The week during the Steam Next Fest is the hardest to put some work in. With so many titles to explore and not enough time, it’s easy to get lost in the gaming world. That’s precisely why Strategy and Wargaming have thoughtfully compiled a list of the best game suggestions for you to try out.

7 Must-Try Strategy and Wargames at Steam Next Fest!

Strategic Command: World War I – Empires in Turmoil DLC

Welp, this one slipped through the news combing. Strategic Command: World War I is set to receive a DLC titled “Empires in Turmoil” which will significantly expand its scope by introducing a 1912 Balkan League campaign. But that’s not all – the game’s content is also going south, featuring a Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck campaign that involves defending what remains of Germany’s colonies with his askaris. Perhaps most thrilling is the addition of the 1919 “Shadow of the Tsars” scenario, which delves into the Russian Civil War. In this scenario, players will have the opportunity to lead either the Reds or Kolchak’s Whites, offering a rich and multifaceted gaming experience.

The Last Train Home Departs Soon

Speaking of which, the Last Train Home finally has a release date, and it’s set to come out on November 28, 2023. I’ve already started to pen the list of the best games released in 2023. Still not sure if this might be worth it, but the high-quality cutscenes in the game indeed suggest that THQ Nordic has invested significantly in making it a standout title. Production values like these are indicative of a strong belief in the game’s potential for success, as cinematic sequences of this calibre are not typically associated with small or niche releases. It will be interesting to see how The Last Train Home is received by players upon its launch.

Age of Empires II DLC Leak

Earlier this week Age of Empires II: The Mountain Royals was leaked. The DLC for the Definitive Edition was available for 15 dollars at the Microsoft Store and some users claimed they were able to purchase it. While there isn’t a store page on Steam or Microsoft to confirm this, reports and screenshots from some users certainly lend credibility to the situation (Age of Empires forum). Here’s the DLC description:

“Prepare to embark on a legendary journey as we introduce the “The Mountain Royals” DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Unlock the rich history and untold stories of the Armenians and the Georgians, part of three new campaigns!

The Armenians:
“Throw off the yoke of foreign domination and rebuild your ancestral kingdom in the mountainous terrain near Lakes Van, Sevan, and Urmia. The Armenian unique units are the Composite Bowman, a skilled archer capable of piercing even the sturdiest armor, and the Warrior Priest, an infantry unit that can fight and heal allied units.”

The Georgians:
“Carve out a sturdy kingdom in the shadow of the Caucuses Mountains and use the rugged terrain to your advantage as you repulse countless foreign invasions. The Georgians unique unit is the Monaspa, a brawny calvary unit whose strength increases in numbers.”

3 Thrilling New Campaigns:

Tamar’s Ascension:
Brought up on stories of David the Builder, the young and imprisoned Tamar ascends her great-grandfather’s thrown with elaborate plans for her busting kingdom. However, she quickly finds out that wielding such power is more than a simple matter of birthright. Can Georgia’s first queen overcome her skeptics and leave an imprint to endure well beyond her lifetime?

Thoros The Great:
The tiny kingdom of Civilian Armenia lies between hostile empires, it’s ruling family in Byzantine captivity. When Prince Thoros escapes, he embarks on a dangerous campaign to liberate his homeland, but the vengeful Byzantines are not his only foes. The Seljik Turks covet the region as well, and a ruthless Frankish crusader is pursuing his own schemes to the south.

Ismail:
The orphaned prodigy Ismail leads the mysterious Safavid Order through war-torn Persia! Will this charismatic visionary lay the groundwork for one of the most illustrious empires of the Islamic world, or will his delusions of grandeur be his ultimate undoing?

The Mountain Royals DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition offers endless hours of immersive gameplay, strategic conquest, and unforgettable storytelling. Secure your place among the legends and be part of history’s most epic moments.”

ARA: History Untold

The guys from Civilization are probably in the same boat as yours truly and fed up with the mediocrity that befell the series after Civ IV. Instead of complaining online about it, they decided to form Oxide Games and create ARA: History Untold, a 4X that’s looking great, at least graphically. While there may not be an official gameplay video available yet, the glimpses and information provided so far, especially the impressive graphics, are certainly enough to pique curiosity and interest.

No release date has been announced.

Command: Modern Operations Maps Missing

Command Development Team is letting everyone know the bad news: “For the last 5 years we’ve been using, with permission, a satellite imaging company’s map tiles for the inner zoom levels of the satellite imagery in Command. This company has decided to put these map tiles behind a paywall as of October 31st. We only just became aware of this when the map tiles started disappearing in the game so the short-term solution is to remove these map tiles”.

The team is working around to the clock to find solutions for the problem.

As far as good news go, there’s a new showcased called Desert Falcon.

Bill Bought Blizzard

Microsoft’s hunger for the world’s largest game studios knows no end. After a contentious two-year-long process, Microsoft finally owns franchises like Call of Duty, Diablo, Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Overwatch and Starcraft II.

Ten years ago, I would have scoffed at this, when Blizzard was in its prime and Microsoft’s gaming division was recovering from its bad decisions of ditching PCs in favour of consoles only. We all say that competition is a good thing, but if your competition is doing what Blizzard is doing, is it really all that good?

It remains to be seen how this acquisition will impact the industry.

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