Games like Heart of the Machine

92% positive from 2,043 reviewsReleased 20264% finish itSteam Deck Verified

What it is

This is a cyberpunk RPG/strategy game where you play a sentient AI. You build, hack, and explore a decaying city, making choices that shape its future.

What players liked

Players praise its unique blend of narrative RPG, city-builder, and strategy elements with meaningful decisions and an incredibly crafted story.

The catch

A cluttered interface and unexplained systems leave you unsure what anything does.

Why it is here

It is here because it sits in the band this site looks at: well reviewed at 92% positive, but with 2,043 reviews, far fewer than the household names carry.

View Heart of the Machine on Steam

More like this: 4X War Turn-Based Strategy Grand Strategy

Six games like Heart of the Machine

Rise Of The White Sun - 白日升

87% positive from 756 reviews20231% finish itDeck Unsupported

This is a grand strategy game focused on managing unreliable warlords and unruly armies in 1920s China. It offers diverse factions and a historically accurate, replayable experience.

What players likedPlayers praise its janky map-painting gameplay, comparing it to games by Maestro Cinetik, and its "White Sun" theme.

Both are tagged Grand Strategy, 4X and War.

Games like Rise Of The White Sun - 白日升 →

Ozymandias: Bronze Age Empire Sim

88% positive from 1,646 reviews2022Deck Playable

A streamlined Bronze Age 4X empire sim with a single-choice objective system and abstracted combat. Players strategically expand, build, and defend across historical maps.

What players likedPlayers praise it as a quicker, smoother 4X strategy game, often compared to a streamlined Civilization or "Beer and Pretzel" wargame.

The catchIt is a shallow board game rather than a 4X, with no exploration or diplomacy.

Both are tagged Grand Strategy, 4X and Turn-Based Strategy.

Games like Ozymandias: Bronze Age Empire Sim →

Dominions 6 - Rise of the Pantokrator

91% positive from 1,684 reviews2024Deck Playable

Turn-based 4X strategy where you play a god, expanding your dominion and fighting rivals to ascend. Features deep customization of divine powers and nation-specific units and magic.

What players likedLike Dwarf Fortress or Total War, players praise its unparalleled depth, strategic complexity, and vast replayability.

The catchNothing is explained in game, so learning it means digging through a 440 page manual.

Both are tagged Grand Strategy, 4X and Turn-Based Strategy.

Games like Dominions 6 - Rise of the Pantokrator →

AI War 2

88% positive from 1,548 reviews20199% finish itDeck Playable

Grand strategy/RTS hybrid where you stealthily expand territory and build fleets to defeat a powerful, evolving AI. It's a challenging, adaptive galactic war where you've already lost.

What players likedIt's a unique, in-depth asymmetric RTS offering strategic guerrilla warfare or high-action conquest, praised for its depth and intelligent design.

The catchThe tutorial and interface leave you lost in a wall of stats and options.

Both are tagged Grand Strategy, 4X and Strategy.

Games like AI War 2 →

STAR WARS™ Rebellion

90% positive from 1,477 reviews2016Deck Playable

Grand strategy game with real-time galactic conquest. Manage resources, deploy fleets, and conduct missions for either the Empire or Rebellion.

What players likedPlayers praise it as an amazing, one of the best games, hoping for a modern remake despite some outdated mechanics.

The catchThis version crashes during space battles and there is no autosave to fall back on.

Both are tagged Grand Strategy, 4X and Strategy.

Games like STAR WARS™ Rebellion →

Knights of Honor

93% positive from 2,376 reviews2009Deck Playable

Real-time strategy game with kingdom management and a knight skill system. Players wage war, conduct diplomacy, and build their economy to expand their realm.

The catchThe unpatched Steam build will not display correctly on modern monitors.

Both are tagged Grand Strategy, War and Strategy.

Games like Knights of Honor →

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