7 best strategy games like Total War: PHARAOH to play in 2024
If you love Total War: PHARAOH (or just the Total War games in general) there's a whole world of other strategy and tactics games out there in the genre to dive into.
While the franchise of Total War is one of the biggest strategy series in the medium, these titles all have varying settings (both real and fictional) and mechanics that make them worth seeking out.
From legendary franchises like Civilisation to Age of Empires, here are our picks for the best strategy games like Total War: PHARAOH you'll want to be checking out in 2024.
How we chose the best games like Total War: PHARAOH
Click to enlargeWhen picking titles for this list, we kept mostly to historical games within the genres of strategy and tactics, highlighting those that you'll easily be able to lose hours to. These are very vague genre classifications, of course, and there are so many different experiences that can fit into them.
While we made Total War: PHARAOH the basis of this list as the newest entry in the series, it also works for fans of any of the TW games, meaning there will be something perfect for you regardless of your favourite.
Strategy games like Total War: PHARAOH
#7 - Company of Heroes 3
Click to enlarge- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5
- Release date: May 2023
- Key features:
- Battle in the Italian and North African WWII campaigns
- Added depth of the campaign map
- Tactical pause makes it a good entry into RTS games
Company of Heroes is regarded by many as one of the best RTS games ever made, and while none of the sequels have quite matched that level of acclaim, they still ultimately work from the excellent gameplay blueprint set by the first.
CoH3 lets you battle in the Italian and North African campaigns of WWII. The African campaign puts you in the boots of the Axis forces under the control of Erwin Rommel, following his successes against the British during the early part of WWII.
The Italian campaign is the opposite side, following allied forces as they tried to wrestle control of Italy from the fascists, and also features a turn-based campaign map layer similar to the TW series. If you still don't believe me, here's my review.
#6 - Manor Lords
Click to enlarge- Platforms: PC
- Release date: April 2024 (Early Access)
- Key features:
- Build and manage your own medieval city
- Take part in large-scale tactical battles
- Lots of complexity
Manor Lords is one of the more recent games on this list, with it only entering into early access in April 2024. The game is a combination of many strategy game genres, with city building, economy and resource management, and real-time tactical battles akin to Total War.
There's not a whole lot of depth yet, owing to how new it is (and the fact it's made by a one-man dev team), but with such a fantastic foundation from the start, Manor Lords looks like it will only get better as time goes on.
#5 - Age of Empires 4
Click to enlarge- Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
- Release date: October 2021
- Key features:
- Each faction feels unique
- Five different campaigns to play through
- Satisfying RTS gameplay
- War elephants
Age of Empires 4 is a historical real-time strategy that is set between the Early Middle Ages and Renaissance, depending on your chosen civilisation.
Age of Empires is all about warfare and defeating your enemy through bigger numbers and better technology. The main way to play is through campaigns, typically throwing you into a conquest against another civilisation, but there are also skirmish matches if you want to enjoy a one-off game.
Games involve building up your base by constructing buildings and gathering resources. With these, you can build newer and stronger units to get an advantage in warfare. After a while, you'll build a Landmark which takes you into a new age, which gives you bonuses and extra capabilities. Once you wipe out your enemies, you win the game.
#4 - Crusader Kings 3
Click to enlarge- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5
- Release date: September 2020
- Key features:
- Create a new religion to divorce your partner
- Gameplay changes depending on the area of the world
- Roleplay in a number of ways
- Tonnes of narrative freedom
Crusader Kings 3 remains one of the most unique strategy games in the medium, combining grand strategy sensibilities, with the mechanics of an RPG to create a dynasty simulator where you'll experience hundreds of years of history in the Middle Ages and the story of your family through it all.
You start by picking a character, whether they be a lowly baron with a small holding or an emperor ruling over millions. Upon their death, you'll begin playing their direct heir, where it's a case of rinse and repeat until the game ends in 1453.
During your many lives, you can roleplay and set your own goals for your family or land. Want to unite Ireland? Go for it. Looking to take revenge on the house that murdered your first character? Play the long con and butcher them in a 'red wedding'. Don't like your current heir? Plot to kill them instead so that your other child becomes heir.
There's a lot to do in Crusader Kings 3, and with so much mechanical and narrative freedom to play your own way, you can easily get lost for hundreds of hours.
#3 - Europa Universalis 4
Click to enlarge- Platforms: PC
- Release date: August 2013
- Key features:
- Create your own goals and victory conditions
- Detailed wars
- Freedom to build your nation
- Guilt-free colonialism!
From the same developer as Crusader Kings 3, Europa Universalis 4 looks almost the same from a quick glance, but has very different priorities in terms of how it plays (and what it simulates.)
Instead of controlling a single character, you control a nation during the Late Middle Ages into the Early Modern period, focusing on trade, administration, diplomacy, colonisation, and war.
It's much closer to a map painting experience, similar to the campaign map layer of Total War games, and the goals you want to achieve are solely down to you as there's no strict winning condition. If you want to rule the world with military might, that's a valid playstyle, but so is colonising valuable land and becoming a rich trader.
#2 - Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
Click to enlarge- Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
- Release date: December 2016
- Key features:
- Feudal Japanese setting
- Reactive stealth gameplay
- Tempt samurai with bottles of sake
- Unique team of characters with different abilities
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is a little different to the other games on this list, with it belonging to the real-time tactics stealth genre and featuring a feudal Japanese setting.
Throughout the game, you'll control a small team of stealth experts, taking part in various espionage, sabotage, and assassination missions as you try to take down a mysterious warlord called Kage-sama.
There is a focused story in the game and less intrinsic replay value than the other games on this list, but the core of the game is designed so well that you'll enjoy every second.
What is the best game like Total War: PHARAOH?
#1 - Civilization 6
Click to enlarge- Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Switch, iOS, and Android
- Release date: October 2016
- Key features:
- Easy to learn
- Fear the wrath of Gandhi
- Tonnes of civilisations to play as
- Win however you want
It may not be much of a surprise to see this entry at the top of our list, with the Civilization series having been going strong for over 30 years now. Civ 6 is the most recent entry in the franchise, making for a perfect introduction to the popular 4X subgenre of strategy games.
It's a turn-based strategy game that sees you build a civilisation up through pre-history all the way into the near future. Throughout, you'll research technologies, construct new buildings, create wonders to show off your prowess, and of course, war with other civilisations over land and resources.
The 4X tag comes from the four main routes to victory: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. There are plenty of ways to win games based on your chosen playstyle, and with so many civilisations to choose from, you'll find yourself replaying over and over with a new strategy and ultimate goal.
Check out our lists homepage for more recommendations. We've also covered the best Steam Deck games, the best games like Baldur's Gate 3, the best games like Fallout, and the best games like Stardew Valley.
