Some recent favorites are Xenonauts and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Both had me hooked for hours on end every time I started them up.

I'd actually say I prefer Xenonauts to XCOM (EU). While it may not look as fancy, the combat systems and base Management just manages to edge it out.

Fire Emblem has that "one more battle" feeling to it. I always wanted to see how the story progressed further, and I enjoyed the micro management around the monastery on the off days. Probably my favorite game on the Nintendo Switch.

Don't forget Halfway and Pathway, both on GOG.

https://www.gog.com/game/halfway

https://www.gog.com/game/pathway

UFO: Enemy Unknown
Terror from the Deep was a bit too "difficult" for my liking. I could've finished it if I really wanted too, but I don't like when it starts to feel like a chore. Still a great game though! Apocalypse is good too.

I would still prefer the DS port over the original, simply because of the ability to disable animations (how many times do you need to see Hell Pepper's animation?).

Also, the ability to set the Item World music is nice, though Disgaea 1's default Item World music may be the best in the series. (If I ever play Disgaea D2, I'm setting that game's remix of that theme as the Item World music as soon as I can.)

From what I hear, Disgaea 3 and 4 have a balance problem where, in high level gameplay, one hit from any non-magic skill is going to be a one hit kill, making HP, defense, and healing useuess.

I really liked Incubation (or "Battle Isle Phase Four"), although I still haven't played the additional missions.
I had a great time playing Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate as well. It plays a lot like X-COM but with Space Marines, so chances are if you liked the latter, you could appreciate this one too. But I think you should have at least a passing interest in WH40K to fully enjoy it. Well, I also loved the old Space Crusade on the Amiga for that matter, but it's not available here or anywhere else.

I had a lot of fun with Depth_of Extinction. Really like its quirky, b-movie style.

Hello Green_Hilltop!

In the past, I played the tactical FPS games a lot, especially "Rainbow Six", "Rogue Spear", "Ghost Recon", "The Sum of All Fears", "SWAT 3" and "SWAT 4". My favourite would be the original "Rainbow Six" (including it's addon, which unfortunately is not available here ;( -- neither its sequels), because of the great level design. Despite the technical limitations, the quite authentic layouts, dimensions and interiors of the buildings are still unmatched by the more modern games. And I prefered the greater variety in mission objectives from both "Rainbow Six" and "Rogue Spear"!
A close second would be "SWAT 3 or 4", I guess a little bit more "SWAT 4" for all its non-lethal options to take care of suspects in the game and the better randomisation of suspects and hostages locations.

Furthermore, I consider many of the stealth action titles, such as "Metal Gear (Solid)", "Splinter Cell" or "Thief" series, as tactical oriented games, too.

But speaking strictly of tactical games with a strategic layer, of course the original "X-COM (UFO Defense / Enemy Unknown)" would be among the favourites, at least of the turn-based ones. Although, I got to know it initially from the relative good Playstation (PSOne) port.

Other favourites in the turn-based category would be "Vandal Hearts" (also on Playstation / PSOne it shares some similarities with "Final Fantasy Tactics", but I liked Vandal Hearts' characters and progression more), "Rebelstar Tactical Command" on the Gamboy Advance (made by the developer(s) of X-Com, but sadly it is a bit buggy in the endgame) or the two "Fire Emblem" games on the Gameboy Advance.

In the realtime category my favourite tactical games are "Warhammer Dark Omen" (Playstation / PSOne port or PC-original) and the first "Ground Control" for PC! I found it always way more intriguing to have to keep my troops alive throughout the campaign(s) and actually do care for their success, instead of replacing them with an onstream of rebuild units in the likes of Command and Conquer.

Kind regards,
foxgog

Currently my favorite is Battle Brothers.
Past favorites include
Warhammer Shadow of the Horned Rat and Dark Omen (only played them on PS1)
XCOM and UFO Defense
Xenonauts
Space Hulk
Sudden Strike 1

it is a sub genre :D

if souls deserves a notation then X has one with a gold primed detonator

Original X-com (over the newer versions), but in the guise of the OpenXcom project and specifically The X-com Files mod:

https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/board,21.0.html?PHPSESSID=44tedd606cam7kghphtvjtfldq

Personally, I didn't like the DS port that much, because it omits voice acting and FMV scenes. The Steam or PSP versions are usually seen as the definitive "to play" editions due to content.

And I trust you on that: I'm really a bonehead when it comes to strategy games.

The voice acting (which *is* present in the DS version, just without the option to switch to Japanese audio) and cutscenes you only really encounter when you're playing through the main game. Attack animations, however, are constantly encountered even well into the postgame; Hell Pepper and Winged Slayer really get old after you've seen them hundreds of time, and the PS1 version doesn't let you disable them. Hence, I would take the DS version over the PS1 version for that reason alone. (Note that the PSP version *does* allow you to disable them; however, there's one item that's bugged in a way that allows you to break the game once it's available.)

Also, there's this rather nice instrumental version of the Red Moon song that's not in the other versions (though it is missing the harmony line that appears at one point in the original):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P76s7Sgys00

(I think at least one later game in the series has a remix of the song that's based off this version.)

I found I don't like the realtime games. Desperados types. I like them, I should say, but I don't have the quick mouse skills necessary to play them well. So I've returned to turn based.

If Fantasy Wars counts, that's probably mine. Very tactical, fair, and ready to lose. But some people hate it because they can't unlock everything. You have to strategically go where you're going, not try to 100% it.