Turn-based strategy with base building? Any recommendations?

Looking for a turn-based strategy game with some kind of meta base-building or progression. I’ve played games like XCOM, Midnight Suns, and FTL but was hoping for something that leans a bit more into a turn-based RPG battle system. Any suggestions?

Chaos Gate: Demon Hunters is basically XCOM but with a Warhammer 40k theme. It plays similarly but has some new combat skills and mechanics that encourage aggressive play. Plus, the story is written by one of the best Warhammer authors.

@Vic
It’s on sale on Steam this week. Guess I know what I’m doing tonight!

Man, I’ve had this exact question before! I wanted something like Total Warhammer mixed with Civ and CK3, but that doesn’t exist. The closest I’ve found is Age of Wonders 4. It doesn’t hit every mark, but it’s the best I’ve played so far. Check it out and let me know what you think.

@Kai
My one big complaint is you’re forced to group up 3 lords because of reinforcement mechanics, but there’s no way to link them together like in Civ.

Bo said:
You might like The Final Spell.

I think you mean ‘The Last Spell.’ It’s a great recommendation though! You build up a village by day and defend it at night with heroes against enemy hordes. There’s also rogue-lite elements and meta progression. Definitely one of my favorite indie games.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is a 25-year-old classic that fits what you’re asking for. Best version is on GOG.

Merritt said:
Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is a 25-year-old classic that fits what you’re asking for. Best version is on GOG.

I can only play the Complete Edition. It’s one of the best strategy games ever.

Gears Tactics is surprisingly solid. Lamplighter’s League is another XCOM-like game I’d rate 8/10, but it ran terribly on my Xbox. Maybe it’s better on PC? Aliens: Dark Descent gave me similar vibes. If you haven’t tried Darkest Dungeon, that’s a must-play too.

@Harper
Is 8/10 really a bad score? Sounds solid to me.

Battletech is another good XCOM-like but with customizable mechs.

Lior said:
Battletech is another good XCOM-like but with customizable mechs.

Just know that battles take way longer, not 10 minutes like XCOM.

Lior said:
Battletech is another good XCOM-like but with customizable mechs.

Check out the Roguetech mod for it. It adds a ton of content—I’ve sunk hundreds of hours into it.

Wes said:

Lior said:
Battletech is another good XCOM-like but with customizable mechs.

Check out the Roguetech mod for it. It adds a ton of content—I’ve sunk hundreds of hours into it.

Does it fix how light mechs felt useless and make the game faster? That was my biggest issue.

@Cruz
Not really. Battles get even longer. Early game it’s hard to hit fast targets, and late game turns into massive 12v12 fights with tons of calculations. If you’re new to it, just stick to the base game and maybe look into mods later.

@Cruz
Actually, light mechs are great for scouting and dodging. You’re also limited by deployment tonnage, so you’ll need a mix of mech sizes. The mod adds flying units and more strategies too.

Wes said:
@Cruz
Actually, light mechs are great for scouting and dodging. You’re also limited by deployment tonnage, so you’ll need a mix of mech sizes. The mod adds flying units and more strategies too.

That actually sounds awesome. I’ll have to give it another shot. Thanks for the info!

Lior said:
Battletech is another good XCOM-like but with customizable mechs.

I play the Mac version, and it’s a buggy mess. There’s a game-breaking issue with ally AI pathing.

Pathfinder games have some deep RPG mechanics combined with kingdom-building and management.

Age of Wonders is a solid 4X series with turn-based combat.