If you’re looking for the best turn-based strategy games on Steam, you’ve found the right place. Whether you want empire-building 4X games, tight tactical combat, or narrative-driven squad games, Steam’s catalog is deep — and the sale prices on these games are genuinely absurd. Most of the titles on this list can be grabbed for under $10 during seasonal sales, making them some of the best value entertainment on PC.
This guide focuses on games with strong Steam review scores (think Very Positive to Overwhelmingly Positive) that also tend to go on major discounts. We’ll note what these games regularly hit on sale so you can decide whether to grab them now or wishlist and wait.
The Best Turn-Based Strategy Games on Steam in 2026
1. XCOM 2 — The Gold Standard of Squad Tactics
Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive | Normal Price: $29.99 | Typical Sale Price: $3–$6
If you’ve never played an XCOM game, XCOM 2 is one of the most essential gaming experiences on PC, full stop. You command a guerrilla squad of soldiers against alien occupiers, and every mission is a white-knuckle chess match where one bad move can permanently kill your favorite soldier.
The procedural maps, permadeath, and class-building system give it enormous replay value. The War of the Chosen expansion (frequently bundled in a collection for around $8 on sale) adds enough content to double your playtime.
This is the game you recommend to literally everyone who asks about turn-based strategy. Don’t pay more than $10 for the complete collection. It goes on sale constantly.
2. Into the Breach — 100 Hours in an 8-Hour Game
Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive | Normal Price: $14.99 | Typical Sale Price: $7.49
From the makers of FTL: Faster Than Light, Into the Breach is a tactical puzzle game disguised as a strategy game. You control three mechs defending cities from Vek (giant insects). The genius twist: you can always see what the enemy will do next turn. Every problem is solvable — the question is whether you have the tools to solve it.
It sounds simple. It is absolutely not. The Advanced Edition (a free update in 2022) added four new squads, new weapons, and a ton of new scenarios. This game is worth every penny at full price. At half price, it’s embarrassing how good the deal is.
Perfect for: Players who like puzzle-solving more than resource management. Also runs great on low-spec machines.
3. Civilization VI — Still the King of 4X
Steam Rating: Very Positive | Normal Price: $59.99 (with expansions) | Typical Sale Price: $10–$15 for the full bundle
Civilization VI came out in 2016, but it’s still the go-to 4X strategy game for most players. The district system added real strategic depth to city placement, and the Gathering Storm and Rise & Fall expansions fixed most of the early criticisms about AI and diplomacy.
The base game occasionally goes free on Epic, so check there first. But the expansions are where the meat is — and they frequently drop to $10–$15 for the complete edition on Steam. At that price, you’re looking at potentially thousands of hours of content.
Bear case: The AI is still not great in the late game. But if you play multiplayer or mostly vs. AI on lower difficulties, it’s endlessly entertaining.
4. Divinity: Original Sin 2 — Best RPG with Turn-Based Combat on Steam
Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive | Normal Price: $44.99 | Typical Sale Price: $11–$18
DOS2 blurs the line between RPG and turn-based tactics, but it belongs on this list because the strategic depth of its combat system is extraordinary. Every element interacts — set oil on fire, freeze water to make ice, use high ground for range bonuses, teleport enemies into each other. Combat feels like running a physics-based puzzle.
The story is long, voiced, and legitimately excellent. The co-op is one of the best co-op RPG experiences on PC. And the modding scene means there’s even more content if you exhaust the base game.
If you’re a fan of Baldur’s Gate 3 and haven’t played DOS2, fix that immediately. It holds up completely.
5. Age of Wonders 4 — The Fantasy 4X That Finally Got It Right
Steam Rating: Very Positive | Normal Price: $49.99 | Typical Sale Price: $20–$25
Age of Wonders 4 launched in 2023 and has been getting consistent updates ever since. It combines Civilization-style empire building with hero-based tactical combat, set in a high fantasy world where you literally customize your race from the ground up.
The depth of faction customization is staggering. You can build an empire of crystalline insects, or undead elves who converted to capitalism, or literally anything you imagine. The combat is satisfying without being overwhelming, and the AI is surprisingly competitive compared to other 4X games.
Best for: Players who bounced off Civ VI and want more combat-focused 4X. Also great if you enjoy Warhammer Fantasy lore vibes.
6. Battle Brothers — Unforgiving Medieval Mercenary Tactics
Steam Rating: Very Positive | Normal Price: $29.99 | Typical Sale Price: $9–$15
Battle Brothers is a brutal, procedurally generated mercenary company simulator. You hire men, manage their morale and injuries, take contracts, and slowly build (or lose) your warband across a grim fantasy world. Combat is hex-based and absolutely punishing — positioning, armor, fatigue, and status effects all matter deeply.
Don’t let the pixel art fool you. This game has more tactical complexity than most AAA titles. The Beasts & Exploration, Warriors of the North, and Blazing Deserts DLCs each add significant content and are frequently bundled.
Warning: This game will kill your favorite warriors in stupid ways. It is, however, incredibly satisfying when your 10-man company defeats a 40-man orc horde through excellent positioning.
7. Jagged Alliance 3 — The Long-Awaited Revival
Steam Rating: Very Positive | Normal Price: $44.99 | Typical Sale Price: $18–$27
The Jagged Alliance series was dormant for over a decade before Haemimont Games (of Tropico fame) revived it in 2023 with JA3. It’s a turn-based tactical game where you hire mercenaries with distinct personalities and take on a civil war in an African nation. The tone is darkly comedic, the tactical options are deep, and the mercenaries actually banter with each other.
If you loved the original JA games or want something with XCOM combat but more personality and storytelling, this is your game. It’s been well-supported post-launch with patches and improvements.
8. Wildermyth — The Best Narrative Turn-Based Game You Haven’t Played
Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive | Normal Price: $24.99 | Typical Sale Price: $10–$12.50
Wildermyth is a paper-cutout-art RPG where you shepherd heroes through procedurally generated myths, watching them age, transform, fall in love, die heroically, or retire. The combat is solid turn-based tactics, but the storytelling system is what makes it special — your choices in story events permanently shape your characters.
It’s not the hardest game on this list, but it might be the most charming. Co-op up to 4 players too. Wildermyth consistently tops “hidden gem” and “overlooked masterpiece” lists across Reddit and gaming communities, and that reputation is earned.
9. Solasta: Crown of the Magister — D&D Rules Done Right on a Budget
Steam Rating: Very Positive | Normal Price: $39.99 | Typical Sale Price: $10–$16
Before Baldur’s Gate 3 dominated everything, Solasta was the best implementation of D&D 5th Edition rules in a video game. Developed by a small indie team, it applies the ruleset faithfully with verticality, light mechanics, and proper reaction abilities. If you’re a D&D player who wants a tactical game that plays like the tabletop, Solasta delivers.
The graphics are modest and the writing isn’t Larian-tier, but the combat is excellent. The Crown of the Magister DLC and subsequent campaign expansions give it significant longevity at budget prices.
10. Phoenix Point — XCOM’s Spiritual Competitor
Steam Rating: Mostly Positive | Normal Price: $19.99 | Typical Sale Price: $5–$8
From Julian Gollop, the creator of the original X-COM, Phoenix Point is a tactical squad game with a biopunk alien horror aesthetic. The big mechanical differentiator is aim-point shooting — you can manually target specific limbs on enemies to cripple their abilities. It took a while to get patched into great shape, but the Year One Edition (which includes all DLC) is now genuinely excellent.
If you’ve exhausted XCOM 2 and want more alien tactics, Phoenix Point at $5–$8 on sale is an absolute no-brainer.
How to Get These Games on Sale
Steam runs major sales at predictable times throughout the year — Winter, Summer, Spring, and Autumn sales typically hit. Turn-based strategy games from the catalog (especially titles 3+ years old) routinely hit 75-90% off during these events.
A few tips to maximize value:
- Wishlist everything. Steam notifies you when wishlisted games go on sale, and it also factors into how often the game gets promoted during sales.
- Check Humble Bundle and Fanatical. Some of these titles show up in Humble Choice bundles — XCOM 2 and DOS2 have both appeared in bundles worth far less than the games alone.
- Don’t buy DLC at full price. Buy the base game on sale, then wait for DLC to go on sale separately. For games like Civ VI, the DLC sales are just as steep as the base game discounts.
The Steam sale dates are worth knowing: historically, Winter Sale runs late December, Spring Sale in March, Summer Sale in late June/July, and Autumn Sale in November. Check our Steam sale deals guide for current discounts across all genres.
What About Multiplayer?
Most of the games above have some multiplayer, but the best pure multiplayer TBS experiences on Steam are worth noting separately:
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 has exceptional co-op (up to 4 players)
- Wildermyth supports 2-4 player co-op throughout the full campaign
- Civilization VI has online multiplayer, though matches can be slow
- Into the Breach is primarily single-player
What If You Want Something Even Cheaper?
Several older turn-based strategy classics are permanently cheap or frequently free:
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown (the predecessor to XCOM 2) goes for under $3 on sale and is still excellent
- Invisible Inc. by Klei is a brilliant stealth-tactics hybrid that hits $4–$5 on sale
- Caves of Qud is a deep roguelike with turn-based tactics for $24.99 full price
Also worth checking: our best free PC games on Itch.io guide covers some free turn-based titles if you want zero cost options. And if you prefer card-based tactics, the Roguebook review is worth a read.
Final Verdict: Where to Start
If you’re new to turn-based strategy, start with Into the Breach — it’s the most approachable and teaches you spatial thinking that makes every other TBS easier to understand. Then move to XCOM 2 for permadeath drama. Then fall into the Civ VI rabbit hole when you have a free weekend and too many snacks.
Every game on this list regularly drops to under $15. Most hit under $10. This genre is arguably the best value-per-hour on Steam — a single playthrough of XCOM 2 alone runs 40–60 hours, and most people do multiple runs.
Set those wishlists. The next sale is never far away.
