Civilization VII, one of the most anticipated strategy games of all time, is almost here… and it ain’t cheap. The game is $69.99, a Deluxe Edition that includes an upcoming DLC is $99.99, and the so-called Founders Edition, which adds a second future DLC and miscellaneous goodies, is an eye-watering $129.99. And may Sid Meier help you if you’re not in the U.S. market; Canadians, for example, will have to drop 90 bucks on the base game alone.
This, unfortunately, is nothing new for modern gaming, but the cost has fans debating whether they should pull the trigger on Civilization VII now or wait for patches and sales. Luckily, the 4X genre Civilization helped pioneer is now full of great titles that won’t empty your treasury. If you have the ambitions of Napoleon but the budget of a broke college student, here are five cheaper but great strategy games to keep you very, very busy.
