Best Strategy Games On PS4 & PS5

While PC may be the preferred destination for strategy games, there’s no shortage of great games available on PS4 and PS5, if you know where to look. If you prefer to game on either of these consoles, you’re in luck.

From commanding your units in real-time battles to planning your perfect city, strategy games come in a variety of subgenres that can appeal to vastly different audiences. No matter what your preferences are, here are some of the best strategy games to play on your PlayStation.

Updated December 20, 2024 by Jacob Whaling: We’ve added even more great strategy games to play on the PS4 and PS5 to this list.

23

Ruined King: A League Of Legends Story

If you’re a League of Legends fan and like turn-based strategy games, Ruined King: A League of Legends Story will be right up your alley. This game is perfect for those who love digging deep into the lore of Runeterra—particularly the Ruination, and it’s also a good way to take a break from League of Legends.

It’s also fun to note that you’ll see your favorite characters fighting differently since it’s a turn-based strategy game. Even if their abilities are familiar, you’ll have to be careful with your turns if you stand any chance of beating the Ruined King.

22

Cities: Skylines 2

Cities: Skylines, especially its second installment, takes the original game and enhances its potential, offering a much more expansive experience to build and manage your city. If you enjoy starting from scratch and having the freedom to shape your city however you want, then this game is for you.

It operates much like the first game, reflecting real-life city management. You manage utilities, provide services to the residents, set up transportation systems, and even create realistic cities. All of these tasks require strategic planning and approach to ensure the success of your city. If you aspire to construct the city of your dreams, Cities: Skylines 2 provides the platform to do just that.

21

Frostpunk

Frostpunk is part city builder, part management sim. On a frozen Earth, you are in charge of building and maintaining the only remaining city, where the survivors of harsh winters have banded together to survive. Frostpunk is defined by its unforgiving world, and you need to do everything you can to survive.

Frostpunk is an extremely polished and fleshed-out strategy game, where you will be forced to make important, long-lasting decisions to ensure the survival of your city. If you’re looking for an intense and sometimes emotional city builder, it doesn’t get much better than Frostpunk.

20

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game

It’s a pleasure to play as Geralt in the Witcher series while slaying all sorts of magical monsters, but sitting down and playing a game of Gwent is also a good way to unwind from hacking basilisks to bits. Besides being a fun strategy card game, it’s also free on PS4.

Despite being released in 2017, constant updates kept this card game alive and kicking. It’s not as simple as making sure you can obliterate your opponent’s cards, and things can easily get complicated depending on the factions at play.

19

Bad North

If you haven’t had enough of Bad North on your mobile device or Nintendo Switch, it’s also available on PS4 and PS5. Even if you don’t buy the Jotunn Edition, simply defending your lonesome, minimal kingdom in the middle of nowhere is a satisfying experience. As idyllic as this game looks, it’s still a real-time strategy game that gradually becomes more challenging.

Things do get chaotic in this seemingly zen island, and invasions come in waves. You’ll need to arm your troops and upgrade their class if you want to keep your island’s relative peace.

18

Slay The Spire

The roguelike deckbuilding genre has become massive in recent years, with tons of unique and diverse games, but Slay the Spire still reigns supreme as the quintessential example of a roguelike deckbuilder. As one of four classes, you will climb the Spire, building your deck by collecting cards and powerful Relics along the way.

Slay the Spire nails every aspect of its gameplay loop, making for a fresh and fun experience every time you set out for the Spire. Every class is unique and powerful in its own way, the difficulty is challenging but fair, and RNG keeps things interesting. If you have any interest in deckbuilding card-battlers, you really can’t go wrong with Slay the Spire.

17

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus

If you haven’t played any previous Warhammer games, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is a good pick if you want to get into the series. Though criticized for not being difficult enough, it can be one of the reasons why it’s a good entry point in the series.

You’ll be handling the most technologically advanced army while raiding Necron tombs. Each encounter will have different objectives that you’ll have to survive through, and if you reach the end of it all, you’ll be pleased to know that this game has a ton of replay value.

16

Northgard

If you’ve been sucked into a rabbit hole of Norse myth-related games, then Northgard’s right up your alley. You might not be hacking people and gods up the way you would in God of War: Ragnarok, but you’ll be in charge of turning Northgard into a flourishing Viking settlement.

Civilizations are hard to sustain under harsh climates, but the Vikings were able to do it centuries ago and went to conquer vast lands. It’d be a shame if you can’t keep your mythical Viking clan alive in Northgard through the cold winters simulated within your PS5.

15

Planet Coaster

Maybe the kind of strategy game you want to play doesn’t involve the complete obliteration of your opponent. You can forget about your dream of owning Disneyland and build your own theme park in Planet Coaster instead. What can go wrong in a theme park strategy game?

Absolutely everything, and you’ll find that managing the happiest place in the world means being unhappy yourself. Everything can go wrong in a theme park, from bankruptcy and crime to dangerous rides. Even if you’re not trying to conquer countries or worlds here, you’ll be experiencing a dystopian Disneyland if you make all sorts of bad choices.

14

Shadow Tactics: Blades Of The Shogun

Shadow Tactics: Blades Of The Shogun stands out as a great tactical stealth game set in the Edo period of Japan. The game offers complex missions where you lead a team of skilled characters, each with unique abilities. It smoothly combines strategic planning with precise execution, allowing you to navigate tough environments, avoid enemies, and accomplish objectives.

With its immersive atmosphere, well-designed levels, and captivating storyline, Shadow Tactics excels in the tactical stealth genre. If you enjoy stealth-based gameplay and strategic thinking, this game is a definite must-try.

13

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a tactical RPG that combines XCOM-esque strategy with deckbuilding and card battling. This is a must-play for Marvel fans, and even if you’re not a self-professed Marvel aficionado; its turn-based strategy gameplay is as action-packed as you can expect it to be.

As much as you’d like to blast away with Iron Man, that’s all up to the cards. Your choices are constrained by the hand you’re given, so you can’t just jab your way into victory if you want to eliminate the demons in your way.

12

Unicorn Overlord

Unicorn Overlord is a strategy RPG that has you take on the role of Alain as you rebel against an evil empire. Unicorn Overlord features deep strategic combat that blends real-time strategy and turn-based auto-battling. In the overworld, you’ll direct your parties into combat, at which point they will automatically fight the enemy squad.

Through the game’s unique trigger system, your units will take action depending on a number of different triggers, allowing you to craft your party for specific objectives. This deep customization rewards tinkering with your squad’s abilities and formation, and makes succeeding in battle extremely rewarding.

11

Crusader Kings 3

If aliens and heroes aren’t exactly your favorite topics to pass the time, embrace tradition by bringing your dynasty to glory in Crusader Kings 3. You’ll experience the drama, dangers, and intrigue a person of the nobility had to face during the medieval ages.

If you’re feeling a little competitive, you can also play this game with friends in multiplayer to raise the stakes. Other than waging war and expanding your territory, ensuring the continuation of your bloodline is also important to consider for your dynasty.

10

Tactics Ogre: Reborn

You’ll start your journey at the age of Xytengia during an age of war. You’ll be able to choose some traits and gifts from the arcana at the start, but everything else in the game will depend on your decisions.

Tactics Ogre: Reborn doesn’t only expect you to be smart with your choices, but it also pulls you into its own story-rich world. It’s safe to say that you’ll play this to see how life pans out if you redo your choices.

9

Octopath Traveler 2

Octopath Traveler 2 is also about choices, and each character you choose to explore with is going to have a different story. You can be a merchant battling poverty, a vengeful scholar who seeks justice for his family, a brave thief fighting her way through struggles for freedom, or an aspiring dancer from a small town who wants to be the best in the world.

Octopath Traveler 2 improves on the first game in every way, with deeper turn-based combat, better character stories, more developed character interactions, and more. Plus, you can enjoy the entirety of this game without ever playing the first game, if you want to jump straight into the best.

8

Anno 1800

If you’ve ever complained about your country’s awful city planning, you can take matters into your own hands and build your own city in Anno 1800. You might actually build a better city, but you’ll also come to know that it doesn’t come without tradeoffs.

Set during the industrial age, you’ll have to make decisions that can greatly impact the people who live in your city. You’ll need to know where to spend your points, how to make your city safe, and how to be economically prosperous—and if you don’t know where to start, you’ll want to take a look here.

If you’re tired of building civilizations and cities, maybe resisting an alien invasion is your type of strategy game. Many XCOM fans will have to agree that this game is by no means easy, and many horrible things can go wrong, and you’ll end up dying unexpectedly.

You might be thinking that setting this game to Rookie difficulty would offer some relief, but that’s merely wishful thinking. So if you’re looking for a new source of frustration in the shape of extraterrestrial invaders as a veteran tactics gamer, then XCOM 2 is your best bet to play on your PS4.

6

Civilization 6

You can’t be looking for strategy games without Civilization 6 being mentioned at least once, and it’s for a good reason. Choosing a ruler changes everything about the game, and with many DLCs frequently coming out, it’s hard to have a dull moment in this game.

The goal is to dominate the world, no holds barred—just like a real politician. If you’ve ever wanted to satiate your god complex, playing Civ 6 enables you to do just that by creating a world power with the tips of your fingers.

5

Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 will give you hours of play on your PS5. The memes and the strange ads might’ve gotten you to try this turn-based RPG, but the adventure and limitless possibilities you get for playing this game will keep your hands glued to your controller. You won’t always be forced into turn-based combat, and you can roam the world, so you’ll have a lot of freedom.

But turn-based combat is at the core of Baldur’s Gate 3, and learning your character and their companions’ spells and abilities will quickly take you from novice adventurer to hardened explorer. If you want to play Dungeons and Dragons in video game form, Baldur’s Gate 3 is exactly that.

4

Hand Of Fate 2

Hand of Fate 2 is a blend between roguelike deckbuilder and action RPG. Rather than building a deck of cards to combat various threats in a dungeon like Slay the Spire, in Hand of Fate 2, your deck determines the dangers you will face on your journey. Before you set out, you draft a deck comprised of weapons, armor, locations, and challenges.

Combat encounters are also unique in Hand of Fate 2, presenting as short action segments. Hand of Fate 2 is an extremely distinctive game that perfectly combines the roguelike, deckbuilder, strategy, and action genres, ensuring fans of any of these games will have a blast.