Best Strategy Board Games

The Best Strategy Board Games

Strategy games are great for players who don’t mind spending a lot of time using all their brain power to come up with plans and be creative as to how to finish an objective. Strategy board games exist in many forms, allowing you to solve problems, anticipate danger, prevent the enemy from advancing, etc. Here we are going to be showing you the best strategy board games that are sure to give you a challenging and entertaining time.

Five Tribes

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Five Tribes

Pros:

✓ Action-packed gameplay
✓ Learning to conquer a territory
✓ Many possible scenarios to add more excitement

Cons:

✕ Setting up takes time and must follow directions
✕ A single turn includes a lot of actions, which can make games very long

Characteristics

● Brand: Asmodee
● Number of players: 2 to 4
● Age: 13 years and over
● Duration of a game: 40 to 80 minutes
● Type of game: Trade, power, domination, strategy, thinking

This game consists of conquering the sultanate of Naqala, which has just lost its sultan. The prophecy says that it is a foreigner who will come to reign over the five tribes of Naqala, and the people living there believe in it. It’s a board game, where players will have to gain the admiration of members of the tribes, establish businesses, build palaces; in short, get rich and take power. The richest player wins the game. The board represents the sultanate, made up of 30 tiles, where the tribes live.
Each player receives a set of 8 camels, with a bidding token, as well as 50 gold coins, which they keep face down in front of them. During a turn, all players move their bidding token, and move the meeples that represent the tribes, take control of a tile, and perform the actions required for the recovered tribe. A conquered tile is marked with a camel token.
The player can upgrade their conquered tiles by placing an oasis, a palace, a market, a sacred place,all of which require paying the price. If they wish, a player can sell goods cards, to earn gold coins. The game ends when a player has no more camel tokens, or when there are no more tiles to conquer. The players will then count the victory points of each, to know who is the new sultan of Naqala. If two players are tied for first place, they will reign together.
Our opinion: The conquest of the sultanate is done with wisdom, while amassing wealth. Money is power. Whoever wants to reign must gain influence, and they have the obligation to think of everything.

Splendor

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Splendor

Pros:

✓ A development game where players have a choice of the actions to be taken
✓ The rules are easy to understand
✓ Short games, allowing a player to come back after a loss

Cons:

✕ Players need to understand the restrictions for games to be fair
✕ The layout of the cards is done following the instructions

Characteristics:

● Brand: Asmodee
● Number of players: 2 to 4
● Age: 10 years and over
● Duration of a game: 30 minutes
● Type of game: Strategy, influence, trade, development

Players are jewelry merchants. To get the nobles of the land to buy their jewelry the players must follow a smart process, using the gemstone tokens. Actions are worth victory points. The objective is to be the first to accumulate 15 victory points. Development cards are eligible for victory points.
During their turn, a player chooses between 4 actions: draw 3 tokens of different colors, draw 2 of a single color, take a development card with a Joker, or even buy a development card that’s already been revealed. Instead of taking an already revealed development card, a player can draw from the pile if they want a chance to find a better card.
The Joker is a gold token that can be used in place of any token. Depending on the bonus they earned, a player can get a noble tile at the end of a turn. A noble tile entitles its owner to 3 victory points. There is also a bonus that allows the player to buy development cards at a reduced price.
Our advice: Players should focus on the points that development cards can provide. Relying solely on the visiting nobles can be a waste of time.

Small World

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Small World

Pros:

✓ A complete game about the conquest of a territory
✓ Victory depends on the conqueror’s choices
✓ The more the rules are understood, the more exciting the game becomes

Cons:

✕ Players should take their time to understand the rules before starting
✕ The game is long, because the turn counter must reach the last square

Characteristics:

● Brand: Small Worlds
● Number of players: 2 to 5
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 40 to 80 minutes
● Type of game: Strategy, conquest, power

Depending on the number of players, you will have to choose the appropriate board. This game consists of conquering a territory, even if it means expelling its other occupants. By subduing tribes, conquerors can use them, harnessing their special powers to attack other regions. Whoever has the most victory points at the end of the game wins the game.
The turn counter is used to mark everyone’s turn. It is placed at the start square, to mark the start of the game. When the players get to the last square, the game is over. The player whose turn it is chooses a People, with the Special Power which accompanies them. Only the first combination is free, the rest must be purchased with a victory token. Then, the player sets out to conquer regions.
The victory points depend on the regions and the Races. The player can take other regions with the help of the already acquired population. A player can run into trouble if the People no longer have enough strength to go into battle. In the following turn, the player can choose another combination, which will allow them to conquer more territories.
Our opinion: The strategy lies in the choice of the People and the Special Power. It is therefore a question of using the capacities and characteristics of a tribe wisely to obtain victory points.

7 Wonders

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7 Wonders

Pros:

✓ Many strategies can be exploited to develop a civilization
✓ The game board can accommodate up to 7 players
✓ The games are not too long

Cons:

✕ After a few games, the scenarios become repetitive
✕ The games are too short, despite the 3 rounds of play

Characteristics:

● Brand: 7 Wonders
● Number of players: 3 to 7
● Age: 10 years and over
● Duration of a game: 30 minutes
● Type of game: Strategy, development, civilizations, construction

The game is divided into 3 ages which each have 6 rounds. The objective is to develop a city, and to obtain victory points. Whoever has the most points at the end of the 3 ages wins the game. Each player is dealt 7 facedown cards at the start of the game. During the 6 rounds of an age, the players carry out their actions together.
Each turn, players choose 1 card from the 7 they have received and separate it from the rest, face down. With this card, they can construct a building or Wonder, or sell the card to earn money. In the next turn, the remaining cards are passed to the neighbor on the left, and the same actions start again. At the end of each round, players move on to resolving military conflicts.
A city cannot contain 2 identical buildings. To build a Wonder, a player will have to use the resources produced in the same city, or buy them from the neighbors, provided they have enough coins for the transaction. Victory points are counted through several factors like Wonder construction progress, defeat or victory tokens, treasure, and more.
Our advice: The players take actions at the same time, which limits the possibility of observing the moves of the neighbor. However, it is also an advantage because everyone builds their city independently of the others.

Azul

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Azul

Pros:

✓ An abstract decoration game, very pleasing to the eyes
✓ Games are short, some rounds are done together
✓ An innovative game for the whole family, especially for those who love challenges

Cons:

✕ There is no action
✕ The rules are not easy to understand at first

Characteristics:

● Brand: Asmodee
● Number of players: 2 to 4
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 30 minutes
● Type of game: Decoration, strategy

Each player is a decorator, who chooses and places tiles, to embellish the Evora Palace, in the time of Manuel I, King of Portugal. The object of the game is to receive points through the positioning of the tiles. The game is over after the decoration phase, after which one or more players line up 5 consecutive tiles on their board. The points are then counted.
Each round includes the choice of tiles and their placement on the wall represented by the board. During the decoration phase, the player completes the pattern row. By arriving at the 4th row, they gain 1 point. On the other hand, the tiles on the floor row cause them to lose points, depending on the number of tiles placed there. At the end of a round, the players prepare for the next.
As long as no player has completed a row with 5 consecutive tiles, the game continues. The points are counted according to the characteristics of the row. If there are several rows, each one is worth 2 points. Each column contains 7 points, and each color 10 points. Whoever has collected the most points wins the game. If there is a tie, whoever has completed the most rows wins.
Our advice: It is not enough to align the tiles. The strategy lies in the choice of tiles, in order to obtain the maximum number of points. It is therefore necessary to take into account the allocation of points.

Citadels

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Citadels

Pros:

✓ Games full of action, twists, and plots
✓ Different characters give more originality to the game
✓ The rules are explicit according to the number of players

Cons:

✕ A player can be frustrated with the character they are playing
✕ The cards, by dint of being manipulated, are damaged very quickly

Characteristics:

● Brand: Asmodee
● Number of players: 2 to 7
● Age: 10 years and over
● Duration of a game: 60 minutes
● Type of game: Strategy, conspiracy, construction, bluff

Each player represents a character, they will build a city, ensuring that it is the most beautiful and also the richest. The character cards are randomly drawn. The crown card will be drawn. Whoever gets it is responsible for calling the characters, according to the defined order. Each player receives a player aid card, 2 gold coins, and 4 district cards.
Each character is endowed with power, which the player can take advantage of, if they wish. During their turn, a player has the choice between picking up 2 gold coins or taking 2 district cards from which they choose one. The objective is to build 8 cities. When a player manages to do that, the game ends. Each city is evaluated, in order to count the points. The player who accumulates the most points wins the game.
The points are made up of all the construction costs of the city. Players who have quarters of 5 different colors get 3 more points. The player who manages to build 8 cities earns 4 more points. If other players have kept 8 quarters until the end of the game, each of them receives 2 more points.
Our opinion: The strategy lies in the choice of cities and in the investments the players make. The players should not focus solely on their progress. They must prevent their opponents from progressing. This can be done by using their special powers.

Abyss

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Abyss

Pros:

✓ The player has many choices as to which actions they should take
✓ Rich in design, making it very captivating
✓ Learning to conquer

Cons:

✕ The rules are a bit long and complicated for beginners
✕ Games with more experienced players are frustrating for beginners

Characteristics:

● Brand: Asmodee
● Number of players: 2 to 4
● Age: 14 years and over
● Duration of a game: 45 minutes
● Type of game: Strategy, conquest, diplomacy

The game takes place on a board that represents Abyss, an ancient underwater kingdom. Players will attempt to gain power. The objective is to become King, by accumulating Influence Points. Points are made up of Lords, Allies, Locations under control, and Monsters fought. Whoever has the most points is crowned King at the end of the game.
During their turn, a player can buy new Lords if they wish. They then explore the depths, draw Council cards, and recruit Allies. The Allies have powers that the player can take advantage of, but there are conditions to be met for recruitment. Lords grant more influence points. A Lord with a key helps take possession of a Location.
The game is over when a player has 7 Lords on their side, or when there are no more Lords to recruit. The Influence Points are then counted. To decide between players who have the same points, it is necessary to consider the one who has the most Pearls, or the one who is supported by the most powerful Lord.
Our advice: Before playing, everyone must take the time to understand the rules in detail. Indeed, any omission makes the game less interesting and more difficult, especially against opponents who have a lot of experience with the game.

Ticket to ride Europe

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Ticket to ride Europe

Pros:

✓ A game that allows you to discover cities
✓ Can be played as a family
✓ Compatibility with Alexa makes the game interactive

Cons:

✕ More exciting with more players
✕ You have to know several techniques to earn points

Characteristics:

● Brand: Les aventuriers du rail
● Number of players: 2 to 5
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 30 to 60 minutes
● Type of game: Strategy, travel, discovery, construction

The players are adventurers who will travel through the cities of Europe by train. Along the route, they will have to connect two cities by building roads and stations. The objective is to accumulate the most points through the actions taken. The player who receives the most points is declared the winner of the game.
Each player receives 45 wagons, 3 stations, a score marker, 4 wagon cards, a long route, and 3 destination cards. During their turn, a player can take 2 wagon cards or a Locomotive, take over a road, draw destination cards, or build a station. Every player is entitled to only one action.
The game is over when a player has a maximum of 2 wagons left at the end of a turn. All participants then finish their turn. After that, it’s time to start counting the points. Roads give players points, depending on their length. Each unbuilt station entitles the player to 4 points. The player who connected the longest route earns 10 more points.
Our opinion: The game is more interesting with constructions. However, the strategy is to know exactly what action you should take every turn, taking into consideration the points it could bring.

Comparison Table

 Five TribesSplendorSmall World7 WondersAzulCitadelsAbyssThe Adventurers of Rail Europe
Age 13 years and over10 years and over8 years and over10 years and over8 years and over10 years and over14 years and over8 years and over
Duration of a game 40 to 80 mins30 mins40 to 80 mins30 mins30 mins60 mins45 mins30 to 60 mins
Type of game Trade, power, domination, strategy, thinkingStrategy, influence, trade, developmentStrategy, conquest, powerStrategy, development, civilizations, constructionDecoration, strategyStrategy, conspiracy, construction, bluffStrategy, conquest, diplomacyStrategy, travel, discovery, construction