Tag: Strategy

Discover detailed reviews of top strategy games, including real-time tactics and turn-based challenges right here on Thumb Culture. Perfect for players who enjoy deep thinking, careful planning, and mastering complex gameplay mechanics.

Dispatch – PC Review
PC Reviews

Dispatch – PC Review

Dispatch is an Action, Adventure Indie game produced and developed by AdHoc Studio. After reading Paul's preview article of the game, I was first drawn to Dispatch because of the art style and dialog. It gave me that old school nostalgia I feel for TellTale Games, especially when it game to the game's  humour and dialog choices. Imagine my surprise when I did research on the team that I find out they were ex Telltale employees. It must have been the best of the best because holy mother of ducks was my experience with Dispatch amazing. So, who do you believe is the best choice to go after? Invisagal or Blonde Blazer? As someone who loves and replays the classic Telltale games like Sam n' Max, The Wolf Among Us, and others. Dispatch did scratch my Telltale games itch that finally got scrat...
Jurassic World Evolution 3 – PC Review
PC Reviews

Jurassic World Evolution 3 – PC Review

Ever since the first Evolution game, dinosaur-park management sims have had a special place in my heart: equal parts “wow, a T-rex!” and “oh no, a T-rex!” With Jurassic World Evolution 3, Frontier asks: what if you could really play god over scaly, roaring beasts, sculpt your own island, and maybe, just maybe, watch your park go from pristine dream to absolute prehistoric meltdown? Released on October 21, 2025, for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, the game arrives with the promise of deeper systems, bigger creative freedom and, yes, more “life finds a way” moments than ever. "Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming." It’s the third major chapter in the Jurassic World Evolution series, so naturally, I went in expecting a little more than ...
Becastled – PC Review
PC Reviews

Becastled – PC Review

Every so often, a new real-time strategy game pops up to remind us that the genre still has a pulse, and a damn good one at that. With Becastled (out now on Steam, GOG, Xbox, Switch, and Playstation), developer Mana Potion Studios and publisher Pingle Studio Ltd bring us something refreshingly earnest: a medieval city-builder that fuses cosy creativity with nightly chaos. It’s rare to see a new RTS try something different these days. Between massive 4X empires and military micromanagement simulators, few dare to find that sweet spot between Age of Empires’ depth and Kingdom Two Crowns’ immediacy. But Becastled gives it a proper go, and it’s good to see someone still flying the RTS flag in 2025. Becastled - Be Crowned It’s heartening to see a small team take risks in a genre often dominat...
Frosthaven – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Frosthaven – PC Preview

Frosthaven is a RPG, Strategy game from Sanpshot Games. Fun fact, some of these developers actually worked on the X-COM games before forming Snapshot Games. Which greatly explains the RTS in a bird's eye view whole aesthetics. I have hundreds of hours under the X-COM flag. Besides at the very least a point-blank shot doesn't have a chance to completely miss. You must choose who to fight as from a list of six characters, but why did you choose the same character FOUR TIMES!!!!! The game is out now in Early Access on Steam. Which means this will be a nice little preview, rather then a full review. Being a multiplayer game, and to get a proper feel for it, I grabbed Thumb Culture's Stu, Kyle and Nathan, then headed on in. If you're specifically looking for my thoughts on the latest updat...
Dicealot – PC Review
PC Reviews

Dicealot – PC Review

There’s something about dice in video games that always gets my heart rolling. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of tabletop games, maybe it’s the thrill of chance, or maybe it’s just that sound when a perfect roll hits the table and you know fortune’s finally decided to stop mocking you. Whatever it is, Dicealot out now on Steam by Goodview Games, published by Yogscast Games, leans all in on that satisfying roll. Dicealot a lot of dice, a lot of rolls It’s genuinely great seeing Yogscast continue their support for quirky indie gems. They’ve built a bridge between creators and gamers that feels refreshingly genuine, and Dicealot fits that ethos perfectly. With a charming, risk-filled romp through Camelot where luck, logic, and laughter all share the same pint. Tell us in the comments below which ...
Whiskerwood – PC Demo Preview
Previews & Early Access

Whiskerwood – PC Demo Preview

Whiskerwood is a settlement management simulation game from developer Minakata Dynamics and publisher Hooded Horse. The game is set to release on Steam in 2025, with a demo going live today too. Lead a colony of mice on untouched islands. Manage your resources, production chains, and the needs of your Whiskers while growing your settlement. All while surviving under the oppressive paw of your cat overlords. Just be sure to pay your taxes on time, or there will be consequences. Loving cats and settlement management games, I fell head over heels for Whiskerwood when I first saw it at the PC Gaming Show this year. I instantly put my hand up to cover this little preview for Thumb Culture. So let's get stuck in. Monarch Cat Overlords? So just a normal cat. This preview could have been writ...
Frostpunk 2 – PS5 Review
PlayStation Reviews

Frostpunk 2 – PS5 Review

I was a big fan of Frostpunk when it released on consoles in 2019. Fast forward six years later, and console gamers finally get their hands on Frostpunk 2. Developer 11 bit studios first released their follow-up title in 2024 for PC (Thumb Culture even reviewed that version), garnering positive reviews across the board. But how does the console version fare? Is this city building, survival title a big improvement over the original game? Let's find out! Put a Jacket on; It's a Bit Nippy Outside! It may be worth noting that this is the first time I've played Frostpunk 2, so there won't be much comparison to the PC version. If you've got any thoughts or opinions on the original release, I'd love to hear them! Let me know in the comments below, but for now, it's on with the review! Game...
Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids – PC Review
PC Reviews

Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids – PC Review

Chip 'n Clawz vs. The Brainiods is a new 3rd person strategy action game by the creator of X-COM, Julian Gollop, and Snapshot Games (Phoenix Point). With publishing by Arc Games (Remnant II, Torchlight 3), play solo or with a friend to save the planet's supply of Brainium from the invading Brainiods. You can pick it up today for PC via Steam or Epic, PS5 or Xbox. Today I'm taking a look at the PC version which is £25 on Steam. Meet Your Next Comedic Gaming Duo: Chip 'n Clawz! Duos seem to be a common theme in 3d action platformers. The obvious and most direct comparison here would be between Chip 'n Clawz vs. The Brainioids and the well-known Ratchet & Clank series. Both feature a humanoid and their robot sidekick with a world to save. Regardless of similarities though, the trailer c...
Block Factory – PC Review
PC Reviews

Block Factory – PC Review

Block Factory is a new, relaxing creative building game that hit the market on July 11th on Steam. In this game, developed by OverPowered Team and published by Shiro Unlimited, you get to build and optimize factories to create your own 3D figurines from building bricks. A Solid Foundation? My hopes for this game were pretty high, but unfortunately, some early performance issues let me down quite a bit. I don't believe that it's a bad game, but it sure took me for a ride. Oh, and just so you know, my factories in the screenshots are such a mess and, uhh, let's call it "compact", in order to avoid performance issues. Yeah totally, that's why. Nooo other reason, I swear! I'm not bad at optimising, maybe YOU are bad at optimising. I think you're projecting, really. Anyways, moving on. ...
The King Is Watching – PC Review
PC Reviews

The King Is Watching – PC Review

Hypnohead, the quirky minds behind The King Is Watching (out now on Steam), have teamed up with publishing powerhouse tinyBuild to deliver a truly unusual blend of strategy, roguelite and pixel-art kingdom micromanagement. In this kingdom, the King's literal Gaze decides what can exist, function, and survive. But what caught our eye (pun intended?) is an adorable duck with glasses. He takes over to advise during the tutorial and the first time doing new maps, but unfortunately, that is all you see of him. The King Is Watching — Let's hope he is entertained. So, before we dive into the meat of the review, drop your favourite King—real or fictional—in the comments. We want to know whether it's King Arthur, Dedede, or King Julian. Because the King may be watching, but we're reading. Ga...