Few games scratch the same tactical itch as XCOM, where every move can mean victory or total squad wipe. From the stealth-driven tension of Invisible Inc. to fresh strategy challengers that test your every decision, these games keep the adrenaline-and the thinking-high.
Here are our staff’s favorite XCOM-likes and where to play them. Some were directly inspired by XCOM; some weren’t. Some are also sci-fi humans-versus-aliens games, while others take the structure and move it to a fantasy realm or an established IP setting. All of them are fun, tactical times, and we hope you find one you’ll dig.
Invisible, Inc.
Invisible, Inc. blends turn-based tactics with stealth in a roguelike framework, where agents infiltrate corporate strongholds under a 72-hour deadline. Procedural levels and permadeath heighten tension, forcing precise moves to avoid detection and extract data. Hacking mechanics let players manipulate cameras, turrets, and alarms, turning enemy tech against guards. Combat erupts only when stealth crumbles, emphasizing shadow play over firefights. Its cyberpunk setting and replayable runs make it a sharp XCOM alternative.
Where to play: iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC
Invisible, Inc. is a gloriously crisp 2015 tactical stealth game from Klei Entertainment, the Canadian indie studio behind Don’t Starve. It’s a dashing, cartoony cyberpunk heist caper in which a team of augmented agents fly around the globe, stealing things from the high-security facilities of sinister corporations with the support of a powerful hacking AI. Procedurally generated levels and an exquisitely designed network of interconnected rules work together to create dynamic sneaking scenarios that seem to exist on a permanent knife edge of tension; unlike many games in the tactics genre, Invisible, Inc. is impossible to overpower or be overpowered by, and rewards playing with just the right amount of heart-in-mouth risk. In this game, using a gun is a last resort, and remembering to close a door behind you can mean the difference between success and failure. A near-perfect hidden gem of a tactics game. –Oli Welsh
Invisible, Inc.
$20 $20 $20 at Steam$20 at Nintendo
Into the Breach
From the creator of FTL, Into the Breach trades sprawling battlefields for compact, puzzle-like encounters where every move counts. You command powerful mechs fighting to protect cities from giant insect threats, but each decision carries weight-saving civilians might mean sacrificing a unit. Its clean visuals, tight turn-based mechanics, and emphasis on forecasting enemy actions make it a precision-driven alternative to XCOM’s broader strategy.
Where to play: Android, iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC
Into the Breach is basically Lo-Fi Beats to Tactics To. Whereas games like XCOM go large with expensive production values, Into the Breach is refreshingly minimalist. Your team of just three mechs is tasked with fighting back kaiju-sized insects. You can see the entire battlefield, in all its pixel-art glory, from an isometric view. Every level is randomized, too – a little bit roguelike – so you never fully know what you’re getting into, but you’ll still need to lean on strategic expertise and understanding of your team. Into the Breach is pure tactical bliss distilled to its essence. –Ari Notis
Into the Breach
$15 $15 $15 at Steam$15 at Nintendo
Xenonauts
Xenonauts captures the spirit of classic XCOM with methodical, squad-based combat and a deep strategic layer. Players manage global defenses against an alien invasion, balancing research, resource allocation, and tactical missions where every decision carries weight. Its retro art style complements the gritty, cold war atmosphere, rewarding careful planning and calculated risk-taking over flashy action.
Where to play: Mac, Windows PC
While XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its sequel are certainly fitting successors to the original 1994 X-COM: UFO Defense, they sacrificed a certain level of complexity for the sake of accessibility. Xenonauts and its sequel (currently in early access) carry the spirit of the original X-COM into the modern era, complete with dense tactical systems and brutal difficulty.
Xenonauts reads like X-COM 1994 with a fresh coat of paint and will feel immediately familiar to fans of the original. While many of the systems from the strategic and tactical layers have been untouched, Xenonauts does introduce some small improvements and quality-of-life features, like a more robust air combat system and a more complex funding system. –Alice Jovanée
Xenonauts
$25 $25 $25 at Steam
Fights in Tight Spaces
Fights in Tight Spaces delivers turn-based combat in confined arenas, where agents dodge bullets and counter foes with precise maneuvers. Players recruit specialists, upgrade gear, and chain combos to outlast waves of enemies across procedurally generated missions. Its rhythmic, stylish brawling captures XCOM’s tactical depth while swapping aliens for gritty close-quarters scraps.
Where to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Whereas many XCOM-style games focus on military operations across big battlefields, Fights in Tight Spaces focuses entirely on small-scale encounters. Fights in Tight Spaces pits the player against goons, prisoners, brawlers, and assassins in small environments. I take up the role of Agent 11, and I have to kick ass through a series of bars, mess halls, and other contained spaces. I play cards to duck, dodge, and brawl my way out of each fight, and with each victory, I earn new cards. This turn-based deck-building game excels at making these small situations stressful, and it takes a tactical mind to play your cards right and John Wick your way out of each scuffle. –Cass Marshall
Fights in Tight Spaces
$25 $25 $25 at Steam$25 at Nintendo
Marvel’s Midnight Suns
Marvel’s Midnight Suns combines tactical combat with RPG depth, fusing XCOM-style strategy with superhero abilities. Players command a customizable team of Marvel heroes, balancing positioning, card-based attacks, and team synergy to overcome challenging battles. Between missions, social interactions at the Abbey influence abilities and relationships, adding a unique layer of character development to the turn-based gameplay.
Where to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Marvel’s Midnight Suns could’ve easily just been XCOM with a superhero paint job (Spandexcom, if you will). But it’s so much more. Literally made by the people who made XCOM, Marvel’s Midnight Suns ostensibly features XCOM-style tactics gameplay. That’s merely the vehicle for a deck-building metagame that allows you to further customize your roster’s (awesome) powers. And while an absence of permadeath minimizes the combat tension you’d get in XCOM, it allows room for one of the most compelling Marvel stories in years. Midnight Suns underperformed at launch, but if any tactics game deserves a second lease on life, it’s this one. –AN
Marvel’s Midnight Suns Enhanced Edition
$19 $19 $20 at Amazon$19 at GameStop$70 at Microsoft
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
Command the Adeptus Mechanicus as they scour ancient tombs in search of lost technology. Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus blends deep tactical combat with atmospheric storytelling, giving each decision moral and strategic weight. Every squad upgrade or tech advancement affects future encounters, rewarding careful planning and resource management.
Where to play: Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox One
My personal favorite faction of the 40K universe finally got its due with Warhammer 40K: Mechanicus. Centered around the tech-obsessed Adeptus Mechanicus, you’ll command a cadre of Tech-Priests outfitted with forgotten and occasionally heretical technology, scouring Necron tombs for knowledge and loot.
While some elements are borrowed from other popular turn-based strategy titles, Mechanicus still manages to bring some interesting wrinkles to the genre and gets high marks for its score and sound design. It also has the added benefit of being available on multiple platforms. –AJ
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
$8$4080% off $8 $30 at Steam$8 at Nintendo$40 at Xbox
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
Developed by Julian Gollop, the creator of the original XCOM, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars brings deep turn-based tactics to the Nintendo 3DS. It mixes the strategic precision of XCOM with the modern military flavor of the Ghost Recon series, offering varied mission objectives, destructible environments, and unique soldier classes. Careful positioning, use of cover, and skill upgrades play a huge role, rewarding players who plan several moves ahead instead of rushing into combat.
Where to play: Nintendo 3DS
When searching for a good XCOM-like, why not go to the source? Original X-COM designer Julian Gollop produced this spinoff of the Ghost Recon tactical shooter series for Ubisoft, delivering a smartly designed isometric strategy game with the Tom Clancy brand’s modern military styling.
Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars‘ campaign sends players to Eastern Europe and Russia, where they must survey battlefields, carefully move and position their six-person squad, and engage in turn-based skirmishes where one wrong move can spell disaster. You know, real XCOM stuff. Shadow Wars is challenging and sometimes grueling – missions can take upward of 45 minutes each – but the game features a smooth learning curve and difficulty options for players who prefer not to struggle.
Originally released in 2011 as a Nintendo 3DS launch title, your best option for securing a copy of Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars is secondhand (now that the 3DS eShop is closed) on places like eBay where loose cartridges go for $10 or less. –MichaelMcWhertor
The Banner Saga
Set in a beautifully hand-drawn Norse-inspired world, The Banner Saga blends tactical combat with narrative depth. Every decision, from dialogue choices to battlefield tactics, shapes the fate of your caravan as it struggles for survival across a frozen wilderness. Its turn-based battles demand smart positioning and resource management, while the story’s branching paths give your victories and losses lasting emotional weight.
Where to play: Android, iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox One
The Banner Saga is a trilogy of titles that plays like a mix of XCOM and Oregon Trail with the narrative style of the Mass Effect trilogy. Set against a backdrop of Norse mythology, The Banner Saga has you leading a band of warriors and refugees attempting to survive Armageddon, forcing you to frequently choose between empathy or pragmatism. The trilogy is full of meaningful tactical and narrative choices that carry over from one game to the next and can have a profound impact on your characters or how story beats progress.
The Banner Saga features beautifully hand-drawn characters, animations, and environments that highlight the remarkable level of passion that went into this title. The game also includes a score by the incomparable Austin Wintory, the composer responsible for the soundtracks to Journey, Abzu, and other excellent works. –AJ
The Banner Saga
$10 $10 $25 at Steam$10 at Google Play
Capes
Capes blends turn-based tactics with superhero flair, letting players command a squad of powered heroes fighting to reclaim a city controlled by villains. Each mission demands smart use of abilities, positioning, and teamwork to outthink enemy forces. Its emphasis on character development, squad synergy, and tight tactical maps makes it a strong pick for fans of XCOM-style combat who enjoy a more cinematic, comic-book twist on strategic play.
Where to play: Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
A superhero variant on the XCOM formula, Capes is a relatively new release (May 2024) and puts you in control of a team of superpower crime fighters looking to take on the nefarious Company, which is imprisoning superpowered individuals and experimenting on them. It has fun character design and mechanics that encourage repeated use of powers in combat and unique play patterns for each of the heroes.
Some caveats: The writing is intentionally hokey, which I feel matches the expressive art style, but might be a turnoff to some players. And the stages lack the tactical depth of many of the other games on this list, sometimes lacking multiple solutions and forcing you to retry the same stage until you figure out the right path. But I’ve still had a fun time. If, like me, you have fond memories of Freedom Force but wish it played like a more modern tactics game, this one’s for you. –Pete Volk
Capes
$36$4010% off $36 $40 at Nintendo$36 at Steam$40 at PlayStation
Fallout Tactics
Set in the Fallout universe, Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel shifts focus from open-world exploration to squad-based strategy. Players command a team of Brotherhood soldiers across grid-based battlefields, managing line of sight, action points, and equipment in tense turn-based encounters. The blend of tactical precision, RPG progression, and gritty post-apocalyptic storytelling makes it a standout choice for fans seeking a tougher, more grounded take on the XCOM formula.
Where to play: Windows PC
Published in 2001, Fallout Tactics is the only game of its kind in the history of the franchise. It’s a combat-focused title, but with a surprisingly meaty narrative that plays out over 22 distinct missions that can be experienced in a variable order. It also features full voice-over, including a substantial role by the late R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket).
Rendered from the classic isometric perspective, it features three different game modes, including an odd hybrid real-time setting that I’m not particularly fond of. But the most authentic way to play, called Individual Turn-Based, is the most reminiscent of the original Fallout games, Fallout (1997) and Fallout 2 (1998). Basically, it takes the gritty combat of the original CRPGs and blows it out into its own version of XCOM. You can even move and fight from inside vehicles.
Fallout Tactics polishes off a lot of the rough edges found in the combat from the first two games, while also introducing a few more of its own devising. Line of sight, in particular, can be a bit hard to suss out at times. I actually prefer its combat to later interpretations of the formula, including Wasteland 2. But the real reason that it’s on my personal all-time-favorites list is that it’s the only entry in the series that takes place in the Midwest, allowing you to blaze a trail from Springfield, Illinois, to Kansas City, Missouri, and beyond to the West Coast.
Does Fallout Tactics play in Peoria? You bet your ass it does. Just watch out for the radscorpions. –Charlie Hall
Fallout Tactics
$10 $10 $10 at Steam
Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle mixes Ubisoft’s Rabbids chaos with Nintendo’s plumber in a turn-based tactics showdown. Players position squads on grids, unleash special moves like vortexes or boomerangs, and exploit enemy weaknesses across puzzle-filled levels. It captures XCOM’s squad management and permadeath tension but swaps grimdark for cartoon hijinks, delivering sharp strategy in bite-sized missions.
Where to play: Nintendo Switch
If you’re looking for a cutesier, simpler, easier XCOM-like, Mario Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is a great place to start. Players use a variety of Mario and Rabbids characters as pawns on preset stages filled with enemies and obstacles.
Each turn, you can boost up your pawns with special powers that heal, hurt, or move your own pawn and others nearby. The pawns also move a set number of spaces in a set pattern each turn, just like chess (or XCOM) – that means it’s just as satisfying when you check an enemy off the stage, bounce off your other pawns to traverse the board in one move, or make it to the goalposts on the other side safely.
Mario Rabbids games are certainly easier than your average level of XCOM, but that’s not to say they aren’t challenging at times. I’ve gotten well stuck on a few different levels, which is humbling considering these games are technically for kids – which brings me to maybe the best part of these games, which is how adorable and fun the cinematics are.
Watching a Rabbid version of Luigi fly across the board and cartoonishly bonk your enemy on the head is massively engaging, and the sounds are just as enjoyable. It’s practically designed for parents to play with their kids (I say, childless). The stages are reminiscent of 3D Super Mario levels, piquing my nostalgia, but with plenty of new elements that make it exciting to see each stage unveiled.
Mario Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, the sequel to Kingdom Battle, is reportedly just as excellent, with a few tweaks that make the gameplay even more engaging. –Zoë Hannah
Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle
$40 $40 $40 at Nintendo
Which XCOM-like game has the deepest base management
Phoenix Point Leads in Base Management
Among XCOM-like games, Phoenix Point offers the deepest base management system. Players construct and expand multiple bases worldwide, managing resources across facilities for research, manufacturing, living quarters, and defenses.
Key Base Features
Phoenix Point’s bases require strategic placement near factions for diplomacy and resource access, with radar coverage, vehicle bays, and inner defenses against enemy assaults. This mirrors original XCOM complexity but adds faction alliances and a pandemic-ravaged Earth map.
Comparisons to Alternatives
| Game | Base Depth | Standout Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Xenonauts 2 | Very High | Multiple bases, UFO detection, air combat RTS; closest to classic XCOM. |
| XCOM 2 | High | Single HQ upgrades, room-building grid, resource hubs. |
| BattleTech | Medium | Ship (base) upgrades, mech bays, hiring; simpler than XCOM. |
| Jagged Alliance 2 | Medium | Sector-by-sector militia building, no central HQ. |
Xenonauts 2 rivals Phoenix Point for depth, especially in base defense and global strategy, but remains in early access as of 2026.
Compare base management systems in Phoenix Point and Xenonauts
Phoenix Point and Xenonauts (particularly Xenonauts 2) both feature robust base management inspired by classic XCOM, but they differ in scope, complexity, and integration with global strategy.
Phoenix Point Bases
Players establish multiple bases across a dynamic world map, each customizable with facilities for research, manufacturing, training, and defense. Resource allocation spans sites, factoring in faction proximity for alliances and scavenging, with automated personnel but strategic radar and inner defenses against assaults.
Xenonauts Bases
Multiple bases emphasize detailed construction via room-by-room grids, including hangars for interceptors, living quarters, radar arrays, and defenses with turrets. Global UFO detection and air combat tie directly to base placement and upgrades, offering high planability and loot incentives from base defense missions.
Key Comparisons
| Aspect | Phoenix Point | Xenonauts(-2) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Bases | Multiple, globally spread | Multiple, strategically placed |
| Customization | Facility-focused, faction-linked | Grid-based room building |
| Depth/Complexity | Resource juggling, diplomacy | Air defense, loot-driven |
| Personnel | Semi-automated, cumbersome UI | Hands-on training, squad prep |
| Standout Strength | World exploration ties | Polished, classic XCOM feel |
Xenonauts edges out for raw depth in base defense and interception planning, while Phoenix Point integrates bases more narratively with its evolving alien pandemic.
