What Makes a Strategy Game of the Year? (Ep.35)

What separates a good strategy game from a great one? And what does it actually take to earn “Game of the Year” in a genre built on complexity, depth, and replayability?

In Episode 35 of Critical Moves, we break down the criteria that matter most - gameplay systems, balance, innovation, pacing, longevity, and presentation - and discuss how strategy games are judged compared to other genres.

We ask:

• What does “strategy game of the year” really mean?
• Which features or design choices carry the most weight?
• Is it about mass appeal or something more specific to the genre?

It’s a discussion about taste, standards, and what we actually value in the best strategy games each year.