Strategy Games That Are Longer Than 100 Hours

Let's just be honest with each other — sometimes you want to get utterly, completely lost in a video game. Sure, short burns can be fun as well, but there's something truly satisfying about spending tons of hours playing a cohesive gaming experience. And we're not talking a dozen or so hours, either.

No, this list is for truly massive strategy games, all of which will run you more than 100 hours of gameplay. Not only do you get great bang for your buck, but you can be positive you'll fall in love with these complex adventures. And just for reference, all these metrics were based on completionist runs on How Long to Beat.

These titles range from realistic simulations, fantasy tactics, star-spanning science fiction, and much more besides. So get comfortable, and let's all get lost in this list of strategy games!

10 Empire Earth

One Epoch Adventure

It's fitting that Empire Earth was the first game on this list, because it's also the oldest. It's been around for almost two decades now, but sometimes those classic games get better with age.

The adventure is spread across 12+ epochs in time, each of which represents a different era in human history. It runs the gamut from prehistory to space colonization, and each new technology provides unique ways to win.

While it's true you can beat the game in a couple of dozen hours, those who really immerse themselves with Empire Earth might find they've spent upwards of 130 hours instead.

9 Anno 1800

Dawn of a New Era

Unlike Empire Earth, Anno 1800 is a game with more storytelling and variety. It's a game where you choose how society sees you, as someone who exploits and conquers or builds and restores.

You'll navigate the Industrial Revolution, sending emissaries across the globe, managing your factories, and keeping workers in line. Ultimately, you'll want your metropolis to thrive, but it might have to do so at the expense of the common people.

Best of all, Anno 1800 features multiple routes through the adventure, meaning you can expect to spend at least 140 hours or so playing this robust strategy experience.

8 Steel Division 2

Survive the Eastern Front

American history is somewhat obsessed with World War 2, and for good reason. It was a climactic time that changed how we saw the world, as well as altering the nature of warfare itself. So even though it was a horrible period of time, it's one that lives on long afterward.

Steel Division 2, by Eugen Systems, dives right into the Eastern Front and has you manage your army in tense real-time combat. You'll have to master hundreds of different units across several different maps, and even try your luck in multiplayer campaigns.

This is a really compelling tactical experience, and it benefits from a more realistic visual style than previous entries. That said, if you're not a WW2 fanboy, you might want to spend your time with another game. However, those who stick with Steel Division 2 can anticipate nearly 160 hours of strategic gameplay.

7 Tactics Ogre: Reborn

Reborn Strategy

I'll just be honest — I'm much more of a Final Fantasy Tactics guy than a Tactics Ogre guy. Mostly, that was due to being able to control the individual growth of my units in the former. Thankfully, in Tactics Ogre: Reborn, they revamped much more than the visual style of this tactical adventure.

You'll fight your way across the Valerian Isles and navigate the brutal civil war. Thanks to the new features, you can control how individual units grow instead of the original game's class-wide management. You'll also fight against ruthless AI that adapts to how you play. That's on top of the shiny HD facelift.

Throw in some postgame content and multiple endings, and you have an exciting tactical adventure that's been modernized for all gamers. Expect to get really lost in Tactics Ogre: Reborn, spending upwards of 180 hours to experience everything.

6 Warno

Cold War Heats Up

It all starts with a warning order, and suddenly, the Cold War era erupts into a realistic and horrifying World War III. Warno is an utterly massive experience, and has you take the reins of one of six different nations, either allied with NATO or the Warsaw Pact.

Besides controlling hundreds of different units, you'll also make use of famous military maneuvers and control brigades of powerful machinery. If you need more, you'll find it in five massive campaigns, scripted operations, and even multiplayer forays.

Warno is another amazing game from Eugen Systems, and it will last around 200 hours to experience the entirety of the adventure. So buckle up and get comfortable, because the war needs you, soldier!

5 Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Hail to the King

The only thing better than a classic is one that's successfully remastered some two decades later. That's just what we got in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, a sprawling remake that not only features the original game, but new expansions, online events, and even user-generated content.

So if the original didn't offer enough replay value with 200 hours of gameplay set across 1,000 years of human history, you're sure to find something to enjoy here.

Truly, if this list wasn't so stacked, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition would probably top the charts with 200+ hours of strategic gameplay.

4 RimWorld

Shipwrecked On a Distant World

I'm usually not a fan of AI anything, but in RimWorld, they make good use of an AI storyteller to keep each session fresh. The game itself is set on a distant planet, and you're a group of human colonists trying to survive.

What sets RimWorld apart from other complex simulation games is how everything is measured and organic. Meaning your colonists will respond to unburied corpses negatively, as well as needing help replacing lost limbs with prosthetics.

You'll also need to constantly travel across the planet to form caravans, escape pirates, and more. And all that is before you get to the Steam Workshop mods available, meaning you'll easily spend 300+ hours lost in this sci-fi strategy simulation experience.

3 Stellaris

Forge a Galactic Empire

One of my favorite aspects of science fiction is the portrayal of strange alien species. In Stellaris, you'll encounter tons of them as you make your way across the inky stars. It's a massive grand strategy adventure with not only an expansive base game, but also numerous seasons.

Also fun, the game makes use of procedural generation, meaning you won't keep encountering the same alien species, but instead some truly weird creatures. And like any good sci-fi adventure, there's also deep warfare to navigate as well.

Best of all, Stellaris has been getting quality of life updates for years now, meaning the game keeps finding ways to balance and improve the experience for all gamers. Which makes it easy to understand how folks can spend more than 350 hours in this massive sci-fi strategy game.

2 Sid Meier's Civilization V

Being Human is Tough

I think many of us secretly long to become Ruler of the World, and we get the chance to do just that in Sid Meier's Civilization V! This long-running turn-based adventure is iconic in the strategy sphere, and for good reason.

The adventure introduces hex-based grids to explore, which allows for new strategies and synergies. Better yet, it's a game that doesn't just appeal to veterans of the genre, and makes it approachable to new players as well.

Throw in compatibility with numerous computers, multiplayer and community content, and super realistic graphics, and you have a whirlwind of strategic fun. Expect to spend upwards of 400 hours in this deeply immersive experience.

1 Total War: Warhammer III

The Cataclysmic Conclusion

There aren't many strategic sandbox experiences quite like Warhammer. And in Total War: Warhammer III, we get the chaotic and climactic conclusion to the popular series of games. It all starts with a dying god's roar rupturing spacetime and opening the world up to the Realm of Chaos.

If that wasn't enough, Total War: Warhammer III features seven distinct races to take control of in real-time conflicts. Throw in Legendary Lords to help lead your troops, multiplayer chaos, and more, and you'll understand why this series is so popular.

This is a truly massive experience, and you can expect to spend more than 600 hours to truly see everything possible in this game. Or possibly even more, since the sandbox nature means no two runs are the same.