STRATEGY: THE HARDEST GENRE OF THEM ALL

Okay, okay. Put down the pitchforks for a bit. You might think I am here to compare with or ridicule other genres. Far from it. I am here to talk about strategy games & their importance in the gaming industry. I am a seasoned gamer and have played so many games

in my life, so I don’t have a bias. Or so I think.. You can just roast me in the comments if you feel like it. The reality is, strategy is not just
a video game genre. Strategy is a way of life, and everything we do is attributed to what our brain strategizes in a given timeframe.

Without strategy, society would go nowhere, and thus the genre is of grave importance. Playing strategy games really helps you build the strategic mindset required to win at life, which is why we are covering part one of
the strategy genre in this article.

Date: 30/10/2025
Time to read: 15 mins

Writer: Xaros
Designer: AJ

To keep to topic relevance and not deviate all the way to the survival of mankind, let’s start with a few notable appearances of strategy in games before they got digitized.

The first appearance of a strategy game was “The Royal Game of Ur,” found around 4600 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia. However, this is a strategy game with an element of random chance.

In society’s more recent history, we are more familiar with three main historical strategy games, which are chess, checkers, and “Go.” Out of these three, chess was digitized
the earliest, in 1956. 

These give a brief idea of how the strategy genre came to be at all, but especially when
it began becoming digitized into video games and various subgenres. 

FUN FACT:

Strategy games have actually been utilized and referenced
in fields of higher education, mainly history and political studies.

There are quite a few subgenres of strategy games, but for this article series, we will be looking into games that have strategy as
the primary genre, so some subgenres will not be covered.

There are lots of strategy games, and it would be unrealistic to cover all of them in one article, so we will instead be covering them
in parts. In this part, we will cover a few of
the most notable titles in Classic Strategy.

For classic strategy games, a good separation would be between Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games and Turn-Based Strategy (TBS) games. Both of these types are in a different niche and have their own, or mixed, fanbases.

Few games actually have elements of both RTS and TBS games. A lot of these games have helped establish the foundation of
the genre, and many still exist to this day
in a different form.

RTS games are truly either loved or hated by gamers, simply because they’re usually hard to get into and even harder to master.

Why is that the case? Because their real-time nature actually makes them really complex and tough to control, with immense pressure lying on you.

These games need dedication & persistence to properly understand and experience their greatness. 

There are three incredibly nostalgic & notable mentions to go through in terms of big RTS series. 

Some of these series had and still have a big esports presence, and have left a mark in
the gaming world that can never really be forgotten.

StarCraft, from the infamous studio that once reigned supreme, was one of the biggest RTS games of its time. The series had absolutely magnificent campaigns, iconic characters,
and an awesome story.

All this whilst still not lacking in multiplayer elements or other departments. StarCraft is strategic, mechanical, fast-paced, and full of action, situated in a sci-fi universe of three races battling it out for different reasons.

This RTS series had captivated the community back then, and to this day, even if in smaller numbers, it shines as bright as it used to with SC2 and its loyal fanbase.

Age of Empires. Has anyone not heard of it? This magnificent RTS series is an absolute gem that has delivered time and time again.

It is widely considered to be “the perfect RTS.” It has everything people want in a medieval RTS, and it achieves a simplistic beauty with an unmatched thrill. 

There is plenty of variety when it comes to Age of Empires, but the core gameplay gives a sense of comfort and calm to its audience.

As a series, it mostly had great campaigns, still receives new content, and continues to offer an awesome multiplayer experience!

Whether you are a competitive or casual player, these games offer a real sense of satisfaction with your accomplishments
and progress, even if it ends in defeat.

The most notable entry is without a doubt Age of Empires 2, still amassing large player numbers and viewership counts.

Command & Conquer was a different beast.
I say was because, unlike the aforementioned series, this one, for the most part, didn’t age as well. Despite the remastered versions that were made, they just weren’t able to capture C&C nostalgia and magic effectively.

The series has a clean, clear & immediate gameplay loop, with fast-paced combat of human infantry and vehicles. Like others,
it is highly replayable with distinct faction identities and varying units.

This series is incredibly fun, whether playing campaign or not. The most notable entry here is debatable, but it usually comes down to Tiberium Wars or Red Alert 2. 

A big difference from the other series listed is that this RTS series was more casually played, and thus didn’t have a big esports scene.
This is because it didn’t have as deep

or intensive mechanics, but that isn’t a bad thing, as it still had a large fanbase and is
a landmark series that helped shape this genre.

TBS games feel like a standard game of chess. Turns are usually untimed, allowing you to think clearly with no real pressure. That way, you don’t have to make any hasty moves that

you will regret later on. No pressure except for your friends yelling at you for being slow when playing together, if the game allows.

What TBS series other than Heroes of Might and Magic (HOMM) best describes that?
The friends yelling at you part, at least. 

HOMM is a series that achieved tremendous success and still has an active community in some of its older games, and new iterations of it are still being released. It has great campaigns, usually with very cool cutscenes and missions, and the multiplayer is truly incredible, whether that’s co-op, versus,
or hot-seat. 

Most of the series’ fantasy setting and iconic factions make it very nostalgic, and the gameplay itself is super fun.

The most notable entry in this fantasy series was HOMM3, as fans felt like every detail
was perfect. 

Especially the art style, soundtrack, and sound effects were very unique and fitting. Usually, unless a new game releases in the series, HOMM3 ends up having the most active players at any given time. The HOMM series is widely considered a timeless masterpiece, and HOMM3 is one of the best TBS games
of all time.

There is a new installment coming out soon, “HOMM: Olden Era,” made for both series’ veterans and newcomers. 

The strategic mindset is crucial to navigate the complexities of in-game challenges,
but also real life.

Strategy games really help you develop that “muscle” and get a deeper understanding of your strengths and flaws in your endeavors. The strategy genre is vast, and so it cannot
be covered in a singular article to give it
the proper attention it deserves.

Thus, this article will be split into different parts, and as you noticed, this part was
about Classic Strategy. The next ones will cover subgenres such as 4X and Grand Strategy.

Join us in the comment section to discuss this awesome genre and let us know what you think. Oh, and do not forget to roast me there too for my impudence.

We are also planning on introducing deeper details for subgenres with a dedicated article for each, showcasing our top picks for all of them. What are some of your favorite games that you want to see covered in this genre?