What is best in turn-based strategy games?
May 2, 2018 1:30 PM Subscribe
Gamefilter! Seeking your suggestions for free-to-play or relatively inexpensive turn-based strategy games available for iOS/Mac!
My partner loves these things, and they are entirely not my jam, so I'm lost and I need your best advice! Past winners include TripleA (open-source Axis and Allies variants), the the iOS version of Pandemic, and Boom Beach (although the latter was too heavily focused on grinding/microtransactions and raiding, and ended up requiring daily guild checkins, and was ultimately abandoned for those reasons). What might be similarly satisfying? This is for a person who loves to play the long game but doesn't necessarily want to play a long game -- TripleA, for example, can easily stretch into an all-day play session, and shorter games of 30-40 minutes would be nice (although longer is also okay).
Solo/offline play preferred. War theming not objectionable, but not necessary; fantasy elements not objectionable, but not particularly a favourite, either, generally. Also, I know GOG would be an obvious place to look, but the MBP these will be played on gets finicky when it comes to running Wine and since the idea is to play for ~relaxation~ it'd be nice to avoid the fuss (unless you know a totally amazing game that would be absolutely worth some cussing and futzing).
My partner loves these things, and they are entirely not my jam, so I'm lost and I need your best advice! Past winners include TripleA (open-source Axis and Allies variants), the the iOS version of Pandemic, and Boom Beach (although the latter was too heavily focused on grinding/microtransactions and raiding, and ended up requiring daily guild checkins, and was ultimately abandoned for those reasons). What might be similarly satisfying? This is for a person who loves to play the long game but doesn't necessarily want to play a long game -- TripleA, for example, can easily stretch into an all-day play session, and shorter games of 30-40 minutes would be nice (although longer is also okay).
Solo/offline play preferred. War theming not objectionable, but not necessary; fantasy elements not objectionable, but not particularly a favourite, either, generally. Also, I know GOG would be an obvious place to look, but the MBP these will be played on gets finicky when it comes to running Wine and since the idea is to play for ~relaxation~ it'd be nice to avoid the fuss (unless you know a totally amazing game that would be absolutely worth some cussing and futzing).
Best answer: FTL is awesome, but it is not turn-based...
posted by fimbulvetr at 1:40 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by fimbulvetr at 1:40 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Into the Breach works with WINE and is absolutely worth the minor hassle. It's a recent game by the same people who made FTL. Here's a metafilter post where most people like it, from March, when it came out.
(Disclaimer: It's a tactics game and not a strategy game, if that distinction is important)
posted by aubilenon at 1:40 PM on May 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
(Disclaimer: It's a tactics game and not a strategy game, if that distinction is important)
posted by aubilenon at 1:40 PM on May 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Addendum: FTL isn't turn-based but you can pause the action whenever, so it CAN be played sort of the way one would play a turn-based game. Into the Breach, OTOH, is completely turn-based.
posted by aubilenon at 1:42 PM on May 2, 2018
posted by aubilenon at 1:42 PM on May 2, 2018
Best answer: The new Battletech apparently runs on Mac.
XCOM: Enemy Within has an iOS port that received a lot of praise, and XCOM 2 runs on Mac.
posted by tobascodagama at 1:49 PM on May 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
XCOM: Enemy Within has an iOS port that received a lot of praise, and XCOM 2 runs on Mac.
posted by tobascodagama at 1:49 PM on May 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Not to threadsit, but I just asked and got a list of desireable attributes:
"slow"
"definitely turn-based"
"thinky"
"lots of planning"
"maps"
"some historical element would be neat"
To sum up, a quote from our exchange:
"Basically just... slow and plotting."
"Wait... slow and plodding?"
"Plotting. But plodding is good too!"
posted by halation at 2:07 PM on May 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
"slow"
"definitely turn-based"
"thinky"
"lots of planning"
"maps"
"some historical element would be neat"
To sum up, a quote from our exchange:
"Basically just... slow and plotting."
"Wait... slow and plodding?"
"Plotting. But plodding is good too!"
posted by halation at 2:07 PM on May 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Twilight Struggle has a nice historical dimension and is available on both Mac and iOS. (Probably not playable on iPhone, but I've never tried...)
posted by L0 at 2:17 PM on May 2, 2018
posted by L0 at 2:17 PM on May 2, 2018
Best answer: Hmmm from my library...
At the upper end, They Are Billions is a fantastic turn based strategy game. $25
I love Zachtronics puzzle games like SpaceChem and Opus Magnum. Very thinky and ploddy but not combat games.
posted by teabag at 2:42 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
At the upper end, They Are Billions is a fantastic turn based strategy game. $25
I love Zachtronics puzzle games like SpaceChem and Opus Magnum. Very thinky and ploddy but not combat games.
posted by teabag at 2:42 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Civilization 6 is available for both Mac and iPad. There are a lot of other turn based strategy games for iOS:
Battle of Wesnoth
Final Fantasy Tactics
XCom: Enemy Within
Templar Battleforce
Polytopia
Warbits
Antihero
Ticket to Earth
Steamworld Heist
Through the Ages
Fire Emblem
Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander
Banner Saga 1 & 2
posted by mattholomew at 2:45 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Battle of Wesnoth
Final Fantasy Tactics
XCom: Enemy Within
Templar Battleforce
Polytopia
Warbits
Antihero
Ticket to Earth
Steamworld Heist
Through the Ages
Fire Emblem
Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander
Banner Saga 1 & 2
posted by mattholomew at 2:45 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Invisible Inc? What sets it apart: stealth-focused, permadeath (that can be turned off), procedurally generated levels, cyperpunk theme. Also just being really, really good. A full campaign can take a while to play, but a single level definitely fits in the 30-40 minute range.
Fwiw, I also pretty much solely like turn-based games but I loved FTL. I played it as a turn-based game by pausing every time I finished an action- this is really easy to do since pausing is bound to the space bar by default iirc.
If he like thinky, plotting games then I'd recommend at least trying the free trial for Gunpoint, a 'stealth puzzle game'. Not turn-based, but slow and not at all reflex-based. Again, I pretty much solely like turn-based games but loved Gunpoint.
posted by perplexion at 2:46 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Fwiw, I also pretty much solely like turn-based games but I loved FTL. I played it as a turn-based game by pausing every time I finished an action- this is really easy to do since pausing is bound to the space bar by default iirc.
If he like thinky, plotting games then I'd recommend at least trying the free trial for Gunpoint, a 'stealth puzzle game'. Not turn-based, but slow and not at all reflex-based. Again, I pretty much solely like turn-based games but loved Gunpoint.
posted by perplexion at 2:46 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Oh and fyi, Steam has a turn-based strategy tag- you can sort by top sellers.
RockPaperShotgun, my games publication of choice, has a list of the best strategy games of all time. PC-focused, but I'm guessing most of them are also available for Mac.
posted by perplexion at 2:55 PM on May 2, 2018
RockPaperShotgun, my games publication of choice, has a list of the best strategy games of all time. PC-focused, but I'm guessing most of them are also available for Mac.
posted by perplexion at 2:55 PM on May 2, 2018
Best answer: Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is available on gog.com and apparently not difficult to get running on a mac.
He wont need to have played 1 or 2 to understand what's going on, so just start with 3, the best in the series
posted by Jacen at 3:45 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
He wont need to have played 1 or 2 to understand what's going on, so just start with 3, the best in the series
posted by Jacen at 3:45 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Polytopia is currently my favorite Civ-alike for iOS. I've been playing it a bit obsessively lately: it's pretty simple, but fairly deep, with some subtle strategy.
posted by jacobian at 5:27 PM on May 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by jacobian at 5:27 PM on May 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Unity of Command sounds like it might be up the alley.
posted by rodlymight at 7:12 PM on May 2, 2018
posted by rodlymight at 7:12 PM on May 2, 2018
Best answer: Adding my Polytopia plug. Please note that it is addictive.
posted by qldaddy at 7:16 AM on May 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by qldaddy at 7:16 AM on May 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I can't believe I forgot to mention Invisible, Inc. here! Yeah, that's a great one.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:02 AM on May 3, 2018
posted by tobascodagama at 8:02 AM on May 3, 2018
Response by poster: haha wow you all were not joking about the nature of Polytopia
Thanks for all the great recommendations! If we can ever prise ourselves away from Polytopia, we are going to try them all! Invisible, Inc. is definitely next.
posted by halation at 10:11 AM on May 7, 2018
Thanks for all the great recommendations! If we can ever prise ourselves away from Polytopia, we are going to try them all! Invisible, Inc. is definitely next.
posted by halation at 10:11 AM on May 7, 2018
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FTL (iPad)
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 1:37 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]