Total War: Rome II

Why recommended

• Deep strategic gameplay revolving around managing a medieval dynasty, expanding influence through warfare, diplomacy, and intrigue, similar to the grand campaign layer of Total War.
• Criteria — Strategy is central, requiring long-term planning, character management, and intricate political maneuvering to ensure your dynasty's survival and dominance.
• Criteria — Challenging Difficulty arises from the complex web of character interactions, unpredictable events, and the constant threat of internal strife or external invasion, demanding careful decision-making in Singleplayer.

Why recommended

• Engages players in historical warfare through real-time strategy, focusing on resource management, base building, and commanding diverse historical armies, echoing Total War's battle phase.
• Criteria — Strategy is paramount, as players must balance economic development, technological advancement, and military conquest to outmaneuver opponents in real-time battles.
• Criteria — Challenging Difficulty is present in competitive AI and multiplayer, requiring quick thinking, efficient build orders, and tactical unit deployment, primarily experienced in Singleplayer campaigns and skirmishes.

Why recommended

• Features a deep 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) strategic layer on a world map combined with tactical turn-based combat, providing a similar strategic depth to Total War's campaign and battle phases.
• Criteria — Strategy is the core gameplay loop, involving empire management, research, diplomacy, and military conquest across a procedurally generated world.
• Criteria — Challenging Difficulty comes from managing multiple unique factions with asymmetric gameplay, complex resource systems, and intelligent AI opponents in its Singleplayer experience.

Why recommended

• Involves complex strategic management of resources, production chains, and population needs within a detailed historical setting, offering a different but equally engaging form of empire building.
• Criteria — Strategy is fundamental, as players must optimize trade routes, manage colonial expansion, and maintain citizen happiness to succeed in a dynamic industrial era.
• Criteria — Challenging Difficulty arises from balancing complex supply chains, dealing with rival companies, and managing public opinion, all within a primarily Singleplayer experience that rewards meticulous planning.