In it, the protagonists will be the robots Atlas and P-Body. Story line cooperative regime does not intersect with the plot of the single mode, which leads to unexpected endings.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Action, racing.

Release date: 2002

Platform: PC

One of the best games in history still evokes warm and nostalgic feelings among those who played it. And those who didn’t pass can do it for three main reasons:

The huge map of Lost Haven is filled with diverse and magnificent places. Each area has a peculiar look, has its own unique atmosphere and even musical accompaniment.
Basic game process can be summarized by simply saying that it consists of shooting and driving in a third-person perspective. However, in reality, it offers much more: from a variety of missions to dialogue and interaction with the many NPCs that inhabit the streets of The City of Lost Heaven.
An unusual and very beautiful main theme created under the direction of the Czech composer Vladimir Simunek, and with the participation of the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra.

The only weak point in the game is the imperfect AI of the hero's enemies and companions. On the other hand, the fact that the Lost Haven cops aren't geniuses adds to the realism.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2004

Platform: PC.

This game enjoyed great love, and fans of the series are still waiting for the release of the third part. The graphics engine in Half-Life 2 was so realistic that players felt like they were in the movie. Excellent character animation, an original way of presenting the story, a variety of environments and ways to interact with it, and most importantly - a charismatic main character made the first-person shooter Half-Life 2 what it is today. Namely, one of the most popular games in history.

Rating: 9.4.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 1998

Platform: PC.

Amazing atmosphere, great music, exciting story make Fallout 2 a gem of the RPG genre. This is a real non-linear game that allows you to do whatever you want in a world full of mutants, radiation, and hundreds of other dangers.

Rating: 9.5.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2015

Platform: Mac, PC, PS4, XONE.

The game about the adventures of Geralt of Rivia set a new standard for the quality of games in RPG genre With open world. Diverse and exciting locations, full of important decisions, interesting characters, and brutal enemies, excellent graphics and music, well-thought-out story, funny and dramatic moments - all this gave players more than 100 exciting hours of gameplay.

For everyone who does not know the magical universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher 3 explains the history of all the important characters and what connects them to Geralt. Thus, even beginners quickly get up to speed.

Rating: 9.6.

Genre: Addon, RPG.

Release date: 2016

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE.

The Witcher 3 is one of the highest rated games on PC. And her Blood and Wine addon is better than most games released in 2016. Even players who have spent hundreds of hours in The Witcher were surprised and delighted with the new addition with an interesting storyline. It is an excellent conclusion to the story of the White Wolf.

The amount and quality of content in this add-on is simply stunning, making it quite like a full-fledged game. You are waiting for a lot of quests, dialogues and, of course, monsters in the new Toussaint location.