4. XCOM Enemy Unknown

XCOM Enemy Unknown Gameplay

This game may have slipped under people’s radar in 2012 with being rated Mature, but with the release of XCOM 2, it should be put back into the spotlight. Players are placed in control of a secret organization named XCOM. It is up to you to push back the global alien invasion and reclaim earth for humanity.

What I love about this game is how it combines turn-based elements with tactical on the ground combat. You recruit and train unique soldiers and maintain them in order to then deploy them on missions where you control them on battlefield. It truly makes an impact when you lose a soldier through combat and makes you want to fight all the harder against the alien threat. Back in home base, you have to juggle your resources in order to place build what you think is necessary, but you have to be careful, because your choices have consequences. It was a marvel when it was first released for the strategy genre and still has a devoted following.