What are the best strategy games on PS4? If you like your games to challenge your grey matter, strategy games are likely some of your favourites. On PS4, there's a wide selection of tactical titles to tackle.
Generally speaking, strategy games can be boiled down into two main types. Turn-based strategy games have you and the enemy taking turns to trade blows and make moves, while real-time strategy games have all sides moving around at once. The results can be surprisingly different, but both forms of strategy games can be super rewarding to play.
Some examples of turn-based strategy on PS4 include the addictive deck-builder Slay the Spire, the retro-styled Wargroove, and of course, the brilliant XCOM 2. On the real-time side of things, you have the likes of Tropico 6, Desperados III, and Jurassic World Evolution 2.
There's a lot of variety as you can see, and they all come recommended. However, when picking the best of the bunch, we're gonna need your help. As with all our lists, this feature is based entirely on ratings from our readers. User ratings fuel these pages, dictating which games appear and in what order, meaning these are representative of the Push Square community's favourite strategy titles. Use the below search bar to find strategy games on PS4, then leave your ratings to make an impact on the list.
Please note that games need at least 30 ratings before they qualify to show up at all. If your favourite strategy game is missing, it probably just needs some more votes!
Anyway, enough waffle: here are the best strategy games on PS4, chosen by you.
5. Slay the Spire (PS4)
Slay the Spire is a roguelike deckbuilder, something that many might shy away from, but it's fantastic. Each character has their own pool of cards you may find on each run, and you can discover some amazing synergies that'll see you wiping the floor with enemies. With so many random elements and new strategies to find, the replay value is through the roof. Its art isn't the greatest, but it's a seriously smartly designed game from top to bottom.
4. South Park: The Fractured But Whole (PS4)
What do you get if you cross Ubisoft, superheroes, and a bunch of foul-mouthed friends made of felt? The answer is South Park: The Fractured But Whole, of course. This sequel to the also brilliant South Park: The Stick of Truth swaps out fantasy for modern vigilante justice, as your custom character joins forces with Cartman's crew to fight evil. Featuring strategic turn-based combat, the titular town to explore, and all the absurd humour you'd expect, this is a highly entertaining game for fans and newcomers.
3. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (PS4)
Vanillaware's immaculate track record could have easily gone off the rails with 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim — a visual novel and strategy hybrid that's a far cry from the action RPGs that the studio has become known for. But the finished product is arguably the developer's most impactful game yet. Fantastic characters and a an utterly gripping narrative make 13 Sentinels a borderline masterpiece in terms of storytelling. A genuine treat for your eyes and your brain.
2. Valkyria Chronicles Remastered (PS4)
SEGA's painterly strategy series all started with the original Valkyria Chronicles — a touching wartime tale which follows the brilliantly named Welkin Gunther. Under his command, Squad 7 looks to protect its homeland against the seemingly unstoppable empire. In its lovely visual style and engaging tactical gameplay, Valkyria Chronicles quickly established itself as a modern classic in the strategy RPG genre, and this remaster is the best way to play it on PlayStation.
1. XCOM 2 (PS4)
The inspiration for many console strategy games these days, XCOM 2 is a superb tactics title that taxes your grey matter and forces you to think thoughtfully about any and every decision you make. With real consequences on the line, this is not for the faint of heart – but that’s what makes it so utterly involving from start-to-finish.
That does it for our list of the best strategy games on PS4. Do you agree with what's on this list? Whether you do or don't, remember that these lists will grow and change depending on user ratings left by you and your fellow readers. You can use the search bar at the top of the article or the site-wide search function to find games and leave your ratings, and they will help shape this list. If you think a game is missing from our PlayStation Games Database, let us know and we'll get it added.
Comments 61
XCOM2 fully deserves top spot and the different the War of the Chosen DLC makes is amazing; it's more like XCOM2.5 after playing it.
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Tropico though. I've played it through twice with some of the DLC as well but I don't think it's actually that good a game. I do like that it's more mission based than games like City Skylines though.
I'm currently playing Surviving Mars though which probably warrants a place on this list. I'm just terrible at it.
I've owned the first XCOM remake for, like, five years and have still never touched it. I need to change that.
Well, anyway, Valkyria Chronicles would top this list for me, even with its relatively simple and slightly wonky mechanics. It has a ton of heart. I'm expecting great things from VC4!
Disgaea 5 for me. It's unrivalled imo.
I do own Xcom 2. Should probably get to that.
1 x com 2. Valkyria chronicles.3disgaea.4.grand kingdom.5.shadow tactics.word up son
So glad to see Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun at #2. One of my fave games of last year. Such an incredible strategy/stealth experience.
Also XCOM 2 definitely deserves the top spot, although it was only the War of the Chosen expansion that really turned that game into something special, in my opinion. It has a lot of technical issues on PS4 too, but they don't detract from how good it is.
Finally, Tooth and Tail gets mentioned on Push. Sheesh.
I would like to add Aven Colony. Amazing game that plays like it was made for PS4.
There are a lot of titles on this list that I have yet to play. It’s great that strategy games find their way to home consoles and work well without mouse and keyboard.
I HATE strategy games. But I love XCOM so much...
Interesting list. A few there I have never heard of and will investigate further.
Thumbs up for Invisible Inc.- probably my most played PS+ game.
Where is Darkest Dungeon? Darkest Dungeon is easily in the top 5.
Valkyria 4 is a gem just like the original, I love XCOM but the style and the characters or Valkyria just make it a home run. The combat systems of the two games are strangely kinda similar - in a way.
@Feena true, valkyria chronicles is probably the only strategy game that makes me care about what's going on, even if it's a bit cheesy and full of anime tropes.
No Natural Doctrine? Some of these barely qualify as strategy games. ND on the other hand is a deep, complex and challenging PS exclusive.
I would have updated the list to include: Railway Empire, Blood Bowl 2, Jurassic World Evolution, Aven Colony, Grand Ages: Medieval, 8-Bit Armies, Dungeons 3, Mutant Year Zero, Nobunaga's Ambition: Taishi, and Surviving Mars.
Blades of the shogun is such a great game but speed runs on ps4 don't work I cheesed it and because I cheesed it I was denied the platinum but it just was not meant to speed run on the ps4 due to the more hands on control of the characters
I have put about 30 hours into Railway Empire recently without even noticing, its really cheap at the moment too (£10), also, Aven Colony was well worth the tenner spent on it, enjoyable platinum...also really want to try Jurassic world...
How did I not know about Steamworld Heist until this list? I read some reviews, and it seems like a game that is right in my wheelhouse. Thanks Pushsquare!
Updated, now with added Wargroove
@Quintumply
Great, now go and make another update because You can't play Orcs Must Die: Unchained anymore. The servers are switched off.
BTW. I've just registered, wonderful site in general and such small mistakes won't have any impact
@Prime_Objective Whoops! Removed the game from the list. Thanks for that
And thank you for joining us!
If only it was really true that there are 29 better strategy games on PS4 than Darkest Dungeon....
@Milky_Bandit But it's not a strategy game, though. It's a dungeon crawler RPG. Sure it has some strategy to it, but no more than many RPGs. Having some strategy elements doesn't make it a strategy game; nearly every game has elements of strategy, from Street Fighter to Battlefield to FIFA. The devs themselves don't even describe it as a strategy game.
It does look good, though. I like anything with that Lovecraftian feel to it.
I always mistake the cover for Tropico 5 as a Chaz & Dave poster!
Not tried an RTS for years, have any of these been on PS Plus recently I could check out?
@Ralizah If you enjoyed Valkyria Chronicles you really should, I'm a big fan of both games. X-Com is different but has it's own heart and story (plus a great soundtrack). I need to check out VC4 and get the war of the chosen addon for XCom2 but what I really want is a good quality fantasy strategy RPG. Something with a storyline and gameplay outside of battles. Shining Force was my first strategy RPG so Firaxis and Camelot teaming up for Shining Force 4 would fit the bill nicely.
@Welkin I actually played the first XCOM (the remake, I mean, not the old one) since posting that.
...wasn't a fan. Way too many battles without any sort of real narrative context.
I hear XCOM 2 is an improvement, though.
Updated.
I thought the Banner Sage trilogy was terrific, one of my games of this generation for sure. Excellent writing and a proper 'grown up' game. XCOM2 was great too, but the excruciating loading times were preventing me from finishing it. I'm looking forward to playing it on my PS5 with zero loading times (hopefully).
I’m playing Valkyria Chronicles 4 and it is a great game. This is a genre I’ve not spent much time with so I should check out more of these on the list.
@Miiamoto I sold i didnt understand anything about that game. 😭
.... And Civ 6 is coming....
My wallet is ready. Best time sinker ever made
Planetfall and Stellaris are also 2 great 4x games that 4x lovers should play.
A vote from me to also include Mutant: Year Zero. It is a simple, addictive, and well crafted turn based strat in a realized world.
@Flaming_Kaiser It's certainly not very intuitive 😂
@Miiamoto I just gave up. Im the kind of guy that wants too play without much effort. 😆
@ShaiHulud I could agree more! I had to stop.. The loading time just killed for me. I reload a bunch time.. Maybe that why.. Don't want my team to die..
@Quintumply
Stellaris?
And is Civ VI out yet? It’s on my Day 1 list, but it was still “Coming Soon” when I bought the Kingdom Hearts bundle yesterday.
Bravo!
Totally with you about the new #1
@Gatatog Commandos was the best strategy/stealth game I ever played, if this is in any way similar I'm sure I'll enjoy it.
It's a shame no one bought Shadow Tactics, it's really good
@MonkeyDLuffy19 It's doable just very difficult. I've done the first seven or eight missions then had to give it a rest for a while. I'll come back to it.
Great game though. Can't wait for desperados 3, made by the same company
How is Ancestors Legacy not even on this list??! I’d put it at number one myself but to exclude it entirely is absurd. Pushsquare even featured the game last year when it came out. Come on!
Darkest Dungeon, Stellaris, Age of Wonders Planetfall all deserve mention here... Darkest Dungeon is arguably more tactical, but then so's X-COM, which is marred by a very buggy War of the Chosen port. The vanilla version plays well however...
Glad Banner Saga has some spotlight.
Shame it had a really dissapointing ending Banner Saga 3.
But, the journey itself,gameplay challenge and hair-pulling choices was suprisingly good since it's a first delve into this kind of genre from the former Infinity Ward devs.
Also that art-style...man, i wish more Turn-based/strategy games were like this.
Steamworld Heist is amazing - hoping for a sequel!
the banner Saga can just be bought as a trilogy now, probably my favourite game from the PS4 generation, not ground breaking in anyway and not even perfect in it's presentation, just a great game, really enjoyed the journey it took me on
I almost feel guilty I bought Shadow Tactics when it was on sale for 5€, it’s a pretty damn good game and worth full retail
Don t forget Stellaris and Planetfall. Two great scifi XXXX games
Invisible Inc. is an astoundingly well designed game. I think we need to separate tactics from strategy, although I'm aware the strategy genre traditionally covers both and they often go hand in hand.
Ancestors Legacy should really be on that list.
@Dougthead
Yup, I don't see how Darkest Dungeon isn't at the top of this list, utterly stellar title.
I rarely fully play through strategy games because I use them to scratch an itch. But I played through XCOM. That game is so damn good.
Great list. There were several interesting games I had not even heard of before. Looking forward to trying them out. Thank you.
I'm really looking forward to see how strategy games for the 9th gen can make use the DualSense controller's features. It can lead to something fairly groundbreaking.
I’m really surprised that slay the spire featured so low. I echo the opinions regarding darkest dungeon, but the accessibility of slay the spire really makes what can be an intimidating type of game a daily go to for a quick run...or 5! I find it so addictive and even after more than 100 hours cannot get my head around the builds some people put together. An unachievable platinum for me but nevertheless so enjoyable.
Are valkyria games that good? Might have to try them at some point
XCom 2 is a masterpiece of a game, but I'm not sure I could in all good conscience recommend playing it on console when there's such a great modding scene on Steam, and you can play it on any reasonably recent laptop. The vanilla campaign gave me hundreds of hours replaying at different difficulty levels and going through the achievements, but modded campaigns gave me another thousand.
Love me a bit of XCOM 2.
Really looking forward to Phoenix Point tomorrow.
Nobunagas ambition took over my life for a week last month. Also shout out to Stellaris.
@Quintumply I was notified today that Phoenix Point is now available on PlayStation; any chance of a review or an impression of whether it belongs on this list? I hear there have been a lot of changes since its PC launch which make me hesitant to base my decision to purchase or not on these much earlier reviews.
Lots of good stuff on that list. Recently completed Shadow Tactics and it was great.
PC generally has a lot more of these games though. Can't believe Into the Breach still isn't on Playstation ...or at least to my knowledge it isn't?
Valkyria Chronicles hands down the best tactical games on any system really. The Xcoms are great as well.
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