6 games to explore

Strategy and Building Games to Get Lost In

Factories, cities, civilizations and tactical squads. Choose the kind of problem you want to solve.

Which should you try first?

Factorio and Satisfactory suit production-minded builders. Cities: Skylines is about urban growth, while Civilization VI operates across an empire’s history. XCOM 2 narrows the focus to a squad, and Age of Empires IV asks you to manage an economy and battles in real time.

About this selection

Strategy can mean planning one careful move or redesigning an entire production network. Building games add another question: do you want to optimize a system or watch a place grow? These six starting points separate those motivations instead of treating all management as the same experience.

Selected to contrast real-time decisions, turn-based planning and construction. Start with the scale and pace you want, then use the game pages to find more recommendations in that direction.

Compare two games before you choose

Keep the kind of play you want. Compare what you will spend time doing and what might put you off.

First game

Second game

Factorio

Choose it for: Find the bottleneck and improve the system
What you will do: Mining, processing and manufacturing connect into an automated factory. Pick it when making a production chain more efficient feels like a satisfying goal rather than maintenance between other activities.
Consider first: Expect to revisit working systems as demand grows. A factory that looks complete can still need a substantial redesign.

Explore Factorio →

Satisfactory

Choose it for: Build a factory you can walk through
What you will do: First-person construction puts you inside the network of machines and transport routes. Exploration and terrain make planning a physical problem as you connect resources to increasingly complex production.
Consider first: Moving around a large three-dimensional build is part of the experience. Choose Factorio if you prefer directing from above.

Explore Satisfactory →

Find the bottleneck and improve the system

Factorio

Mining, processing and manufacturing connect into an automated factory. Pick it when making a production chain more efficient feels like a satisfying goal rather than maintenance between other activities.

Consider first: Expect to revisit working systems as demand grows. A factory that looks complete can still need a substantial redesign.

Find games like Factorio →

Compare with SatisfactoryChoose this to explore and build factories in three dimensions, rather than managing Factorio’s production from above.

Build a factory you can walk through

Satisfactory

First-person construction puts you inside the network of machines and transport routes. Exploration and terrain make planning a physical problem as you connect resources to increasingly complex production.

Consider first: Moving around a large three-dimensional build is part of the experience. Choose Factorio if you prefer directing from above.

Find games like Satisfactory →

Compare with FactorioChoose this for planning production from an overhead view, rather than walking through Satisfactory’s factories in first person.

Make a growing city function

Cities: Skylines

Roads, zoning and services connect individual neighborhoods into a city. Choose it for managing the consequences of growth and changing infrastructure rather than manufacturing recipes.

Consider first: This is the original Cities: Skylines. Its traffic and service problems are a different challenge from factory throughput.

Find games like Cities: Skylines →

Compare with Civilization VIChoose this for turn-based empire decisions and rival civilizations, rather than Cities: Skylines’ local infrastructure problems.

Plan an empire one turn at a time

Civilization VI

Research, cities, diplomacy and military choices compete for your attention across a long campaign. Pick it when you want time to consider an expanding plan rather than react to simultaneous attacks.

Consider first: A campaign can become a substantial commitment. Late-game management involves many connected decisions rather than one small board.

Find games like Civilization VI →

Compare with Cities: SkylinesChoose this for roads, zoning and city services, rather than managing an empire through Civilization VI’s turns.

A squad whose decisions have consequences

XCOM 2

Turn-based missions make positioning and individual soldiers important, while a strategic layer connects the battles. Try it when you want tactical encounters to matter beyond their immediate outcome.

Consider first: Losses and uncertain outcomes are part of the tension. It is less suitable if you want a predictable puzzle with a clean solution.

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Compare with Age of Empires IVChoose this for gathering resources and commanding armies in real time, rather than XCOM 2’s turn-based squad missions.

Balance an economy and a live battlefield

Age of Empires IV

Gathering resources, expanding and directing armies all happen while the match continues. Choose it when you enjoy switching attention between a larger plan and the urgent needs of a fight.

Consider first: Real-time multitasking is central. A turn-based choice may suit you better if you want every decision to wait.

Find games like Age of Empires IV →

Compare with XCOM 2Choose this for turn-based squad positioning and soldiers you carry between missions, rather than real-time armies and an economy.