You’ve always loved playing video games, but for a long time, you haven’t been able to because all you have is a mediocre laptop or an old potato PC?
Are you afraid that if you try to run anything other than the built-in solitaire, you’ll end up with graphics that resemble a stop-motion movie, or worse, your equipment might blow up? We’ve got your back!
Today, we’ve prepared a list of strategy games for low end PCs and laptops for you. All the titles we’ve selected feature great playability, interesting mechanics, and most importantly, very low system requirements, so you can even run them on your calculator ;).
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Star Wars Empire At War Gold Pack | 2006-02-16 | Adventure | Petroglyph |
 | Panzer Corps | 2011-07-10 | Strategy | The Lordz Games Studio |
 | Banished | 2014-02-18 | Economy | Shining Rock Software |
 | Bad North | 2018-11-16 | Indie | Plausible Concept |
 | The Banner Saga | 2014-01-14 | Indie | Stoic |
 | Into The Breach | 2018-02-27 | Indie | Subset Games |
 | Darkest Dungeon | 2016-01-19 | Indie | Red Hook Studios |
 | Loop Hero | 2021-03-04 | Indie | Four Quarters |
 | Ftl Faster Than Light | 2012-09-14 | Adventure | Subset Games |
 | Starcraft Remastered | 2017-08-14 | RTS | Blizzard Entertainment |
 | Age Of Empires II Definitive Edition | 2019-11-14 | Strategy | Forgotten Empires LLC |
 | Sid Meiers Civilization IV The Complete Edition | 2005-10-25 | Economy | Firaxis Games |
 | Heroes Of Might Magic III Hd Edition | 2015-01-29 | RPG | New World Computing |
Starcraft
| Release date: | 2017-08-14 |
| Genre: | RTS |
| Developer: | Blizzard Entertainment |
This iconic strategy game has been appreciated by players for years. It popularized the RTS genre and has been featured in e-sports tournaments for many years.
The story is set in the 26th century in space, where three factions vie for power – the Terrans (humans), the insect-like and dangerous Zerg, and the Protoss, a highly advanced race of humanoids.
The game offers three campaigns, allowing you to play as each of the races and fight for dominance in the Milky Way. Gameplay focuses on building bases, developing armies, managing resources, and battles
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Age of Empires II
| Release date: | 2019-11-14 |
| Genre: | Strategy |
| Developer: | Forgotten Empires LLC |
The second installment of the Age of Empires series, which has received an excellent expansion, several sequels, and a 2013 re-release.
The game allows us to play as one of 13 available civilizations from four cultural spheres around the world, and the gameplay spans from the early Middle Ages to the late Renaissance.
There are five game modes available, including a story campaign, map editors, and online play.
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Civilization (1-5)
| Release date: | 2010-09-23 |
| Genre: | Economy |
| Developer: | Firaxis Games |
Created by Sid Meier, this series of very detailed and interesting strategy games has even seen a sixth installment released in 2016, along with numerous expansions.
These titles, like the aforementioned Age of Empires, are games about developing a chosen civilization from early agricultural societies (around 4000 BC) to the distant future and the colonization of space.
There are several nations to choose from, and you can also set parameters for the entire globe – its climate, humidity, age, and land size. All of this affects the gameplay.
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Heroes of Might and Magic III
| Release date: | 1999-02-28 |
| Genre: | Strategy |
| Developer: | New World Computing |
The third installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic saga, which began in 1995, is considered by fans to be the best part of the series. To this day, this title is eagerly played even by high-end PC gamers.
This title is set in a fantasy world on the continent of Antagarich, which, after the death of the rightful king, is plunged into chaos by the attack of evil forces. The game offers seven playable campaigns, in which you play as rulers of various warring kingdoms.
Gameplay is based on slow world exploration, city building, finding artifacts, learning magic, and recruiting units to ultimately face enemies.
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Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
| Release date: | 2020-06-05 |
| Genre: | Strategy |
| Developer: | Petroglyph Games Inc |
The sequel to Command & Conquer: Red Alert, which was released in 1996. It is a classic RTS and one of the titles that set the direction for this unique genre.
Secret experiments have caused time to split into alternate realities, where the history of World War II took an entirely different turn.
The game offers over 40 single-player missions, three difficulty levels, and a map editor allowing the creation of custom scenarios. The clear interface and excellent storyline are highly engaging despite the game’s age.
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Conclusion
And this concludes our short list of games for low-end PCs, created with strategy fans in mind. We are sure that our suggestions will interest you – especially since most of the listed games are parts of a much larger series, whose earlier installments also feature low requirements and exceptional playability. This way, you can create quite an extensive game library that will run smoothly on your potato PC!