A Guide to Strategy Game Genres and Subgenres

There is no fixed number of strategy genres because mechanics constantly blend and evolve. However, these are the core categories most critics and players recognize:

Core Genres

• Real-Time Strategy (RTS): Simultaneous command issuing. Examples: StarCraft II, Age of Empires IV, Company of Heroes 3.
• Turn-Based Strategy (TBS): Players take sequential turns. Examples: Civilization VI, XCOM 2, Total War (campaign map).
• Grand Strategy: Nation/empire management over centuries. Examples: Crusader Kings III, Europa Universalis IV, Hearts of Iron IV.
• 4X (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate): Often overlaps with Grand Strategy or TBS. Examples: Stellaris, Civilization VI, Endless Legend.
• Real-Time Tactics (RTT): Focus on battlefield tactics, no base building. Examples: Company of Heroes (skirmish), Men of War, World in Conflict.
• Turn-Based Tactics: Squad-level combat. Examples: XCOM 2, BattleTech, Phoenix Point.
• Tower Defense: Build static defenses against waves. Examples: Kingdom Rush, Bloons TD 6, They Are Billions.
• Auto Battler / Auto Chess: Assemble teams that fight automatically. Examples: Teamfight Tactics, Dota Underlords, Super Auto Pets.
• MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena): Hero control + RTS elements. Examples: League of Legends, Dota 2.
• Roguelike Strategy / Deckbuilders: Procedural runs + strategic choices. Examples: Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Across the Obelisk.
• Simulation/Management Strategy: Complex systems optimization. Examples: Cities: Skylines, Frostpunk, Factorio, Oxygen Not Included.

Why Categories Blur

• Hybrids: Total War = Grand Strategy (campaign) + RTT (battles). XCOM = TBS (geoscape) + Turn-Based Tactics (missions).
• Subgenres: Historical RTS, Fantasy TBS, City Builder, Colony Sim, Card-Based Strategy.
• Emerging Trends: "Auto-battlers" didn't exist as a genre until 2019.

Better than counting genres: Look at core mechanics: Resource Management, Decision Making, Planning, Competition, Emergent Gameplay. Find games that emphasize the mechanics you enjoy.