Today we'll talk about turn-based RPGs. To complete a level or advance along the storyline, you will have to learn to calculate your moves. The user has a small squad at his disposal. Each fighter has a number of abilities and is equipped with unique ammunition. You can defeat your enemies different ways- brute force, relying on the landscape, sacrificing allies. What will you choose? And while you're thinking, we'll tell you about games very similar to X-COM.

Xenonauts 2 - alien “guests”

Xenonauts 2 is very similar to XCOM 2. And it's not even about the plot, although it is also tied to an alien invasion. Players will have to rebuild their base, conduct research, improve their characters' uniforms and participate in operations around the world. Xenonauts 2 is unlikely to ever win at gaming conventions and shows, but the project has potential. Just look at the developed skill system and the ability to destroy any structure. It is also worth noting the air battles. Unlike the first part, much more equipment will be involved in the battles. The release date is still unknown, but the game should not be worse than other top projects in this genre. Here are a couple of features:
- By studying technology, you will be able to open access to new opportunities. There will be a chance to send a spy to an enemy base and find secret information or cause sabotage;
- Having sent the alien to the next world, you will be able to pick up his weapon, and it is much more powerful than the earthly one;
- Each location has secrets. It is better to search every corner of the alien ship and check the destroyed building. There are both weapons and new technologies.

Without knowing the features of Xenonauts 2, many will not even pay attention to the project. Therefore, after playing, you can help others choose a game that you won’t mind spending several dozen, or even hundreds of hours on. The toy can even outshine XCOM 2. This does not apply to graphics, but to content and capabilities. Even during the construction of the base, you will have to not only arrange the compartments correctly, but also think about energy, food, and free space in the storage.

Kingsmen - guarding Britain and the whole world

In Kingsmen you will be leading British intelligence. You can forget about hardware and programs, the strategy was released for Android. Therefore, the gameplay is not that varied. It can be divided into two stages - battles with other gamers and base construction. The main characters from the film of the same name - Eggsy, Harry, Merlin - take part in the battles. To rob an enemy base, you will have to use not only characters, but also gadgets. When successful operation The system will accrue resources, and you can spend them in different ways:
- Build a new object on the base;
- Install traps around the perimeter;
- Install security towers;
- Upgrade your heroes.

Knowledge of turn-based tactics will come in handy during missions. Depending on the location and goals, you will have to hide behind boxes, throw grenades, and kill with different firearms. Essentially, the developers created a platformer based on the film and added a couple of standard elements that are present in any strategy. Similar games a lot, so the project will appeal only to fans of the film.

Forged of Blood - a cruel world

The game is scheduled for release in 2018. Critical Forge creates an old-school turn-based isometric strategy game. The gamer will have to control a squad of warriors, archers and magicians, and confront animals, marauders, and guards. The team focused on creating thoughtful battles and developed system pumping. Basically you have to travel around the world and liberate cities from invaders. Similar elements are present in every turn-based strategy, but what will really please you in this game are the types of locations:
- Snow-covered ruins;
- Outskirts of the city;
- Impenetrable forest;
- Destroyed fortresses.

The gameplay is divided into two standard parts - travel across the world map and constant battles. After the battle, the gamer will receive the experience necessary to upgrade heroes and equipment. As for battles, the zone is divided into hexagram fields. In order not to lose, you should learn to calculate your moves (each character has a different number of action points) and use skills correctly. If desired, you can rely on brute force or punish enemies with magic. To summarize, we can conclude that Forged of Blood has every chance of becoming a top game in the turn-based strategy genre.

Phantom Brigade - controlled by robots

Phantom Brigade is a turn-based strategy in the style of Front Mission. Events take place in an alternative universe. The protagonist's homeland was occupied by invaders. The main task is to assemble a team of the coolest robots and liberate their native lands. It all starts with getting to know the base. In the hangar you can upgrade the robot, and at the operations table you can select a mission. Let's get acquainted with the types of tasks:
- Robbery;
- Escort;
- Assault;
- Penetration.

After successful operation robots will receive experience for pumping, and the protagonist will receive resources for construction. Phantom Brigade is a game that will delight you with an interesting development system, thoughtful battles, huge tactical capabilities and a good mech editor. But in this strategy, robots do not play the most important role. In the cockpit sits a person with unique talents and skills. The player’s task is to keep him safe, because without a pilot, the huge robot will turn into a pile of scrap metal.

Iron Oath - calling on the best warriors

Iron Oath has every chance to become best game 2019. The official release date is still unknown, but the developers have promised to launch an alpha test next year. Get ready for a journey into dark fantasy. Visit different time periods. Before the eyes of gamers, heroes will grow old and die. Everyone has their own interesting story, skills and talents. Gather a team and travel through nine locations (50 zones in total). But the gameplay is not limited to walking through colorful territories, because it will be possible to build cities, destroy settlements, rob and seize enemy property. So, the world map will change at your discretion.

The developers have announced only four main characters so far. By the time of release, they promise to please players with eight more. But no matter what the hero is, he needs a team. It will be possible to recruit both ordinary warriors and various monsters. Allies will often die, so it’s better not to get attached to them, but to let them go and start getting new ones. As you become stronger, you will gain access to new dungeons, raids and opportunities - building a settlement, managing a guild, robbing a criminal camp. As for battles, develop tactics, use the landscape and use the heroes’ skills in time.

This selection of games is entirely dedicated to the best iOS and Android strategies, proven and popular. The action in them, as you can see, takes place in a variety of locations - in the air, at sea and on land. But one thing remains the same – strategic gameplay, which requires players to think, plan their own actions and predict the enemy’s moves.

This sci-fi strategy game asks gamers to create their own team of metal warriors, then send them into a labyrinth to fight a huge number of alien opponents. Here, the authors from Trese Brothers managed to combine tactical gameplay with role-playing elements, the possibility of customization and a wide range of content.

XCOM: Enemy Within

XCOM needs no introduction. This brainchild of the 2K company pleases gamers with the strategic depth of the plot - you will not only have to fight aliens, but also build diplomatic relations, manage your troops and plan operations. The plot of this development is not only deep, but also incredibly exciting, which rightfully turns Enemy Within into one of the best strategies on the iOS platform.

Sid Meier's Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies

Sid Meier became famous for always creating high-quality strategies with sidebars and mentions real story humanity. But his best work on mobile platforms can be considered this game dedicated to air battles. It is similar to the first version of Ace Patrol, but it is implemented much more thoughtfully and deeply, and there are more than enough strategic elements in it.

It will be difficult for you to determine what attracts you more in this game from Stoic - the magnificent, hand-drawn graphics, the atmospheric soundtrack, or the tactical plot with interactive RPG elements. Banner Saga is far from simple, but a really addictive game in the setting of Scandinavian mythology, which looks great both inside and out.

In games like XCOM you save the world, whereas in Plague Inc. from the studio Ndemic Creations - on the contrary, you are trying to stop its existence. Your task is to create a superinfection that would easily defeat all modern medications and hit humanity, putting it on the brink of survival. To win, you need to learn to think through your actions, building strategic combinations, taking risks and experimenting.

Created by the guys from Risky Lab, Warbits will remind you of Advance Wars in some ways - from colorful graphics to game mechanics based on moving tiles. Its tactical gameplay is indeed very close to the once famous but forgotten game from Nintendo, although it also has its own interesting finds, solutions and elements.

This idiosyncratic game from Fireflame Games is part roguelike, part RPG with elements board game and puzzles. It is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance, but behind its polished appearance There's enough strategic depth hidden to keep players hooked.

Rymdkapsel is an original and stylish RTS, developed by the Grapefrukt studio, in which you will have to collect resources, acquire attacking units and defend against enemy attacks. But most importantly, it's addictive, so don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting to play it over and over again.

Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch - Tyranid Invasion

Despite the difficult-to-pronounce name, this development from Rodeo Games cannot fail to attract attention. Its strategic gameplay and turn-based battles gothic style will be appreciated not only by fans of the 40K universe, but also simply by fans of thoughtful games that require thought.

Plan, execute and conquer your way to victory with these challenging strategy games that fans will love XCOM!

Methodical, addictive, and brutally frustrating at times, the XCOM series would be the cornerstone of turn-based strategy Hall of Fame if it actually existed.

Of course, given the huge and long-lasting popularity of the franchise, it's no surprise that there are a huge number of strategy games like XCOM released every year.

Some of these games are trying to emulate XCOM. Others are trying to shorten their path. However, there are a number of qualities that most games like XCOM share. These include:

• Meticulous turn-based combat;
• Diverse paths to success - one goal, many solutions;
• The constant death of states;
• Several character classes with unique skills and abilities;
• Mission based game structure;
• Branched trees of skills and history development.

Each of the headings reflects one or more of the selection criteria above. Of course, none of these 10 games are exactly like XCOM. However, each has a number of gaming qualities that will surely appeal to many XCOM fans. So without further ado, enjoy!

10. The Banner Saga

There are a million adjectives that could be used to describe The Banner Saga. None of them will truly do justice to how breathtakingly stylish this game is. It is a visual and auditory masterpiece. That alone makes it worth playing! The Banner Saga is also an extremely competent strategy game that has a lot in common with XCOM.

The turn-based combat is varied and enticing. Every victory, defeat and every choice you make changes the outcome of the journey, just like in the XCOM series. The narrative level here is more substantial than in XCOM, but the core gameplay is something that any tactical fan will enjoy. Don't forget to also watch The Banner Saga 2 and continue the story once you finish the first part.

9. Massive Chalice

Released by Double Fine, Massive Chalice is a turn-based strategy game with a quirky twist. The kingdom is under siege from evil forces, and the only hope for salvation... is a giant bowl. Yes, literally Massive Chalice will save the world, but it will take 200 years to prepare the attack. In the meantime, you will have to manage the kingdom and repel the attacks of invaders.

Massive Chalice is a generational game. You'll play as a matchmaker, combining bloodlines and crossing classes to suit your playstyle. You'll also expand the area as you see fit, exploring the area and building new buildings. The combat itself is very similar to XCOM, albeit with a little less variety. Despite this, Massive Chalice offers a turn-based strategy designed to reassure players looking for more games, such as XCOM.

8. Xenonauts

Released in 2014, Xenonauts is a clear throwback to the glory days of tactical games. A self-proclaimed planetary defense simulator, Xenonauts serves as the spiritual successor to XCOM: UFO Defense, the first of the XCOM games. Xenonauts will send you on missions all over the world. It also includes extremely interesting base management and air combat.

With amazing tech trees and some of the most satisfying combat in the genre, Xenonauts is a fantastic way to experience the gameplay of a bygone era in a modern way. Definitely a must play for those looking for classic turn-based strategy games like XCOM.

7. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

For those interested in fantasy strategy, you won't find anything better Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Challenging, strategic combat makes this game a schemer's dream.

A unique mission class system encourages improvisation and out-of-the-box thinking when creating a squad for future battles. Great amount job classes guarantees that there is always interesting way resolve every conflict with the enemy. At its core, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is a strategy game like XCOM, but with the luxury and features of an epic JRPG. This is a great combination!

6. Fire Emblem: Awakening

Series The Fire Emblem has been under the microscope lately due to content concerns. However, the series features appropriate tactical gameplay. Released in 2013, Awakening is my favorite game in the series, thanks to its wonderful style, complex combat system and unconventional relationship mechanics.

Although Fire Emblem: Awakening has a slightly more complex menu than other games similar to XCOM, it is very suitable for short but intense play sessions. Death in Awakening carries a heavy burden that is not often seen in games. Losing a beloved hero in Fire Emblem is traumatic in much the same way as it is in the XCOM games.

5. Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel

Franchise Fallout was not always in the first person. In fact, she used to be much more... tactical. Fallout Tactics is an underrated title that allows you to make some interesting things without straying too far from the turn-based strategy genre. Unlike other games on this list, Fallout Tactics is not purely turn-based. Instead, Fallout offers a choice of multiple real-time and turn-based combat modes to accommodate the use of different combat methods.

Character growth happens differently than in XCOM. This game uses the traditional SPECIAL base stats, skills and perks system. It's a curious mixture of things that doesn't always work perfectly. However, this game definitely offers enough strategic gameplay for players who are looking for more XCOM-like games.

4. Invisible, Inc.

Many games, such as XCOM, support the guns blazing style of play, but Invisible, Inc. wants you to be very secretive. With an armful of different agents, countless customization options and a randomly generated world.

Invisible, Inc. insanely beautiful, flaunts gorgeous art style. It's also a punishing game on high settings, with multiple game modes to choose from, and the ability to create your own challenges by sticking to a specific playstyle. The game is different enough from XCOM to be fresh, but familiar enough in its strategy gameplay to make fans of the series feel right at home.

3. Valkyria Chronicles

Valkyria Chronicles has been described by some people on Reddit as an anime-style XCOM with a WW2 setting. Like most other games such as XCOM, the game is turn-based, but with innovations, throwing in a faster paced third-person perspective. It also features characters with different skill sets, including snipers, tankers, engineers, and more.

Valkyria Chronicles has been praised for its surprisingly engaging storyline and characters. Art direction is also on top level, made everything better by the recently released ps4 version. Definitely an underrated classic!

2. Jagged Alliance 2

The original Jagged Alliance was a popular peer to XCOM, with a sequel enjoying great success. Nevertheless, Jagged Alliance 2, in particular, uses many community mods released by loyal fans over the years.

Many of these mods actually improve the original gameplay slightly. As you'd expect with games like XCOM, Jagged Alliance 2 features replayability, allowing players to choose between a huge variety of M.E.R.C.s to suit different strategic approaches. Movement for M.E.R.C is also very strategic (more so than the original XCOM!) with each character being able to walk, run, swim, crawl and crouch.

1. Silent Storm

For its time, Silent Storm praised for its destructible environments. Like XCOM, players are tasked with creating their own balanced squad (consisting of medics, snipers, scouts, soldiers, engineers and grenade launchers). The game also has a pretty good story campaign.

However, unlike XCOM, the weapons and equipment in Silent Storm strive to be much more realistic, so there is no high-tech or sci-fi content in the game.
Silent Storm struggled to make a splash upon its initial release. However, time has proven that a growing legion of dedicated fans hail this gem of a title as one of the most underrated turn-based strategy games. Highly recommended for those looking for more games like XCOM!

Surely many are familiar with the developers who came up with the add-on The Long War for XCOM. So, just recently, these guys decided to found their own company, called Long War, and begin developing a brand new turn-based strategy.

Game description

As you might guess, the first game will be similar to the world-famous strategy XCOM. Events will unfold on Earth, and you will have to fight with aliens. According to the team, they do not plan to copy the gameplay, so a completely new, and most importantly global strategy awaits us. The Kickstarter company will launch very soon, which means everyone will be able to contribute.

Terra Invicta is an online strategy 2016, in which players will not only have to fight off aliens, but make every effort to protect the entire Earth. Fortunately, you will have time to prepare before the invasion. Thanks to the latest technology, scientists were able to determine the exact location and time of landing. This important information will change your entire life.

At the very beginning, it will be necessary to gather a council of scientists, officials and military leaders in order to jointly try to unite all nations. The more allies you have, the stronger you will become and will be able to provide a worthy rebuff to the aliens. The technologies that you will be able to learn also depend on this. Since at the beginning it is necessary to take care of defense (build protective turrets, walls, etc.), strategy and tactics will play a key role. Some, for example, will prefer to wait for the aliens and fight on Earth, while others will go into outer space and prevent an invasion. Unfortunately, this is all the information for now, but very soon the employees of the new company will definitely share with us interesting details regarding the gameplay.

XCOM 2 moved to February - but what if you were already making plans expecting to play in November? What to do, how to quench the thirst for alien blood - not to replay the original once again? And it’s somehow... scary to take on a completely original one (the one from 1993), isn’t it?

Don't panic. Covering the topic of tactically competent confrontation with an alien threat is by no means a prerogative Enemy Unknown and its ancient ancestors, and that’s putting it mildly: who hasn’t tried their hand at reincarnating or reimagining X-COM before Firaxis got to work.

And after that, there were also brave souls.

XCOM: Long War

If you just want to add something new to the original, studied to the last sectoid, a modification is at your service Long War.

The idea is simple - to make XCOM bigger and more complex. There are more weapons and equipment, more soldiers under your command, more enemies on missions - even the first month will delight you with at least a dozen aliens on the map!

More accidents, pleasant and not so pleasant... and more time to complete - it’s not for nothing that this is a “long” war.

Long War goes a little too far in places, but if you want variety - and its modification will more than provide it - why not try it? But note: you will also need the Enemy Within expansion. UFO: Extraterrestrials Created by a small but dedicated team at Chaos Concept, UFO: Extraterrestrials was conceived as a remake of “the same one”

X-COM: UFO Defense

, which marked the beginning of both the series and an entire subgenre. The implementation of the daring ideas turned out, alas, to be mediocre - while retaining the spirit of the original, the developers seriously screwed up the balance, complexity and depth of the gameplay, and they didn’t create the most presentable wrapper - with lanky sprite soldiers and a gloomy, murky environment.

Fortunately, a community quickly formed around the game and began to modify it. Chaos Concept met halfway and subsequently included the most successful modifications in the “golden” edition, where the concept was brought... well, almost to mind.

The gameplay repeats the gameplay of the old X-COM almost exactly the same: the changes are mostly cosmetic and in some places ill-conceived. Instead of the Earth that fell under the onslaught of aliens, there is the Esperanza colony without a clear backstory; You can build bases, but only the main one is fully functional;

tactical battles are quite clumsy even with modifications, but also quite recognizable. It’s uneven, of course, but you can live. If you close your eyes to this, Extraterrestrials may well keep the alien fighter busy for a couple of weeks, because it still retains its spirit and manages to captivate, despite a lot of rough edges. Xenonauts

And here " Xenonauts", unlike Extraterrestrials, immediately inspire awe, managing not only to recreate the gameplay from the mid-nineties with incredible accuracy, but also to preserve that very atmosphere - adding enough to both avoid the offensive label of “clone” and remain extremely faithful to the original , and not seem archaic. Xenonauts Rest assured if you're a fan UFO Defense found the reincarnation of XCOM too “casual”, you will be pleasantly surprised and delighted by the elaboration of the world and interesting ideas - just take.

It also has every chance of impressing followers of the “new school”, since it’s convenient to play, and it will take very little time to master the differences. But in order to win... Let's just say, don't expect any mercy from the game - incorrect base planning and tactical mistakes will invariably give a newcomer a noticeable slap on the wrist.

“Learn, new guy,” the “Xenonauts” mean, displaying a message about defeat for the third or fourth time. Aren't you afraid to get tired and quit? Then take command.

UFO Series: Aftermath, Aftershock and Afterlight

The UFO trilogy from Altar Interactive is traditionally perceived as a very average attempt to make “our own” X-COM. Yes, there are plenty of deviations from the original concept and controversial innovations. But what if we evaluate them without looking back at the ancestor? Then it turns out that Aftermath , And Aftershock , And Afterlight

- the games are original and deep, albeit rather crudely executed. Then it turns out that Surprisingly, a lot of attention is paid to the plot and history of the world, where the Reticulan race made the Earth their testing ground, and voluntarily and forcibly moved people to orbital stations and sent them to colonize Mars. Xenonauts And if still trying to seem on

new way

, then the second game has already gone its own way, and the third even more so. From defenders, we have become invaders - both on Earth and on Mars, we have to fight for resources and territory, recapturing them from mutants, feral reticulans and Martian aborigines. A lot of different weapons and equipment are made by engineers and used by soldiers on the battlefield. The battlefield, by the way, lives here in real time - so battles are played completely differently than in the original source.

It’s not worth recommending the UFO trilogy to everyone, but still there is something special in it, a kind of magic, very “Ickscom”, but at the same time... different. Who knows, maybe this is exactly what you need?

GhostControl Inc.

They are spent with alarming speed - on maintaining the office, on compensating for material damage to clients, on maintaining the relatively sane minds of hunters, on gasoline, in the end. Little by little, the ghosts become creepier, the hunters become more experienced, and the fees... Well, anything can happen.

Sometimes you won't get a pound from a person if you accidentally burn his favorite curtain in an exorcist frenzy.

Massive Chalice

At first glance, what kind of XCOM is there, it’s fantasy! However, no, the very first battle causes an acute attack of deja vu, even though the mechanics have been slightly redesigned to suit the needs of the universe. We even fight, as in the “original source,” with alien life forms, except that their origin is rather infernal. There is also a breakdown into regions

World map Massive Chalice, “bases”-fortresses, a technology tree, fighters maturing with experience - only it all looks a little scanty. But excuse me, why did the greatest of heroes suddenly die of old age?!

And this is the main highlight . As an immortal ruler leading civilization through three centuries of war against invaders, the player willy-nilly devotes himself to eugenics. After all, if there are no descendants of today’s warriors, who will protect the lands from attacks tomorrow? And if the descendants turn out to be “defective” or do not appear at all, then it’s a lost cause. So it remains in the name

greater good

unite heroes into pairs, maintaining the gene pool and trying to get the maximum return... This is a tedious task, but who promised that it would be easy? Invisible Inc.

Invisible Inc.

not about aliens, but about spies and corporations, but it has amazingly much in common with XCOM. To understand its charm, it is worth talking, rather, about what is arranged differently in it. XCOM 2 Firstly, it's about secrecy. In an open skirmish, your agents can do almost nothing, and if they can, they pay dearly for it. Therefore, you do not enter into confrontation, but sneak around, hide behind stools, break into cameras, sound detectors and all kinds of safes with goods. Secondly, similar to what is promised in, here we have to operate from underground. If you play on “expert” (basic difficulty level), the game constantly presents you with difficulties: if there are enough resources, then they are tight, you always have to be torn between completing the mission safely and the desire to rummage through more rooms. Wherein Invisible Inc., which you never know in advance - you need to conduct reconnaissance), sudden skirmishes can be easily avoided if you move carefully and do not stomp your feet. A smart agent can handle everything.

Secondly, similar to what is promised in. not as big and epic as Enemy Unknown with the addition, and not nearly as free, since in conditions of limited resources and scarcity of information, it is more important not even to develop a plan, but to find that one among the wrong decisions the only possibility, which will allow you to win.

But it’s amazing how tightly all the mechanisms in it fit together. Every move, every consumable, every gadget counts, and emerging situations that radically change from game to game force you to replay it again and again.

* * *

This, of course, is not all games like XCOM (there is also, for example, free unfinished construction UFO: Alien Invasion), but to pass the time until February, they should be enough.