1990s Strategy games

50 Strategy classics first released 1990 to 1999, in release order, and 219 games looking back to them.

Games looking back to them

• Berwick Saga: Second Kaga tactics RPG after Tear Ring Saga.
• Tear Ring Saga: Fire Emblem creator Shouzou Kaga's successor after leaving Intelligent Systems.
• Vestaria Saga I: War of the Scions: Kaga's indie tactics RPG, first released free for Japanese PCs, later on Steam.
• King's Bounty: The Legend: Licensed reimagining of King's Bounty.
• Legends of Eisenwald: Small Belarusian studio's medieval strategy RPG in the HoMM and King's Bounty vein.
• FreeLords: Open-source remake of Warlords II.
• LordsAWar!: Free turn-based strategy game modeled on Warlords II.
• Advanced Strategic Command: Free turn-based strategy game in the style of Battle Isle.
• Crimson Fields: Free hex-based tactical war game modeled on Battle Isle.
• [CELL]IVIZATION: Tiny itch.io take on Civilization.
• Antiquity: Old freeware Civilization clone, preserved as open source.
• Apolyton Call to Power II Source Code Project: Community continuation of the released Call to Power II source.
• At the Gates: Kickstarted 4X by Civilization V's lead designer.
• C-evo: Freeware turn-based empire game from the author's own site, known for its strong AI.
• Civ2-clone: Reimplementation of Civilization II reading its data files.
• Civ89: Civilization clone for the TI-89 graphing calculator.
• CivOne: Open-source remake of the first Civilization.
• Freeciv: Long-running free empire game modeled on Civilization I and II.
• Freeciv-web: Browser version of Freeciv.
• Freeciv21: Qt-based fork of Freeciv aimed at competitive multiplayer.
• Galactic Civilizations: Space 4X series that began as an OS/2 game in the Master of Orion tradition.
• Imperiums: Greek Wars: Small-studio historical 4X set in ancient Greece.
• Old World: Historical 4X by Civilization IV's lead designer.
• OpenCiv1: Port of the original Civilization to C# from the DOS code.
• OpenCiv3: Open-source remake of Civilization III in Godot.
• Pax Nova: Indie space 4X with hex planets.
• Shadow Empire: One-man post-apocalyptic 4X wargame.
• The Battle of Polytopia: Streamlined low-poly Civilization-like for mobile and PC.
• UnCiv: Lightweight open-source Civilization V remake for Android and desktop.
• Gigalomania: Free remake of Mega lo Mania.
• Arrakis: Fan remake of Dune II hosted on the Dune2k fan site.
• Bos Wars: Free futuristic RTS on the Stratagus engine with an energy and magma economy.
• CorrinoEngine: Open-source engine for Emperor: Battle for Dune.
• Dune Dynasty: Continuation of OpenDUNE with modern RTS controls.
• Dune II - The Maker: Long-running hobby remake of Dune II on its creator's own site.
• Dune Legacy: Updated Dune II engine with modern controls and multiplayer.
• OpenDUNE: Faithful open-source reimplementation of Dune II from its decompiled code.
• OpenRA: Modernized engine for classic Westwood RTS games with online play.
• Planet X3: Kickstarted MS-DOS RTS for CGA and Tandy PCs, sold from The 8-Bit Guy's own store.
• Shattered Crowns: A 1993 fantasy wargame, rebuilt from scratch for Linux and the browser (working title)
• 1oom: Reimplementation of the original Master of Orion engine.
• Armada 2526: Small-studio space 4X with tactical battles.
• Armageddon Empires: One-man card-driven 4X sold from the developer's own site.
• Aurora 4X: Deep freeware space 4X distributed only through its author's forum, never on a store.
• Distant Worlds: Universe: Huge pausable real-time space 4X by a tiny New Zealand studio.
• Endless Space: Space 4X in the Master of Orion line.
• FreeOrion: Free 4X space game in the tradition of Master of Orion.
• Horizon (2014): Small-studio space 4X in the Master of Orion tradition.
• Interstellar Space: Genesis: Turn-based space 4X deliberately close to Master of Orion II.
• OpenOrion2: Open reimplementation of Master of Orion II.
• Orion2 Redone: Reverse-engineered rebuild of Master of Orion II.
• Polaris Sector: Real-time space 4X by a small studio.
• Remnants of the Precursors: Free Java remake of Master of Orion with new art, made by one developer.
• Space Empires I: Space 4X that began as shareware sold by its solo author.
• Space Opera: Open-source space 4X modeled on Master of Orion.
• Star Ruler 2: Space 4X from a small studio, open-sourced in 2018.
• Star Traders: 4X Empires: Mobile and PC space 4X by a two-brother indie studio.
• StarDrive: Real-time space 4X largely made by one developer.
• StarLord: Open-source Master of Orion II-style space 4X.
• Stars in Shadow: Indie space 4X with a classic Master of Orion feel.
• Stellar Monarch: Small-studio space empire game in the style of old 4X classics.
• Thousand Parsec: Open-source framework for turn-based space empire games.
• Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark: Kickstarted tactics RPG modeled on Final Fantasy Tactics.
• Sword of Convallaria: Tactics RPG explicitly inspired by Final Fantasy Tactics.
• Unsung Story: 2014 Kickstarter tactics RPG by Yasumi Matsuno; troubled and never fully released.
• Cyber Knights: Flashpoint: Kickstarted cyberpunk heist tactics game.
• FreeSynd: Reimplementation of Bullfrog's Syndicate engine.
• Satellite Reign: Kickstarted cyberpunk squad game by Syndicate Wars' lead.
• Freeserf: Open-source rebuild of the first Settlers (Serf City).
• Freeserf.net: C# port of Freeserf.
• JSettlers: Java remake of The Settlers III.
• Pioneers of Pagonia: Logistics builder by The Settlers' creator Volker Wertich.
• Return to the Roots: Settlers II engine with online multiplayer and modern hardware support.
• The Colonists: Settlers-style robot colony builder from a two-person studio.
• Valhalla Hills: Viking settlement builder by Settlers-veteran studio Funatics.
• Widelands: Free economic strategy game inspired by The Settlers II.
• 7.62: High Calibre: Follow-up to Brigade E5 in the Jagged Alliance mold.
• Battle Brothers: Medieval mercenary company tactics game in the vein of Jagged Alliance and X-COM.
• Brigade E5: New Jagged Union: Russian mercenary tactics game styled after Jagged Alliance 2.
• Dungeon Rats: Tactical combat spin-off of The Age of Decadence.
• Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge: Game begun as a Jagged Alliance sequel and released under a new name.
• JA2 Stracciatella: Cross-platform Jagged Alliance 2 engine from the released source.
• Jagged Alliance 2 Stracciatella: Open-source port of the released Jagged Alliance 2 source to modern systems.
• Jagged Alliance 2 v1.13 (Jagged Alliance 2 mod): Long-running community overhaul of Jagged Alliance 2, distributed through the Bear's Pit forum.
• Jagged Alliance 3: Licensed true sequel to Jagged Alliance 2.
• Jagged Alliance: Flashback: Kickstarted licensed return to Jagged Alliance.
• Mechajammer: Cyberpunk turn-based RPG with old-school freedom, begun as Copper Dreams.
• Caster of Magic (Master of Magic mod): Fan overhaul of Master of Magic by hacking the executable, later sold as official DLC.
• Eador: Genesis: Russian indie fantasy strategy mixing HoMM battles with an empire layer; first sold by the author.
• Elemental: War of Magic: Stardock's fantasy 4X pitched as a Master of Magic successor.
• Master of Magic (2022): Licensed remake by a small Polish studio.
• OpenMoM: Open-source clone of Master of Magic in C++.
• Planar Conquest: Relaunch of Worlds of Magic on a new engine.
• Thea: The Awakening: Slavic-myth survival 4X by the studio that later remade Master of Magic.
• Warlock: Master of the Arcane: Fantasy 4X often compared with Master of Magic.
• Worlds of Magic: Kickstarted spiritual successor to Master of Magic.
• Fantasy General II: Licensed sequel to SSI's Fantasy General, the fantasy branch of Panzer General.
• LGeneral: Free turn-based strategy game modeled on Panzer General.
• Open Panzer: Browser remake of Panzer General on its own site.
• Order of Battle: World War II: Hex-based WWII wargame series in the Panzer General style.
• Panzer Corps: Openly pitched as Panzer General's spiritual successor.
• Panzer Corps 2: 3D sequel to Panzer Corps.
• Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg: Polish studio's Panzer General-style WWII wargame series.
• Unity of Command: Croatian two-man studio's operational wargame of the Eastern Front.
• cc94: Open-source remake of the 1994 Colonization.
• FreeCol: Free remake of Colonization with redesigned graphics.
• Immortal: Gates of Pyre: Indie RTS from a small team in the StarCraft mold.
• Rise to Ruins: Retro pixel-art village builder and god game by a solo developer (SixtyGig Games).
• Stormgate: Kickstarted free-to-play RTS by ex-Blizzard StarCraft II staff; 1.0 campaign launch August 2025.
• Stratagus: Free RTS engine, originally FreeCraft, that runs Wargus and others.
• War1: C remake of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans using the original data.
• War1gus: Warcraft: Orcs & Humans on the Stratagus engine.
• Wargus: Warcraft II data run on the Stratagus engine.
• WarsmashModEngine: Open-source Warcraft III-compatible engine for mods.
• Wyrmsun: Free historical-fantasy RTS on the Stratagus engine.
• EXLCOM: Small free X-COM-like project on the author's own site.
• Fort Triumph: Fantasy squad tactics mixing XCOM battles with a HoMM-style overworld.
• Hard West: Weird West tactics game by former Call of Juarez developers.
• Laser Squad Nemesis: Gollop's play-by-email follow-up to Laser Squad, sold by subscription from the developer's site.
• Long War (XCOM: Enemy Within mod): Free overhaul of XCOM: Enemy Within that restores X-COM's long campaign feel.
• OpenApoc: Open-source reimplementation of X-COM: Apocalypse, partly playable.
• OpenXcom: Open-source rebuild of the X-COM engine with modding support; needs the original data files.
• Phoenix Point: Fig-crowdfunded tactics game by X-COM creator Julian Gollop.
• Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition: Complete edition of Phoenix Point with its expansions.
• Project Xenocide: Abandoned open-source 3D remake of X-COM.
• Templar Battleforce: Retro-styled mech squad tactics RPG by a two-brother indie studio.
• Terra Invicta: Grand strategy alien invasion game by the Long War mod team.
• The X-Com Files (OpenXcom mod): OpenXcom total conversion with an X-Files style investigation campaign.
• UFO2000: Multiplayer tactical game built on X-COM's battlescape rules.
• UFO: Aftermath: First of the ALTAR UFO trilogy with Aftershock and Afterlight.
• UFO: Alien Invasion: Open-source squad tactics game modeled on X-COM.
• UFO: Extraterrestrials: Czech indie strategy game closely following X-COM's structure.
• X-Force: Fight for Destiny: German freeware X-COM remake, later open-sourced.
• X-Piratez (OpenXcom mod): Huge OpenXcom total conversion where you play space pirate women in a post-invasion world.
• Xenonauts: Kickstarted Cold War remake-in-spirit of X-COM.
• Xenonauts 2: Sequel continuing the X-COM formula, in early access.
• Starlane Empire: Open-source remake of the 1995 space 4X Ascendancy.
• Chronoshift: Reverse-engineered Red Alert reimplementation.
• Command & Conquer - HTML5: Browser remake of Command & Conquer hosted on the author's own site.
• FreeCNC: Early open-source C&C engine.
• Grey Goo: RTS by ex-Westwood studio Petroglyph.
• Land Air Sea Warfare: Small classic-style RTS sold from the developer's own site.
• Machines at War: Earlier one-man RTS in the classic style, sold from the developer's site.
• Machines at War 3: Classic-style RTS by a one-man studio that sells its games from its own site.
• Mental Omega (Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge mod): Free fan mod for Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge with a long campaign and a new faction.
• OpenHV: Free original sci-fi RTS on the OpenRA engine using the Hard Vacuum art.
• OpenRA Red Alert 2 mod: OpenRA mod that recreates Red Alert 2.
• OpenRedAlert: Early open Red Alert engine.
• OpenSAGE: Reimplementation of the SAGE engine behind C&C Generals.
• Real-time Command to Conquer: Command & Conquer-style RTS for the TI-89 calculator.
• Rusted Warfare: Retro-styled classic RTS by a tiny Australian indie studio.
• Tempest Rising: RTS built as a throwback to Command & Conquer.
• Thyme: Open-source reimplementation of C&C Generals: Zero Hour.
• Vanilla Conquer: Portable fork of EA's released C&C and Red Alert source.
• Ancient Beast: Free browser turn-based creature battle game inspired by Heroes III combat.
• Broken Alliance: Retro-style HoMM-like in early access.
• Clash II: Small-studio HoMM-like strategy RPG.
• Discord Times: Small turn-based fantasy strategy game in the HoMM vein, sold on itch.io.
• fheroes2: Free engine for Heroes of Might and Magic II with UI and AI improvements.
• FreeHeroes: Another open-source Heroes III engine effort.
• Hero's Hour: Solo-developed Heroes-like with real-time battles.
• Heroes of Science and Fiction: Sci-fi HoMM-like, formerly Silence of the Siren, in early access.
• Horn of the Abyss (Heroes of Might and Magic III mod): Large fan-made expansion for Heroes III with new towns and campaigns, from its own site.
• In the Wake of Gods (Heroes of Might and Magic III mod): Unofficial Heroes III expansion with scripting and new content.
• Pennon and Battle: HoMM-like in early access.
• Songs of Conquest: Pixel-art turn-based strategy modeled on Heroes III.
• Stormbinders: Upcoming HoMM-like strategy game.
• The Dragoness: Command of the Flame: Roguelite strategy RPG in the HoMM style.
• VCMI: Open-source Heroes III engine with mods such as Horn of the Abyss.
• Hedgewars: Free turn-based artillery game with hedgehogs, in the style of Worms.
• Liero Xtreme (OpenLieroX): Extended remake of the Finnish Worms-like Liero.
• 0 A.D.: Free historical RTS from Wildfire Games, inspired by Age of Empires.
• Empires Apart: Small-studio historical RTS modeled on Age of Empires II.
• freeaoe: Another open Age of Empires II engine.
• openage: Free engine clone of the Genie engine behind Age of Empires.
• OpenDR: OpenRA-based remake of Dark Reign.
• Dungeon Digger: Open-source Dungeon Keeper clone.
• DwarfCorp: Colony management game of dwarven miners, later open-sourced.
• Dwelvers: Solo-developed Dungeon Keeper-style dungeon builder.
• GLKeeper: Open-source Dungeon Keeper 2 engine project.
• KeeperFX: Fan expansion and rewrite of Dungeon Keeper, 1.0 in 2023 with new campaigns.
• KeeperRL: Roguelike dungeon-building game inspired by Dungeon Keeper and Dwarf Fortress.
• OpenDungeons: Free 3D dungeon management game modeled on Dungeon Keeper.
• OpenDungeonsPlus: Fork of OpenDungeons.
• OpenKeeper: Java reimplementation of Dungeon Keeper 2.
• Undermaster: Dungeon management game inspired by Dungeon Keeper.
• War for the Overworld: Kickstarted Dungeon Keeper successor narrated by Dungeon Keeper's voice actor.
• Final Fantasy Tactics 1.3 (PlayStation ROM hack): Fan rebalancing and difficulty overhaul of Final Fantasy Tactics.
• Final Fantasy Tactics Prime (Final Fantasy Tactics ROM hack): Built on FFT: Complete, it restores almost all of the War of the Lions script and content to the PlayStation original.
• Final Fantasy Tactics: Reach the Future (Final Fantasy Tactics ROM hack): A brand-new story on the Final Fantasy Tactics engine: young knight Maine seeks peace in a century-long war, with new jobs, abilities and character art.
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War (Final Fantasy Tactics PS1 mod): PS1 mod bringing War of the Lions content to the original Final Fantasy Tactics.
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War ReMixed (Final Fantasy Tactics ROM hack): Builds on The Lion War (War of the Lions content on the PlayStation original) with a pre-battle menu, Dispatch Missions and reworked rarely used options.
• Final Fantasy VI Tactics: World of Ruin (Final Fantasy Tactics ROM hack): Recreates the main battles of Final Fantasy VI's story as a strategy game on the Final Fantasy Tactics engine.
• Tactics Advance Remake: Small browser remake of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance with animal characters.
• Seven Kingdoms 2 HD: HD re-release of Seven Kingdoms II by its creator.
• Seven Kingdoms: Ancient Adversaries: Community continuation of Seven Kingdoms from its GPL source.
• Beyond All Reason: Free large-scale RTS on the Recoil engine, carrying on Total Annihilation.
• Planetary Annihilation: Kickstarted RTS by Total Annihilation veterans.
• Planetary Annihilation: Titans: Standalone expansion that replaced the base game.
• Robot War Engine: Open-source reimplementation of Total Annihilation.
• Sanctuary: Shattered Sun: Indie large-scale RTS in the Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander tradition.
• Spring RTS: Open-source engine that began as a 3D take on Total Annihilation.
• Supreme Commander: Total Annihilation designer Chris Taylor's large-scale RTS successor.
• Supreme Commander 2: Sequel continuing Chris Taylor's Total Annihilation lineage.
• Total Annihilation 3D: Open-source 3D engine for Total Annihilation data.
• Zero-K: Free physics-driven RTS on the Spring engine in the Total Annihilation line.
• Unknown Horizons: Free economy and city-building game in the style of the Anno series.
• Desperados III: Commandos-style real-time tactics set in the Wild West.
• Partisans 1941: WWII real-time tactics game in the Commandos style.
• Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun: Real-time tactics in the Commandos tradition.
• OpenBW: StarCraft: Brood War engine reimplementation used for AI research.
• SCSharp: C# reimplementation of the StarCraft engine.
• Stargus: StarCraft data running on the Stratagus engine.
• ZeroSpace: Kickstarted story-driven RTS in the StarCraft mold.
• Gardens of Kadesh: Continuation of the Homeworld source.
• House of the Dying Sun: Cockpit space combat game inspired by TIE Fighter and Homeworld.
• Freeciv Alpha Centauri (Freeciv mod): Project to remake Alpha Centauri on the Freeciv engine.
• GLSMAC: Open reimplementation of Alpha Centauri.
• Warzone 2100: The community-maintained open-source Warzone 2100.

The classics

• Fire Emblem (1990)
• King's Bounty (1990)
• Powermonger (1990)
• Warlords (1990)
• Battle Isle (1991)
• Castles (1991)
• Civilization (1991)
• Langrisser (1991)
• Mega lo Mania (1991)
• Super Robot Wars (1991)
• Dune II (1992)
• Fantasy Empires (1993)
• Master of Orion (1993)
• Ogre Battle (1993)
• Stronghold (1993) (1993)
• Syndicate (1993)
• The Settlers (1993)
• Jagged Alliance (1994)
• Lords of the Realm (1994)
• Master of Magic (1994)
• Panzer General (1994)
• Sid Meier's Colonization (1994)
• Warcraft (1994)
• X-COM (1994)
• Ascendancy (1995)
• Battleground (TalonSoft) (1995)
• Command & Conquer (1995)
• Front Mission (1995)
• Heroes of Might and Magic (1995)
• Steel Panthers (1995)
• Worms (1995)
• Close Combat (1996)
• Fantasy General (1996)
• Vandal Hearts (1996)
• Age of Empires (1997)
• Dark Reign (1997)
• Dungeon Keeper (1997)
• Final Fantasy Tactics (1997)
• Imperialism (1997)
• Myth (1997)
• Seven Kingdoms (1997)
• Total Annihilation (1997)
• Anno (1998)
• Commandos (1998)
• StarCraft (1998)
• Age of Wonders (1999)
• Disciples (1999)
• Homeworld (1999)
• Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (1999)
• Warzone 2100 (1999)