Shacknews Best Strategy Game of 2024 - Unicorn Overlord

Vanillaware set a new bar for itself (and the strategy genre) with Unicorn Overlord this year. It’s a deeply rich strategy game that offers challenging gameplay complemented by a beautiful art style and enchanting soundtrack.

Unicorn Overlord is packed with characters that can be recruited and deployed into battle. With the sheer volume of playable characters and classes, it feels like there are infinite permutations for how any individual battle can play out. Like any good strategy game should, Unicorn Overlord rewards players for experimenting with their lineups and formation.

Despite its large cast of characters, Unicorn Overlord manages to tell a riveting story in which each character gets their moment to shine. Each character is fully voiced, which contributes to their sense of individuality.

On top of all the excellent gameplay, Unicorn Overlord is a beautiful piece of art. In our review, TJ Denzer called it Vanillaware’s best-looking game yet, and it’s not hard to see why. In addition to the art style, Unicorn Overlord’s soundtrack will stick with you far after you finish playing through the RPG.

Be sure to read over the rest of the Shacknews Awards in our Year of the Games: 2024 feature.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_