The best strategy games of 2017

We love games that give us a battlefield and task us with making decisions that will lead our troops to victory. In 2017, plenty of strategic encounters were placed in our paths. We’d like to think they all bring something special to the table, but these three made the biggest impression.
 
 

The best strategy game of 2017: Culdcept Revolt

Culdcept Revolt lets us do so many wonderful things. We get to collect cards with powerful creatures, helpful items and useful spells on them! Some can even be evolved! We get to organize decks that will hopefully help us handle any situation! Then, once we are completely prepared, we head out onto the battlefield, attempting to stake our claims on various spots and efficiently outsmart and outearn our opponents! This is a very good game, and we are very lucky it was localized. – Jenni

This latest entry in the franchise transforms its gameplay in subtle but significant ways, which is great for longtime fans, but newcomers should like the game too: it’s an engrossing, nuanced experience, and building out increasingly optimized decks can feel very rewarding. And online play! It adds a lot of life to a game that shines best when played against other humans. – Graham
 
 

Runner-up: Fire Emblem Heroes

A free-to-play mobile game with microtransactions is worthy of recognition? Yeah, actually. Heroes will happily take all your money if you let it, but the free experience has a vast wealth of fun and it’s manageable enough to keep up with the harder challenges through tactics rather than tall stacks. – Graham
 
 

Runner-up: Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is an oddity in the Fire Emblem world. It is really more of an RPG than a strategy game, what with the way we move around the world, explore dungeons and use characters’ abilities. But while it may dabble with other genre’s trademark elements, it does still provide players with plenty of tactical challenges in both Alm and Celica’s storylines. – Jenni