Top 50 Strategy Games of All Time

Game: Tom Clancy's EndWar

Developer: Ubisoft Shanghai

Publisher: Ubisoft

Year Released: 2008

We've been all dreaming of a game like this for years, so when Ubisoft Shanghai finally managed to nail voice commands in an RTS we were more than willing to dive right in. Despite EndWar's less-than-satisfying single player campaign (thanks to it's dull story when compared to other Clancy games), this RTS makes the list for the innovations it's provided the genre. Innovations that we're sure to see in games for years to come.

Game: Black & White

Developer: Lionhead Studios

Publisher: EA Games

Year Released: 2001

Lionhead Studio's Black & White arrived on the scene to a slough of massive accolades. At least it did at first. What was originally believed to be a revolutionary God Sim that put players in command of a creature and the well-being of an entire race of island inhabitants, ultimately left a stale taste in the mouths of players that stuck with the game for a prolonged period. While some of the mechanics in the game--particularly the creature dynamics and the relationships that developed--were revolutionary at the time, the title is now seen as one of the most overrated games of all time. Though important, nonetheless.

Game: Shogun: Total War

Developer: Creative Assembly

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Year Released: 2004

Shogun started the Total War series off on the right foot with its clever mix of turn-based provincial development and real-time battles during Japan's Sengoku period. While the game's turn-based sections floundered compared to its massive battles (featuring over 10,000 individually rendered units) the multiplayer matches and unique Honor system provided enough tactical depth to keep players jumping online until Medieval showed up and stole this predecessor's thunder.

Game: Archon: The Light and the Dark

Developer: Free Fall Associates

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Year Released: 1983

Sure, Archon may have released the year of my birth, but I still have vivid memories of sitting down with this game years later. Archon is probably the closest thing I can compare to Star Wars' infamous chess-like game (superfans, fill in that title blank please or let me know that I'm way off), combining classic chess with run-and-gun action. Instead of pieces simply taking one another, they're whisked off to battle it out for control of a given space. This mix of strategy and Wario Ware-like speedy action makes for one riotous chess cocktail.

Game: Legacy Online

Developer: Oceanus Communications

Publisher: SEGA

Year Released: 2003

Legacy Online was not for everyone. In fact, this online economic sim didn't exactly take off--or even find its wings--when SEGA re-released it in 2002. Server and login issues plagued the persistent game and quickly left it buried under SEGA's "we're not making money, let's cancel this thing" umbrella. However, despite all the game's issues, Legacy had such an interesting concept that we couldn't help but include it on our list. An MMO where all you do is expand your business to a world empire? That's ridiculous! Ridiculously short-lived.

Game: Empire Earth

Developer: Stainless Steel Studios

Publisher: Sierra Entertainment

Year Released: 2001

Expectations ran high when we found out that former Age of Empires lead designer, Rick Goodman was turning the dial up to 11 and working on Empire Earth. Unfortunately, despite the joy we found in building an empire across 14 different ages, the broad scope of the project ended up lopping this one off at the knees. Empire Earth essentially just seemed like Age of Empires II+, and while that's not a bad thing, it isn't really enough to get this one much higher on our list.

Game: Dungeon Keeper 2

Developer: Bullfrog Productions

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Year Released: 1999

Peter Molyneux's Dungeon Keeper games successfully brought out the maniacal "bad guy" in us when we were younger--a feeling that's only been replicated recently with Overlord and those devious little imps that you get to control. Dungeon Keeper's simple premise of dungeon building, creature luring, and would-be hero demolishing was only slightly improved as it progressed to 3D in this sequel. But the addition of the sandbox style "My Pet Dungeon" mode (that allowed player's to construct dungeon's at their leisure) made for many late nights watching adventurers meet their doom.

Game: Fire Emblem (GBA)

Developer: Intelligent Systems

Publisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2003

Fire Emblem's fame outpaced itself in the US thanks to Roy and Marth's inclusion in the Smash Brothers franchise, but once the seventh Fire Emblem title made it's way stateside, players were hooked by the game's strategic tactical battles, surprisingly deep storyline, and punishing difficulty. In the Fire Emblem world characters only die once, and that one design decision keeps players replaying battles over and over again to ensure that their favorite characters live on to fight yet again.

Game: Herzog Zwei

Developer: Technosoft

Publisher: Technosoft

Year Released: 1989

Herzog Zwei may not be the most playable strategy title these days, but it's considered to be the first Real-Time Strategy game; releasing on the Genesis way back in 1989. Of equal importance, it was the first console strategy title to include multiplayer (via split-screen), a defining moment in the evolution of strategy games for years to come.