Summary
While grand strategy titles such asCivilizationandEuropa Universaliscan help gamers create their ideal territory, enthusiasts may look for games with the best number-crunching options. After all, strategy games become more interesting when players pursue victory conditions other than waging war against opponents, and it’s significantly more satisfying to outwit enemies on the financial front.
However, not all grand strategy games offer a dynamic way of engaging opponents in an economic war. Thankfully, specific titles in the genre have an exciting way of approaching economic systems that encourage players to focus more on being strategic in resource management.
Updated May 19, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:With upcoming strategy games such as hell-based Solium Infernum, the much-awaited Homeworld 3, and even medieval city-builder Manor Lords, fans of the strategy genre might want to go even “bigger” and look into grand strategy titles that allow them to assert complete control over vast reaches of land. However, grand strategy enthusiasts tired of the usual conquest win-cons might be intrigued if there are games that would allow them to reign supreme on the economic front instead, especially when it comes to complex economic systems.
Fans intrigued by the notion might want to consider trying titles that involve a more in-depth take on simulating global geopolitics, a classic political sim, or a simulation of the unification of Japan in its Warring States period.
Developers
Okron Studio
Players who want a modern geopolitical simulation with a deeper focus on economic activity may appreciateWorld Warfare & Economics, an upcoming grand strategy game currently available for players at the time of writing as an Early Access game. Similar to games likeSuperPower, gameplay inWorld Warfare & Economicshas players control a nation and its many elements. However, unlike other grand strategy titles,World Warfare & Economicstakes a deep dive into the simulation aspect of gameplay, with a simulated world map complete with an active news bulletin informing players of global events.
Elements of nations are spread across departments, each of them with allocated tabs. Theeconomy managementofWorld Warfare & Economicssimulates real-world economics well in exploring the reality of how an allocated budget can affect all other departments of governance. Departments inWorld Warfare & Economicsaffect the economy not just by budget constraints but also by laws enacted, manpower assigned, and facilities created by players.
GolemLabs, DreamCatcher Interactive
WhileSuperPower 2received middling reviews among critics, fans of grand strategy titles may still appreciate the real-time wargame for its attempt to demonstrate in-depth aspects of modern geopolitics. Set in 2001, players ofSuperPower 2can select any of the 193 UN-recognized countries in the world at the time and work towards any (or no) pre-set goals. Fans may likeSuperPower 2in the way it tries to simulate complex relations between countries, especially from the perspective of diplomacy going into war. However, the economy also plays quite a large role in themodern strategy game, especially withSuperPower 2having a rather complex take on the system.
From the game’s economic sphere view, players can not only control their country’s expenses and income but also their levies and taxes. Players are free to set tariffs, spending, income tax levels, and national interest rates that may affect global trade. While some may state thatSuperPower 2has a realistic take on economic trade, its “Autarky” bug may eventually inconvenience players. This “glitch” can halt global trade when nations eventually become too self-sufficient to want to trade in the global market. This bug has yet to be fixed by the developers, therefore giving players a meta-challenge of eventually going for world domination or trying to manipulate the market to find ways of delaying “Autarky.”
Similar to other mediaset in the Warring States Period,Nobunaga’s Ambition: Spheres of Influencetakes place around the same timeframe that Nobunaga Oda began his quest to unify Japan under his rule. While the game plays like a traditional grand strategy game,Spheres of Influenceexcellently portrays the dynamic shifting of priorities throughout a playthrough - from establishing a power base in the early game, establishing management automation in the mid-game, and diplomacy and warfare in the endgame.
Unlike other titles,Spheres of Influenceemphasizes the role economy plays in wartime. Entire battles could be lost not just by positioning but also by improper logistical preparation, and it’s just as important to attack, defend, and fortify supply lines to secure an advantage over enemies. Management also has heavy ties to the competencies of assigned personnel, with specific lands capable of being developed to include structures, facilities, and production elements based on special properties.
When an alien invasion threatens life on Earth, players ofTerra Invictacontrol secret factions that influence humanity’s response. DespiteTerra Invictabeing in early access, its take on macro-level planning provides a straightforward approach to grand strategy economics. Thematically speaking,Terra Invicta’s“economics” revolves around factions using their “influence”over nations to work towards the three-pronged goal of Earth’s defense, interstellar domination, and their secret objectives.
Factions achieve these goals by exerting Control Points over nations, which they grow by adding Investment Points into Priorities (e.g. Economy, Knowledge, Nuclear Weapons) or concepts that define their capabilities across multiple fronts. However, players eventually need to manage their areas carefully, as more productive nations carry larger risks of unrest whereas flexible smaller nations have fewer capabilities.
AsCrusader Kings 3follows the formula of a Middle Ages simulator, its nation-building components go beyond mere economies. Whereas a region’s expenditures revolve around simple Domain and Vassal Taxes, they still form part of the bedrock of a player’s survival across generations. Players need to manage using tax-based income to facilitate functions of policies and gameplay approaches (diplomacy, warfare, subterfuge) without these features being used against them.
It’s this balancing act that makes an otherwisesimple economy challenging to manage inCrusader Kings 3. A slight increase in taxes to maintain a nation can transform a ruler into a tyrant, pushing territories closer to rebellion and encouraging Vassals to plot against them. And with both positive and negative sentiments extending to a player’s heirs, even a slight economic shift can affect long-term play.
Unlike other grand strategy titles,Hearts of Iron 4places a greater emphasis on the wargame aspect of the simulation genre due to its World War 2 setting. At its core,Hearts of Iron 4gameplay simulates not just strategic combat, but also behind-the-scenes elements such as production, political interests, diplomacy, and even espionage that affected the war effort. While flawed from a theoretical standpoint,Hearts of Iron 4provides perhaps the closest a war game could offer to a historically accurate wartime economy.
On top of factories determining how well nations are supplied to accommodate military tactics, they have to be protected and maintained. Tech research, laws established, and even diplomatic endeavors affect a nation’s productive capabilities. Improper production management could result in a nation falling inHearts of Iron 4, making them one of the unexpected backbones of military success.
Code Force
Released as the much-awaited sequel of 2010’sDistant Worlds,Distant Worlds 2boasts familiar space 4X mechanics while improving upon its acclaimed automation system. In turn,Distant Worlds 2lets players delegate entire aspects of their galactic empire to AI, such as planetary management, tech trees, as well as space warfare.
While players can fully control (or automate) their civ’s economic status, actions taken here can only influence the game’s Private Economy or civilian finances. In turn, players have to go beyond mere space trading, as they also have to balance providing resources for civilians to spend on with the potential corruption within heavily populated planets. Moreover, automation also helpsDistant Worlds 2become a friendlier game to newcomer grand strategy economists, as being able to handpick specific economic aspects to automate can help them learn systems at their own pace.
The mostrecent entry in theCivilizationseriesmay be more economically intensive, withCivilization 6having a streamlined yet flexible ruleset that makes it more of an upgrade toCiv 4compared toCiv 5. Managing Gold, Food, and even Production became more fulfilling courtesy of micro-to-macro effects caused by Trade Routes, specialized city Districts, and nation modifications through Civics, Diplomacy, Espionage, and Governments.
Granted, the “economy” inCivilization 6has less to do with a real market and instead focuses on resource management that extends to civ interactions. However, this rudimentary approach to simplified resources can prepare gamers for larger-than-life economics in other grand strategy titles, makingCivilization 6a recommended title in this regard.
Being in charge of a burgeoning species meansStellarisgameplay first revolves around controlling a single planet and basic surrounding resource centers until players explore the known galaxy and establish colonies. To avoid overwhelming players,Stellarisopts for a straightforward economy system: Pops (population) do specific Jobs to produce Resources, which are then used to achieve most of the game’s needs.
However, where the game’s economy shines is how Resources are divided into Material and Abstract variants. In turn, a planet can focus on providing Resources that could be consumed towards tangible production efforts. Standardizing a planet’s offerings with a straightforward list of consumables can help players look into producing tangible materials such as structures and ships, or more conceptual benefits such as political Influence or even speeding up Research.
Similar to the glorious short stay of the Roman Empire, so too didImperator: Romewith its timespan of 304 BCE to 27 BCE. Payers can choose to develop any nation from the Iberian Peninsula to India, withImperator Romeemphasizing the interplay between colony annexation, diplomacy, and trade routes. While the game’s economy feels like a mere balancing act between Income and Expenses, each action here can drastically affect the empire’s functionalities.
For instance, mere deficits affecting Wages to mercenaries can make them disloyal. Likewise, passed laws could impact the amount of Taxes cities could provide players. Limitations in diplomatic reach could also hinder the creation of trade routes. Thismicro-to-macro approach ofImperator: Romeeconomicscan make it a strong entry point for newcomers.
