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When it comes to best strategy board games, the combination of strategy, skill, and chance creates an enticing and immersive experience. There are so many games to choose from that it can be hard to figure out which ones are the best. This list goes beyond the well-known games to show how many different kinds of strategy games there are.
Each of these games is special in its own way and deserves to be on this list. Whether you’re looking for a game to play with friends or a personal challenge, these strategy board games will keep you entertained for hours and help you think more strategically. So, let’s dive into the exciting world of strategy board games and find the secret gems that are waiting to be found.
Best Strategy Board Games Comparison Table
| Product Name | Players | Playing Time | Complexity | Theme | Mechanics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricola | 1-4 | 30-120 minutes | Medium | Farming and resource management | Worker placement, resource management |
| Through the Ages: A New Story Of Civilization | 2-4 | 120-240 minutes | High | Civilization and historical development | Card drafting, resource management |
| Root | 2-4 | 60-90 minutes | Medium to high | Woodland animals and asymmetric warfare | Area control, asymmetric gameplay |
| Photosynthesis | 2-4 | 30-60 minutes | Medium | Nature and growth | Tile placement, resource management |
| Risk | 2-6 | 120-240 minutes | Medium | Global conquest and warfare | Area control, dice rolling |
Agricola
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Agricola |
| Players | 1-4 |
| Playing Time | 30-120 minutes |
| Complexity | Medium to high |
| Theme | Farming and resource management |
| Mechanics | Worker placement, resource management |
| Age Recommendation | 12+ years |
Even though it’s one of the oldest games on this list, this fun example of farming before modern technology has stood the test of time. Starting with just a farming couple on a rudimentary smallholding, you have to use the few people you have to work the fields, raise animals, improve your house, and even grow your family to get more farmhands.
The occupations and improvements card decks are a big part of what makes the game fun. They make sure that every game has different strategic choices and keep the game from getting boring. It’s fun to watch your little farm grow and get better as the game goes on. The game has a lot of strategy depth.
The Good
- Deep strategic decisions in an interesting game
- Provides a hard and realistic farming experience
- Cards with different jobs and small improvements can be played over and over.
- It can be played alone or with other people.
The Bad
- For casual or novice players, the game’s complexity may be too much to handle.
- People who want faster games might not like games with a long playing time.
Through the Ages: A New Story Of Civilization
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Through the Ages: A New Story Of Civilization |
| Players | 2-4 |
| Playing Time | 120-240 minutes |
| Complexity | High |
| Theme | Civilization and historical development |
| Mechanics | Card drafting, resource management |
| Age Recommendation | 14+ years |
Civilization games are a type of grand strategy board game that has been around for a long time and has a lot of history. However, it was a bit of a surprise to find out that the game’s final form didn’t have a board. In Through the Ages, you try to build the best buildings, wonders, military, and technology as you try to become the best society.
Exploration and fighting are boiled down to playing cards and adding up numbers, so you can focus on controlling your growing society within a tough set of choices. As the game goes on and you watch your society grow, you get a real sense of progress. That is, as long as your opponents don’t destroy it with their armies.
The Good
- Offers a deep and immersive way to build and grow societies.
- There’s a lot to learn about history, and there are different ways to approach it.
- Card-drafting techniques and resource management that keep you interested
- High ability to play again and depth of strategy
The Bad
- Players who want faster games might not like games with a long playing time.
- Rules and processes that are hard to understand and learn may take time and work.
Root
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Root |
| Players | 2-4 |
| Playing Time | 60-90 minutes |
| Complexity | Medium to high |
| Theme | Woodland animals and asymmetric warfare |
| Mechanics | Area control, asymmetric gameplay |
| Age Recommendation | 10+ years |
The Leder Games asymmetric wargame, which has won a Best Strategy Board Games, shows that strategic depth and creativity don’t have to be tied to historical accuracy. The so-called “woodland might and right” game replaces the worn-out khakis of World War II sims and the done-to-death line battles of Napoleonic wargames with violent animal creatures fighting for bloody control of their wooded realm. Root is most famous for its very different groups, or factions.
None of them play the same, and while there are some similarities in how turns work and how the game is played, each has its own way of working, getting points, and place on the game board. The dictatorial Marquise de Cat plays as an engine builder, speeding up the growth of their vast arming to swarm the forest with industrial might; the avian Eyrie focus on quick and sporadic territory capture; the Woodland Alliance gradually take control in piecemeal, guerilla strikes; and the adventurous vagabond is more likely to make backstabbing alliances and stay out of the fight.
The Good
- With cute woodland animal groups, the theme is unique and draws you in.
- Asymmetric gameplay means that each side has its own ways of playing and methods.
- It has beautiful art and high-quality parts.
- Area control techniques that are fun and well thought out
The Bad
- Complexity could be hard for new or casual players to handle
- It may take time to learn the rules and figure out how the different groups work.
Photosynthesis
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Photosynthesis |
| Players | 2-4 |
| Playing Time | 30-60 minutes |
| Complexity | Medium |
| Theme | Nature and growth |
| Mechanics | Tile placement, resource management |
| Age Recommendation | 8+ years |
It’s great fun to garden. Planting bulbs in late fall so they bloom colorfully in spring, repotting trees when they’ve outgrown their starter pots, and pruning bushes to encourage new growth are the kinds of things that make life worth living. And get this: plants are what keep us alive. Just like in real life. They make the air that we goddamn need to breathe to live. Plants are amazing, and there’s no sport that compares to the raw excitement of gardening.
After playing Photosynthesis, a Best Strategy Board Games with a strong theme in which you and up to three other players try to grow a grove of trees while competing for control of the sky, you’ll feel the same way. When you put seeds across the board, they will grow from small saplings to big trunks, giving you more “light” to buy more seeds, which will then grow into bigger trees and give you points when they reach the end of their lives.
The Good
- The tree parts are beautiful and make the theme stand out.
- Simple rules make it easy for people of all ages and skill levels to play.
- Using resource management and space planning to make strategic decisions
- Playing is quick and interesting.
The Bad
- People who want a lot of competition may not like how little contact there is between players.
- Some people may not like how deep and strategic the game is.
Risk
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Risk |
| Players | 2-6 |
| Playing Time | 120-240 minutes |
| Complexity | Medium |
| Theme | Global conquest and warfare |
| Mechanics | Area control, dice rolling |
| Age Recommendation | 10+ years |
“Risk” is a Best Strategy Board Games about world conquest. They can do this by eliminating other players, forming alliances, or employing diplomacy. The typical game divides the world into 42 territories that players control equally at the outset. Players receive military reinforcements each turn based on their territory ownership and location. Western Europe and North America can provide bonuses.
Risk is enjoyable since it may be played by two or six individuals of any age. “Risk” dice rolls involve strategy and luck. To win, you must form alliances and attack strategically. “Risk” lasts hours and has no repeating rounds.
The Good
- A long history of a classic and well-known board game
- Offers a strategic and engaging way to take over the world
- Different maps and events make the game more interesting.
- This game is good for bigger groups and competitive play.
The Bad
- Players who want faster games might not like games with a long playing time.
- Depending on the roll of the dice can bring in luck, which can affect the results.
FAQs
A: Yes, strategy board games can be played over and over again because they have many different ways to play, random parts, and exchanges between players. Each game can be different, giving players the chance to try out different strategies and ways to win.
A: Strategy board games can help improve critical thinking, problem-solving skills, strategy planning, decision-making, and social interactions. Many strategy games have historical or thematic aspects that help people learn in many different areas.
A: To choose the right strategy board game, you should think about things like the level of difficulty, the number of players, the theme, the time it takes to play, and the tastes of the people you plan to play with. You can also get good information by reading reviews, watching videos of how the game is played, and asking other board game fans for advice.