Civilization VI

This is a contentious one because Civilization IV and Civilization V fans are probably giddy at the prospect of going for Civilization VI. The truth is that "Civilization" is an excellent series of strategy games that many people enjoy for a variety of reasons. Civilization is dense and comes with a plethora of expansions for each entry, implying that there's a lot of history to sift through here. Even many years after its release, the latest title in the Civilization series (Civilization VI) is still one of the best historical strategy games of all time.

No list would be complete without mentioning the Civilization series in some capacity, and Civilization VI is the series' best overall representative (though Civilization 5 is just as worth checking out). Civilization is still alive and well because of its rock-solid premise of bringing a culture from the Stone Age to the modern day. Though there are no explicit role-playing systems in the game, the potential for emergent storytelling remains, which only adds to the experience.

Unlike some of the other games on the list, which can become overwhelming and exhausting, Civilization VI maintains a perfect balance in which the systems at play are just complex enough for players to never get tired of optimizing their decisions, while remaining simple enough not to bog them down in analysis paralysis. With the addition of districts, refinement to city happiness, and a redesign of culture and civics, Civilization VI also serves as a watershed moment for the series as a whole (not to mention the greater emphasis on climate and geography in expansions).

Pros:

• All player construction and development actions, including historical celebrities, have a causal effect on one another
  
• The events in Civilization VI are more unpredictable, creating a rich experience with high replay value
• The graphics are not only far superior to previous versions, but the level of detail in the movement of the characters also adds to the game's vivid and appealing experience

Cons:

• If you haven't played previous versions of Civilization or many 4X strategy games, starting with Civilization VI can be overwhelming
  

Rating on BestBuy: 4.4/5
Price on Steam: $59.99
See it on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/289070/Sid_Meiers_Civilization_VI/
Official site: civilization.com/