9 Best Strategy Games on PS4 for Gamers Who Love a Challenge

Got a long weekend ahead and want to sharpen your skills of strategizing and scheming on your PS4?

The strategy game genre is popular in the PC gaming niche. While the PlayStation 4 and 5 are mostly popular for first-person shooter titles, zombie games, racing games, and arcade games, you’ll be surprised to know there’s a vast list of gaming titles you haven’t explored that falls under the strategic games category for Sony PlayStation. If you don’t know any, no sweat! Keep reading to discover the gems in this category for your PS4 and PS5.

What is a Strategy Game?

In a strategy game, players perform actions without knowing the opponent’s direct actions. Normally, each player simultaneously acts on in-game factors to defeat each other. Most strategy games come with open-world maps. Other attractions are as outlined below:

Vast maps where you can explore areas for resources.
Create walls and towers to defend resources from enemies, zombies, or fantastical creatures.
Build settlements, forages, factories, and other such buildings to feed the civilians and military.
Also, build armor and research technology to arm your military.
Finally, attack the opponents’ castles or settlements, eliminate all enemy units, and conquer the world.

Sub-Genres of Strategy Games

Turn-based Strategy (TBS): Games with turn-based unit movement, planning, technology researching, and engaging in conflict, among other actions.
Real-time Strategy (RTS): These games focus on real-time control, resource management, and combat.
4X Strategy: 4X consists of eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. These games involve exploration, expansion, resource management, and conflict.
Tactical Strategy: These are games with small-scale, tactical battles, and unit control.
Grand Strategy: In such games, you manage and grow nations or civilizations on a global scale.
Tower Defense: You must defend a tower, castle, walled city, or strategic structure against waves of enemies that are either human beings or zombies.
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA): It’s a team-based arena battle with a strategic hero and unit control.
Simulation Strategy: These games involve simulation of real-world operations like city building, restaurant management, amusement park management, railway management, etc.
Hybrid Strategy: Some strategy games on PS4 could include more than one sub-genres to deliver a unique experience.

All Good Strategy Games Come With These Aspects

Find below the key aspects that make strategy games thought-provoking and engaging for PS4 gamers:

#1. Tactical Decision-Making

In a strategy game, you’re the decision maker. You decide where to deploy troops, which technology to research, how to attack enemy fortifications, and so on. Your actions have a direct impact on the outcome of the game. After applying a tactic, if you win, consider that’s a winning scheme you can try in the future as well.

#2. Strategic Planning

You must be a master strategist if you’re winning several stages or levels in a PS4 strategy game. These game titles require you to foresee the upcoming challenges and strategize the use of resources, military units, and technologies, and maintain diplomatic relations with neighboring states or clans.

You can apply these strategies in real-life scenarios as well when applicable. For example, conserving energy, water, food, and medical supplies in remote and suburban areas is similar to that of a strategic game.

#3. Problem-Solving Challenges

Strategic games share a similarity with open-world games. There is no single recipe for winning. The gaming world is open to you, you get resources, and you get workers. Now, you must find a way to resolve the problems at hand within the constraints of the gaming world.

Looking for an alternative route to a secret location in the game map is a way of overcoming challenges. You can relate that to finding shortcuts to a destination in your city when the obvious road is blocked by construction or repair works.

#4. Deep Gameplay Systems

Most strategy games on PS4 are expansive in nature. There are so many user interfaces that you need to interact with. For example, the game map, in-game heroes and their powers, civilian units, military units, resource dashboard, technology charts, online chats, and many more.

When you successfully interact with all these and win at a strategic game level, consider your attention to detail as high. Also, you can multitask efficiently.

#5. Multiplayer Engagement

Most PS4 strategy games offer multi-player and co-op modes for gaming. So, you team up with your game buddies and maintain cooperative communication with them to win a level. Sometimes you need to lead your gaming partners. Such skills will also help you lead a team in real-life and communicate effectively.

Now that you’ve got a complete understanding of strategy games on PS4, let’s explore some of the best titles in this major video game genre below:

Civilization VI

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is one of the best turn-based strategy games on PS4. The PS4 version immerses you in a historical journey, guiding your civilization toward greatness. The game’s visually stunning design mesmerizes you as you engage in exploration, expansion, exploitation, and warfare. Ultimately, you need to make your empire great and commanding over others.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	Sid Meier's Civilization VI - PlayStation 4	1,877 Reviews	$19.97	Buy on Amazon

You must find a new land where you can set up your settlement. Then, research technology and farming to set up a thriving colony. Also, you must create a powerful and sizeable military to take on rival empires. Finally, you need to fight renowned leaders from the history of civilization itself.

The PS4 edition comes with new leaders, scenarios, and civilizations, like the ones outlined below:

Poland Scenario and Civilization
Australia Scenario and Civilization
Vikings Scenario
Macedon and Persia Scenario
Nubia Scenario and Civilization
Indonesia and Khmer Scenario

Developer: Firaxis Games

Publisher: 2K

Release Date: November 22, 2019

XCOM 2

XCOM 2 tells the story of an alien invasion on Earth. Aliens now control Earth, its resources, and human beings. As a resistance leader, you must rebuild XCOM, which can overturn the alien rule and reclaim Earth from the hands of strange creatures from a distant universe.

You must play this turn-based tactics video game to experience the world of advanced science and space technology. In fact, you must create and lead a group of scientists and engineers who can help you build spaceships and weapons needed to defeat the aliens.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	XCOM 2 Collection - PlayStation 4	No ratings yet	$54.67	Buy on Amazon

The game consists of virtually infinite maps, goals, and missions. However, your objective is to recruit resistance fighters that come from five different skill spectrums. Use these troops to conquer alien-occupied lands on Earth and space.

Developer: Firaxis Games

Publisher: 2K Games

Release Date: February 5, 2016

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus

Mechanicus is a thrilling turn-based strategy game that immerses you into the universe of Warhammer 40,000. As the Magos Dominus Faustinius, you assume command of the Adeptus Mechanicus army. It’s an ancient military faction that worships technology and has an immense zeal for battles.

The game presents players with challenging missions on the planet Silva Tenebris. It has a rich blend of tactical combat and immersive storytelling. You must engage in intense battles against sinister forces like the Necrons. Furthermore, you need to recruit tech-priests and deploy them strategically to aid your military prowess. These tech priests come with augmentations, unique abilities, and skill trees.

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You can also discover and access forbidden knowledge. You can use this secret knowledge to upgrade your army, unlock ancient relics, and develop devastating weapons.

Developer: Bulwark Studios

Publisher: Kasedo Games

Release Date: July 17, 2020

Dungeons 3

In Dungeons 3, the Dungeon Lord cunningly lures the dark elf priestess Thalya away from the surface world, making her his chief lieutenant and allowing him to orchestrate his conquests from his subterranean lair. Backed by the forces of evil, players must employ clever tactics to finally defeat the righteous heroes of the overworld.

Under the leadership of Thalya, you shall command a unified army of evil. Of course, you need to guide them toward victory. Dungeons 3 offers an extensive single-player campaign comprising 20 missions. You should be able to complete all the scenarios in 20 hours if you’re familiar with strategy games on PS4.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	Dungeons 3 - PlayStation 4	No ratings yet	$29.96	Buy on Amazon

Dungeons 3 is a must-have strategy game because of its randomly generated levels, the all-new co-op mode for two players, additional rooms, and unique in-game abilities.

Developer: Realmforge Studios

Publisher: Kalypso Media GMBH

Release Date: October 13, 2017

Minecraft Legends

In Minecraft Legends, you’re in the middle of a war between the Overworld and the Piglins from the Nether in the Minecraft universe. Your entry to the game starts with mining in a cave. Suddenly, three individuals—Action, Knowledge, and Foresight—approach and greet you. They convince you to aid them in protecting the Overworld, which is being repeatedly raided by the Piglins.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	Minecraft Legends - Deluxe Edition PlayStation 4	67 Reviews	$38.24	Buy on Amazon

Once you’re in the Overworld, you must complete a short tutorial so you can navigate the game effectively. After this, you’ll have to conquer Nether outposts and portals, ultimately facing The Great Hog, the game’s antagonist. There are equal parts humor, strategy, and action in this game, making it a well-balanced experience for all sorts of players!

Developer: Mojang Studios

Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

Release Date: April 18, 2023

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

In 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, you take control of 13 in-game characters. These characters interact with themselves to create a large and enjoyable storyline. There are three chapters in the gameplay. These are:

➡️ Remembrance: Where you explore and have dialogues with other in-game characters to advance the storyline.

➡️ Destruction: In this chapter, you equip the characters with mecha and engage in battles against Kaiju, the enemy.

➡️ Analysis: This is a glossary of the game where you’ll find details about important in-game items and characters. You’ll also find critical event scenes here.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - PlayStation 4	2,351 Reviews	$29.27	Buy on Amazon

The Destruction mode gives you the taste of tower defense. You must choose six Sentinels and place them against waves of Kaijus to defend your terminal.

Developer: Vanillaware

Publisher: SEGA Europe Ltd.

Release Date: September 22, 2020

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown offers a thrilling return to the captivating world of Strangereal. Set in 2019, the game’s single-player campaign immerses players in the midst of the Lighthouse War, where they assume the role of Trigger, a skilled pilot of the Osean Air Defense Force locked in a fierce battle against the Kingdom of Erusea.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - PlayStation 4	4,391 Reviews	$9.98	Buy on Amazon

Throughout the game, captivating cutscenes follow various characters, including Avril Mead, an Osean flight mechanic, and Dr. Schroeder, an EASA researcher, providing a multi-faceted perspective on the war. The game is also compatible with PS VR and PS VR2 for an immersive virtual reality air-dogfight experience.

Developer: Bandai Namco Studios

Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe

Release Date: January 18, 2019

Valkyria Chronicles 4

Valkyria Chronicles 4 introduces four distinct play modes: Book, Command, Action, and Targeting mode. In Book Mode, the story unfolds in easily digestible sections, resembling a photo album with accompanying images to aid in recalling and tracking the narrative.

The remaining three game modes are battle-focused. Command and Targeting modes eliminate the element of time pressure, allowing players to strategize and plan their moves without haste.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	Valkyria Chronicles 4: Launch Edition - PlayStation 4	No ratings yet	$39.02	Buy on Amazon

Valkyria Chronicles 4 offers a diverse range of gameplay experiences, combining strategic decision-making in Command and Targeting modes with the adrenaline-pumping intensity of real-time combat in Action mode.

Developer: Sega and Media.Vision

Publisher: SEGA

Release Date: March 21, 2018

This War of Mine: The Little Ones

This War of Mine: The Little Ones is a DLC for the original This War of Mine strategy game. While the original game is all about surviving in the war-torn fictitious city of Pogoren, Graznavia, the DLC explores the same from a child’s perspective.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	This War Of Mine - The Little Ones (PS4)	50 Reviews	$19.99	Buy on Amazon

Here, you must lead a few civilians who don’t have any prior combat or surviving experience in a conflict zone. In the daytime, you can craft items from scavenged gears, upgrade the shelter, or trade. In the nighttime, you lead the survivors to explore the city to scavenge resources.

Developer: 11 bit studios

Publisher: 11 bit studios

Release Date: January 29, 2016

Wrapping Up

Strategy games can be time-consuming but tend to give your brain quite the workout! Moreover, the games that we’ve listed here will provide you with action, storytelling, humor, and of course, plenty of opportunities for you to put your planning skills to the test.

If you’re looking for PC games to train and challenge your mind check out these best puzzle games now.