Summary
Becoming like a god in video games is arguably one of the greatest feelings of all, no matter what genre of game the player is enjoying. While an RPG may make a player feel god-like by making their attacks powerful and increasing their defense, grand strategy titles are another genre of games where a player canfeel like a god.
While some grand strategy games put players in the literal position of a god, other titles instead have the player controlling various leaders from history or creating their own. As players grow their armies and cities in these grand strategy games, they will likely become an unstoppable force, making them feel closer to a god than ever. These are some of the best grand strategy games for feeling like a god, ranked not only by their overall critic score, but also by how godlike a player can become.
Starting off strong,Humankindis an interesting grand strategy title that already makes players feel like a god due to their being able to sculpt their civilization into whatever culture they wish. By mixing and matching parts of actual culture from history, players can create their own little civilization of people that they can push to progress over many years.
Besides being able tocustomize their culturein such a way, players can develop their civilization further inHumankinduntil they have discovered more powerful ways of control. Although war isn’t always the answer in a grand strategy title likeHumankind, having such deadly weaponry can make the player feel like a god compared to the less developed civilizations that may be surrounding them.
Songs of Syxis mostlyconsidered a city builder title. However, the game is far more complex than this original set genre lets on. Players may not establish multiple different kingdoms around a map, but focus instead on a singular colony that they will expand over in-game decades.
Players aren’t alone inSongs of Syx, as the grand strategy of the game comes from players also needing to manage various towns, castles, lumber camps and much more to help their kingdom expand further until they become like a god, able to control or defeat the surrounding kingdoms that may come to them either for battle, trade, or alliances. That’s only on the surface ofSongs of Syx, with plenty of other features that will give players all the power they want.
Although many grand strategy games allow the player to feel like a god, there are only a few that have players being a literal god.Shadows of Forbidden Godsis a hidden gem that deserves plenty more attention from players who are looking for a strategy title with a twist.
In this interesting title, players start their life as a fallen god with the strategy of bribing guards and infiltrating minor farming towns. As players gain more power, these nefarious schemes will grow with them, such as making dukes turn on kings to cause battles as they fight against the forces of good to bring forth the apocalypse.
LikeSongs of Syx,Ages of Wonders 4isn’t entirely considered a grand strategy game. However, this 4X title does implement plenty of the mechanics of a grand strategy title that sees it perfectly fit with the others, especially for players who are looking for games that leave them feeling like a god.
In this fantasy title, feeling like a god starts early, as players can create the empire of their dreams. Players first get to create their followers by combining all sorts of bodily forms, social traits, and arcane powers. Players can thenbuff their followers through magical tomesthat will see the player in control of physically evolving their people, giving them a power unlike any other inAge of Wonders 4.
Although many players may deem that they are only playing as the space government inStellaris, depending on the race of people the player chooses to start their reign of terror of the universe with, can actually change how players perceive the world around them and how they interact with it.
Similar toAge of Wonders, players start feeling like a god before they even beginStellaris, as they can randomize their custom species that they can sculpt to be incredibly powerful with their own ideologies that will see their people look up to the player as a god. As players evolve their space colony and improve their weaponry, eventually, the player can become an unstoppable tyrant.
Total War: Warhammer 3is an interesting grand strategy title, as the gameplay can be split into two halves. On the one hand, the player has the power to build up their massive army fromone of the seven races availableto players who are familiar with theWarhammerfranchise. These battles can be chaotic, with the player controlling their units like an overlord as well as creating their own Daemon Prince that suits their playstyle.
If this doesn’t make players feel like a god, then building the empire of their dreams also has the chance to bring the player to godhood. The choices the player makes inTotal War: Warhammer 3are sure to not only make two playthroughs of the grand strategy title feel different but also provide them with the means of complete control over everything.
AlthoughSid Meier’s Civilization 6may not be entirely a grand strategy title, with the game only sharing mechanics with the genre, the game still deserves a mention for being one of the best strategy games for feeling like a god. InCivilization 6, players can choose from a wide variety of historical leaders to be the leader of their new civilization.
While players can enjoy this strategy title with others, playingCivilization 6single-player is one of the best ways to feel like a god. As players expand their empire across the map, they will also unlock the potential to evolve their technology. Depending on how quickly a player can do this, they may find themselves easily crushing surrounding civilizations like the god they are.
Unsurprisingly, out of all the grand strategy games available, by far, one of the best for feeling like a god while playing isCrusader Kings 3. While this game attempts to be as historically accurate as possible, which comes with its own challenges, as players can take on the role of a king, they are practically second to god.
This allows players inCrusader Kings 3to make multiple horrendous choices for their kingdom while also attempting to expand their control. However, it is important to note that even though the player may feel like a god,they should be careful, as their advisors could always be plotting to end their reign of chaos.
