Easy to get into Strategy Games...

[Vigormortis]

I can point you to a few that are some combination of free, easy to learn, or a provider of a fantastic single and multi-player experience.

Homeworld would top my list as it is still arguably one of the greatest RTS games ever made. Helps too that it has probably one of the best stories put to a video game.

Next I would suggest MechCommander 2. It's a very different kind of RTS compared to the likes of Civilization or Starcraft. It's more centered around micro-managing your forces as efficiently as you can as opposed to macro-managing your resources.

Lastly, I would suggest Sins of a Solar Empire. Now, I know what those familiar with the title are thinking. How can I, trying to answer to pleas of an easy to learn RTS, suggest Sins? Despite the seemingly daunting complexity of the game, it's actually not that hard to learn how to play. Mastering it takes time, sure, but to learn the basic premises needed to play aren't that hard in the end. Plus, it's just a fantastic title with an immense amount of depth. Easily one of my favorites.

Though, I do have to add that it is technically a multi-player-centric title. You can very easily play by yourself against the bots, however. (and the bots are rather intelligent. I've been playing for 2 years and they still surprise me)

I can suggest more, but these will give you a good, well-rounded, and accessible taste of the genre. A taste of something you haven't already tried. (i.e. Starcraft and it's ilk)

BTW, here's the free copy of MechCommander 2: http://www.shacknews.com/file/20899/mechcommander-2-free-game# (there used to be a site called mechcommander.org, but it went down a year or so ago)

And neither you or the Moderators need worry. It's completely legit. Not pirated. The company sold the rights to the game to a small development community and they provide the game (as well as almost all MechWarrior/Battletech related games) for free.

 

[thelastmccabe]

Battle for Wesnoth is a great recommendation. It's pretty simple to understand the rules, you can set the difficulty to suit you, it's fun, and it's free (plus i really like the music).

Europa Universalis is pretty damn complex and clunky. If you want something streamlined and easy to get into, that is definitely not it. Or anything else Paradox Interactive makes.

Frozen Synapse is a cool looking indie turn based strategy game I've had my eye on.

HOMM 3 is not too complex (especially compared to Civ), and is a lot of fun.

Alpha Centauri is my favorite "civ game" because of the cool setting, story, and ability to create your own custom military units, but it is a little complex, especially the terraforming which I still don't really understand. It's also like $6 on Gog.

Simcity 4 is fun and it's sorta kinda a strategy game.

 

[instantbenz]

While it was JUST on Steam daily deal for $10, you might look into STORM: Frontline Nation. There's minor depth straight off and it plays like civ, battles can be automatically conducted. If you get further and want to get that special forces unit to take out a few tanks, manual battle is necessary.

Diplomacy is involved. Several tasks are assigned every few turns that reap rewards. Developing things is a must.

Blah blah ... civy blah blah. I've been big into the C&C games and this was an easy segue.

 

[MajWound]

I found Tropico 4 (Otherwise known as Tropico 3.75) to be eerily easy to learn. It's like SimCity except instead of being some nobody mayor in the middle of Goddamn Nowhere, USA, you get to play Pseudo-Castro, dictator of a banana republic during the Cold War. It has a pretty sharp sense of humor and a few clever ripped-from-the-headlines jokes in the mix.

 

[Aeshi]

Multiwinia is a pretty easy-to-learn RTS that I can vouch for.

 

[jawakiller]

Ah, my

Age of Empires...

I think we're done here.

PS: Particularly Age of Kings (That's the second game in case you were wondering). That one.

Age of Kings can die in a fire. Age of Conquerors is where it's at. Those bloody farm queues.

You make a very good point. When I say "Age of Kings" I do actually mean "Age of Conquerors." And yes, farms in the former were a *****. Queues, yeah. That.

 

[Nouw]

Dawn of Warark Crusade is an easy yet satisfying Strategy game. If you're getting into strategy games, Dawn of War should be your first stop before going into the 'classics.' Not that DoW isn't a classic.

 

[thespyisdead]

any TOTAL WAR game (Rome to be specific). the series is basically a mishmash of turn based map phase, and a real time strategy battle phase... try it... you will fall in love with it, i grantee you

 

[Jekken6]

World in Conflict is fairly easy to get into.

 

[ScrubberDucky]

Console strategy games are often the simplest ones, to compensate for the control method. Halo Wars and Supreme Commander are some of the easiest, simplest ones I've found. Civ 4 is a lot more straightforward than Civ 5 in a lot of areas, to me, and feels simpler to get into, so add another recommendation on to that.

 

[MartialArc]

+1 for sins of a solar empire, it would be my first suggestion to anyone new to strategy but wanting to try more.

Company of heroes is also good. If you want something a bit different try to find some torrents for the old "Close Combat" series, particularly CC2: A bridge too far. They're the best strategy games no-one has ever heard of. They're old though, '96 for the first one, which is why I say torrent, because they're banished to abandon-ware land so far as I can tell. (Except a few used copies for $150)

Obviously only look at close combat if you can stomach old-school graphics, its vary infantry level tactics, troops have limited ammo, morale, etc. The UI is painless though, which makes the game easy to learn hard to master, which would help you if you're impatient.

 

[Dalek Caan]

As a PC gamer it seems that I am missing strategy games from my gaming diet. I am a bit impatient, so I find it hard to sit down and learn all the rules before I play.

I've dabbled in Civilization, Civ 5 streamlined a lot of things for me, so that helped me get into that, and I've dabbled a bit in Warcraft III and Starcraft 1, despite being rubbish.

So my question is this:
Any good single player strategy games that are easy to get into?

Sin of a Solar Empire if you are up to it. Takes a while to get used to and you will get your ass handed to more times than often. Buts still a fun game on a huge scope that involves spaceships going pew-pew.

 

[hardpixelrain]

So my question is this:
Any good single player strategy games that are easy to get into?

So, just to clarify, you're only interested in real-time strategies (RTS's) or are you also open to turn-based and alternative strategy games?

Both. As long as they are somewhat easy to understand for someone with little experience.

 

[JaceArveduin]

Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends
A wonderful, advanced (reasonably recent) RTS with formidable gameplay and some really well done variety between races. Wonderful for multiplayer with buddies, too.

How is that game doing now by the way? I picked up the demo for it way back when, and I guess it technically was my first RTS game, though I can't remember much about it now, but I do recall it being interesting with lots of shiny things

 

[JaceArveduin]

It's really good. Did you ever play Dawn of War: Dark Crusade? These games belong to a genre of sequels in which the original games are expanded upon in a totally new and experimental way.

I'd suggest it to anyone, it has really refined gameplay and great variety. Great design too.

No I haven't, my cousin bought BFME2 when I came down to visit one time [readnly] and I loved it. Any idea if I can even buy Rise of Legends anymore? I've really been needing my RTS fix and as I mentioned, BFME2 has to be run through Gameranger now.* And Gameranger uses P2P connections, which means makes the game play badly a lot of the time.

*EA lost the rights to the game and such and had to shut the servers down at the end of last year.

 

[JaceArveduin]

I think it'd be in your average store. If not, ask the clerk it shouldn't be that hard to track down. Might be available for purchase online.

BFM was a great game. I totally forgot about that series, but it had some really unique gameplay features itself.

Yeah, me and the guys are probably going to get back into it soon, the only problem for it is it never had a huge community, and now you can't even buy it brand new. I think the biggest problem with BFME2 was the fact EA made 6 official patches for it, and only 1 official patch for the expansion, ROTWK. Which I happen to like more than the original.