Summary
Isometric graphics were the gaming industry’s first forays into three-dimensional designs. Before computer graphics could handle a fully rendered 3D world, some games implemented their 2D graphics at just the right angle and viewpoint to create the illusion of 3D.
Heavily inspired by the gridlike patterns of board games and tabletop RPGs likeDungeons & Dragons, it should come as no surprise that most isometric games fall into the strategy genre. The two go hand in hand, as far back as the earliest days of computer games. So here are some of the best isometric strategy games that either started or help uphold this time-honored tradition.
7Chessmaster 2000
A Cornerstone Of Chess History
Chess is one of history’s oldest and most celebrated games, famous for having countless ingenious strategies with a relatively simple setup. It’s also perhaps the easiest game to create using isometric graphics. Just picture a chessboard on a slight tilt, and voila.
Chessmaster 2000was released in 1986 as one of the earliest games for the home computer. It’s a simple chess simulator by today’s standards, but it paved the way for the incredible lineup of board game simulators yet to come. It was remarkable at the time for recreating world-famous chess matches, to give players an added challenge.
Civilizationis one of the oldest andmost popular strategy seriesin gaming, andCivilization IIstands out as one of the best installments that fans still play to this day. Sometimes lauded as one of the best sequels ever made,Civ IIcemented the series as a classic that was here to stay.
Players create a human settlement and take it from the tribal age to the modern day. Build structures, manage resources, and play the role of either a gentle diplomat or a ruthless conqueror.Civilization IIlets players live out their historical fiction dreams with plenty of scenarios, leadership systems, and real historical figures.
The originalXCOMfeatured a paramilitary organization trying to fend off an alien invasion. The sequel shows just how well that went over. To put it plainly: it didn’t. Aliens have ravaged human civilization, and it’s up to the player to lead these militants through missions to turn the tide at last.
XCOM 2shows how isometric graphicsstill have their place in the world of modern gaming. The perspective makes it easy to visualize where allies and enemies alike are on the board relative to each other. Check if units have sufficient cover before moving them around, lest they fall to a headshot. Military strategy is paramount here, as when a unit is lost, they’re gone for good.
4Anno 1602: Creation of a New World
Expanding Without Conquering
In many ways,Anno 1602is like a classic game ofCivilization. Players build and grow a 17th century European settlement into a bustling kingdom, expanding into as many nearby island territories as possible. The bigger the population gets, the more difficult it becomes to house and feed them all. Players need to discover the secret to sustainable economic expansion in order to win.
HowAnno 1602differs fromCivgames is that this human civilization grows in isolation. There are no other nations or territories to compete with for resources. There are no diplomatic relations or wars. It’s just a single nation, staying in its own lane, focusing on its own people. This makesAnno 1602perfect for gamers who like the idea ofCivilization,but don’t want to get into the complications of diplomacy.
This game takes an interesting spin on the classic real-time strategy set-up. Most games from this era are about building human civilizations, simulating the progression of real-world history.Syndicate, however, uses the same core gameplay mechanics to tell the tale of a futuristic mega-corporation slowly taking over.
Players take the role of theclassic science fiction villainfrom movies likeThe MatrixandBlade Runner. Their goal is to slowly take a country over using their cybernetic secret agents (like their very own Agent Smiths or Terminators).Syndicatebecame an underrated classic of its time for its engaging premise and dystopian future setting.
Based on Bullfrog’s 1997 gameTheme Hospital, this isometric strategy game tacklesthe world of hospital administrationwith humor and charm. Players need to build up their hospitals with all the right facilities and staff to treat a variety of comedic ailments. For example, patients diagnosed with Gray Anatomy go to the Chromatherapy ward, while those with Clown Fever need to work with a trained psychiatrist to work through their funny business.
While players can move the camera around somewhat freely in this 2018 game, the isometric graphics this series is known for are right in the name (referring to the two-point perspective). This angle gives players a perfect view of all the chaos unraveling in their hospital.
Similar toCivilization,Age of Empiresis anotherclassic isometric strategy serieswhere the second installment is one of its best. UnlikeCivilization II, however,Age of Empires IInarrows down the historical timeline to just one millennium, starting from the Early Middle Ages and ending around the Renaissance.
Players build up their settlements step by step — whether it’s a humble European peasant village or an East Asian municipality — by crafting buildings, collecting resources, and putting their military to work. Their civilization’s success depends on complex player strategy. That, plus the game’s charming graphics that encompass various architectural styles from across the world and throughout history, makesAge of Empiresa timeless classic.
