2021 has been an impressive year for RTS and management game lovers. The year has seen several fantastic new releases as well as the latest installments of long-running franchises like Age of Empires IV. While most of the games were good, some games like Timberborn stood out from the rest due to their unique appeal. So, without wasting time, let's look at some of the best strategy games of 2021 that deserve our appreciation.
Jurrasic World Evolution 2
Starting off the list is Jurassic World Evolution 2. The latest dinosaur park management game vastly improves upon the shortcoming of the first one and also adds various new functions to it. As a proprietor of a fictional dinosaur park, your main objective is to attract tourists. This mainly involves maintaining, upgrading, and opening new amenities for the center, while taking care of the individual needs of each majestical beast. The game has nearly 88 varieties of dinosaurs and is beautifully animated. If you are a fan of the zoo or animal tycoon games, you would adore the game.
Mini Motorways
Mini Motorways is a strategy game that takes a simple concept like road-building and makes it into an arcade-style high-scoring game. Unlike other games on the list, it does not require you to invest time as it's pretty straightforward from the get-go. The objective is to manage the traffic network of your city by building road tiles and other facilities. While the objective may sound simple, the gameplay element and randomly spawning buildings will always keep you second-guessing about your next road tile connection.
Timberborn
I never thought in my wildest imagination that a studio would design a strategy-building game with beavers as the main protagonist. But, here I am writing a descriptive piece about such a game. Timberborn is a beautiful strategy game that has great building mechanics, resource management, and gameplay elements. As mentioned above, the campaign revolves around us playing as a group of beavers with their only intention is to save their forest from being affected by drought. The constant tussle between you trying to save water and the drought spreading through the terrain forms the main gameplay crux.
Age of Empires IV
Age of Empires IV is the fourth installment in the popular series. The game was under development for more than a decade, and the wait did not disappoint any eager fans. The game looks and runs fantastic and is one of the better-looking games on the entire list. While the series is known for its multiplayer prowess, the campaign mode excels in the latest edition. The cinematic sequences explaining the events during a campaign are a visual treat and help you connect with the events much better. If you feel bored with the campaign, jump into the competitive multiplayer mode with thousands of players across the globe. Accompanied with new factions like Abbasid Dynasty and old favorites like the French, you will be hooked to the game forever.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination
One more franchise making its return to the mainstream platform after being dormant for years is the Evil Genius 2: World Domination. There are very few games that take the notion of being an evil warlord into a fun aspect, and Evil Genius 2 is one of them. As a criminal mastermind, your goal is to achieve world domination by completing all twisted schemes with the help of your minions. Unlike other games, Evil Genius 2 requires a bit of time to get your interest brewing. But, once you have crossed the initial hurdles, plan to spend hours building your evil kingdom, training soldiers, and fighting heroes. The dialogue is hilarious and genuinely makes you laugh. Even after completing your campaign, you can play the entire campaign with a different overlord, adding a bonus replayability factor to the $40 game.
Honorable mentions
- Humankind
- City of Gangsters
- HighFleet
- Becastled
Remember, all the above-mentioned games are a comprehensive list, and they are not ranked in any particular order Also, this list is targeted at users from PC and Console platforms.
For more on such Lists, check out Top 5 Best Dinosaur Games on PC (2021) on Pro Game Guides.
Vignesh Raja started playing video games at age five and immediately fell in love with them. Though his adventure begins with story-based games like Total Overdose and Prince of Persia, he soon gravitated toward competitive FPS and simulation games. That passion led him to play multiple Esports titles like FIFA, Paladins, and Apex Legends on a semi-professional level since high school. Nowadays, he shares his competitive knowledge by coaching upcoming BR teams and writing guides for Valorant, BitLife, and Roblox.