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Paul’s Current Top 3 PC Games

Enough Thinking: Balancing Triggers and Tactics

In my last post, I talked a lot about the heavy mental lifting involved in games like Civilization. I love that stuff—it keeps the mind sharp. But I can’t run on critical thinking alone.

Sometimes the “software engineer” brain needs a break, and the “20-year Army vet” brain just wants to rely on muscle memory. To keep that balance, my current gaming rotation is split between pure reflex and calculated strategy.

Here is the breakdown of what I’m playing right now, how I play it, and how much time I’m sinking into it.

The Daily Driver: Battlefield 6

This is my bread and butter. Battlefield is the one game I can launch regardless of who is online. It serves as my primary stress relief after a day of coding.

The Squad Requirement: ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders is a different beast entirely. It’s high-stakes extraction, and it demands total attention.

The Strategic Anchor: WARNO

When I’m done with the shooters but not quite ready to log off, I switch to Warno. It is currently my top non-shooter, serving as the bridge between adrenaline and strategy.

The Verdict

For me, this rotation is perfect. Battlefield provides the consistent release, ARC Raiders offers the social thrill, and Warno engages the tactical mind without burning me out. It’s enough thinking to be rewarding, but enough action to be fun.

Paul’s Top Five PC Games of All Time

My Top 5: What My Favorite Games Say About Me

If you want to know how someone thinks, look at what they play. As I transition from 20 years in the Army to a career in software engineering, I’ve realized my gaming library isn’t just entertainment—it’s a reflection of my personality. Whether it’s managing logistics or executing a feint, these are the five games that shaped my gaming DNA.

1. Civilization VI

I almost exclusively play Civilization VI on a Terra map that resembles Earth because it appeals to the big-picture planner in me. I don’t want a random, procedurally generated blob; I crave the context of the real world. Starting from nothing and orchestrating the rise of a global superpower on a map that feels familiar satisfies my deep desire to see long-term plans come to fruition in a grounded, tangible way.

2. Battlefield 2

Long before I ever put on a real uniform, I sank an embarrassing amount of hours into Battlefield 2, marking the first time I played daily with a dedicated clan. This was my “teammate” origin story. It taught me the value of the squad—communication, defined roles, and showing up for the guy next to you—proving to be a sort of digital basic training before I even enlisted.

3. XCOM 2 (with Long War Mod)

XCOM 2 with the “Long War” mod hits the engineer and optimizer side of my brain hard. I absolutely loved the concept of the mobile base—the agility of it—and the ability to fine-tune every single super soldier and psychic to perfection. The mod turns the game into a grueling marathon of resource management and logistics, feeling less like a game and more like high-stakes project management with aliens.

4. Rise of Nations

The global Risk-style campaigns in Rise of Nations were incredible, appealing directly to the patriot and historian in me. My favorite memory is conquering the world as America in the Cold War scenario; it didn’t just feel like a game, but like navigating high-tension geopolitical tides where I could personally ensure the outcome favored the stars and stripes.

5. Warno

Warno is for the realist tactician in me, specifically because of the unmatched Army General scenarios where battalions persist between battles. If I lose tanks in one fight, they don’t magically reappear in the next, which forces me to apply the “Defense in Depth” and probing tactics my Army friends noticed I use naturally. The combination of a “Risk board” strategic layer and real-time battles creates actual stakes, rewarding conservation of force over blindly rushing the objective.

Paul’s Favorite PC Gaming Genre

From Command & Conquer to Critical Thinking: Why I Stick to Strategy

When I look at my gaming library, there’s a clear pattern. Sure, I enjoy a good shooter now and then, but my favorite genre has always been strategy. It’s not just about winning matches; it’s about the mental puzzle.

The Origin Story

My journey started with the classics. The very first strategy game to hook me was Command & Conquer. There was something addictive about building a base and managing resources while fending off attacks. That led me straight into Age of Empires, where the scope got bigger and the history got richer.

Then came my introduction to turn-based strategy with Civilization 1. That was the game that truly locked me in. It wasn’t just about reaction speed anymore; it was about long-term planning and consequences. I fell in love with the genre right then and there.

Accidental Tactics

What keeps me coming back is the critical thinking required. I love the challenge of outsmarting an opponent rather than just out-clicking them.

It’s funny—some of my combat arms friends have watched me play and pointed out that I naturally apply real-world military concepts. I’d be setting up what I thought were just “traps” or “tests,” and they’d identify them as feints, probing attacks, and defense in depth.

I didn’t know these tactics had formal names at the time; they just came from experimentation. I was just trying to survive and win. But it turns out, the critical thinking skills you sharpen in a game like Civilization or Warno translate pretty well to understanding the battlefield.

For me, that’s the ultimate hook. It’s enough thinking to keep my brain sharp, and enough chaos to keep it fun.