Rank 01Games like XCOM: Enemy Unknown
- 39 games
- Updated May 4, 2026
Players who liked XCOM: Enemy Unknown also play
The closest matches to XCOM: Enemy Unknown: XCOM® 2, X-COM: UFO Defense, Xenonauts, Phoenix Point, and Into the Breach. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
- Rank 01
Rank 02Why this
Also Unforgiving and Base-Building, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
- $4.99 (Price checked Nov 6)
- 2008
Rank 03
Rank 04 
Phoenix Point
Why this: Also Aliens and Perma Death, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Rank 05 
Into the Breach
Why this: Shares turn based combat with XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Rank 06 
Invisible, Inc.
Why this: Also Turn-Based and Perma Death, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Rank 07 
Battle Brothers
Why this: Also Turn-Based Tactics and Turn-Based Strategy, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Rank 08 
BATTLETECH
Why this: Same challenging mood as XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
The full ranked list: top 24 games like XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Best match first, as plain text. The same list for AI assistants:
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- 7Battle Brothers
Also Turn-Based Tactics and Turn-Based Strategy, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
- 89% of 14,754 reviews
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- 11Sid Meier's Civilization®: Beyond Earth™
Also Turn-Based and Aliens, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
- 58% of 9,997 reviews
- 12
- 13The Last Spell
Shares base building and turn based combat with XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
- 93% of 6,473 reviews
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- 21Future War Tactics: SOF vs Alien Invasion – Turn-Based Strategy
Genres: Strategy, Indie, Adventure
- 75% of 60 reviews
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- Released: 2012
- Developer: Firaxis Games, Feral Interactive (Linux)
- Price: $14.99checked Nov 6
- Steam Deck: Deck Playable
- 93% of 24,805 reviews
- Genres: Strategy
- Metacritic 89
- Platforms: Windows, Linux
Players highlight
- Base strategy layer is engaging
- Highly replayable
- Long war mod elevates experience
- Challenging
- Epic
- Stressful
More games like XCOM: Enemy Unknown, sliced differently
Reviewers mention these as similar to XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
Rome: Total War™ - Collection
Why this: Same epic mood as XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Darkest Dungeon®
Why this: Shares turn based combat with XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles
Why this: Also Turn-Based Tactics and Turn-Based Strategy, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Jagged Alliance 3
Why this: Same challenging mood as XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Shadowrun Returns
Why this: Also Turn-Based and Tactical, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below XCOM: Enemy Unknown at current Steam store prices.
Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy
Why this: Also Turn-Based and Aliens, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
X-COM: Apocalypse
Why this: Also Base-Building and Turn-Based, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Wargroove
Why this: Same challenging mood as XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword
Why this: Same epic mood as XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Free alternatives
Free games the recommender matches to XCOM: Enemy Unknown, limited to titles with at least 500 Steam reviews and 80% positive.
Dota Underlords
Why this: Same challenging mood as XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Tactical Monsters Rumble Arena
Why this: Same stressful mood as XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Girls' Frontline
Why this: Shares base building with XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Die in the Dungeon: Origins
Why this: Shares turn based combat with XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Star Realms
Why this: Also Turn-Based Strategy and Tactical, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Miscrits: World of Creatures
Why this: Also Turn-Based Tactics and Turn-Based Strategy, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
More from Firaxis Games
Other recommendable Steam games by Firaxis Games, ranked by review count so the studio's hits land first.
Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI
Why this: Same challenging mood as XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Sid Meier's Civilization VII
Why this: Also Turn-Based Tactics and Tactical, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
XCOM®: Chimera Squad
Why this: Also Turn-Based and Aliens, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Marvel's Midnight Suns
Why this: Also Turn-Based Tactics and Turn-Based Strategy, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
About XCOM: Enemy Unknown
The closest matches to XCOM: Enemy Unknown: XCOM® 2, X-COM: UFO Defense, Xenonauts, Phoenix Point, and Into the Breach. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
If XCOM: Enemy Unknown is your kind of game, the closest matches are XCOM® 2, X-COM: UFO Defense and Xenonauts — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers describe it as challenging, epic and stressful, and single out its air combat and base building. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a 2012 turn-based strategy game from Firaxis Games in which players command a global defense force against an alien invasion. The game combines tactical combat missions with a strategic base-building layer where resource allocation and research decisions carry permanent consequences. Players command squads across procedurally generated missions where positioning and rng-mechanics determine survival. Reviewers highlight the base-strategy-layer-is-engaging while players describe the tactical combat as both challenging and tense, with permanent unit death contributing to an epic atmosphere. The game supports ironman-mode for a high-stakes experience and extensive mod-support including the long-war-mod which many players credit for making the game highly-replayable. It holds a 93% positive rating from over 24,000 Steam reviews and runs Playable on Steam Deck at $5.99.
About XCOM: Enemy Unknown: The XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Slingshot Pack is Now Available!
Is XCOM: Enemy Unknown worth buying?
Players recommend it
A summary of what players say, not a promise you'll like it. Every signal is listed below.
- 93% of 24,805 Steam reviews are positive.
- Last 30 days: 93% positive across 85 new reviews, in line with its all-time score.
- Price: $14.99 (checked Nov 9).
- People who recommend it had played a median of 47 h when they wrote their review.
- Critics had played a median of 14 h before their negative review.
- Steam Deck Playable: works, with some rough edges.
What fans praise · Themes mined from positive reviews
- Base strategy layer is engaging
- Highly replayable
- Long war mod elevates experience
Top critical reviews
The most up-voted negative English reviews in our sample, quoted as written.
“[h1]Doesn't work on win11[/h1] Can't run the game on Win11 24H2, I read you can run it with GOG version or do DLL injections/replacing if you are willing to waste your time and not break your system just to play a game? Amazing devs why…”
People who play it also play: XCOM® 2, X-COM: UFO Defense, Xenonauts
Frequently asked about XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Can I run it?
Does XCOM: Enemy Unknown run on Steam Deck?
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is rated Playable on Steam Deck — it runs, but expect some manual adjustments (control remapping, text size, or graphics settings) for the best experience.
How much does XCOM: Enemy Unknown cost?
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is listed on Steam at 14.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
Does XCOM: Enemy Unknown have multiplayer or co-op?
Yes — XCOM: Enemy Unknown supports multi-player play according to its Steam store listing (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer).
What games are most similar to XCOM: Enemy Unknown?
Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside XCOM: Enemy Unknown are XCOM® 2, X-COM: UFO Defense, Xenonauts.
Who developed XCOM: Enemy Unknown?
XCOM: Enemy Unknown was developed by Firaxis Games, Feral Interactive (Linux) and published by 2K, Feral Interactive (Linux).