Updated with Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. Enjoy!
Strategy and tactics games by their very nature require deep thought and careful consideration, and many of us these days often find it hard to embark on epic multi-hour campaigns in a single sitting. Fortunately, the portability of Switch and Switch 2 — plus their sleep function — makes them ideal machines to help squeeze these brilliant games into hectic lifestyles.
Switch has a great selection of strategic, tactical games. So, if you're planning a 4X multi-turn offensive in Civilization, outfitting your party with optimal gear in a Strategy RPG like Fire Emblem: Three Houses, or you prefer the cute RTS-stylings of a Pikmin, you can take your campaign on the go and dip in and out of them as you please.
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Below, we've collected together a selection of the very best of the genre games on Switch. Whether you're looking to dominate a room, a battlefield, or an entire continent, fetch your thinking cap, sit back, and enjoy our picks — in alphabetical order — of the best strategy games on Nintendo Switch.
The Best Strategy Games On Switch
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (Switch)
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a delightful reimagining of two classic GBA strategy titles. The gameplay here remains as endlessly addictive, finely balanced, and challenging as ever, and the addition of a handful of modern conveniences and the ability to play against friends online makes for a slick overall package.
With a crisp, clean new art style that adds lots of new animations and cutscenes, a remastered soundtrack, and voice-acting in the mix, this is a polished return to Advance Wars action that's got us fully addicted to the series all over again. This is the sort of game you'll reserve a permanent space for on your console, a timeless experience you'll keep tucked away on your Switch for the foreseeable future.
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Bad North (Switch eShop)
A slice of Viking strategic combat right out of the heart of Scandinavia’s indie development scene, Bad North was at the vanguard of a wave of smart yet intrinsically accessible real-time strategy titles. Swedish developer Plausible Concept calls it ‘micro-strategy’ and it's the perfect encapsulation of a minimalist approach that covers everything from unit management to the Monument Valley-style isometric art style.
With enough enemy variance to convince you you’re playing an interactive episode of the Vikings TV show, this endlessly entertaining sea of bite-sized battles will teach you to fear — and love — the sound of the oncoming horde.
Banner Saga Trilogy (Switch)
If you happen to love Norse mythology or epic fantasies full of consequence and deft storytelling, then look no further than The Banner Saga. The first game sets the scene beautifully with intriguing cast, gripping tale and absolutely stunning artwork and soundtrack to transport you to a world filled with plenty of danger and surprises.
Subtle refinements in the sequel make it a series which just gets better with each entry, and the development of characters, gradual progression of the narrative and multiple choices presented throughout the trilogy lead to multiple satisfying endings with fitting outcomes in the third and final game.
Capes (Switch eShop)
Despite some visual shortfalls, Capes is a very solid turn-based strategy game that takes the best bits of XCOM 2 and gives it the superhero treatment. The tactical gameplay will have you thinking of the best way to position your growing roster of heroes on each turn to help you save King City from the nefarious Company.
Even a predictable plot doesn't undermine how well-balanced and fun Capes is to play. Strategy and comic book fans will find plenty to enjoy here.
Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless (Switch)
Disgaea 7 offers up yet another enjoyable entry in the long-running series, offering up a more refined take on the famously in-depth gameplay systems. New mechanics such as Jumbification add some interesting wrinkles to the SRPG battles, while new modes like competitive ranked online bring even more playability to a game that’ll take you hundreds of hours to see to completion.
Perhaps best of all, Disgaea 7 is very newcomer-friendly, though we will add that the very deliberate and measured approach to min-maxing isn’t for everyone. Whether you’re looking for an excellent new RPG to sink a lot of time into or you’ve been a fan of Disgaea since the PS2 days, Disgaea 7 is a worthwhile entry that we’d recommend you pick up when you can.
For those of you looking for something a bit more challenging, Disgaea 5 Complete is the way to go. And If you fall in love with the series, then Disgaea 1 Complete, Disgaea 4 Complete+, and Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny should keep you occupied for hundreds of hours. And on Switch 2 you've also got Disgaea 7 Complete, too. Blimey.
Element (Switch eShop)
Element was one of the first games to show just how well the real-time strategy genre can work on the console when reinterpreted in the right way. Offering enough simplicity and depth for both newbies and old school players, Element cements itself as one of the most intriguing and unique titles you can play on the go.
It’s a shame there’s no support for any form of multiplayer, but even as a purely solo effort, it’s a fresh-feeling and excellent addition to a long-in-the-tooth genre.
Evertried (Switch eShop)
Evertried is a delightfully engaging experience, one part strategy, one part puzzle game. It cuts to the chase, with no set up and no indulgent intro, just a fast cutscene and you’re tossed in the deep end. A typical run of this grid-based hybrid usually doesn’t take much more than 10 to 15 minutes, which makes it feel nicely compact and quite easy to slip into just 'one more try'.
It can get a little samey over extended periods, but its concept of its gameplay is something we haven’t seen before and, most importantly, it’s fun.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (Switch)
Note. We reviewed this game on Switch 2, although having also played the Switch 1 version extensively, we can confirm that it's a winner there, too.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles cuts content from the War of the Lions PSP version, and it's a shame. However, put this one issue aside, if you can, and you've got a fantastic — and fantastically thoughtful — revamp otherwise. Meaningful QoL changes meld with delicate gameplay nips and tucks, CPU enemy tune-ups, and a smoother-flowing experience overall to deliver a game that's pretty much impossible to knock.
Fans will be fully absorbed into the story all over again, enjoying the new flow of the narrative and experiencing the whole thing so wonderfully well-acted. Newcomers, who're less likely to be bothered by the missing content, well, they can just get busy lapping up one of the all-time great tactical RPGs looking and playing better than ever.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch)
There was a lot riding on it, but Fire Emblem: Three Houses managed to live up to the hype and will stand as a highlight in the series for years to come. The expanded gameplay styles, retooled combat, lovable characters, and in-depth character customisation hook you fast and are almost guaranteed to keep you engaged for dozens, if not hundreds, of hours as you come to understand this enormous game in its entirety.
Fans both new and old won’t want to miss out on what Fire Emblem: Three Houses has to offer; this set a new standard for what a strategy RPG could be and proved itself to be a must-have release for Switch.
if you want more strategy and less story, however, then Fire Emblem Engage is the one you'll want to try. It's full of sweet turn-based tactical action that's embedded in a satisfyingly OTT, beautifully presented anime narrative, making this sequel a very fine example of the genre.