10 Best Strategy Games On Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch is home to a number of amazing strategy games, from Unicorn Overlord to Civilization 6, each offering a vastly different experience. While there are more than enough good strategy games on the Switch to last someone a lifetime, only a few can truly be considered great. These offer meaningful and engrossing experiences and will suit all kinds of players, no matter the level of skill with the genre.

Of course, there are so many amazing Nintendo Switch games right now that it can be easy to overlook the rather niche yet incredibly strong offering of strategy games on the Switch. However, from story-based SRPGs to turn-based classics, there are plenty of amazing strategy games that are absolutely worth checking out for both fans of the genre and newcomers. Additionally, for those sick of AAA experiences, this genre is mainly dominated by indies, which means there are plenty of unique experiences to be had.

An Indie Advance Wars

Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble is the sequel to Tiny Metal, although that shouldn’t put off prospective players who haven’t played the original. While its story is connected, it can be jumped into with little prior knowledge – although the first game is still absolutely worth playing. The reason it’s here and not its predecessor is that it introduced a number of great features that put it a step above the original Tiny Metal to make it one of the best Switch strategy games.

It plays almost identically to Advance Wars, although it has a few tricks up its sleeve that make it almost superior. It is a lot more story-driven, featuring some amazing characters, and its detailed visuals bring to life each one of its maps. Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble can also be played in multiplayer with one other person online, which makes for an intense and engaging experience across 21 distinct maps, easily making it one of the best multiplayer Switch games available.

9 Wargroove 2 (Developed by Chucklefish/Robotality)

Fantasy Advance Wars

Wargroove 2, much like Tiny Metal, is another Advance Wars clone on the Nintendo Switch, although, in many ways, it is a lot better than even the original Advance Wars games. From its many unique factions and unit types to its fully-fledged editor that lets players create their own campaigns, there is a lot to love about both Wargroove and its sequel. Its visuals and incredible soundtrack alone also warrant it a place as one of the best Switch strategy games.

What makes the sequel stand out is all the incremental changes – and one rather large one – that it made. From the new commanders that completely change the flow of battle to the new roguelike conquest mode that gives players even more content to sink their teeth into, there’s plenty to love about Wargroove 2. For those who are looking for Advance Wars on a budget – although with all the same quality and more – then Wargroove 2 is the perfect choice.

8 Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (Developed by WayForward)

The Official Advance Wars Experience

Of course, it would be blasphemous to put a bunch of Advance Wars clones in this list and not include the original, or, well, at least its remake that dropped in 2023. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is, as it sounds, a collection of the first two original Advance Wars games but completely remade from the ground up with new music, visuals, and content. There’s a lot to love about this remake, even despite its minor flaws, and it’s by far the definitive experience in its niche subgenre.

While some may not gel with its new visual style, they do bring a lot of color to the genre, making it a more child-friendly experience despite the subject matter. It’s also just such an approachable and easy-to-pick-up strategy game – a holdover from the original games, of course – which is what makes it such a compelling experience. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is easily one of the best Switch games from 2023, and remains a truly excellent strategy game for all those who crave its unique blend of turn-based tactics and cutesy visuals.

7 Battle Brothers (Developed by Overhype Studios)

Medieval Fantasy Mercenary Strategy RPG

Battle Brothers is like if Mount and Blade and Fire Emblem had a child, as it blends a vast procedurally-generated world map and mercenary gameplay with turn-based tactics combat and permadeath. Fans lead a band of mercenaries through a medieval fantasy world, picking up new soldiers, equipment, and contracts in the overworld before heading into instanced turn-based battles and fighting their foes. It’s a gritty game, one where every soldier’s life is at stake, but a hugely rewarding one.

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The best part of Battle Brothers is its huge amount of DLC, each of which greatly expands the already massive base game. There’s so much to love about Battle Brothers, especially for those looking for a grittier strategy game on the Switch. While it can be a bit pricey, its rich, complex gameplay loop and replayability make it absolutely worthwhile.

6 Into the Breach (Developed by Subset Games)

A Mech-Based Strategy Game

Into the Breach comes from the same developers behind FTL: Faster Than Light, another truly incredible strategy-esque game that unfortunately never made it to the Switch. Luckily, Into the Breach did, and it’s an incredible turn-based strategy game in which players must maneuver their mechs around a grid-based map using the environment and their weapons to best dispose of their foes. It’s as much a puzzle game as it is a strategy one, making it easily one of the best puzzle games on the Nintendo Switch.

The twist with Into the Breach is that the player knows exactly what the enemy will do next, so they’ll have to carefully strategize to counter each one. It’s a neat idea and one that is perfectly executed here, alongside the game’s gorgeous visuals and soundtrack. There’s an engrossing quality to Into the Breach that, like all good strategy games, keeps players coming back for more.

5 Bad North (Developed by Plausible Concept/Oskar Stålberg)

A Viking-Themed Strategy Roguelike

Bad North is a minimalist indie strategy game that sees players defend a series of randomly generated islands from a seemingly never-ending force of enemies. They’ll need to upgrade their troops, recruit new ones, and avoid getting too attached as there is, sadly, permadeath. This is a beautiful and surprisingly emotional roguelike experience that has such an incredibly rich gameplay loop.

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Despite its simplicity, players will need to think carefully about both which island they venture to next, and which units they bring to each battle. There’s plenty to think about in Bad North, but it never gets overly complicated, making it a very approachable strategy title. Additionally, as stressful as Bad North can be, its minimalist visuals and low stakes make it a surprisingly cozy experience, making it the ideal strategy game for those who love the best cozy games on the Switch.

The Most Devastating Strategy Game

XCOM 2 is one of the definitive strategy games of all time, so its place on the Nintendo Switch was absolutely a must. Thankfully, Virtuos did an amazing job with the port, making it a very playable and enjoyable experience on the go. Players can pick up the collection with all the DLC, giving them access to potentially hundreds if not thousands of hours of nail-bitingly tense turn-based strategy gameplay.

XCOM 2 hardly needs an introduction, but for those who have yet to experience its majesty, it sees players take squads of custom-made soldiers into intense battles against the invading alien forces. These aliens get progressively harder just as the player’s soldiers will become better equipped – so long as they research the necessary technologies in time – which then ramps up the difficulty. It’s an engrossing strategic experience, but the permadeath can make it an incredibly stressful and emotional one.

3 The Banner Saga Trilogy (Developed by Stoic Studio)

A Lord of the Rings-Style Adventure

The Banner Saga Trilogy is a beautiful, sweeping, Lord of the Rings-esque story-driven strategy game and a truly unique experience that no other video game has come close to replicating. Its beautiful visuals, incredibly mature writing, emotional stakes, and gorgeous soundtrack make it a very memorable experience, as do the important choices that have genuine and often very sad consequences. Luckily, these choices carry over between each game, as they are deeply connected to each other, just like the LOTR books.

When players aren’t trying to survive the harsh fantasy world with their caravan or engaging in the compelling narrative, they’ll be battling ferocious monsters in turn-based combat. Each battle can be incredibly intense as the game is surprisingly difficult, but the handy tutorial clearly explains everything players will need to know to win every battle. Its complex and mature story, incredible visuals, and complex strategy gameplay easily warrant the entire trilogy a place in the best strategy games of all time category.

2 Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Developed by Intelligent Systems/Koei Tecmo)

The Best SRPG On Switch

Fire Emblem: Three Houses garnered critical acclaim when it first launched and for extremely good reasons. Its blend of social sim gameplay with its complex rock-paper-scissors strategy combat made it an instant hit, as did its branching storyline, which changed completely depending on which of the three houses players chose. Its more mature setting and narrative also made it stand out compared to previous Fire Emblem entries and made it more accessible to a wider audience.

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Fans will quickly settle into a routine in Fire Emblem: Three Houses as they teach their students, explore the large open-area school, and then head into tough battles. Additionally, turning permadeath on makes every battle all the more intense, especially as these are students’ lives on the line. With DLC and a Musou spin-off, Fire Emblem: Three Hopes, to keep players busy, there’s simply no reason for strategy enthusiasts to ignore Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

1 Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (Developed by Firaxis Games)

The Legendary “One-More-Turn” Strategy Game

Of course, no Nintendo Switch strategy games list, or indeed any strategy games list, would be complete without a mention of the most engrossing “one-more-turn” strategy game of all time, Civilization VI. This innovative sequel to the excellent Civ V is by far one of, if not the most, entertaining 4X games of all time. Its blend of colorful visuals, understandable controls, and complex gameplay makes it an endlessly enjoyable time.

Despite campaigns lasting potentially dozens of hours, prospective fans will quickly find themselves wanting to play just one more turn, desperate to see how their new technology or unit will aid their growing empire. Civilization 6 works the best on a handheld, too, thanks to its pick-up-and-play nature and overall excellent port. For those looking for the definitive Nintendo Switch strategy game, look no further than Civilization 6.