Strategy games come in a wide variety of forms and flavors. Thankfully, the game streaming platform Amazon Luna offers a taste of many of those different styles. Luna’s small collection of strategy games doesn’t include a lot of fan favorites, focusing instead on more unique entries in the genre, hidden gems quickly forgotten by the mainstream, and some recent but overlooked releases.
There are certainly areas where Luna’s strategy offering is lacking. Real-time strategy, for one, is underrepresented, as are 4X and grand strategy games. This is especially evident when comparing Amazon’s offer with thestrategy games on Xbox GamePass, which also allows for experimental game streaming.
Steamworld Heistis a unique mix of tactics, turn-based strategy, and first-hand shooting. Following the adventures of a robot space pirate,Steamworld Heistis a rare 2D side-scrolling strategySteampunk game. The player takes control of a colorful, steam-powered crew of daring adventurers out to fight evil and maybe get rich in the process.
While the game continues theSteamworldseries whereSteamworld Dig 2left it, the story can stand on its own. Besides, the meat of the game is in the unique strategy, based on angling shots and ricocheting bullets more than the traditional unit positioning of tactics games.
6From Dust
Metascore: 80
From Dustis a good game in the vein of PC gaming classicsBlack and WhiteandPopulous. With only indirect ways to interact with the world, it’s up to the players to use their ingenuity and solve their devotees’ problems.
InFrom Dust,playerstake on the role of a god-like figure. They use superhuman powers to move massive spheres of dirt and sand, calm waters, and grow entire forests in minutes. The only shortcoming of the game every fan seems to agree on is that it’s too short, with only 13 levels that include various tutorials.
Arcade Paradiseputs the player in the shoes of an arcade entrepreneur who decides to turn the family laundromat into an arcade. Be aware, though, that this is only a managing game in the broadest sense of the word. Most of the time is spentplaying era-specific arcade gamesand deciding on which machine to add next.
Arcade Paradisefunctions very well as a wish fulfillment of sorts. For one, it’s the ’90s, and the arcade crisis is nowhere to be seen. It’s also pretty much impossible to lose. Building a successful business is a question of time, with failure barely a blimp in the implications of the story.
4Endzone: A World Apart
Metascore: 72
Endzone: A World Apartis apost-apocalyptic strategiccity builder that does an excellent job of selling its setting. In this way,Endzoneis reminiscent of fan-favorite city builder Banished. In both games, the setting and atmosphere mix with the mechanical dangers to sell the idea of uncertain times.
Like most other entries in the genre, the main game mode ofEndzone: A World Apartis scenarios. Those scenarios, eight in total, give the player unique situations and dangers to plan around and give the game a much longer life than survival mode. Scenarios last about five hours each, so going through the entire game will easily take over 60 hours.
The Settlersis aclassic city-buildingseries, spanning seven main entries from the 1990s to the late 2000s.The Settlers: New Alliestries to revitalize the series, and even if it doesn’t entirely succeed, it brings back a kind of gameplay not often seen lately. A mix of real-time strategy and city management that never really became mainstream.
Just like older titles before it,The Settlers: New Alliesis a simple entry in the RTS genre as well as a simplified city builder. It’s best suited for players less experienced in those genres, as more well-versed strategists will find the complexity lacking. For example, the game lacks a way to fast-forward time, a feature that has long since been the norm among city builders.
2Monopoly Plus
Metascore: 53
Everyone knowsMonopoly, even if everyone seems to play it with slightly different rules. Not this time!Monopoly Plusis a completely automated, interactive, and animated version of the classic strategy board game that is now nearly 100 years old. The rules are exactly the same from way back, but the automation does make it much more convenient than before.
One great addition to Monopoly Plus is the ability to play both online and local multiplayer matches. This feature is especially good because it allows up to 6 players to play together with only one copy of the game. Sadly, it isn’t currently possible to create hybrid local and online multiplayer matches, with some players sharing multiple machines.
1Monopoly Madness
Metascore: TBD
Monopoly Madnessis often likened toOvercookedas much as it is to classicMonopoly. The premise is simple: players scramble to collect money and other resources, then run around trying to win auctions onthe best propertieswhile making sure they aren’t wasting too much money on them.
Ultimately,Monopoly Madnessis about fast reaction and map awareness as much as it is about strategy. But the strategy is there, especially in deciding which buildings to upgrade and how much. Trying to gather the right sets of houses is also important, as is protecting the properties from enemies.
