Best Strategy Board Games

Put your decision-making skills to the test and explore a great range of strategy board games. From collecting birds in nature reserves, to competing as an entrepreneur in Birmingham during the industrial revolution, strategy games can take you on an adventure across all different lives.

Strategy games often take longer than others, such as an hour or more, meaning they’re usually enjoyed by adult audiences who can concentrate for lengthy amounts of time. These games are perfect for game night, improving general decision-making skills, and of course having fun! This is why we’ve put together a list of our favourites, so you can discover all of the best strategy games too.

Top 10 Strategy Games

1. Scythe

This 1-5 player strategy game focuses on 4 tasks: explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate. Set in an alternate history of the 1920’s in Europe, players must use engine-building tactics to lead their faction to power. 

Each action will impact the next in this unique game which was created following a Kickstarter campaign in 2016. The popularity of the board game since then has not slowed down, and is recognised as a favourite among strategy game fans.

2. Root

In terms of adventure games, Root is everything you could want. In the great woodland, 2-4 players must battle to control the land as different characters in this asymmetric game. The cats, the eyrie, the vagabond and the alliance will all have varying goals and capabilities, meaning victory is defined by each role. 

The replayability of this game makes it a strong contender in anyone’s game collection, with enough complexity to keep you wanting more.

3. Wingspan

This unique game offers 1–5 players the chance to attract some of the most beautiful birds to their own wildlife preserve. Despite the relaxing theme of this game, you must compete against each other to achieve the most points through collecting birds, achieving objectives and accumulating cards.

Wingspan is critically acclaimed for its gameplay and artwork while maintaining bird habitat accuracy. The game achieves the perfect balance of strategy and simple enjoyment.

4. Brass: Birmingham

Brass: Birmingham takes you on a more serious journey of competing as an entrepreneur during the industrial revolution, between the years of 1770-1870, in Birmingham. In this turn based strategy game, players will build and establish their network and industry through performing actions. Points are scored through creating buildings and connections. 

If you enjoy Brass: Birmingham, make sure to check out a different story arc from Brass: Lancashire, where entrepreneurs work in the cotton industry.

5. Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven is a well-loved, complex game to be played by 1-4 individuals. Each player has their own character with goals to achieve, which, once completed, will take on the role of another character. This is an ever-branching story with dungeons and monsters to tackle through decision-making using cards. 

Similar to a ‘choose your own adventure’ book, this strategy card game relies on the decisions you make for which scenarios happen while playing. Work cooperatively to fight against the monsters by making the best decisions for each character.

6. Spirit Island

In this cooperative game, 1-4 players must use spirit powers to prevent colonial invaders from taking over the island. In this complex area-control game, players will win through eradicating invaders or by generating enough fear for the invaders to leave. 

Strategy is important, as you must choose carefully which power cards to use since they cost energy to play them and give long or short term impacts. Even though Spirit Island can be replayed over and over, expansion packs mean that your game experience is even more entertaining. Choose between Feather & Flame, Jagged Earth and Branch & Claw for even more cards and scenarios to play with.

7. Ark Nova