Strategy Games With Simple But Great Combat Systems

Few game genres have the same depth and complexity as strategy games. While there are ranges of difficulty within every genre, players of strategy games understand there’s going to be some level of tactical thinking needed to overcome each title’s challenges. Part of what makes this genre so popular is also the sheer breadth of games it covers. If players want to control a tight-knit squadron of soldiers against overwhelming odds, a sprawling army in a fantasy world, or rule as some kind of industrial despot in space, they’ll be able to find more than just a game to sate that urge, but an entire sub-genre dedicated to it.

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It’s no surprise, then, that the strategy genre can be intimidating for some players. Or, if not intimidating, mildly exhausting even for veterans. Maybe after a day of work or unwanted family events, you don’t want to manage the logistics of your soldiers storming Normandy or tweak the individual pauldrons and gauntlets on every troop in a squad of fighters. Even the most accessible strategy games can have some strings attached, but for bright-eyed newbies and weary veterans alike, there are some great, compelling strategy games out there that still keep the combat delightfully simple.

8

Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Smooth Gameplay With Iconic Characters

Systems

Released

August 29, 2017

Developer(s)

Ubisoft Milan, Ubisoft Paris

This strategy game came out of nowhere, blending X-Com-style combat with the setting and characters of Super Mario alongside – inexplicably – Ubisoft’s Rabbids.

Despite coming out of left field, this game has an excellent gameplay loop, a detailed equipment system, and a decent difficulty curve. The gameplay is straightforward but allows for enough variation and variety to keep players’ strategy fresh.

7

Into the Breach

Defeat Colossal Beasts – Time And Time Again

From the makers of the exalted FTL game, Into The Breach keeps the same philosophy of streamlined combat, but deep customization and replayability. Players control a tight cohort of mechs on a small-scale battlefield, trying to stop colossal monsters from wreaking havoc on what’s left of humanity.

Every loss is canon to the overall story, with players able to send one pilot from the doomed timeline back “into the breach” in order to try again in a new past until they manage to defeat the monsters for good. The small scale really helps keep the combat simple, but not without a great level of detail and tactics.

6

Age of Wonders 4

A Streamlined Take On The Classic Series

Systems

Released

May 2, 2023

Developer(s)

Triumph Studios

While there are a handful of mechanics to keep track of in Age of Wonders 4, they all come together incredibly smoothly in a way that lets players feel the responsibility of ruling a kingdom without an overwhelming amount of metrics to keep track of.

This simplicity continues into the game’s combat, where every composition of units falls under a certain class, and each class interacts with one another in a certain way. Pikemen are strong against cavalry, for example.

5

Thronefall

The Very Essence Of A Strategy Game

Systems

Released

October 11, 2024

Developer(s)

GrizzlyGames

Publisher(s)

GrizzlyGames

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

The philosophy of Thronefall is a simple one – stripping back all the unnecessary features of a strategy game to leave players with a direct, focused goal. Keep your people alive, no matter the cost that needs to be paid.

Players build up their kingdom during the day and defend that kingdom at night. They can spend as long as they like upgrading their holding, but when night falls, it becomes a gruesome defense of their lands against hordes of enemies.

4

Bad North

An Addictive But Simple Combat System

In a similar vein to Thronefall, Bad North strips back a strategy game to its most essential features, this time taking on the form of an excellent RTS game with minimalist graphics. The list of classes among units and enemies remains slim, but items and commander abilities add a lot of depth.

Even with the relatively paired back mechanics, there’s a lot of depth here, but the combat in practice remains simple enough for anyone to grasp. Position units to meet invading Vikings, and prevent the island’s structures from being razed.

3

Diplomacy is not an Option

Combat Is On A Huge Scale, But Remains Straightforward

While some of the titles on this list highlight the simplicity of their combat systems with comparatively small battle maps, Diplomacy Is Not An Option proves that even large-scale RTS games can have simple combat.

The mechanics behind combat in this game aren’t that simple, with real-time gravity determining the hit radius of effects, but in practice, players must simply use the handful of their tools at their disposal to maximize the destruction waged against hordes of invading enemies.

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2

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

A Mix Of Deckbuilding And Tactical Fighting That Doesn’t Get Messy

Systems

Released

December 2, 2022

Taking on a heroic (or a villainous) mantle, players can unleash true power as some of the most iconic Marvel superheroes and villains in Midnight Suns.

Part of what makes this game so fantastic – and the combat so simple – is that there are no hit chances. Captain America does not have a 90% chance of hitting with his shield, he has a 100% chance, by god, and he will slam that shield with enough force to incapacitate a low-level grunt.

1

Heroes Of Might And Magic 3

An All-Time Classic – For Good Reason

Systems

Released

March 3, 1999

Developer(s)

New World Computing, Loki Software, Dotemu

Publisher(s)

The 3DO Company, Ubisoft, Loki Software

Among some of the most lauded strategy games of all time, Heroes of Might and Magic 3 gives excellent worldbuilding, unique and creative unit designs, and an incredibly versatile spell system to players in a single, brilliantly crafted package.

Managing spells performed by heroes alongside the strengths of individual units and their affinities is an elegant balancing act, and despite how much can be going on the screen at any one time, it’s a deceptively simple process that players will quickly get the hang of.

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