Summary
Since the genre first started picking up in popularity,strategy gameshave been some of the most popular available for players. Gamers of all experience levels and interests can find something to enjoy in the genre, and the feeling of satisfaction when a player finally cracks a winning strategy is nearly unmatched in the gaming world. However, for players looking for something different in terms of how to win, it can be tricky to find a game that suits them.
So many strategy games have no real victory conditions, or if they do, there is only one way to win the game. This can become boring for players over time. So, with this in mind, what are the best strategy games with varied victory conditions?
Total War: Warhammer 3has just two distinct victory conditions for players to attempt to complete, but both are different enough that players' approaches to them will vary. The two conditions are Forge of Souls and total domination, with the former being easier than the latter. For Forge Of Souls, players need to obtain Daemon Prince souls, which should be a priority as all of the nations will be trying to complete this alongside the player. Total domination requires outliving everyone else and having 50 provinces under either direct or indirect control.
Players looking for long-winded yet simple victory conditions will loveTotal War: Warhammer 3because the conditions themselves are straightforward. However, players looking for more involved victory conditions might have a better time with another game, as these conditions can be put on the back burner.
2Hearts of Iron 3
Factions Have Their Own Unique Win Conditions
InHearts of Iron 3, players get to choose their own victory conditions, which are unique to each faction. The three factions are the Allies, the Axis, and Comintern, and a lot of these victory conditions are about controlling certain areas of the map. Fifteen can be chosen for a full campaign, meaning players can tailor how they want to win from the very beginning and check off objectives as the game progresses. With so many objectives for victory, the game can get complicated quickly.
The base game ofRimWorldhas two victory conditions, both of which involve a spaceship. In the first one, players have to build their own ship to take their colony away from the planet, while in the second one, players have to cavern across the planet to find an already constructed spaceship. With the Royalty and Ideology DLCs, this expands to four as players can befriend the royalty to get a free ride off the planet or sell the colony and move on to a different section of the planet.
While all four available victory conditions essentially work towards the same goal of leaving the planet/colony, players approach these goals in very different ways. Players can be diplomatic and peaceful for the royalty-based victory, or they can just try and do things their own way, which adds some variety toRimWorld.
Victoria 3is a great option for grand strategy fans who want an economy-focused experience. Like most Paradox games,Victoria 3is very much a sandbox-style game, although it does have three distinct victory conditions, referred to as “Objectives”. Players will work towards these goals for their entire playthrough and, in true Paradox fashion, can continue on even after these have been completed unless the year hits 1936 when the game naturally ends afterthe Victorian era.
Victoria 3allows players to run their society however they want, and the victory conditions are varied enough to allow for anything. The three conditions are Economic Domination, Hegemon, and Egalitarian Society. Choosing to prioritize the people is an easy way to the Egalitarian Society victory condition, whereas focusing on the military will lead players to the hegemonic victory condition.
Total War: Rome 2offers players three classic victory conditions to try in the game, with these being common across the grand strategy genre. Players can either get a military, cultural, or economic victory throughout the course of the game, and the way players will need to play to achieve each one is varied. Playing peacefully is the best way to achieve cultural victory, as players, for the most part, need to focus on buildings and technology, whereas a military victory requires total focus on building as many units as possible.
Total War: Rome 2offers players three paths to winning the game, none of which require the same things to achieve. Players can pick a path to victory early, as all of the victory conditions will take a long time to complete, and they won’t get bogged down by trying to do too much at once.
With five paths to victory in the base game and one from theGathering Stormexpansion,Civilization 6players can choose to focus on one early and develop their strategy across the entire length of the game. The six paths are Domination, Science, Culture, Religion, Score, andDiplomacy for those withGathering Storm. This great variety lets players focus on the aspects of the game they enjoy the most. In the early game, players can gain points toward all of these, but in the late game, specialization is key.
The openness of the game can be overwhelming for new players, but the system is explained so well that players of all experience levels can at least try to win and understand how to get to victory. Plus, there are several difficult levels available.
