Steam Strategy Fest 2023: Best games to get at a discount

Here’s your optimal spending strategy for this sale

Author:
Marco Wutz
Publish date:
Aug 29, 2023 6:14 AM EDT

Steam Strategy Fest 2023 is upon us, celebrating everything from turn-based tactics to real-time grand strategy with a bunch of hefty discounts. Many strategy games nowadays follow a model of intense post-launch support with additional DLC, so it’s often best to wait for sales on bundles to dip your toes into the deep waters of a new strategy title – and worry not, this Steam Fest has a lot of interesting offers of this sort on the table.

Here are the best games at Steam Strategy Fest 2023 to get at a discount – and never forget what the wise Sun Tzu said: To defeat an enemy, you need all the new and powerful DLC units, so get your wallet ready.

Age of Wonders 4

Standard Edition off by 20%.
Premium Edition off by 10%.
Expansion Pass off by 17%.
Find it on Steam.

It’s the first big discount for Age of Wonders 4, which was released earlier this year to critical and public acclaim. This turn-based strategy game with heavy role-playing aspects allows players to freely design their own factions and leaders, bringing a level of customization to the series that is unprecedented in its history. Together with a flexible and fun Magic Tome system, a great variety in units, satisfying combat, and fun empire building, this is a 4X must-have.

If you already have the game, but want even more content, the Expansion Pass containing all upcoming DLC packs is an easy recommendation.

Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition

Definitive Edition off by 75%.
Anniversary Edition off by 74%.
Return of Rome Bundle off by 61%.
Find it on Steam.

A battle scene from Age of Empires 2. — A classic in all its new glory.
Microsoft

Getting one of the best real-time strategy games of all time for basically free is a fantastic deal – and that would be the case even if we were talking about the original version of Age of Empires 2 here. The Definitive Edition is the gold standard for what a remaster of such a classic should be: a pleasant visual overhaul paired with bug fixes and abundant quality-of-life updates that leaves the amazing gameplay completely intact. Be it campaign or multiplayer, Age of Empires 2 is one of the greats even over 20 years after its initial release.

Anno 1800

Standard Edition off by 75%.
Year 4 Gold Edition off by 60%.
Year 4 Complete Edition off by 55%.
Find it on Steam.

Anno’s first foray into the industrial age is a very successful one: You get what you know and love from the series – an intricate economy and trade system, lovely visuals showing your cities in all their glory, and the steady feeling of progress. This time, the scope has grown as you send out expeditions to faraway countries and scramble for colonies in the search of oil. You must also manage a new, all-important resource: workforce. Your factories don’t run automatically, after all. Anno 1800 offers new challenges for a new era, but sticks to its roots.

If you're a new adopter, the Year 4 Complete Edition will yield you four years worth of seasonal content for a bit less of an investment than the Standard Edition costs normally. If you want to test the waters first, take advantage of the hefty Standard Edition discount.

Hearts of Iron 4

Standard Edition off by 70%.
Starter Edition off by 70%.
Ultimate Bundle off by 59%.
Find it on Steam.

Hearts of Iron 4 is a Paradox grand strategy game set in World War 2. You try to lead your nation through this grand catastrophe of humanity and decide on who’s side you’ll be on. Develop your economy and military, research new technologies, equip your divisions, and keep an eye on the logistics. Whether you follow history or completely subvert it, Hearts of Iron 4 is giving you the tools for one unique playthrough after the other. Once you’ve had your fill of ‘our’ WW2, jump into the alt-history world of mods like Kaiserreich, which change up the game dramatically.

If you’re getting into the game with this sale, the Starter Edition over the Standard Edition is an easy recommendation as it nets you a handful of additional DLC for just a couple more bucks.

Stellaris

Standard Edition off by 70%.
Galaxy Edition off by 70%.
Ultimate Bundle off by 54%.
Starter Pack 2023 Bundle off by 62%.
Species Pack Bundle off by 55%.
Find it on Steam.

If conquering one world isn’t enough to sate your ambition, how about an entire galaxy? Mixing the typical Paradox Interactive grand strategy formula with a good deal of 4X gameplay, Stellaris is definitely the place to be for galactic warlords, explorers, traders, and diplomats – make your own faction and steer its path through the stars however you like. Become the heroic species to unite the galaxy, or transform into the ultimate villain everyone else needs to stop. The choice is yours.

Paradox has announced that it would increase the prices of DLC going forward, so this is the final chance to grab things like Species Packs before this price increase hits.

Sid Meier’s Civilization 6

Standard Edition off by 90%.
Anthology Bundle off by 88%.
Platinum Edition Bundle off by 91%.
Find it on Steam.

Civilization 6 screenshot. — Civilization 7 is in development, but until then its predecessor will give you a great time.
Firaxis

It might be a while before the next iteration of Sid Meier’s Civilization, which is currently in the oven at Firaxis, will be out, so there’s more than enough time to get your money’s worth out of the current version – especially with such a discount. It’s noteworthy that bundles with all the game’s expansions have great discounts as well, so there’s never been a better time to grab this turn-based strategy epic than now. Civilization VI was a big revolution for the series, innovating how players exploit their territory and plan their cities.

New adopters should look at the Anthology Bundle, which contains all expansions and DLC for the game. At about half the price point of the Standard Edition under regular circumstances, it’s a steal.

Old World

Standard Edition off by 25%.
Complete Bundle off by 33%.
Find it on Steam.

If Civilization 6 wasn’t the right fit for you after Civilization 5, Old World is a fantastic alternative. Made by former key Firaxis employees, this 4X combines Civilization and Crusader Kings to add some role-playing elements into the mix. Old World also features an innovative approach to orders, making them a limited resource that really gets you thinking about the order of your actions during a turn. Paired with solid visuals and a UI from the heavens – it’s one of the early prominent adopters of nested tooltips – Old World is an easy recommendation to genre fans.

Get the Complete Bundle, which contains the base game and all DLC for a price point just below the base game’s regular cost.

Against the Storm

Standard Edition off by 35%.
Find it on Steam.

This is one of the few early access games that can be recommended in a heartbeat: Against the Storm is a unique roguelike city building game that forces you to adapt from mission to mission and never overstays its welcome – where other games of the genre get dull and overwhelming as time goes on, Against the Storm focuses on the exciting early game phase of establishing a settlement and helping it grow. It’s a downright addicting formula. Just one more settlement!

Dune: Spice Wars

Standard Edition off by 20%.
Find it on Steam.

If you’re a fan of slower real-time strategy titles and love the Dune universe, then Dune: Spice Wars from the makers of Northgard (which itself is off by 70%) will be up your alley. It’s still in Early Access as of now, but that ends this coming September with its release update. Choose your faction from some of Dune’s most prominent houses and attempt to conquer Arrakis through force as well as cunning intrigue in this RTS with 4X elements – and never forget: The Spice must flow.

Imperator: Rome

Standard Edition off by 75%.
Centurion Bundle off by 76%.
Find it on Steam.

Strategic view of a mountain region. — The ancient world is your chess board in Imperator: Rome.
Paradox

Imperator: Rome was a bit off a miss at the beginning of its life, but Paradox really turned this chariot around post-launch. While a lot more limited in content than its other big titles due to its lack of initial success, this is the grand strategy title to look to for fans of the ancient world. It features an active and talented modding community as well, which greatly helps with balancing and tweaking a few things here and there to keep it all fresh. Just make sure to watch out for elephants coming over the Alps and you should all be set.

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War

Standard Edition off by 90%.
Complete Edition Bundle off by 53%.
Find it on Steam.

Warhammer 40,000 Gladius screenshot. — In the 41st millenium there is only war.
Slitherine

Though the 4X game launched with a few problems in 2018, Proxy Studio really put in the work to make it a fantastic strategy title with subsequent updates and a lot of DLC that expanded the available factions and options. Mixing elements from games such as Civilization and Age of Wonders, Gladius provides strategic depth as well as intense combat. Keeping your units alive – and sane – is an important aspect of the game, especially when it comes to your powerful heroes, who gain equipment and experience as they discover new artifacts and vanquish their foes.

The Complete Edition Bundle is still a bit pricey, but you could also get the Mechanicus and Gladius Bundle that’s 88% off right now and lets you obtain two fantastic 40k games.

The Great War: Western Front

Standard Edition off by 33%.
Victory Edition off by 33%.
Find it on Steam.

Great War: Western Front scteenshot of the German trenches. — The Allies or Central Powers await your command.
Petroglyph

Another fairly recent release, The Great War: Western Front by Petroglyph takes on the difficult challenge of making a real-time strategy game set in World War 1. Divided in a strategic and tactical layer like a Total War game, it manages to offer intriguing decision-making on both of these fronts as you try to keep up your national fighting spirit at home while making a decisive breakthrough on the battlefield. Just don’t expect to be done by Christmas, for this game will have you in its grip for far longer.

The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos

Standard Edition off by 65%.
Ultimate Edition off by 60%.
Deluxe Edition Bundle off by 60%.
Find it on Steam.

Ready for some fun and exciting dungeon-delving full of humor and the thrill of combat? Then The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos awaits you. Featuring challenging battles with a good dose of RNG in the best Dungeons & Dragons manner, this turn-based adventure can derail even the best of plans – making it all the more interesting, as it tests your ability to improvise.

Battle Brothers

Standard Edition off by 50%.
Battle Brothers + All DLC Bundle off by 34%.
Supporter Edition off by 29%.
Deluxe Edition off by 42%.
Find it on Steam.

Mixing turn-based tactics with Mount & Blade, Battle Brothers puts you in charge of a company of mercenaries in a harsh and unforgiving world. Join a specific faction, specialize in hunting beasts or monsters, or fulfill the arcane agenda of some dark underground cult – it’s up to you what you’re fighting for, just make sure you complete your contracts on time and get paid. The men need food and equipment, after all. This will greatly help you in waiting for Menace, the next game by developer Overhype Studios.

We’ve got more strategy game content coming up on www.si.com/videogames with our gamescom 2023 coverage, so be sure to check by.