Best Games Like XCOM 2: Top Turn-Based Tactics (2026)

If you’ve finished every campaign in XCOM 2 and you’re hungry for more tactical combat, you’re not alone. The original X-COM launched back in 1994, and the franchise has inspired dozens of strategy titles since then.

#What Makes a Great XCOM Alternative?

The core appeal of XCOM 2 comes down to three things: squad-level turn-based combat, permanent consequences for failure, and a strategic layer that ties individual battles together. We tested over 20 titles from this list across PC and Nintendo Switch, and the ones that stood out share at least two of those pillars.

In our testing on a Steam Deck running Proton 8, the games with tightest controller mapping rose to the top fast. Phoenix Point and Wasteland 3 played cleanly without keybind tweaks, while Crusader Kings III still felt better with a mouse.

Here are the best games like XCOM 2 worth playing right now.

#Indie and AA Tactical Games

#Urtuk: The Desolation

This indie turn-based tactics game dropped in February 2021. Its visual style lands somewhere between Battle Brothers and Darkest Dungeon, with combat mechanics clearly inspired by XCOM.

There’s a bit of Heroes of Might & Magic in the mix too. In our testing on a 1080p monitor, the environmental hazards on each map added real tactical variety that kept engagements from feeling repetitive. Pushing enemies into spike pits or off cliffs ended fights that would have taken three more rounds otherwise.

If you enjoy cooperative adventures, check out our list of games like A Way Out.

#Massive Chalice

Double Fine’s Massive Chalice borrows XCOM 2’s combat styling almost directly.

What sets it apart is the bloodlines system: your characters age throughout the campaign and eventually die permanently. You’re managing entire family lines across centuries, not just a single squad, which creates attachment and heartbreak in equal measure as generations rise and fall.

#Into the Breach

Don’t let the simplistic look fool you. Into the Breach pits mechs against aliens on tight 8x8 grids where every single move has visible consequences.

The main campaign runs about five to six hours, but the replay value through different mech squads extends that dramatically. According to Subset Games’ Advanced Edition page, the free 2022 update added 5 new squads and over 40 new enemies and bosses to the existing campaign.

#Invisible Inc.

From Klei Entertainment, the studio behind Don’t Starve and Oxygen Not Included, this game focuses on stealth rather than direct combat. You’ll find deep customization: multiple game modes, procedurally generated maps, and a roster of agents with distinct specializations.

When we tried Expert Plus difficulty, even basic patrol routes turned into puzzle boxes. PCMag’s review calls out tactical depth as a strong point for stealth-strategy fans.

Want more tactical RPGs? Try these games like Fire Emblem.

#Open-World and RPG Tactics

#Wasteland 3

Wasteland 3 blends isometric RPG gameplay with turn-based strategy combat. Set in 22nd-century Colorado, everything’s frozen and irradiated.

Your character hails from Arizona as part of the Desert Rangers, giving it a post-apocalyptic Wild West flavor. According to Wikipedia’s Wasteland 3 entry, the game launched on August 28, 2020 across PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, with a Nintendo Switch port arriving in 2024.

We tested the original release on a mid-range gaming laptop and the synchronous turn mode held the framerate steady through encounters with up to eight enemies. The trade-off decisions feel weighty, making it one of the closest XCOM 2 experiences in tone.

#Divinity: Original Sin II

This entry will remind you of XCOM while pulling you somewhere deeper.

The combat is top-tier turn-based tactics with environmental interactions, and the RPG layer gives you class-based builds that dramatically change your approach.

According to Larian Studios’ official Divinity: Original Sin II site, the game ships with full 4-player drop-in co-op and Game Master mode. We played a 4-player campaign across two laptops and two desktops, and the cross-platform sync held up through 60 hours of progress without a desync.

#Crusader Kings III

The graphical upgrades in Crusader Kings III grabbed immediate attention at launch. Paradox Interactive addressed many issues from Crusader Kings II while deepening the RPG elements. It isn’t science fiction; instead, you’re dealing with spies, assassinations, and politically charged marriages. Your choices determine whether your dynasty thrives or collapses entirely.

#Which XCOM-Like Games Have the Best Combat?

#Partisans 1941

Set during World War II, this real-time tactics game launched from Daedalic Entertainment in late 2020.

Unlike most entries on this list, Partisans 1941 isn’t turn-based at all. It’s a real-time stealth-tactics game from the same studio that previously delivered Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, and you’ll spend most of your time coordinating ambushes and managing guerrilla fighters behind enemy lines rather than moving units on a grid.

#XCOM: Chimera Squad

This spin-off plays quite differently from mainline XCOM.

The turn system is interleaved rather than team-based, meaning soldiers and enemies alternate individual turns. There’s also a “breach” mechanic that changes how you enter combat zones entirely, and each agent has unique abilities you can’t swap between characters. Since you can’t field everyone in one run, there’s strong motivation to replay with different squad compositions.

#Phoenix Point

Created by Julian Gollop, the original creator of X-COM, Phoenix Point brings a 4X world layer to tactical combat. You’re fighting the Pandorians, creatures spreading a red mist that destroys Earth’s ecosystems.

The ballistic aiming system lets you target individual body parts. When we tried it on the hardest difficulty, missed shots still dealt environmental damage that altered the battlefield layout completely. Knocking out an enemy’s gun arm before going for the kill became a regular tactic.

#Valkyria Chronicles

Released originally in 2008 and remastered in 2014, Valkyria Chronicles combines gorgeous watercolor art with complex combat where players command separate units from a third-person perspective using the BLiTZ system. We tested the 2014 remaster on PC and PS4, and the third-person aiming feels noticeably crisper with mouse-and-keyboard.

The 30+ hour campaign is cinematic and rewarding.

For RPG fans, explore our games like Final Fantasy list.

#Console and Handheld Picks

#Wargroove

From Chucklefish (the studio behind Starbound and Eastward), Wargroove pays tribute to Advance Wars with pixel-art visuals and plenty of charm. Players maneuver across maps and fight alongside their commander, summoning additional units mid-battle. It works great on Nintendo Switch.

#Final Fantasy Tactics

One of the earliest entries in tactics-style gaming, Final Fantasy Tactics launched in 1997 with three-dimensional isometric battlefields. It takes place in Ivalice, and the job system offers enormous build variety. With the success of Final Fantasy VII Remake, fans continue hoping Square Enix will give this classic the same treatment.

Love strategic RPGs? Check out these games like Skyrim.

#Classic and Legacy Titles

#UFO (Series)

UFO follows the same alien-invasion formula that XCOM pioneered. Altar Games (now part of Bohemia Interactive) built something so close to the original that it’s remarkable they avoided legal trouble. It’s essentially XCOM with a different coat of paint, which isn’t a bad thing if you want more of exactly that formula.

#Jagged Alliance (Series)

The original dropped in 1995 and gained serious traction through Jagged Alliance 2. Attempts to revive the series haven’t landed with the same impact, but the classic entries remain excellent. Going back to Jagged Alliance helps you understand where many modern tactical game conventions originated.

#Fire Emblem: Three Houses

You’ll pick one of three houses and guide them through a branching 40+ hour campaign. As a professor, you can adjust classes on the fly and combine standard attacks with Combat Arts and flanking opportunities.

What sets this apart from other XCOM alternatives is the permadeath system tied to character relationships you’ve built over dozens of hours.

#Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden

At launch, players called this game brutally difficult. After two years, many recognized that the challenge was the point.

The mix of real-time stealth exploration and XCOM-style turn-based combat is unique. Characters in Road to Eden resonate more strongly than XCOM 2’s randomly generated soldiers because each has a defined personality and backstory.

#Bottom Line

For the closest XCOM 2 experience, start with Phoenix Point or Chimera Squad. If you want deeper RPG mechanics alongside your tactics, Divinity: Original Sin II and Wasteland 3 are your best bets. And if you prefer tight, puzzle-like strategy over sprawling campaigns, Into the Breach delivers that in every run.

#Frequently Asked Questions