People all want different things from gaming, and let’s face it, we may want different things at different times. Games where you can simply swipe or react to what is happening on screen have their place, and sometimes there is a lot of fun in simplicity, but at other times people want a brain workout. Strategy games can provide something that is intellectually stimulating or gives a different experience. Games come in different forms and some are all about being ahead of the competition.

Poker

Poker is a game that has a combination of fortune and strategy involved, and the cards will always bring some element of unpredictability. 

Strategy is definitely part of the game, and some people start playing when they have a basic level of understanding and know the hands and how things like bluffing work, but some spend time exploring more advanced poker strategy techniques, and time reading all the books, watching the pros in action, and taking courses. 

Card games can sometimes be down to luck, or they can be down to reactions (well if you’re playing something basic like Snap), but they can also have an element of skill involved, with poker falling into this category. Advanced strategies include things like betting strategies, exploring when to raise or when to fold, and which hands to play on. Poker has a psychological side to it, with some players better than others at reading their opponents’ moves. 

Understanding the basic rules is the first step, and things like the values of the cards are the very basics, but some implement more advanced strategies when they play both online and in person. 

Chess

Chess is thought to be thousands of years old, so it could be one of the oldest examples of players using strategy within a game. 

Some believe the game could be as much as 1500 years old, but this is a matter historians have debated for some time. We do know that it has entertained the generations and even sharpened brains for centuries. Chess has almost limitless possibilities of how the game can pan out, and grandmasters devote their whole lives to getting better at it. Has anyone truly mastered chess, though?

Think of a strategy game and you may instantly think of PC games but there are board and card games that require a lot of thinking and planning throughout. Chess may just be the ultimate. 

The Age of Empires Franchise

Gamers may sometimes suggest that there’s a need for a shakeup in strategy gaming, but sometimes the tried-and-tested games seem to do as well as ever. Age of Empires, often abbreviated to AoE by its fans, has been a popular franchise for 25+ years now, with many players still playing the original variety of the game released all those years ago, or AoE II which stems back to 1999 but has been remastered and even rereleased for consoles in recent years. 

Players have to manage their army as well as an economy built around resources like wood, gold, and stone, as their civilization advances through the ages and eventually tries to take over the map. Alternatively, they can use strategy to play through a number of different scenarios from history and even learn about older civilizations and ancient tales. 

Two Point Hospital

Comedy and strategy, mixed with hospitals…it doesn’t sound like this should work as a game concept, but it has proven really popular. Theme Hospital fans may remember when this game first came out, made by EA and full of comedic “illnesses” for people to try to combat. Fans called for a sequel that never came, but Two Point Studios stepped up and created something that had a very similar feel to it. 

Conditions in the game aren’t real, of course, you can expect to be treating things like “Bard Flu” where people seem to turn into their own versions of William Shakespeare. Funny though it may be, the game is challenging to the intellect and has some interesting gameplay features, players need to train staff and add units to their hospital while keeping everybody as happy as possible. Not as serious as the other games to make the list, but it is still an option for people to play. 

Conclusion

People have different definitions of “strategy games” which is one of the reasons we’re talking about games with a strong element of strategy involved, rather than giving them this label. Sports management games may also fall into the mix, as well as a variety of tycoon games, and even board games like Monopoly have a strategic element, with players making decisions and implementing tactics that might impact the outcome of the game. Players who want a challenge and some intellectual stimulation may be drawn to these strategy games, and get engrossed in the detail they offer.