Best Strategy Games You Need to Play This Summer

The summer strategy-games guide emphasizes slower, planning-heavy gameplay suited to the season, while still noting that these titles remain challenging. Written as a roundup for “this summer,” the piece frames strategy games as offering depth and tactical thinking rather than fast reactions, with the author selecting entries meant to be played beyond a one-off session. It highlights Civilization VI, released October 21, 2016, across PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Android, and iOS, describing its turn-based loop of map exploration, resource gathering, city founding, and faction conflict. The article also points to multiple victory routes, including colonizing Mars, attracting tourists, earning Diplomatic Victory Points, and converting other factions to a religion. XCOM 2 follows as another featured pick, released February 5, 2016, spanning Android, iOS, Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, presented as turn-based tactical combat with permanent unit deaths. The text references the tactical complexity and chess-like mission planning that define the genre.