Isolating issues, allocating limited resources, strengthening defensible positions, and carrying out a plan-of-action in fluid grid-down situations... What are your favorite post-apocalyptic games?

I can't really think of any tbh except the Fallout games, and I'm not the biggest fan of them (though they're ok).
The STALKER games have amazing atmosphere, but I'm not sure one could call them post-apocalyptic, after all the zone is only a limited territory, with the rest of the world unaffected.

Wow. Thanks. Had never heard of that game before! Yeah, I think the Stalker games certainly work as post-apocalyptic. It has many elements just not the overall scope.

I'm interested in the first State of Decay game. Has anyone played that?

Sure. Life's too short to make demands on a GOG thread. ;)

Most Shin Megami Tensei games are post-apocalyptic, so I'll go with those.

theres a lot of fun to be had with it - along with a lot of flaws (design flaws). worth picking up on sale at least.

Edit: also Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead is really worth a look (and probably reading up on before you even start)
http://cataclysmdda.org/

I like ATOM and Mad Max. Rage is nice, as is Borderlands.
Favorite is probably Fallout NV, or Borderlands 2. Note: Borderlands isn't truly "post-apocalyptic", but it does have the feel of it (wasteland run by gangs and makeshift weapons/machinery).

I'll just dump an updated list of games (which [arguably] qualify) I had worked on back when GoGMixes were still a thing:

Metro 2033
Metro: Last Light
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
Fallout
Fallout 2
Fallout Tactics
Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition
Gorky 17
ATOM RPG
Wasteland
Wasteland 2
Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire
NEO Scavenger
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Primordia
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human
Judgment: Apocalypse
Deadlight
Tex Murphy: Mean Streets /Martian Memorandum
Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon
Tex Murphy: The Pandora Directive
Tex Murphy: Overseer
Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure
Shattered Haven
Dead Synchronicity
Shardlight
Judge Dredd: Dredd vs Death
Frostpunk
Lone Survivor
Convoy
Skyshine's Bedlam
Sheltered
Dead State
Breach & Clear: Deadline
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
Underrail
Age of Decadence
Carmageddon
Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now
Carmageddon TDR 2000
Carmageddon: Max Damage
Powerslide
Redline
Fade to Silence
Whispers of a Machine
Archimedean Dynasty
AquaNox
AquaNox 2: Revelation
Requiem: Avenging Angel
SOMA
Darksiders
Darksiders II
Darksiders III
The Flame in the Flood
60 Seconds
Krush Kill 'N Destroy Xtreme
Krush Kill ‘N Destroy 2: Krossfire
Oniken
Blazing Chrome
Strife
Sunless Sea
Sunless Skies
Mortal Kombat 1-3
Vangers
UFO: Aftermath
UFO: Aftershock

Zombie - State Of Decay - The version on steam YOSE? is buggy, only get it on a dirt cheap sale, if the original was still on i'd recommend that over the buggy make-over version

Nuclear - Fallout series

I've said it before but the game with my favorite post-apocalyptic setting is Hatoful Boyfriend

Yeah I like State of Decay a lot too. But I do prefer to play it on xbox. The controls are easier, especially when it comes to driving.

Fallout 1/2(3 and onward are too open for my completionist/ocd addled mind to keep track of everything, but they are good...well except maybe 76 which I hear is bad), for starters.

Mars: War logs seems to fit as well

Metro 2033(The first one) is good...have to play the rest though.

Stalker(first one) is a bit drawn out but okish.

Tex Murphy 1(classic) is fun if a bit clunky to play(have to play the rest as well)

Darksiders 1 seems fun so far(have to finish it).

Aquanox 1 seems fun as well so far(reminds me of waterworld but with underwater colonies and zany people/dialog).

There are likely more but I cannot think right now. I will update/add more later as I remember them.

Are those really neccessary things? Rage of Mages/Evil Islands are post-apocalypse too, you know. As well as Splatoon.

Though, my personal favourite is, of course, X-com: Apocalypse.