From classic tactical experiences to bold games that twist the formula in unexpected ways,upcoming turn-based strategy games 2026 is shaping up to be an incredible year for turn-based strategy fans. If you enjoy slower, more thoughtful gameplay where planning matters more than reflexes, there’s a lot here worth wishlisting.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a love letter to classic Heroes fans, especially those who still consider Heroes III the gold standard. Rather than reinventing the series, this entry embraces a back-to-basics approach while layering in modern quality-of-life improvements.
You explore a colorful overworld, collect resources, hunt artifacts, and battle neutral monsters guarding valuable locations. Town management returns in full force, allowing you to upgrade buildings, unlock stronger units, and expand your economy.
Combat plays out in classic turn-based hex-grid battles where positioning, initiative, and abilities matter more than raw numbers.
The biggest new addition is the Faction Law system. By earning Law Points, you unlock powerful faction-wide bonuses that reward committing to a single faction instead of mixing armies. It encourages themed playstyles and adds meaningful long-term planning to campaigns and skirmishes.
Menace
Developed by Overhype Studios (Battle Brothers), Menace is a brutal, no-nonsense sci-fi tactics game that punishes mistakes and rewards careful planning. If you’ve ever lost a beloved mercenary permanently, you already know what kind of experience this is aiming for.
Your mobile headquarters acts as the strategic hub where you manage squad leaders, research upgrades, and plan planetary operations. Missions are interconnected, meaning fatigue, limited resources, and early mistakes can affect later battles.
Combat is deliberate and heavily focused on combined arms warfare. Infantry, APCs, tanks, and mechs all interact on the battlefield, with suppression and morale playing a major role. Breaking enemy morale can be just as effective as eliminating them outright. Leaders are named characters with unique perks, and yes—permadeath is permanent.
Bolt Action
Bolt Action brings classic tabletop World War II tactics to PC, clearly targeting fans of the miniatures game. Battles focus on small-to-mid-scale engagements where positioning, suppression, morale, and line of sight are more important than overwhelming force.
The standout mechanic is the Order Dice system, which randomizes unit activation instead of following a predictable turn order. This forces players to adapt on the fly and keeps battles tense and unpredictable.
Visually, the game leans into its tabletop roots. Units resemble hand-painted miniatures, and the Army Painter system lets players fully customize their soldiers, vehicles, and weapons.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II
Mechanicus II expands everything that made the original a cult classic. This time, you can play two full campaigns, switching between the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Necrons.
The Mechanicus rely on careful positioning and cognition-based abilities, while the Necrons are tougher, slower, and capable of destroying terrain to flush enemies out of cover. A new strategic layer adds planetary conquest, regional control, and long-term consequences beyond individual missions.
Combat has been expanded with deeper cognition and dominion systems, offering more tactical flexibility and reactive play.
Front Tactics
Developed by Toge Productions, Front Tactics stands out thanks to its gritty alternate-history setting inspired by 1970s Southeast Asia. Instead of sleek sci-fi battlefields, you’re dropped into muddy jungle warfare using bulky dieselpunk mechs that feel more industrial than futuristic.
Combat is fully turn-based with modular destruction. Destroying limbs disables weapons or mobility, forcing enemies into desperate situations. An action-point system allows unused AP to be spent on overwatch or counterattacks, making positioning critical.
Between missions, you customize mechs, manage pilot relationships, and make moral decisions that shape the story.
Underrail 2: Infusion
Originally planned as an expansion, Underrail 2: Infusion grew into a full sequel due to its scale. Built on a new engine, the game moves from 2D sprites to full 3D environments while retaining its brutal, slow-burn RPG roots.
Combat remains turn-based but introduces elevation, lighting, and refined action pacing. Inventory management is tougher thanks to a grid-based system, and exploration is more interactive, with destructible environments and new stealth options.
Total War: Warhammer 40,000
The Total War series finally enters the grim darkness of the 41st millennium. Campaigns unfold on a galactic scale, with turn-based planetary management and real-time battles across diverse biomes.
Orbital bombardments, terrain destruction, and apocalyptic weapons play a major role. Confirmed factions include Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Orks, and Aeldari, each offering wildly different playstyles.
Star Wars: Zero Company
Star Wars: Zero Company delivers a grounded, XCOM-style tactical experience set during the twilight of the Clone Wars. You command a small squad where positioning, cover, and ability synergy matter more than spectacle.
Permadeath is enabled, making every decision feel personal. Between missions, you operate from a mobile hideout, manage gear, research intel, and develop squad relationships that unlock combat synergies.
The tone draws inspiration from Andor and Rogue One, focusing on morally gray missions rather than heroic fantasy.
Heroes Hour II
Heroes Hour II builds on the chaotic charm of its predecessor. The overworld remains turn-based, while battles play out as massive real-time auto-battles influenced by hero spells and abilities.
Deeper skill trees, stronger artifact systems, and expanded faction variety encourage experimentation and discovery of powerful synergies.
Mugenics
Created by Edmund McMillen, Mugenics is a turn-based tactical roguelike mixed with a disturbing genetic breeding simulator. Combat takes place on an isometric grid with over 1,000 abilities and permanent death.
Between runs, cats retire and must be bred to continue. Offspring inherit traits, mutations, and disorders, making breeding strategy just as important as combat. The game is scheduled for February 10, 2026.
Norse: Oath of Blood
Set in 9th-century Norway, Norse: Oath of Blood is a grounded tactical RPG focused on survival, loyalty, and revenge. Combat emphasizes terrain, elevation, and environmental hazards like fire and mud.
Outside battle, you manage a settlement, assign villagers, and equip warriors. Characters can die permanently or suffer lasting injuries. Release is planned for February 3, 2026.
Minnows
Minnows flips the dungeon-crawler formula by casting you as the Minotaur. You build and reshape a deadly labyrinth, setting traps and manipulating hero pathing.
You’re not just a dungeon master—you physically enter combat, smashing intruders when traps fail. The game blends tower defense, tactical planning, and hands-on combat into something genuinely unique.
Pathbreakers: Roaming Blades
A mercenary sandbox inspired by Battle Brothers and Wartales, Pathbreakers: Roaming Blades drops you into a procedurally generated world where survival is never guaranteed.
Combat takes place on a hex grid with strong terrain and elemental interactions. Outside battle, your company develops along reputation paths—mercenaries, traders, or explorers—each shaping the campaign differently.
Neath
Developed by Cellar Door Games, Neath is a dark tactical roguelike centered on turn manipulation. You climb an inverted tower where controlling turn order is often more important than dealing damage.
Unique mechanics like engagement locking and fate manipulation create intense, high-stakes decision-making. Every mistake feels personal, and every success feels earned.
Disciples: Domination
Set 15 years after Disciples: Liberation, Disciples: Domination blends turn-based hex combat with real-time exploration and kingdom management. You rule a fractured realm where political choices affect story outcomes and faction loyalty.
Combat is faster and more tactical, emphasizing synergy and battlefield events rather than brute force.
Mars Tactics
Scheduled for May 2026, Mars Tactics blends squad-based combat with large-scale strategic management. Set during a Martian civil war, the game features destructible environments, physics-driven combat, and faction-specific mechanics.
Capital forces rely on advanced tech and orbital support, while labor factions focus on morale, scavenging, and adaptability.
Conclusion:
Turn-based strategy is thriving, and upcoming turn-based strategy games 2026 looks stacked with thoughtful, ambitious releases. Whether you prefer classic fantasy, gritty sci-fi, historical drama, or experimental roguelikes, there’s something here worth keeping an eye on.
