Best games
Best Strategy games of 2013
The 17 best Strategy games released in 2013, ranked from 7,019 critic and player ratings.
The best Strategy game of 2013 is Dota 2, with a critic score of 90/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 2013.
- 17 games are listed on this page, carrying 7,019 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 17
01
F
Dota 2
Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena video game and the stand-alone sequel to the Defense of the Ancients (DotA) mod. With regular updates that ensure a constant evolution of gameplay, features, and heroes, Dota 2 has taken on a life of its own.
90
/100
02
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
You are Sarah Kerrigan, former Queen of Blades. Once the most feared entity in the galaxy, you now wait in a cell in the depths of a high-security research laboratory. Before the murderous forces of the Terran Dominion close in, you must plot your escape to the dark reaches of space… and reclaim your living empire at the Heart of the Swarm.
89
/100
03
XCOM: Enemy Within
XCOM: Enemy Within is a console standalone expansion pack for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a turn-based tactical strategy game. The expansion adds the ability to gene mod soldiers to add to their powers as well as the ability to create MECs, powerful robotic soldiers. These new features are created by collecting a resource called Meld on the tactical battlefield. A number of new maps were also added to the tactical game, as well as multiplayer. The PC version of Enemy Within is an add-on that requires the base game Enemy Unknown.
86
/100
F
Dota 2
Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena video game and the stand-alone sequel to the Defense of the Ancients (DotA) mod. With regular updates that ensure a constant evolution of gameplay, features, and heroes, Dota 2 has taken on a life of its own.
90
/100
02
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
You are Sarah Kerrigan, former Queen of Blades. Once the most feared entity in the galaxy, you now wait in a cell in the depths of a high-security research laboratory. Before the murderous forces of the Terran Dominion close in, you must plot your escape to the dark reaches of space… and reclaim your living empire at the Heart of the Swarm.
89
/100
03
XCOM: Enemy Within
XCOM: Enemy Within is a console standalone expansion pack for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a turn-based tactical strategy game. The expansion adds the ability to gene mod soldiers to add to their powers as well as the ability to create MECs, powerful robotic soldiers. These new features are created by collecting a resource called Meld on the tactical battlefield. A number of new maps were also added to the tactical game, as well as multiplayer. The PC version of Enemy Within is an add-on that requires the base game Enemy Unknown.
86
/100
04
Europa Universalis IV
Rule your land and dominate the world with unparalleled freedom, depth and historical accuracy. Write a new history of the world and build an empire for the ages.
85
/100
05
Cookie Clicker
Cookie Clicker is a Javascript-based browser video game written by French programmer Julien Thiennot, better known as "Orteil". The point of the game is to bake cookies as fast as possible, to have a large number of cookies, and to have a lot of milk; notably, however, there is no true end to the gameplay. At the beginning of the game, the player bakes cookies solely by clicking on a giant cookie, gaining one cookie each time it is clicked. Once the player has enough cookies, they can use them to buy items that will bake more cookies automatically. The seemingly endless gameplay makes it a game that can last an indefinite amount of time.
85
/100
06
TagPro
TagPro is a free-to-play online multiplayer capture the flag video game originally designed and programmed by Nick Riggs. The first version was released in February 2013, after Riggs began experimenting with software platform Node.js. The game is named after one of its three obtainable power-ups. It follows the basic rules of capture the flag, along with some modifications, including power-ups, spikes, and other map elements.
84
/100
07
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine (or simply Monaco') is a video game made by indie developers at Pocketwatch Games. They are best known for winning the 2010 IGF Award in 2010 for their work on Monaco. The game was released for Windows on April 24, 2013, via Steam, and will be released for the Mac and XBLA platforms in 2013.
83
/100
08
Company of Heroes 2
Experience the ultimate WWII RTS platform with COH2 and its standalone expansions. This package includes the base game, which you can then upgrade by purchasing The Western Front Armies, Ardennes Assault and/or The British Forces. More info in the "About This Game" section below.
80
/100
09
Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time
Plants vs. Zombies 2 is a tower defense game released by PopCap Games as a sequel to the award-winning Plants vs. Zombies. This time, players must battle new zombies in a time-travel adventure.
80
/100
10
Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition
76
/100
11
Reus
75
/100
12
Skulls of the Shogun
72
/100
13
Cities in Motion 2
72
/100
14
Democracy 3
70
/100
15
Age of Empires II HD
68
/100
16
SimCity (2013)
64
/100
17
Age of Empires II: HD Edition
50
/100
Europa Universalis IV
Rule your land and dominate the world with unparalleled freedom, depth and historical accuracy. Write a new history of the world and build an empire for the ages.
85
/100
05
Cookie Clicker
Cookie Clicker is a Javascript-based browser video game written by French programmer Julien Thiennot, better known as "Orteil". The point of the game is to bake cookies as fast as possible, to have a large number of cookies, and to have a lot of milk; notably, however, there is no true end to the gameplay. At the beginning of the game, the player bakes cookies solely by clicking on a giant cookie, gaining one cookie each time it is clicked. Once the player has enough cookies, they can use them to buy items that will bake more cookies automatically. The seemingly endless gameplay makes it a game that can last an indefinite amount of time.
85
/100
06
TagPro
TagPro is a free-to-play online multiplayer capture the flag video game originally designed and programmed by Nick Riggs. The first version was released in February 2013, after Riggs began experimenting with software platform Node.js. The game is named after one of its three obtainable power-ups. It follows the basic rules of capture the flag, along with some modifications, including power-ups, spikes, and other map elements.
84
/100
07
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine (or simply Monaco') is a video game made by indie developers at Pocketwatch Games. They are best known for winning the 2010 IGF Award in 2010 for their work on Monaco. The game was released for Windows on April 24, 2013, via Steam, and will be released for the Mac and XBLA platforms in 2013.
83
/100
08
Company of Heroes 2
Experience the ultimate WWII RTS platform with COH2 and its standalone expansions. This package includes the base game, which you can then upgrade by purchasing The Western Front Armies, Ardennes Assault and/or The British Forces. More info in the "About This Game" section below.
80
/100
09
Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time
Plants vs. Zombies 2 is a tower defense game released by PopCap Games as a sequel to the award-winning Plants vs. Zombies. This time, players must battle new zombies in a time-travel adventure.
80
/100
10
Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition
76
/100
11
Reus
75
/100
12
Skulls of the Shogun
72
/100
13
Cities in Motion 2
72
/100
14
Democracy 3
70
/100
15
Age of Empires II HD
68
/100
16
SimCity (2013)
64
/100
17
Age of Empires II: HD Edition
50
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Strategy game of 2013?
Dota 2 currently tops the ranking with a score of 90/100 across 2,860 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.