The Switch is a great platform for strategy games. The console's portability lets you scratch that gaming itch, wherever you are. On top of that, the combination of its touch controls and button mapping made gaming without a mouse or keyboard a breeze. It's also really impressive how varied the selection of the best Switch strategy games is.
It could be classics like XCOM 2, which are getting a second chance to live on the new platform, or one of the new hit games like Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which has already established its place as a as a strategic base on Switch. And with hot titles hitting the platform all the time, the number of best Switch strategy games keeps growing!
In this list, therefore, we have collected the best of the platform, listing the games and telling you a little more about each of them. The sheer variety present among the best Switch strategy games really means you'll probably never want to have a choice.
here are the best switch strategy games:
Collection Xcom 2
XCOM 2 is an excellent turn-based tactics game based on the original from Firaxis, which re-imagined the classic series in 2012. It comes in two flavors: the vanilla XCOM 2, a decent but quite brutal game, and War of the Chosen, which completely revamped all areas of the original.
The XCOM 2 Collection contains both, as well as some of the game's minor DLCs, and is a well-run port, with a decent level of graphical fidelity.
nowhere prophet
We love strategy games that offer something a little different, and Nowhere Prophet has that in spades. Officially, it's in the same class of games as Crying Suns or even FTL, as you lead a group of survivors through a post-apocalyptic world, trying to find a place of safety. The game revolves around you traveling from point to point, encountering anything from random events to full-fledged battles. Each of your followers represents an individual entity and constitutes your deck, which is used during the game's tactical battles. Overall, Nowhere Prophet is a smart survival strategy.
THARSIS
This hilarious and sinister strategy game puts you in charge of the crew of a dying spaceship en route to Mars. Your job is to complete the mission and succeed, which means sacrifices have to be made. Do you have to eat a crew member to survive? Well… better pass the salt. Tharsis' core dice allocation mechanism is very table-inspired, as you roll and allocate action-specific dice to resolve crises currently ruining your day. Definitely a solid choice for anyone who loves TTRPGs.
NORTH
Northgard lets you play as one of several different Viking-inspired tribes, once again fleeing their homeland in search of pasture. Each game map is an island divided into different territories, filled with various dangers, and other tribes who have also landed to colonize the territory. You must explore and grow to ensure you have enough resources for when winter arrives, and there are multiple ways to ensure victory. Northgard also offers multiplayer support for up to six people.
DEADLOCK BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Set during the First Cylon War, this excellent turn-based tactical space strategy game puts you in command of a fleet of ships trying to fight off a Cylon onslaught against twelve colonies. You command everything from small gunships to fully armed battlestars as you play through the single player campaign's mix of tactical battles and fleet management. It's quite easily the best Battlestar Galactica game of all time, and a great strategy game in its own right.
FIRE EMBLEM: THREE HOUSES
As the only game on this list developed as a Switch exclusive, Fire Emblem: Three Houses has big shoes to fill, but as is typical of the series, it doesn't disappoint. You play as the professor of a military academy training students from three rival kingdoms. You must train these students in turn-based tactical battles and watch them grow into powerful new classes. Three Houses also features a great story, with tons of NPC depth and fantastic voice acting. You'll find yourself really bonding with the game's characters, which can be difficult given Fire Emblem's classic permadeath.
IN BREACH
Into the Breach is the template that shows just how well a strategy game can work on Switch. The game features a team of mechs battling an encroaching invasion of giant insects. There's a lot of meta-strategy in this game regarding leveling up your team and choosing missions, but the star of the series is the combat itself. You will never be able to force your way to victory, as the large number of enemy units makes this impossible. Instead, your team comes up with moves that synergize with each other, forcing the enemy into unfavorable positions. It's a clever strategy game, which even won the BAFTA in 2019.
WRONG NORTH
We all love a good Viking game, don't we? Bad North is an RTS focused on island hopping, while defending yourself at every turn as a horde of Vikings follow in your footsteps. Each island plays out much like a tower defense, and you position your loyal soldiers at vital strategic points to defend homes. For every Dwelling you defend, you get coins that you can use to upgrade your troops and unlock new abilities. Bad North is one of the best examples of micro-strategy and is perfect for Switch – read our Bad North review if you want to know more!
VI CIVILIZATION OF SID MEIER
The famous civilization builder is now on Switch, and it's also not the scaled down version that previous Civilization Revolution games were. It's pure civilization, ready to waste all your free time. You choose a ruler and civilization, and slowly build your city, sending out settlers to establish new settlements and engaging in diplomacy and warfare against other factions. It's as classic as it gets, following the acclaimed 4x formula of expansion and conquest.
VALKYRIA CHRONICLES 4
Valkyria Chronicles is a home strategy series on the Switch, with controls optimized for Joy-Cons, rather than mouse and keyboard. This new installment centers on a squad of soldiers in a WWII parallel anime as they overcome the trials and tribulations of war. Combat in the game is turn-based, and you spend action points to move specific units and perform actions. Valkyria Chronicles 4 is definitely worth checking out if you like strategy with a good story.
And here is our list of the best Switch strategy games. For more tactical recommendations, be sure to also check out our list of the best mobile strategy games!
