There are big games, and there are little games, and there are games that you’ve never heard of and that live in the deepest recesses of the Steam library – and then there are the true hidden gems. These are often the most rewarding, fulfilling videogame experiences, the sleeper hits and cult classics that everyone else has overlooked, and that you get to excitedly share with your friends. RoboCop. Trepang. The Lamplighters League. 2023 had its fair share of overlooked jewels. And now 2024 has its first authentic hidden masterpiece. Borrowing from Civilization and Cities Skylines 2, but totally original otherwise, the best strategy game of the year – in fact, the best strategy game of the past five years or maybe ten years – has already arrived. Somehow, though, it has less than a thousand players on Steam.
Our Solium Infernum review tells you everything you need to know about League of Geeks’ visionary strategy game. As one of Hell’s vainglorious archfiends, you compete for control of the infernal throne after Satan mysteriously disappears. Intelligent, funny, and totally unique, Solium Infernum has the grand drama of Civilization, combined with the small-scale scrutiny of Frostpunk or Cities Skylines 2.
You aren’t commanding vast armies or forging entire new societies. This is the strategy of diplomacy, psychology, and deceit. You’ve never played anything like it. And yet, as of this writing, Solium Infernum has 540 concurrent players on Steam. In the last 24 hours, it’s hit a high of just 800. Its all-time record is 1,115.
This is one of the best PC games of the year so far, especially for cast-iron strategy fans who want a change from the formula of Civilization and Crusader Kings, without losing the depth or rigor that makes those games so engaging. Complex without being convoluted, unique but still totally accessible, if you’ve not tried Solium Infernum already, this might be the next cult classic you rave about to your pals.
Check out our full Solium Infernum guide, if you’re planning to give it a try, or maybe the other best new PC games available right now.
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