Ah, XCOM, an absolute gem in the strategic and tactical genre. This game is a series essentially about an international defense organization combating alien invasions. It's best known for its tense, tactical combat, and in-depth strategy layer. In the typical XCOM game, you're alternating between running an international defense organization in a strategic mode--deciding what technology to research, where to place your global defense resources, etc, and running small squads of soldiers in intense, turn-based battles against alien forces. The combination of high-level strategy and tactical combat forms a uniquely engaging gameplay loop. It's also infamous for its often brutal difficulty--one wrong move and your soldiers, which you've spent hours enhancing and caring for, can be lost forever. It truly is a master showpiece of 'permadeath' in games, another aspect it's known for.
Given that you're interested in XCOM, you likely enjoy deep strategy, tactical challenges, and perhaps a dash of science fiction. It's a great, distinct genre with some engaging mechanics, and there are certainly many similar games you might enjoy. Titles like Invisible Inc, with its blend of tactical stealth gameplay, or Darkest Dungeon, which takes XCOM's tense, strategic combat and permadeath mechanics into a dark fantasy setting. Then there are games like Phoenix Point and Gears Tactics, both of which owe a lot to XCOM. Each of these games take various aspects of XCOM and puts its own unique twist on them, blending aspects of other genres, different settings, and their own unique mechanics. It's a rich field, where the tension of a close battle combines well with the satisfaction of a well-executed strategy....
25. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden exhaustively borrows from XCOM, enhancing the experience with unique role-playing elements. Much like XCOM, it's a tactical strategy game that demands thoughtful positioning and strategic expertise. Key mechanics such as overwatch, concealment, and cover are similarly present, ensuring that XCOM fans will feel right at home. You'd be delighted by its challenging combat sequences, diverse enemy types, and the familiar thrill of surviving pitched battles against overwhelming odds.
Yet, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden isn't a mere XCOM clone. It innovates with real-time exploration interspersed within tactical combat scenarios, accentuating the tension during reconnaissance and ambush setup. Moreover, it introduces strongly-defined characters, each bearing different abilities and personalities. Character upgrades and equipment management, much akin to XCOM, further provide depth and engagement. The setting is distinctively post-apocalyptic, and the intriguing narrative, delivered through gritty dialogue and environmental storytelling, draws you into its devastated world.
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, typically priced around $30 USD.
24. Phoenix Point
Phoenix Point will certainly pique your interest, especially as an XCOM enthusiast. Like XCOM, Phoenix Point is a turn-based strategy game that revolves around global defence against an encroaching alien threat. The game introduces advanced tactical elements similar to XCOM, such as cover mechanics, destructible environments, and a broad range of class-based soldier units. Additionally, it features a strategic layer that tasks you with managing resources, research, and relationships among global factions — elements distinctly familiar to XCOM fans. You'll command a squad of soldiers, each with their own abilities and interests, which echoes the XCOM experience.
Phoenix Point also matches XCOM's enriching difficulty levels. It highlights the need for strategic planning and adapting to dynamic challenges. Furthermore, Phoenix Point expands on the procedural generation of maps, elevating the unpredictability of gameplay beyond that of XCOM. Its dynamic targeting system and extensive arsenals ensure tactical depth, keeping you on your toes at all times. Phoenix Point provides a story-driven campaign that recalls XCOM’s narrative-driven missions, all while adding its unique spin to the genre with an intricate, branching plot that's reactive to your decisions.
Phoenix Point is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, typically priced around $30 USD.
23. Invisible, Inc.
If you're a fan of XCOM, then Invisible, Inc. will definitely be right up your ally. A lot of the challenges and mechanics in Invisible, Inc. are reminiscent of what XCOM offered. In XCOM, you had to build and manage your base, research alien technologies, plan missions around the globe, all while managing your resources. In Invisible, Inc., you'll be managing an infiltration team for a spy agency, handling the strategies and resource management, choosing which missions to take on and how to delegate your team. You'll have a strategic map where you plan global missions and your decisions affect the on-the-ground tactics. And on top of everything, permadeath is a feature as well, just like XCOM, adding a whole layer of tension to your playthrough.
On the tactical side, Invisible, Inc. also has that intense turn-based, squad-focused combat that you'll find in XCOM. Every move matters and one wrong step can lead to disaster. Stealth plays a big role in Invisible, Inc., unlike the more direct confrontations of XCOM and brings a whole new level of strategy and excitement. If you enjoyed the tactical nuances of XCOM, then you'll find the layers of gameplay in Invisible, Inc. even more rewarding. Each character has unique abilities which can be upgraded as you progress, mirrors the soldier classes and skill progressions in XCOM.
Invisible, Inc. is available on Steam, PlayStation 4, iOS and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $20 USD.
22. Gears Tactics
Gears Tactics is a turn-based tactical game that draws heavy inspiration from XCOM, just like how you've loved it. It retains the elements that make the XCOM series so appealing - your squad consists of customizable characters with diverse classes and abilities; the depth and complexity of strategic planning in the heat of battles; and the same nail-biting tension of making every turn count, facing permadeath consequences if the mission goes south. Besides, the Gears traditional 'over-the-shoulder' third person view is added to the mix, giving a distinctive touch to the typical top-down perspective of traditional tactics in XCOM.
Another similarity between Gears Tactics and XCOM lies in the narrative storytelling. As in XCOM, the unfolding story in Gears Tactics drives the mission objectives, escalating the stakes and keeping the game engaging. Gears Tactics, however, infuses its plot with the rich lore of the Gears of War universe including iconic Locust enemies. It also borrows the active skill system from the Gears series, adding it to the turn-based structure, offering potentially significant advantages in battle but also requiring thoughtful decision making due to limited usage. This skill system really helps the game to create its unique identity yet maintaining the essence of XCOM's stragetic fun.
Gears Tactics is available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Windows, typically priced around $59.99 USD.
21. Jagged Alliance 2
If you've enjoyed XCOM, then you're sure to take pleasure in playing Jagged Alliance 2. It's a strategy-based game, much like XCOM, where tactical planning is indispensable. You get to command a squad of mercenaries in a bid to dethrone an evil dictator, similar to how you lead a group of soldiers in XCOM to fight off an alien invasion. Its focus on tactical maneuvers and strategic gameplay is what makes Jagged Alliance 2 reminiscent of XCOM. The game encourages careful planning and being aware of character positioning, just like XCOM, which adds an intriguing layer of depth to the gameplay.
The similarities between the two games don't stop there either. Jagged Alliance 2 also utilizes turn-based combat, a feature that makes the battles in XCOM so tense and exciting. You'll find the same thrill of determining the best course of action for your mercenaries, keeping in mind their unique abilities and the terrain around them. As the game progresses, you also get a chance to upgrade your resources and unlock new capabilities for your mercenaries, very akin to the base and unit upgrades in XCOM. And much like XCOM, the story of Jagged Alliance 2 unravels beautifully, intertwining with your actions and decisions throughout the game.
Jagged Alliance 2 is available on Windows, Mac and Linux, typically priced around $20 USD.
20. Battletech
Just like XCOM, Battletech is a turn-based strategy game that requires intricate planning and tactical maneuvers. The thrill of deciding each of your mechs' actions individually and then seeing how they interact with enemy moves throws you into an immersive battlefield experience similar to XCOM. You are also responsible for managing your resources and upgrading your mechs, and making big decisions about the direction your team should take, echoing the base building and strategic management components found in XCOM. Different mechs possess unique abilities, providing gameplay depth that will certainly draw you in if you liked the varied classes and abilities in XCOM.
Story wise, Battletech's rich narrative is filled with political intrigue and decisions that impact the game world, which if you enjoyed XCOM's unfolding storyline and sense of consequence, will enthrall you. In both games, losing units can have significant consequences, creating an emotional investment in your squad of mechs similar to the bond you might have developed with your team in XCOM. The story and setting of Battletech are based on the popular Battletech/Mechwarrior universe, offering a dense lore and fascinating universe that is sure to captivate any sci-fi lover.
Battletech is available on PC and Mac through Steam and GOG, typically priced around $39.99 USD.
19. Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Shadowrun: Dragonfall, much like XCOM, is a turn-based strategy game with well-designed tactical combats and a robust skill and class system. Players can control a group of characters, each with unique skills and abilities that need to be utilized strategically to come out victorious in the combat scenario, similar to XCOM. Creeping through environments, setting up ambushes, utilizing cover, and planning for the long-term are all elements that will feel familiar and welcoming to any fan of XCOM. Furthermore, choices you make in and outside of battles can lead to differing outcomes, adding a sense of gravity and immersion to your decisions.
Additionally, another significant similarity Dragonfall shares with XCOM is the high stakes. Just like in XCOM, a wrong move can result in permanent character death. This adds a layer of tension and emotional investment in your squad that XCOM fans are sure to appreciate. The story is also very engaging, in Dragonfall, you lead a team of shadowrunners, which are essentially futuristic mercenaries, all in a rich, cyberpunk fantasy world. It also has a fantastic story line which involves political maneuvers, dragons, and corporate conspiracy, flavored with noir elements. The user interface and the quality of character’s classes are so rich that it will quickly draw you in if you’re a story-driven RPG and tactical-based strategy fan like XCOM.
Shadowrun: Dragonfall is available on PC, Android, and iOS platforms, typically priced around $15 USD. It's a worthy game to dive into if you enjoyed the strategy, consequences, and rich narrative drive of XCOM.
18. Frozen Synapse
Frozen Synapse, like XCOM, is a top-down, turn-based strategy game that heavily involves tactics and decision-making. The game has you control a squad of soldiers in a cyberpunk universe, but instead of making decisions in real-time, you plan your turns ahead, in a similar way to how you would strategize in XCOM. Each unit has its own set of abilities and maneuvers which add an extra layer of depth to the combat, just like in XCOM. Plus, the main story campaign provides a challenging and engaging narrative, and should you desire more, there's a multitude of skirmish missions and multiplayer where you can test strategies against other players.
One of the things that makes Frozen Synapse stand out, however, is its simultaneous turn execution. This feature means that both your and your opponent’s moves occur at the same time, creating a unique blend of prediction and planning that you won't typically find in other strategy games. This dynamic can make for some exhilarating and heart-stopping moments, as you wait to see if your strategic genius paid off or if it led your team to their demise. It carves a unique identity for the game while still holding onto the elements that make games like XCOM enjoyable.
Frozen Synapse is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS, typically priced around $25 USD.
17. The Banner Saga Trilogy
Well, if you enjoyed XCOM then you will certainly appreciate The Banner Saga Trilogy. Much like XCOM, it has a deep and engaging turn-based combat system. Just like in XCOM, you have a variety of characters, each being unique with classes and abilities to bring into the battlefield. You'll also find yourself heavily invested in your squad, thanks to the perma-death mechanic. If a character falls in battle, they're gone for good. So you will find the same thrilling, high-stakes tactical combat that you love in XCOM.
The Banner Saga Trilogy also presents you with consequential decision-making similar to XCOM. The game moves forward narrative-wise based on your choices and these choices could detrimentally or greatly affect your journey, much like the decisions you make regarding resource allocation or mission selection in XCOM affect the outcome of the game. Moreover, The Banner Saga blends this with a compelling narrative and beautiful art style that XCOM fans will surely appreciate. It’s definitely a must-try if you're into games which offer intricate strategy along with a rich storyline.
The Banner Saga Trilogy is available on Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC, typically priced around $40 USD.
16. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle draws a lot from the strategic, turn-based gameplay that XCOM is known and loved for. The game demonstrates an impressive depth of strategy involved in its battles, which should be familiar if you've played XCOM. You'll find yourself strategically moving your team across a grid-based battlefield, utilizing cover systems, evaluating enemy positions, and considering line-of-sight before making your move. It's not merely a simple fire-and-forget scenario; you must take into account character abilities and weapon effects for planning your approach and executing your attacks.
Despite its colourful and light-hearted design, the game demands rigorous tactics and keen foresight from its players – a core appeal for any XCOM fan. The challenging battles are set in a variety of unique environments, each requiring a distinct tactical approach. Like XCOM's squad customization and upgrade system, Mario + Rabbids also allows you to grow your team's abilities and weaponry as you progress through the game. Character levelling and weapons upgrades become integral to surviving increasingly difficult encounters. Plus, the blend of Mario's world with the chaotic Rabbids gives it an element of fun and unpredictability that wonderfully contrasts the strategic gameplay elements.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is available on Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $60 USD.
15. Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
If you're a fan of the tactical depth and high-stakes combat that XCOM offers, then Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus should definitely capture your interest. Much like XCOM, Mechanicus allows you to control a squad of highly specialized units, each with their own unique abilities and skills, which serve to turn the tide of battle. Details like terrain usage, effective positioning, and ability combos feature prominently in the gameplay. In true XCOM fashion, Mechanicus also incorporates a strategic layer where you'll manage your resources, optimize tech-tree development, and decide where to strike next.
There are plenty of similarities between the two games that should sate your XCOM appetite, but Mechanicus also distinguishes itself with its unique take on the genre. The game not only delivers the tense, tactical battles you're familiar with, but also introduces a unique array of cyborg tech-priests that you can individually customize and evolve, pushing your strategic choices into the battlefield. Additionally, Mechanicus spins some unique narrative elements involving the Adeptus Mechanicus' explorations and encounters within ancient Necron tombs, sure to please any Warhammer fans.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $30 USD.
14. Wasteland 2
Wasteland 2 stands as a highly engaging strategy game in the same vein as XCOM, but with its unique twists. Much like XCOM, its core gameplay loop revolves around tactical turn-based combat, where effective management of your squad's positioning and resources can mean the difference between survival and defeat. However, Wasteland 2 features a wider array of weapons and abilities, fully customizable characters, and branching dialogue trees – lending a unique strategic depth and RPG element to the game that XCOM enthusiasts would definitely appreciate.
Furthermore, Wasteland 2 also adopts the permanence of consequences similar to XCOM's permadeath system but extends it to narrative choices as well. It boasts a branching storyline, where your decisions have genuine, tangible impacts on the world and its inhabitants. Whether it's deciding which squad member should disarm a deadly trap or choosing between conflicting factions, you'll feel the weight of every decision much like in XCOM. It's this amalgamation of deep strategy gameplay and narrative choices with impactful outcomes that make Wasteland 2 a worthy addition to the library of any XCOM aficionado.
Wasteland 2 is available on PC (Windows, MacOS, Linux), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $30 USD.
13. Into the Breach
Into the Breach, much like XCOM, belongs to the esteemed genre of tactical strategy games that effortlessly blend turn-based gameplay with a touch of immersive storytelling. A core similarity between the two rests in their emphasis on strategic decision making and the lasting implications that these choices can have. In Into the Breach, you control a squad of three mechs, here rather than XCOM's individually named soldiers, fighting to save cities from an alien threat. Likewise, akin to XCOM's permanent character death, any mechs destroyed in battle are lost for good, driving you to carefully consider your every move and strategy.
From the creators of FTL: Faster Than Light, Into the Breach forwards an element of replayability that XCOM players will appreciate. As in XCOM, the game world is relatively dynamic and changes with each session, ensuring unique experiences and challenges with every playthrough. However, Into the Breach presents its own distinct narrative style; it gives the players more deterministic outcomes where you can see the enemies' attack plans, allowing you a chance to alter your strategies accordingly. This distinct aspect adds a fresh twist to the XCOM gameplay you love, creating a unique blend of predictability and controlled chaos within the tactics genre.
Into the Breach is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and macOS, typically priced around $15 USD.
12. Hard West
If you're a fan of XCOM, then Hard West is definitely worth looking into. It shares a similar turn-based combat strategy gameplay that you obviously enjoy in XCOM. It's set in a gritty Wild West environment, but with an interesting supernatural twist, which spices things up quite a bit. Even though it maintains the same cover and flanking mechanics, it introduces a 'luck' system that adds a fresh layer of strategy to the gameplay. The possibilities of missing the shots decrease as your luck depletes; pretty cool, right? Also, the duels played out in Mexican standoff style will surely bring a thrilling twist to your gaming experience.
In addition to the combat similarities, Hard West also offers an immersive story just like XCOM. As you progress, you'll explore a world filled with unique characters, each having their own tales of revenge, betrayal, and redemption. Structured in eight distinctive story-based scenarios, Hard West offers non-linear narratives, which means your decisions and actions can greatly influence the storyline, exactly like XCOM. Moreover, the atmospheric music and dark-themed art style will also remind you of the eerie environment of XCOM.
Hard West is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One, typically priced around $19.99 USD.
11. SteamWorld Heist
If you're a fan of XCOM, you'll definitely appreciate SteamWorld Heist for its similar gameplay structure and its deep strategy elements. Like XCOM, SteamWorld Heist is a turn-based strategy game where you tactically maneuver your team of steam-driven robots through enemy-infested spaceships. It has the same line-of-sight mechanics and cover systems that play an essential role in XCOM, with the added twist of manual aim, which introduces an extra layer of skill to the combat. You'll also find yourself falling into the same patterns of carefully planning each move to best use your resources and abilities, while constantly thinking several steps ahead.
SteamWorld Heist also shares the high-stakes tension that makes XCOM so gripping. Just like XCOM, SteamWorld Heist can be brutally tough and has high consequences for failure - lose a robot during a heist and they're gone for good. This, combined with the procedurally generated nature of the ships, means that each mission feels equally unpredictable and risky. The game also includes character progression and customization systems very similar to XCOM, with an extensive arsenal of weapons and equipment for you to choose from, and a variety of classes with unique abilities and playstyles, giving you a vast range of tactical options and allowing you to shape your team to match your strategic approach.
SteamWorld Heist is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS, typically priced around $15 USD.
10. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun and XCOM share a core mechanic that strategy game fans know and love: tactical, turn-based combat. Like XCOM, Shadow Tactics requires you to meticulously plan out your moves, taking into consideration character positions, abilities, and environmental factors to successfully complete objectives. It's not just run-and-gun, you have to be careful with your decisions because the enemy AI is intelligent and a wrong move can lead to failure. There's a lot of satisfaction in executing a perfectly planned strategy, similar to that exhilarating feeling when your squad in XCOM successfully pulls off an intricate ambush on a group of Sectoids.
Moreover, both games have a focus on characters, each with their own unique abilities and backstories. In Shadow Tactics, rather than controlling a squad of customizable soldiers like in XCOM, you're in charge of a team of distinct shogunate agents, each having a specific role. One character might be good at assassination, another at distraction, another at sniping, you see the pattern. This mix of characters adds another layer of strategy to the game. You'll need to utilize their strengths according to the situation at hand, like using your Samurai to draw the enemy’s attention, allowing your Sniper to take them out undetected. The bond you'll share with your team in this game can be just as strong as the one you've built with your XCOM squad.
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, typically priced around $20 USD.
9. Chroma Squad
Chroma Squad, though seeming quite different visually, utilizes some similar strategic aspects featured in XCOM. Both games rely heavily on turn-based tactics where positioning your units correctly on a grid system is as important as choosing your actions carefully. In Chroma Squad, like XCOM, you have different classes of heroes with unique skills, just like the soldiers in XCOM. Also, you have to manage your resources, not just on the battlefield, but on a larger scale, choosing how to enhance your base of operations, similar to your base management duties in XCOM.
Thematically, Chroma Squad is a colorful, tongue-in-cheek homage to the Power Rangers, which offers a very different aesthetic to XCOM's dark, alien-haunted world. However, don't let the colorful looks fool you, for this game demands similar strategic depths and offers equally nail-biting suspense as its XCOM counterpart. The game provides an engaging, complex, story-driven campaign, and there are multiple endings just like XCOM. You'll find the humor and creativity injected into the levels and characters refreshing, giving it a unique charm of its own while still retaining the tactical depth gamers loved in XCOM.
Chroma Squad is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Androids, PC and iOS, typically priced around $15 USD.
8. Xenonauts
Xenonauts, like XCOM, throws you in the midst of an alien invasion in the cold war era, creating a similar thrilling atmosphere. Both games are turn-based strategy games emphasizing on tactical combat and base-building elements. You will be commanding and managing a group of soldiers and researchers, deciding your squad's configuration, weaponry, deployment in the battlefield and more, mimicking and intensifying the core mechanics of XCOM that you're so fond of. The tense feeling of making significant decisions under the threat of extra-terrestrial invasion ties the two games together fiercely.
One especially noteworthy element is that Xenonauts actually took great inspiration from the original X-COM games from the mid-90s and not the newer series, so it’s a refreshing and nostalgic turn-based strategy experience. Additionally, you'll appreciate the complexity of the air combat mechanism in Xenonauts, which adds an extra strategic layer by giving you direct control over your interceptors against the UFOs, further expanding the strategic depth over XCOM. Also, Xenonaut's non-linear gameplay offers a different experience in every playthrough, maintaining a high replay value that XCOM fans cherish.
Xenonauts is available on platforms like Steam for PC, it's typically priced around $24.99 USD.
7. Divinity: Original Sin 2
Divinity: Original Sin 2 might just be the game you're looking for if you're a fan of XCOM. Like XCOM, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a turn-based role-playing game, but instead of aliens and a near future setting, the game puts you in a fantasy world full of elves, demons and magic. Much like XCOM, the combat system of Divinity: Original Sin 2 relies heavily on tactical strategy. You must consider the placement and abilities of each character, as well as the environment itself. The terrain can be manipulated to your advantage by creating barriers, traps and more. Different elements react to one another providing more depth to the strategy, reminiscent to the detailed combat planning in XCOM.
Furthermore, Divinity: Original Sin 2 features a captivating story that unfolds based on the decisions you make throughout the game, providing a more epic role-playing element. The customizability of your party, from race and class to individual abilities and skills, is extensive, much like the soldier classes and customizable loadouts in XCOM. Interaction between members of your party and how you choose to develop their character can have lasting effects on the gameplay. This narrative depth and the echoes of XCOM-style tactics make Divinity: Original Sin 2 a compelling choice for fans of XCOM looking for a new adventure.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, typically priced around $45 USD.
6. Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes
Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes, like XCOM, takes you on an exciting journey into a world of strategy and conquest. Its complex mechanics and RPG elements are reminiscent of XCOM's in-depth strategic gameplay. In Fallen Enchantress, you must construct your cities, research and innovate new technological advances, and manage resources and armies similar to the way you would in XCOM. The environment in Legendary Heroes is a dynamic, explorable world teeming with dangerous beasts, mythical creatures, and treasure-filled ruins, masterfully blending the strategy and exploration aspects that have made XCOM so successful.
Another aspect that keeps Fallen Enchantress in line with the XCOM series is the concept of permadeath. Much like in XCOM, losing a hero or an army because of a strategy miscalculation or an unfortunate turn of events can have a significant impact on your progress. This creates a sense of tension and responsibility that XCOM players are familiar with and enjoy. The game also features an intricate turn-based combat system, giving players complete control over their troops during each battle, a striking similarity to XCOM's combat system.
Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes is available on PC platforms, typically priced around $25 USD.
5. Massive Chalice
Massive Chalice, like XCOM, offers a rich blend of strategy and tactical gameplay which can keep you engrossed for hours. Both games offer deep and engaging strategy, requiring thoughtful decision-making about base-building, resource allocation, and troop deployment. You'll need to plan out and manage your tactics with great care – the wrong move could cost you a crucial squad member or even the entire game. As in XCOM, your soldiers in Massive Chalice can die permanently, adding a layer of emotional investment to the gameplay and forcing you to make sometimes heart-wrenching tactical decisions.
The similarities don't stop there. In both games, you're pitted against a variety of strange and powerful enemies, requiring a high level of strategic depth to overcome. The combat in both games is turn-based and the importance of tactical positioning cannot be overstated. Both games also offer you a high degree of customization. In Massive Chalice, you can craft unique weapons, while in XCOM, you're allowed to upgrade your squad's skills and abilities. Importantly, Massive Chalice introduces a unique layer of gameplay with its bloodline feature, where traits and skills are inherited by the next generation of heroes, similar to XCOM's class system.
Massive Chalice is available on Xbox One and PC, typically priced around $20 USD.
4. Thea: The Awakening
Thea: The Awakening shares many great elements with the XCOM series that will surely catch your interest. At the core, both games are deeply strategic. In Thea, just like in XCOM, careful management of resources is critical - you have to effectively allocate food, materials and population to ensure the survival and growth of your village. The turn-based tactical combat in both games demands a well-thought-out strategy, where each decision can significantly impact the outcome.
Similar to XCOM's overarching narrative, Thea: The Awakening offers an engaging storyline which is beautifully woven into its gameplay. However, Thea takes it a step further by introducing elements of Slavic mythology, giving it a unique edge. The permanent death feature in both games adds a layer of tension - every move you make could be your characters' last. Character progression is another common feature; as your characters grow stronger and learn new skills, you'll form a deeper attachment with them, much like you probably did with your XCOM squad.
Thea: The Awakening is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $20 USD.
3. Endless Legend
Endless Legend, much like XCOM, affords you the opportunity to dive into an immersive world filled with unique races, intricate lore, and innovative strategies. It encourages the player to use tactical decision-making skills that XCOM is fondly known for. In Endless Legend, each faction comes with their own abilities, stories, and strategic styles, offering a diversity similar to the varying soldier classes in XCOM. Fans of XCOM's base building will enjoy the city management aspect of Endless Legend where you develop your cities and manage resources.
Building on the similarity, Endless Legend also features dynamic battlefields that require thoughtful planning like XCOM. Combat in Endless Legend plays out on the game map itself, turning the terrain into an important part of strategic decisions, echoing XCOM's tactical combat approach. While using unique and powerful abilities to gain the upper hand, you’ll need to exploit weaknesses and outmaneuver enemies in spatially tactical combat scenarios. All these elements blend seamlessly together to create an immersive strategic experience that XCOM fans will fully appreciate.
Endless Legend is available on PC through platforms like Steam, usually priced around $30 USD.
2. Telepath Tactics
Telepath Tactics- a rich tactical RPG in the vein of XCOM that imbues a narrative-driven storyline with unique emergent gameplay. Just as in XCOM, your decisions aren't just about winning battles; they directly influence the development of your characters and the progression of the story. The perma-death feature further amps the stakes and makes every action consequential, just like the high-pressure decision-making in XCOM.
With a game world rooted in strategy, Telepath Tactics presents an intricate battle system that pivots on dynamic terrains, destructible environments, and multiple action possibilities; again much like XCOM. In addition, the physical positioning of your characters and management of their abilities, as they grow and evolve through experiences, sessions after sessions adds a layer of deep tactical complexity. Put simply, it aptly mirrors the enthralling strategic depth and replayability of XCOM, albeit in a fantastical setting.
Telepath Tactics is available on PC platforms, typically priced around $15 USD.
1. Darkest Dungeon
While on the surface Darkest Dungeon may not closely resemble XCOM, taking a closer look will certainly reveal some striking similarities. Like XCOM, Darkest Dungeon focuses heavily on the strategy component that is crucial for survival. You'll manage a roster of characters, each with unique abilities, to explore challenging, dark environments. With every move you make, you need to consider not only the immediate effect but also the long-term implications. The tension of making tough choices under pressure is equally compelling in both games. Darkest Dungeon also shares XCOM's permadeath feature, meaning that when one of your characters dies, they're gone for good, making each decision even more critical.
The tactical combat in Darkest Dungeon also shares elements with XCOM. Each encounter requires careful planning and strategic use of your characters' abilities. The game randomly generates layouts for dungeons, adding to the unpredictability and replayability, similar to how maps are procedural in XCOM. You also manage your characters' stress levels, akin to managing your soldiers' will in XCOM. The game's unique affliction system ensures that mental stress is as threatening as physical damage, adding another layer to the strategic depth of the game.
Darkest Dungeon is available on PC, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and iOS devices, typically priced around $24.99 USD.
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