If you want the best strategy games, you shouldn’t miss this blog article. Because we present you with our top list of the best gaming experiences for clever strategists.
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Strategy games – think first, then think again, then play
Strategy games exert a special fascination. This is because they require foresighted thinking in which players have to keep an eye on various options. They can only reach their goal with clever tactical considerations – although a certain amount of luck is often also part of success. In any case, the complexity and variety of the game scenarios are what make the whole thing so appealing.
It can be about commanding an army, using resources skillfully or building an empire through tactical maneuvers. Each game has its own game mechanics that need to be mastered.
Strategy games – the different genres
Roughly speaking, strategy games can be divided into different categories, depending on the game mechanics or theme.
Real-time strategy games (RTS)
In this form, the players make their maneuvers or moves simultaneously, i.e. in real time. This requires quick decision-making and the ability to react. Players collect resources, build bases and lead troops into battle. Well-known examples are “StarCraft” and “World of Warcraft”.
Turn-based strategy games (TBS)
In contrast to RTS games, players make their moves one after the other in this genre. A round is finished when all players have made their moves. This gives players more time to think about their reaction to the game. Board games such as “chess” or “mill” are among them, as are “Civilization” or “XCOM” on the PC.
Grand Strategy
Here, players control entire nations or empires over long periods of time – thematically, the focus is on diplomacy, war, economy or domestic politics. Games such as “Europa Universalis” and “Crusader Kings” fall into this category.
Tower Defense
This category is about building defenses, fending off waves of enemies and protecting your own territory. Different structures are designed to prevent the enemy from advancing or to destroy them. Originally from the computer world (e.g. “Plants vs. Zombies” and “Kingdom Rush”), there are now also corresponding board games.
4X games
The 4 Xs stand for “eXplore”, “eXpand”, “eXploit” and “eXterminate”. As these terms suggest, the aim is to explore new worlds, expand your territory, develop resources and destroy your opponent. “Master of Orion” and “Endless Space” are well-known representatives of this genre.
Economic simulations
Building and managing companies, cities or other economic units are at the heart of the game. The aim is to develop economic strategies and manage resources efficiently. Examples of economic simulators are “Sim City”, “Anno” or “Coal and Colony”.
Tactical role-playing games (Tactical RPGs)
These games combine elements of role-playing games with tactical planning. Players control small groups of characters and engage in turn-based battles. Well-known titles include “Fire Emblem” and “Final Fantasy Tactics”.
MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena)
MOBA games are probably the most action-packed games presented here. You fight in real time as a single character in a team to destroy the opponent’s base. However, the means is not pure violence, but requires a sophisticated joint strategy. “League of Legends” and “Dota 2” are very popular MOBA games.
The 6 best strategy games on the board
Best strategy games at the table: Let’s start with concrete declarations of love for the board games that mean the world to strategy game fans.
Chess – a timeless classic
The archetype of a strategy game on the board is undoubtedly chess – the many combinations and possibilities require a high degree of forward thinking. All moves that the opponent could make must be considered.
Carcassonne (2-5 players, ages 7+)
The award-winning placement game Carcassonne has a straightforward set of rules, so it’s easy to get to grips with. It offers a nice mix of luck and strategy:
One after the other, players draw tiles, which they use to build cities, roads, meadows or monasteries by placing them on existing structures and occupying them with small figures. The count at the end is particularly exciting – where things can still change.
The Settlers of Catan (2-6 players, ages 8+)
In“The Settlers of Catan“, you settle on an island consisting of hexagonal fields. These fields produce resources such as wood, clay, grain and ore or contain sheep, which you trade to build roads and settlements (or upgrade them) to expand your territories and collect victory points.
This classic strategy game is very popular because the game mechanics allow for a lot of dynamics in addition to strategy. The luck of the dice and the negotiating skills of the players are also crucial.
Small World (2-5 players, ages 8+)
Small World is an exciting strategy game that takes you into a magical world of dwarves, elves and dragons that live in swamps or forests. Each player is assigned a race that has special abilities and characteristics. With this race, you have to fight with the others for the limited resources. Because, as the name suggests, the world is too small for everyone.
Every game is unique – this is ensured by the variable choice of different character types and abilities at the start.
Pandemic (2-4 players, ages 12+)
The game is easy to explain – Pandemic is a cooperative board game in which you work together as specialists to fight global epidemics and find the appropriate cure.
You have different skills and travel the world together to treat infections, build research stations and develop cures. You have to be strategic, as you are under time pressure and the threat is constantly growing.
Terraforming Mars (1-5 players, ages 12+)
Making Mars habitable is the challenge of the strategy game Terraforming Mars. As rival corporations, you collect and manage resources and use them to invest in various projects that promote terraforming – raising the temperature, generating oxygen and creating oceans.
Depending on your strategy, you can build cities, promote green spaces or use special cards to collect points. A thematically in-depth game with a variety of game options.
Which strategy games inspire game night fans?
What could be more cozy and exciting than a game night with friends and family members – either planned or, if you spontaneously get the gaming bug, following a birthday or Christmas party?
Of course, the games mentioned above are well suited – but if the group of players is a little larger, the following games from our “best strategy games” collection are particularly suitable:
Diplomacy (2-7 players, ages 12+)
In the board game Diplomacy, you take on the role of the major European powers before the First World War. The interesting thing about this game is that there are no random elements – success depends solely on negotiations, alliances and tactical planning.
The players secretly give their orders, which are then carried out simultaneously. This often leads to surprising twists and turns. As the name suggests, diplomatically skilled people who can negotiate well and act strategically are required here.
7 Wonders (2-7 players, ages 10+)
In 7 Wonders, players lead a civilization through the ages and, as builders, construct one of seven wonders of the world over the course of 3 ages. It’s all about the clever use of resources, trading with neighbors and advancing science. A certain degree of cooperation is also required to build the wonders of the world.
Codenames (2-6 players, ages 12+)
Quick combinations and strategic thinking – that’s what the strategy game Codenames requires, where players are divided into two teams. Using sparse clues from the “spymaster”, the team members have to guess the right cards – but stay away from those of the other team.
The game requires clever and creative hints from the “spymasters” and precise and strategic interpretations from the team members.
Risk (2-6 players, ages 12+)
Another well-known strategy game is Risk, in which you try to achieve world domination as a military power – in other words, to conquer so much territory that you are the only player left.
Players command armies, form alliances and conquer territories with dice battles. In addition to tactical skill, luck also plays a role here. Always an exciting favorite for entertaining game evenings.
Werewolves of Bleak Forest (8-18 players, ages 10+)
The strategy game“Werewolves of Bleak Forest” is always great fun, even for quite a few players. At the beginning, players are assigned roles of different villagers on the one hand and werewolves on the other.
Night after night, the werewolves try to eliminate the villagers one by one. During the day, the villagers have to guess who is innocent, who belongs to the werewolves and who should be eliminated for the safety of the village.
The exciting thing about the game is the social dimension – who suspects whom based on which clues? How cunningly can the wolves divert attention from themselves? And who is manipulating whom?
Best strategy games PC
Strategy games are not only popular as board games and in real-life gaming sessions. There are also many great games on the PC that fall into the best strategy games category and get the brains of real strategists going.
Civilization
This epic strategy game series puts players in control of a civilization from the dawn of mankind to the modern age. In Civilization, players explore the world, found cities, research technologies and conduct negotiations and wars to lead their civilization to supremacy. Long-term strategies are required – because every decision can have far-reaching consequences. The series is one of the most influential and popular in the PC strategy game genre.
StarCraft
Star Craft offers a legendary real-time strategy game for PC, set in a distant, futuristic galaxy and centered around the battle between three stellar factions, each requiring a different play style and specific strategies and tactics. Players collect resources, build bases and command armies in intense battles. The game is rightly a classic – a milestone in the real-time strategy genre.
Total War: Shogun 2
Shogun 2 is a special installment in the Total War series. As “Daimyo” of a clan in 16th century feudal Japan, players strive to unite the country and become “Shogun”. To this end, players manage their provinces, promote their economy, engage in diplomacy and lead their army into impressive real-time battles on the turn-based campaign map.
Age of Empires
Age of Empires is a classic PC strategy game in which players are guided through various historical epochs – from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.
Again, the motto is: collect resources, erect buildings and command armies to defend your people against others.
XCOM 2
In this turn-based tactical game, players lead a resistance movement against alien invaders who dominate the Earth. Strategic missions and tactical maneuvers need to be carefully planned and resources and technologies need to be managed effectively. After all, you have to deal with a multitude of enemies.
New challenges and intense battles are what make XCOM 2 so appealing.
Conclusion: Best strategy games
Finding the best strategy games is not so easy given the huge range on offer. We have explained to you what the different types of strategy games are and presented the most prominent representatives in more detail.
Of course, you also need the right amount of strategy and tactics for our OPOLUM Escape Room Hamburg, a nerve-wracking real-time game – come along!
