Video:10 Best Beginner Strategy Games for PC

Transcript:10 Best Beginner Strategy Games for PC

Hi, I'm Shane Murphy, your technology guru for About.com. Today we'll survey the best and the brightest strategy games available.

Crossover Board Games Are Great Beginner Strategy Games for PC

Some of the best strategy games out there are actually video game versions of existing board games. In this vein, the popular Axis and Allies has several iterations to play online. Command either Russia, Germany, England, Japan, or America in the attempt to win WWII in this turn based game that's heavy on economics.

Another simpler and popular cross over is Stratego. Maneuver your pieces of varying levels of power to capture your enemy's pieces and eventually seize your enemy's flag. Besides mixing up the gameplay a bit, these video game counterparts allow you to play online with your friends.

Good Beginner Real-Time Strategy Games for PC

The true king of strategy games is the real-time strategy genre, of which there are dozens of fine games to look at. The one making the biggest splash right now is Starcraft 2, a space opera about aliens, the fate of the galaxy, and betrayal. Like most RTS's, you'll need to simultaneously harvest resources, expand your base, and train units to take down your enemies. Starcraft's massive popularity owes itself to the unique "rock paper scissors" system built into the three factions vying for power.

Another classic is Age of Kings from the storied Age of Empires series. In this medieval RTS, you take over one of the major powers at the time and command your knights and archers in your conquest of Europe. Having a strong historical side helped make Age of Kings unique -- the game allowed you to play through bygone events like Joan of Arc's journey.

Beginner Strategy Games for PC Within Game Series

Warcraft 3 is the last release in the venerated series, the first set of games that established the Warcraft fantasy universe of elves and orcs. Playing as one of four factions, you must train and level up your super-powered hero unit to lead your minions into battle and crush your foes.

The best starting point in the long-running Command and Conquer series must be the original Red Alert, still the strongest entry after over a decade. You'll command either Russian or Alliance troops in an alternate history scenario where Hitler never comes to power. The game is set in the modern day but has plenty of interesting units based on made up technology.

Some Beginner Strategy Games for PC Can Span Long Lengths of Time

The draw of Empire Earth is that you can literally start your game in the Stone Age and continually upgrade your technology until you and your adversary are duking it out with jets, nuclear warheads, and mechs. Every era in between is faithfully represented, making this RTS perfectly capable of representing your favorite theater of war.

Sins of a Solar Empire didn't make much of splash when it was released, but it deserves mention because of its uniquely slow-paced action and games that can last days. As a space combat game, you assemble your fleet according to your race's strengths and use them to take over the galaxy.

Other Beginner Strategy Games for PC

There are plenty of other games out there to explore that are more loosely thought of as strategy as well, usually by integrating a thick layer of tactics into another genre of gameplay. Full Spectrum Warrior might look like a third person shooter, but all of the small team strategy involved in commanding your team make it much more. Tower defense games can combine strategy elements with puzzle game mechanics. In PixelJunk Monsters you rush around building a series of guard towers of differing attributes to hold off the waves and waves of critters marching towards your home.

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