Damn... beat me to it!

Hitman series are serious business.
Someone will die. Actually, make that people will die.

:-D

Gabriel Knight series.

Arsenal of Democracy

I second Fate of the World, it's climate change management. You are like the UN, and place into motion policies that have short and long term effects throughout the different regions of the world. As time goes by you will also have to go dealing with specific problems that arise randomly and/or as a consequence of your actions (famine, war, floods, civil unrest etc).

There are different scenarios of increasing difficulty. It's VERY difficult and can get gripping.

If you want serious games, but don't want to touch ArmA/HoI/EU/etc, then you're not looking for serious games. You're looking for something else. First find that, then you will find what you truly seek.

Still kicking myself in the ass for missing the Serious Sam sale on Steam...

I don't wanna play Arma, HoI etc. because I already have played through them. So after all you are right: I am looking for something else... ;)

@AFnord: Those are some good suggestions! I totally forgot about the Patrician-games for example. Also Commander - Conquest of the Americas looks pretty intersting. Thank you!

And what about Supreme Ruler: Cold War? (Or SR: 2020 Gold) , have you tried them?

One of the most complete modern politocs simulator I've ever seen. Looks like shit, though :P

L.A. Noire ?

You poor thing. :P lol

I'm trying Civ or TW style games. 4x Strategy, Turnbased, Campaign/Skirmish turnbased, Actually I'd recommend King Arthur: The Roleplaying Wargame if you like the Total War style but want a harder AI in both the campaign and skirmish maps. Paradox and Neocore teamed up, so it's available everywhere Paradox games are. Alternatively there's always the default chess, Chessmaster 9000 available here on GoG. :P

A word of warning, King Arthur can be as bad as Europa Univeralis with their Timed Events, so you can be going along merrily waylaying provinces and then next turn you're in a three front war against various AI, but it's still fun. The music is nice, the graphics decent, the bugs are patched out, and there's enough in the game to keep you busy for a while.

Total war series.

Warfare and diplomacy without too much simulational elements.

First time I've actually felt like there are strategies I can use, not just "the strategy" that dominates the RTS genre.

Other than that...

Well maybe you COULD try Metal Gear Solid series. The gameplay is quite basic, but the plot often goes deeeeeeeeeeeep into psychophilosophic metascience and whatnot genetics and memetics.

Great stuff in my holy opinion.

Dwarf Fortress

Aurora