The best strategy games with unique gameplay

Key points

• Dune: Imperium innovatively combines worker placement and deck building for a strategic experience.
• Dune: Imperium features multiple playable leaders and resource manipulation, elevating its unique gameplay loop.
• Dune: Imperium's tutorial ensures accessibility, while an elegant user interface enhances gameplay.

Strategy games cover a wide variety of genres, from real-time battles to high-speed Star Craft 2 to the turn-based strategy of Darkest Dungeon. Within the many subgenres of strategy, however, one finds many clichés.

While these titles are not devoid of conventional gameplay, each offers a unique twist, setting, and/or innovation that approaches the genre from a different perspective. From Duna: EmpireThe careful blend of classic tabletop mechanics Cobalt coreit's tactical deck building, there's something here for all types of strategy fans.

1 Balatro

A score attack deck builder that combines luck and strategy

Balatro is a unique and addictive title that combines the casino game, poker, with traditional roguelike deck-building gameplay. This results in truly distinctive gameplay, which naturally combines luck and strategy, the latter of which primarily revolves around manipulation of the former.

Game enthusiasts like Kill the Spire and even Let luck be a master of the house can enjoy Balatro for its unique blend of strategic gameplay and score attack loops. However, players who don't like losing due to bad luck may want to stay away, as a well-thought-out strategy will only take players so far.

2 SteamWorld Heist

Turn-based strategy with manual shooting

This turn-based strategy game stands out with its distinctive steampunk setting, memorable character designs and unique combat system. In SteamWorld HeistPlayers take part in a series of turn-based tactical shootouts, but have the option to manually aim their weapons.

This unique system allows players to shoot enemies by bouncing bullets off walls, resulting in gameplay that combines skill and strategy in equal measure. For fans of turn-based strategy, steampunk settings and the charm of science fiction like Firefly, SteamWorld Heist It might be worth a look.

3 Cobalt core

A Rogue-style tactical deckbuilder

Cobalt core challenges players to engage in strategic space battles using a variety of cards, building a deck over the course of each run that represents their crew's actions. The calm atmosphere, soothing music and charming pixel art help create Cobalt core a unique experience, but this title overcomes the trappings of the deck builder roguelike genre with a distinctive tactical touch.

Both the player and enemy ships can move during combat, and cannons must be aligned correctly to hit opponents. Players can also use this mechanic to avoid incoming fire, resulting in a unique experience that offers a careful blend of strategy and tactics.

4 Infinity Dungeon

A Rogue-style strategy that revolutionizes the genre

Infinity Dungeon is a dark and bloody strategic roguelike with heavy tower defense and resource management elements. Players can expect runs to go from calm and calm to completely desperate in a matter of moments, realizing Infinity Dungeon a constantly exciting experience.

This gameplay is unique not only for its twist on the genre, but also for the urgency it provides players despite its nature as a strategy game. Fans of tower defense, real-time strategy and resource management will definitely enjoy this unique title.

5 Dune: Spice Wars

A unique combination of familiar flavors

Combining elements of the 4X and real-time strategy genres, Dune: Spice Wars It may seem familiar at first glance, but the flavor presented by the many systems in play is certainly unique. This is mainly due to the game's variety of victory conditions and careful blend of politics, warfare, espionage, and infrastructure.

In keeping with the source material, environmental hazards also play an important role in the gameplay, taking into account when and where players move their armies. Every faction playable in Dune: Spice Warsfrom the oppressive Harkonnen to the devious Smugglers, it has a unique playstyle. This greatly improves the game's replayability, keeping its unique gameplay from becoming stale.

6 Wild Frost

A distinctive and charming deck builder

The roguelike deckbuilding genre has become highly saturated with somewhat repetitive experiences since the popular release of Kill the SpireBut Wild Frost stands out for its unique gameplay loop and charming cartoon art style. The level of polish on display Wild Frost It's admirable, but it's the strategic gameplay that gives it strength.

Wild Frost uses counters to track each character's turn, which it calls “cooldown”. Character (and enemy) cooldowns are counted down every time the player takes a turn. Each deck is made up of characters and spells, just like Heartstonebut players can move characters at will without spending a turn. All this combined gives Wild Frost a distinctive touch.

7 In the violation

A strategic puzzle box with a commitment to equity

Between FTL: Faster than light AND In the violationSubset Games has offered players distinctive strategy games that challenge and delight in equal measure. In the violation plays closer to a puzzle game, but there is a variety of strategic and tactical decisions to make during each match.

In the violation tasks players with defending against an alien invasion with a squad of unique mech suits. What does he do In the violation unique, however, is its commitment to fairness, in conveying enemy attacks and dangers without any restrictions. This results in truly refreshing gameplay that eliminates the frustration of losing and elevates the strategic elements, further enhanced by the ability to undo and redo turns.

8 Duna: Empire

A unique blend of worker placement and deck building

• Platform(s).: PC, Xbox, Mobile
• Released: 2024
• Developer(s).: Terrible wolf
• Type: Board game

This digital adaptation of the popular board game, set in Frank Herbert's iconic universe Duneis an innovative combination of deckbuilding and worker placement mechanics that offers a unique strategic experience. Players don't have to be knowledgeable about board games to have fun Duna: Empireas its tutorial does a great job of teaching the basic mechanics and the intuitive and fluid UI keeps the moment-to-moment gameplay relatively painless.

Duna: Empire tasks players with sending agents to gather resources, which players then use to manipulate their odds of obtaining new cards, winning conflicts, or completing secret objectives. Agents are controlled via the game's cards, many of which have two benefits, one of which activates when they are played and the other when they are released into hand. This results in a truly unique gameplay loop, only enhanced by the game's vast array of playable leaders, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.