The Best Games Like XCOM 2

Games like XCOM 2 at a glance

How these alternatives were selected

The strongest XCOM 2 alternatives need more than turn-based combat. This ranking prioritizes:

• Squad battles where cover, position and action economy matter
• Persistent soldiers, pilots or heroes who develop across missions
• Injuries, permanent losses or other lasting consequences
• A strategic layer involving resources, research, territory or contracts
• Equipment and class choices that create specialized roles
• Campaign pressure that forces difficult priorities
• Science-fiction, military or resistance themes where relevant
• Availability on PC

The first six provide the closest combination of tactical and strategic management. Later picks specialize in card-driven combat, forgiving tactical puzzles, dark fantasy, cinematic warfare or larger 4X campaigns.

1. Xenonauts 2

Best overall game like XCOM 2

Xenonauts 2 is the closest complete alternative because it places a secret organization in charge of defending Earth from a technologically superior alien threat.

The strategic layer includes covert bases, research, engineering, aircraft and global operations. Decisions about funding and coverage determine which incidents can be reached and what equipment enters the next mission.

Ground battles use turn-based actions, destructible environments, sight lines and a larger squad than XCOM 2 usually deploys. Soldiers need suitable positions because enemies can punish exposed movement quickly.

The campaign is more methodical than XCOM 2. It draws heavily from the structure of classic X-COM, emphasizing logistics and granular control instead of cinematic abilities.

Choose Xenonauts 2 if the Avenger, research race and worldwide resistance mattered as much as individual firefights. It is the strongest recommendation for players who want another complete alien-defense simulation rather than a combat-only tactical game.

2. XCOM: Chimera Squad

Best faster game in the XCOM universe

XCOM: Chimera Squad takes place after the alien occupation and follows a mixed group of human and alien agents maintaining order in City 31.

Missions begin with a Breach phase. Entry points change bonuses, risks and agent order, turning the first decision into part of the tactical plan.

Turns are interleaved between agents and enemies rather than handled by complete team phases. Removing or disabling the next threat can therefore be more important than attacking the strongest target.

Agents are fixed characters with distinct abilities and personalities. Losing one does not create the same procedural-soldier tragedy as XCOM 2, and missions are generally smaller and more direct.

Choose Chimera Squad for familiar abilities, enemies and presentation inside a shorter campaign. It preserves Firaxis’ tactical language while reducing some of XCOM 2’s harshest consequences.

3. Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus

Best focused science-fiction tactics

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus follows the Adeptus Mechanicus as they explore a Necron tomb world.

Combat revolves around Cognition Points, a shared resource used for movement and abilities. The squad can collect additional points from the battlefield, making route planning part of each turn.

Tech-Priests can be modified with weapons, implants and disciplines. These upgrades create specialized ranged, melee, support or summoning roles.

Mission choices affect the awakening level of the tomb and the order in which threats are faced. The campaign does not replicate XCOM 2’s global geoscape, but battlefield success still feeds long-term progression.

Choose Mechanicus for atmospheric science-fiction, detailed squad upgrades and tactical resource management. Its listed installation is much smaller than many modern strategy games.

4. Jagged Alliance 3

Best open-ended mercenary campaign

Jagged Alliance 3 places a hired mercenary force inside the fictional country of Grand Chien after its president disappears.

Mercenaries have skills, personal histories, costs and relationships. Building a squad involves balancing tactical needs with personalities and long-term resources.

Turn-based battles reward cover, elevation, sight lines and weapon ranges. Stealth and preparation can create a better opening than moving directly into a firefight.

The strategic map contains settlements, travel, contracts and opportunities to influence the campaign. This preserves the link between individual missions and a larger conflict.

Jagged Alliance 3 supports solo play and online co-op. Choose it when expressive characters and an open campaign matter more than aliens or base construction.

5. BATTLETECH

Best mech-company management alternative

BATTLETECH puts the player in command of a mercenary company of pilots and customizable BattleMechs.

Tactical battles revolve around armor facing, heat, stability, weapon ranges and initiative. Positioning one side of a mech away from incoming fire can preserve valuable equipment while exposing another section.

Damage continues after the mission. Repairs take time and money, while injured pilots may be unavailable for later contracts.

The company layer includes finances, travel, contracts and loadout management. A powerful mech is not useful if its repair costs or downtime threaten the organization.

Choose BATTLETECH if XCOM 2’s persistent roster and difficult campaign economy mattered most. It replaces infantry cover tactics with slower machines whose damage models make every exchange consequential.

6. Battle Brothers

Best procedural mercenary survival campaign

Battle Brothers follows a mercenary company moving through a procedurally generated medieval fantasy world.

Recruits arrive with different backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses. Equipment determines much of each fighter’s battlefield role, while perks develop individuals over time.

Combat uses hex-based movement, action points, fatigue, morale and weapon reach. Surrounding an enemy, controlling high ground and protecting vulnerable recruits can matter more than immediate damage.

Death is permanent. Even survivors can carry lasting injuries that change whether they remain worth employing.

Contracts and travel decisions create the strategic campaign. Choose Battle Brothers when roster stories, equipment and survival matter more than cinematic presentation. Its modest listed hardware and storage requirements make it one of the lighter options here.

7. Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Best card-driven Firaxis tactics

Marvel’s Midnight Suns comes from Firaxis but replaces XCOM’s cover system and hit percentages with hero ability cards.

A mission draws actions from the selected heroes’ decks. Limited card plays force the player to decide which character should act and how powers can create follow-up opportunities.

Positioning still matters. Knockbacks, environmental attacks and enemy placement can make one action affect several threats.

Between missions, the player develops relationships, upgrades cards and prepares heroes inside the Abbey. The strategic layer is personal rather than global.

Choose Midnight Suns for tactical combinations and character development without XCOM 2’s permanent soldier losses. It is more forgiving, but deck construction creates a different form of planning.

8. Tactical Breach Wizards

Best approachable tactical puzzle game

Tactical Breach Wizards follows a group of modern spellcasters investigating a conspiracy through compact turn-based encounters.

Each character has abilities designed to interact with the environment and the rest of the squad. Enemies can be displaced, redirected or sent through windows rather than simply defeated through damage.

The timeline can be rewound, allowing the player to test an idea and revise it. This removes much of XCOM 2’s fear of one irreversible mistake.

Optional objectives ask for more efficient or creative solutions after the core encounter is understood.

Choose Tactical Breach Wizards if tactical ability combinations matter more than campaign punishment. It is the best entry point for players who like XCOM’s battles but dislike losing experienced soldiers to one bad decision.

9. King Arthur: Knight’s Tale

Best dark fantasy squad campaign

King Arthur: Knight’s Tale combines turn-based tactical missions with a dark retelling of Arthurian legend.

Heroes belong to different classes and can develop injuries, loyalty and personal conflicts. Party composition therefore matters outside the immediate ability list.

Combat uses grid movement, cover, action points and specialized roles. Heavy fighters can hold space while ranged and magical units control threats from safer positions.

Camelot provides the campaign-management layer, where facilities and recovery influence which heroes are ready for another mission.

Choose Knight’s Tale when XCOM 2’s persistent squad and downtime management matter more than science fiction. Its morality system and hero loyalties create consequences that extend beyond battlefield survival.

10. MENACE

Best newer science-fiction campaign alternative

MENACE is a science-fiction tactical RPG from the developers of Battle Brothers. It entered Early Access on February 5, 2026.

The campaign follows a strike force answering distress calls across several worlds. Infantry operates alongside tanks and mechs, creating a broader scale than XCOM 2’s small covert squads.

Soldiers, equipment and vehicles need to be prepared before deployment. Missions then use detailed turn-based combat against an alien threat.

Because MENACE remains in Early Access, systems, balance and campaign content can continue changing. It should not be treated as a finalized alternative.

Choose it if a modern military science-fiction campaign sounds appealing and ongoing development is acceptable. Players wanting a finished experience should start with Xenonauts 2, BATTLETECH or Jagged Alliance 3.

11. Lost Eidolons

Best cinematic war-focused tactical RPG

Lost Eidolons follows a mercenary captain drawn into a rebellion inside a declining empire.

Battles use grid movement, unit classes, terrain and weapon relationships. Larger encounters give the campaign the scale of a military conflict rather than a covert resistance.

Characters develop between missions, while optional permadeath raises the cost of tactical mistakes for players who want stronger consequences.

Its story is linear and more character-driven than XCOM 2’s procedural campaign. Base research and global threat management are not the focus.

Choose Lost Eidolons if cinematic fantasy warfare and traditional grid tactics matter more than strategic simulation. It is a useful alternative for players who want a directed narrative with familiar tactical risk.

12. Age of Wonders 4

Best 4X strategy alternative with tactical battles

Age of Wonders 4 combines empire management with manually controlled turn-based battles.

Players create a fantasy faction, explore realms, expand cities and research magical tomes. Those strategic choices shape the units and transformations available in combat.

Battles involve formations, ranged pressure, spells and unit abilities. The tactical layer is connected to a much larger war rather than a sequence of squad missions.

The game supports solo, cooperative and competitive multiplayer. It does not provide XCOM 2’s intimate attachment to individual soldiers, but offers much greater control over a faction and realm.

Choose Age of Wonders 4 when the strategic map matters more than a persistent squad. It is the strongest recommendation for players who want to expand XCOM’s campaign decisions into full 4X empire building.

Which XCOM 2 alternative should you play first?

Match the recommendation to the part of XCOM 2 you want to preserve:

• Closest overall alternative: Xenonauts 2
• Faster XCOM campaign: XCOM: Chimera Squad
• Focused science-fiction tactics: Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
• Open-ended mercenary campaign: Jagged Alliance 3
• Mech-company management: BATTLETECH
• Procedural roster survival: Battle Brothers
• Card-driven Firaxis combat: Marvel’s Midnight Suns
• Approachable tactical puzzles: Tactical Breach Wizards
• Dark fantasy squad management: King Arthur: Knight’s Tale
• Newer military science fiction: MENACE
• Cinematic fantasy warfare: Lost Eidolons
• 4X strategy and tactical battles: Age of Wonders 4

Xenonauts 2 is the safest first choice for another alien-defense strategy game. Chimera Squad is better for a shorter campaign, while Jagged Alliance 3 provides the strongest open-ended tactical alternative.

Best alternatives with a strategic campaign layer

Xenonauts 2 provides the closest equivalent to XCOM 2’s global resistance, research and base network.

BATTLETECH replaces the alien war with contracts, finances and mech repairs. Battle Brothers uses a procedural world where recruitment and equipment determine whether the company survives.

Jagged Alliance 3 combines tactical missions with movement and decisions across a country. Age of Wonders 4 expands the concept further into cities, diplomacy and empire growth.

Choose Xenonauts for global defense, BATTLETECH for company economics or Age of Wonders 4 for full 4X strategy.

Best games with permanent consequences

Battle Brothers creates the strongest attachment to vulnerable recruits because death and lasting injuries can reshape the company.

BATTLETECH carries pilot injuries and machine damage between contracts. King Arthur: Knight’s Tale uses wounds, recovery and loyalty to make roster decisions matter.

Lost Eidolons offers a permadeath option for players who want narrative characters exposed to greater risk.

Chimera Squad and Midnight Suns are less punishing because their named characters support tightly authored stories. Choose those when tactical setbacks should not erase a favorite squad member permanently.

Best science-fiction tactics alternatives

Xenonauts 2 is the closest match for resisting an alien invasion. Mechanicus offers the strongest focused science-fiction atmosphere, while Chimera Squad continues the XCOM setting after the occupation.

BATTLETECH shifts the emphasis to mechs and interstellar contracts. MENACE combines infantry, vehicles and alien threats in an evolving Early Access campaign.

STAR WARS Zero Company is another squad-tactics option, but its future-facing or changeable details require rechecking before publication whenever its release status changes.

Best multiplayer alternatives

XCOM 2 is single-player, but several alternatives support group play.

Jagged Alliance 3 supports online co-op, letting two players share control of the mercenary campaign. Age of Wonders 4 supports cooperative and competitive multiplayer across its larger strategic layer.

BATTLETECH and King Arthur: Knight’s Tale include competitive multiplayer modes rather than cooperative campaigns. Temtem supports co-op and turn-based battles, but its creature-collecting structure is much further from XCOM 2’s squad warfare.

Other tactical alternatives worth considering

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is the strongest compact science-fiction pick, while Lost Eidolons suits players who want a more cinematic fantasy war.

Players looking for an even broader list can continue with the gamekeys.deals guide to games like XCOM. That wider topic can include alternatives closer to the original XCOM structure as well as games that emphasize one tactical feature.

Final recommendations

Xenonauts 2 is the best overall game like XCOM 2 because it preserves both global strategy and turn-based alien combat. XCOM: Chimera Squad offers a faster campaign in the same universe, Jagged Alliance 3 provides the strongest open-ended mercenary alternative, and BATTLETECH excels at persistent company management.

Choose Battle Brothers for permanent roster consequences, Tactical Breach Wizards for forgiving tactical puzzles, King Arthur: Knight’s Tale for dark fantasy, or Age of Wonders 4 for a larger strategic war.

The right alternative depends on which failure mattered most in XCOM 2: losing the mission, losing the campaign or losing the soldier whose survival had started to feel guaranteed.