2007 Strategy Game of the Year

Strategy games have been especially good this year. Ranging from extremely complex to very simple, the games run the gambit for real-time and turn-based strategy, sometimes adding depth to game types where there wasn't any before (see Immortal Defense) and other times stripping all of the depth down to a pure core of goodness (see Galcon). With so many great games it was hard difficult selecting the five best, but that also means the 5 listed here are all games you shouldn't miss.

5th Place - Band of Bugs

The mosquitoes have it in for me. They are swarming all around my party, attacking us from every side. Already two of my companions have fallen, but they didn't go without a fight. With sword in hand I will avenge my enemies and squash some bugs.

Band of Bugs is the PC version of the XBLA hit. The game retains its carefully plotted turn-swapping strategy. Using a small group of bugs, you must overwhelm the hordes of enemies by getting the higher ground and out-thinking the opposing forces. The graphics present an entertaining theme and the game provides a lot of strategy for a little price. It's an exceptional title for squad-based strategy lovers.

4th Place - Brass Hats

I watched the soldiers as they started maneuvering close to my capital. Clearly the enemy was aware that I was beating them on the battlefield and was going to try to win by sneaking troops around to take my unfortunately unguarded capital. I had troops nearby, but not close enough to intercept the invaders in time. My legion of tanks was currently far away on the battlefront crushing the enemy into submission, but I would still end up the loser if I lost my home base. What I needed was a way to slow down the enemy and keep them away from my base. It was time to call in some air support.

Brass Hats is a turn-based strategy game in the same vein as Military Madness and Advanced Wars. That alone should be enough to get some people excited about the game, and the excitement is well placed. It seems to combine some of the best aspects of each of those great games, bringing in experience so that individual units can become powerful seasoned veterans over time as in Military Madness, and special attacks that occur when you play cards, but otherwise are similar to the CO specials Advanced Wars. Brass Hats is simple in its presentation, complex in the strategies provided, and great fun to play.

3rd Place - Machines at War

The ground has been blanketed with black. The tracks of tanks who have passed this way have left deep cuts into the ground. The world has been scarred by man and machine. Constant combat has left burnt-out structures covering the face of the once pristine landscape. The land marks our history as we leave our mark on it.

Machines at War is a campaign-less RTS game, a deep technology tree with many mutually exclusive options that, in the end, offer dozens of ways to strategize against your enemies. Much of the busywork of resource recovery and scouting has been automated, which leaves players to the more enjoyable tasks of building up impressive structures and commanding the troops in battle. As a finishing touch, the scarring of terrain over time as more and more vehicles pass by and battles are fought is an impressive sight to see.

2nd Place - Galcon

I've spread the empire too thin. In the hopes of quickly conquering my foes, I sent the fleet to every conquerable planet in the galaxy. The short term gains of many small planets and the largest empire are starting to crumble. Other forces in the galaxy spent their efforts on larger worlds, and the production of those giants far outstripped our own. Inevitably, one by one, each of our planets was captured. In the horizon I can see hundreds of fighters. The end has come.

Galcon is a bare bones strategy game with simple rules that you fully grasp within minutes of playing. While its simple nature could lead you to think that there is no depth of strategy, the opposite is true. Galcon provides complexity in its simplicity, challenging players to quickly consider their resources, form ever-liquid strategy plans, and effectively engage in continual tactical combat. Taking over new worlds, using the additional resources to build more combat units, and then coordinating attacks to take advantage of the other player's actions in a galaxy full of combat creates a very exciting game of quick thought and strategy featuring massive battles with hundreds, and sometimes thousands of combat units, being destroyed in seconds. Galcon is brilliantly simple and wonderfully addictive tactical strategy game.

2007 Strategy Game of the Year - Immortal Defense

It's difficult to say whether it has been pride or love that has saved me. That part of me which is pride has taken a primary role in the defense, but without the support of love (who refuses direct combat), it's power would simply not have been strong enough to overcome the enemy. My fear has also been of consequence, once again stunning the enemy with an infusion of worry, while my courage has pummeled them. Yet I feel something missing. My emotions are powerful, but are they all that I am?

Like every other Tower Defense game, Immortal Defense is intensely addictive. Unlike any other Tower Defense game, Immortal Defense transcends to something more. The game is build around a character who gives up their mortal state to become a being of pure energy to save his family and world. The storyline covers the ground of standard sci-fi, but brings in deeper themes about the true effects of one's actions and what it really means to be an immortal being, freed from the limitations of the physical body. The deeply philosophical approach can be felt throughout the game, with music and graphics echoing the slowly revealed story. Deeply moody and satisfying, Immortal Defense mixes gameplay with art, creating a uniquely captivating experience.

Strategy Game of the Year Award History

History:
2007 - Immortal Defense
2006 - Master of Defense
2005 - Oasis
2004 - Gates of Troy
2003 - Samurai

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By: Russell Carroll
Posted: Friday December 21, 2007