6 Similar Games Short List
Here are our hand-picked short list of similar games; the perfect thing to play next if you enjoyed XCOM. We don't use automatic matching, instead, we hand-pick games that are good to play if you have enjoyed XCOM.
Release Date: 13/03/2015
Platforms: 3DS and 2DS
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Components: 3D Third-Person, Blocks and Cartoon
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is a turn-based strategy game where an elite group of soldiers (inspired by characters from American literature) defend earth from alien invaders in an alternate steam-powered future. While it sounds wacky, there's a surprising...
Release Date: 21/03/2018, updated in 2020
Platforms: Android, PC, PS Vita, PS4, PSP, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One and iOS
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Components: 3D First-Person, 3D Third-Person, Grid, Hand-Made and Weather
Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a turn-based strategy game where you take command of a squad of soldiers and use your wits and tactics to plan and lead them to battle. You play as Commander Claude Wallace and the soldiers of Squad E and experience a gripping...
Release Date: 06/08/2019
Platforms: PC, PS4 and Xbox One
Components: 3D Third-Person
This is a turn based strategy game with a large strategic map that lead into multiple turn based battles. You build your empire with one of six unique factions, progress through each faction’s missions using your wits, military strength and diplomacy,...
Release Date: 13/06/2000, updated in 2019
Platforms: Android, Mac, PC and iOS
Components: 3D Third-Person
The Total War series are strategic turn-based war games. Each game has a different historical or fantasy setting where multiple armies battle and compete for territory. You can win by military force, religion, diplomacy, espionage and economics.
Release Date: 07/10/2022, updated in 2023
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Components: 3D Third-Person
Marvel's Midnight Suns is an action-strategy game set within the Marvel universe. You interact with and play alongside famous Marvel superheroes in turn-based battles, where cards dictate the attacks you can use. It's the way you must adjust your...
Release Date: 20/04/1990, updated in 2023
Platforms: 3DS and 2DS, Android, DS, GBA, GameCube, Switch, Wii, Wii U and iOS
Skill Rating: 11+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Cartoon, Day and Night and Grid
Fire Emblem is a series of strategy games where you help an ensemble cast of characters fight off evil. You gather heroes, unlock weapons and special abilities to aid your fight in tactical turn-based combat. It's not just a tactics game though, just as...
38 Similar Games Long List
Here are our hand-picked long list of similar games; the perfect thing to play next if you enjoyed XCOM. We don't use automatic matching, instead, we hand-pick games that are good to play if you have enjoyed XCOM.
Release Date: 21/10/2015
Platforms: Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One and iOS
Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds
Components: 2D Side-On, Day and Night and Pixels
Kingdome is a retro-look strategy game where you must defend your town from the nightly attack of zombies as you develop your technology and civilisation day-by-day. But unlike other tower-defence games – where you set up defences and fend off waves...
Release Date: 02/02/1998, updated in 2022
Platforms: Mac, PC, PS2, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
Skill Rating: 11+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Grid and Open World
Age of Empires is a strategy game where you command an ancient civilisation in real-time and must develop from hunter-gatherers to advanced forms of defence and war. This is similar territory to Civilization but focuses on...
Release Date: 12/05/2015, updated in 2020
Platforms: Mac, PC, PS4, Switch and iOS
Components: 2D Overhead and Grid
Invisible Inc is a tactical adventure where you direct espionage agents in covert missions to acquire resources and support to relocate your agency's computer system to a safe haven within a limited amount of time.
Release Date: 21/10/2016, updated in 2019
Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Day and Night, Grid and Open World
Civilization is a long-running strategy game where you develop a society from hunter-gatherer to space travel. There are many ways to approach this challenge; socially, militarily, politically or perhaps by building wonders to impress other nations.
Release Date: 23/10/2020
Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One
Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead and Grid
Transformers: Battlegrounds is a strategy game that's accessible for a range of abilities. It offers a robot-themed XCOM style game for younger players.
Release Date: 23/07/2020
Platforms: Mac, PC, Switch and Xbox One
Components: 2D Side-On
Carrion is a horror game where you play the amorphous alien as well as human protagonists. This reverse-horror scenario puts you in control of an organic tentacled monster to make your way through the facility, stalking and killing humans in your path.
Release Date: 29/08/2017
Platforms: Switch
Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Cartoon and Grid
Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a chess-like strategy game where you control cartoon rabbits (the Rabbids) and Nintendo characters in turn-based battles with fantastical weapons through four different worlds.
Release Date: 26/10/2001, updated in 2009
Platforms: GameCube and Wii
Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds
Components: 3D Third-Person
Pikmin is a real time strategy game where the main character Captain Olimar crash lands on an alien planet filled with strange small creatures called Pikmin. You are able to control and use these creatures to knock down walls, build bridges and attack...
Release Date: 19/04/2018, updated in 2019
Platforms: Mac, PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One
Components: 2D Overhead and Grid
For The King is a strategy game where you play an adventurer bringing peace to the kingdom of Fahrul. It's like a tabletop board game, with rewards and hits determined by dice rolls, but combines this with more traditional video game fights. You gather...
Release Date: 27/02/2018, updated in 2020
Platforms: Android, Mac, PC, Stadia, Switch and iOS
Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Grid, Hand-Made and Pixels
Into the Breach is a fantasy turn-based battle. It's set in a future where humanity fights an army of giant monsters. You control mechs equipped with a variety of weapons and armour in carefully coordinated actions played out on super-small tile-based...
Release Date: 02/03/2016
Platforms: Android and iOS
Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Cards and Grid
Clash Royale is a real-time strategy game where you collect cards to gain units and powers for a player vs. player battle. It's like a simpler version of Clash of Clans.
Release Date: 24/06/2005, updated in 2020
Platforms: PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Stadia, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One
Components: 3D Third-Person and Open World
Destroy All Humans! is an adventure game series that parodies Cold War-era alien invasion films. With open-world like a bit like Grand Theft Auto, you play the alien Crypto, tasked to gather DNA from humans and explore the open-world levels to do this....
Release Date: 15/11/2017, updated in 2019
Platforms: Mac, PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One
Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds
Components: 2D Side-On, Cards and Hand-Made
Slay the Spire is an adventure battle card game. You play one of four characters attempting to ascend a spire of multiple floors. You fight enemies and bosses by playing cards you have collected. You gain new cards as rewards from combat. With 100's to...
Release Date: 12/07/2016, updated in 2016
Platforms: Mac, PC, PS4 and Xbox One
Components: 2D Side-On
Cannon Brawl is a two-player battle where you collect resources and build weapons and defences, all in real time. It’s shout-out-loud fun where one wrong shot can let your opponent get the upper hand. Each battle is as frantic as it is silly. To win...
Release Date: 20/10/2022
Platforms: Switch
Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds
Components: 2D Side-On, Cartoon and Grid
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is a strategy game where you control Ubisoft's Rabbids (cartoon rabbits) and Nintendo's Mario team in turn-based battles. It expands upon the previous game by adding a wider...
Release Date: 26/04/2022
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
Components: 3D Third-Person and Cartoon
Research and Destroy is an action game that combines turn-based strategy with real-time, fast-paced shooting as you play a trio of scientists saving humanity from a zombie apocalypse. Each turn you have 8 seconds to do as much damage to the hordes of...
Release Date: 20/11/2007
Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and iOS
Components: 3D Third-Person and Open World
Mass Effect is a sci-fi adventure where you role-play a soldier named Commander Shepard, who must save the galaxy from a race of powerful mechanical beings. The series started in 2007 and has fourth substantial instalments that take you from that first...
Release Date: 01/12/2021
Platforms: PC
Skill Rating: 14+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead and Grid
No Plan B is a tactical role-play game where you plan missions to neutralise various threats. Unusually, you don't directly control your team during the action. Instead, you plan orders for them ahead of time then watch as they execute your commands in...
Release Date: 20/11/2012, updated in 2019
Platforms: PC and PS4
Components: 3D First-Person and Open World
PlanetSide 2 is a free online game you play with thousands of other players online. Set in a sci-fi universe, players join factions and then fight together to win territories. These massive battles feature typical first person shooter elements such as...
Release Date: 30/08/2016
Platforms: PC, Switch and iOS
Components: 2D Overhead, Dice and Grid
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is a game based on the choose-your-own-adventure books from the 90's.
Release Date: 24/08/2021
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
Skill Rating: 15+ year-olds
Components: 3D Third-Person
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a cooperative shooting game set 23 years after the original films. Unlike the stealthy Alien: Isolation, Fireteam Elite draws on Aliens: Colonial Marines' breathless shooting and racing pulse.
Release Date: 08/10/2004, updated in 2009
Platforms: GameCube and Wii
Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds
Components: 3D Third-Person
Pikmin 2 is the second in the Pikmin Series, Captain Olimar is joined by his assistant Louie on a mysterious planet. You are collecting treasures consisting of scrap metal, broken toys. You do this by controlling plant-like creatures called Pikmin,...
Release Date: 29/09/2022
Platforms: Mac and PC
Skill Rating: 12+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead and Hand-Made
Moonbreaker is a strategy game that plays like a physical tabletop game. Using hand-painted figures you fight opponents in tactical turn-based battles in a new universe created by bestselling author Brandon Sanderson. It has the detailed painting,...
Release Date: 24/09/2021
Platforms: Android, PC and iOS
Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Board and Grid
Pawnbarian is a puzzle game where you attack enemies in a dungeon based on chess moves. You build a deck of different pieces and use them in battles
Release Date: Coming soon
Platforms: PC
Components: 2D Overhead and Grid
Tactical Breach Wizards is a small-scale, turn-based fighting and shooting game. You play a team of wizards in modern-day tactical gear, breaching and clearing rooms full of enemies with a combination of guns, abilities and spells.
Release Date: 01/02/2019
Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One
Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Cartoon and Grid
This is a fantasy war game, similar to Advanced Wars from the Gameboy era, where players take turns in a variety of battles. Computer-controlled and human opponents compete to achieve objectives and be the last player remaining.
Release Date: 14/09/2012, updated in 2014
Platforms: Mac, PC and iOS
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead and Grid
FTL: Faster Than Light is a strategic simulation game where you combat enemy spaceships and survive the dangers of the galaxy. Unusually, you have complete control of every function of your ship and must manage systems, crew and scenarios. It's a hard...
Release Date: 02/09/1994, updated in 2022
Platforms: Switch
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Components: 2D Side-On and Pixels
Live A Live is a remake of the 1994 game released only in Japan, it's a fighting role-playing game where you play seven characters across time in unique stories. In each, you defeat enemies in tactical turn-based fights where each attack has a distinct...
Release Date: 13/10/2016, updated in 2017
Platforms: Android, iOS and iPhone, iPad
Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Grid and Text
Really Bad Chess is like chess, but with random pieces selected for each player. Try 8 Knights, 4 Bishops, and 3 pawns. Starting positions are also non-standard. It sounds like a bad idea (hence the name) but actually opens the imposing chess challenge...
Release Date: 30/10/2019
Platforms: Apple TV, Mac, PC, Switch and iOS
Components: 2D Overhead and Grid
Spaceland is a quick turn-based strategy game where you command sci-fi troopers to shoot, kick, blow up and destroy the enemy. It's a little like a game of chess as you equip and plan your missions, before carefully moving and attacking on your turn.
Release Date: 04/03/2022, updated in 2022
Platforms: PC and Switch
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Blocks and Grid
Triangle Strategy is an action role-playing game that combines a complex branching plot with grid-based battles like Fire Emblem or Advance Wars. It stands out not only for its unusual diorama visuals, but by creating an intertwining story of many...
Release Date: 16/10/2020
Platforms: Mac and PC
Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Grid and Hand-Made
After Midnight is a small puzzle-style role play game where you lead a team of animal medics to contain a virus outbreak in a hospital. It's a simple game that offers a window into the life of a health worker. Subsidised by the National Centre for...
Release Date: 15/06/2020
Platforms: PC, PS4 and Xbox One
Components: 3D First-Person and 3D Third-Person
Disintergration is a sci-fi shooting game, from some of the developers behind Halo and XCom, that combines first-person combat and real-time battlefield strategy.
Release Date: 31/01/2023
Platforms: Mac, PC, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds
Components: 2D Side-On, Hand-Made and Text
Inkulinati is a strategy game where you fight an opponent using medieval drawings. Using a range of weapons, attacks, defences and abilities, you move your characters, based on real medieval drawings, around the page to defeat enemies as a story about...
Release Date: 13/10/2021
Platforms: Mac and PC
Skill Rating: 13+ year-olds
Components: 2D Side-On, Grid and Text
Midnight Protocol is a strategy game about hacking that is controlled entirely with the keyboard. You type commands and interactions to hack into different systems and drain them of resources while trying to keep yourself hidden and safe. It's this...
Release Date: 30/09/2021, updated in 2022
Platforms: PC and Switch
Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Cartoon and Grid
The Last Friend is a strategy fighting game where you defend your team of dogs from the waves of baddies and bosses on a mission to save all the doggos. Play is a combination of managing your turret defences and running around beating up the onslaught...
Release Date: Coming soon
Platforms: PC
Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds
Components: 2D Overhead, Grid and Pixels
Wandering Sword is a combat-focused role-play game where you traverse ancient China with a band of swordsmen to master the highest forms of martial arts. You explore the countryside, towns and cities to bond with townspeople and recruit warriors to help...
Release Date: 20/01/2022
Platforms: Mac and PC
Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds
Components: 2D Side-On, Dice and Grid
Luckitown is a turn-based strategy game. You build a town around your castle to defend it from incoming enemies. You then roll dice and select combinations of results that allow you to buy and place defensive buildings while every turn the enemies move...
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