Board gaming is a hobby with tons of variety, so much so that it can be difficult to know where to start. Even if you know what kind of
If you can only get one new game, my highest recommendation is Betrayal of House on the Hill. It features depth, tough decisions, and an engaging theme that players can really lean into. The game also features a ton of variety in the base game, as well as an expansion for players who want to get even more out of this modern classic.
Of course, there are plenty of great choices besides Betrayal at House on the Hill that might appeal to you more. With so many wonderful options, there’s bound to be a game that meets the needs of you and your gaming group. Hopefully, my years of experience with strategy
Table of Contents
- What are Strategy Board Games?
- What Makes for the Best Strategy Board Games?
- The Best Strategy Board Games for Adults by Type
- What are the Best Strategy Board Games for Adults?
- Conclusion
What are Strategy Board Games?
In a strategy
As an example, consider chess. In chess, you have a clear goal: checkmate the opponent’s king. How you accomplish that is entirely up to you, though. Nothing affects a game of chess other than the decisions of you and your opponent. Both players can use whatever tactics they want, and whoever makes the better decisions over the course of the game will win.
However, not all strategy games look like chess. Poker isn’t a
What Makes for the Best Strategy Board Games?
When considering which strategy games are the best for adults, there are multiple factors to consider. Individual games can have other elements that make them shine, but the key aspects for great strategy
Important Decisions
In order for a strategy game to feel satisfying, the decisions you make should have a big impact on how the game plays out. That might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s key for strategy games to present the player with interesting challenges that are rewarding to solve.
Consider Monopoly, for instance. You make some decisions in Monopoly, such as trading properties or building hotels, but most of the game is spent rolling dice. Since you land on random properties, you can’t really outplay your opponents. You also can’t decide on a strategy: you stumble into one. If you get two out of the three red properties, you’ll probably try to get the third. It doesn’t involve much critical thinking.
Settlers of Catan, on the other hand, has its players make decisions throughout the whole game. There’s still plenty of dice-rolling, but you also make lots of meaningful decisions.
At the start of the game, you get to place two settlements on the
Solid Mechanics
This goes hand-in-hand with having important decisions, but solid mechanics are key for excellent strategy games. Whether the game’s mechanics are simple and clean, complex and engaging, or unique to its theme, they need to be fun to execute.
Ticket to Ride only has a few mechanics, but they make the game easy to understand, fast-paced, and satisfying. Your goal is to acquire points by claiming train routes on a map, and you get Destination Tickets that give you even more points for connecting specific cities. On your turn, you can do one of three things:
- Draw Train Car cards
- Claim a route
- Draw Destination Tickets
All of these actions are simple to execute, so new players understand the basics of the game very quickly. The game also moves at a brisk pace since you can only do one action on your turn. Lastly, and most importantly, Ticket to Ride doesn’t lose anything because of its simplicity. The mechanics still give the players interesting decisions, and it’s satisfying to finally claim a route you’ve been working towards.
Not all games need to be simple, but Ticket to Ride’s mechanics execute well on both theme and desired complexity. They make the moment-to-moment gameplay and key decisions a ton of fun.
Limited Chance
Lastly, the best strategy games should only have a limited amount of chance, if any. Remember: the players’ decisions should be the driving force behind these games. It’s ok for luck to be a factor, but it shouldn’t overshadow the players.
A good example of this is my #1 recommendation: Betrayal at House on the Hill. This game involves dice rolling and drawing from decks of cards. However, there are two reasons why the chance in Betrayal actually makes the game better.
First, it creates a sense of uncertainty. The game is based around exploring a haunted house, and it’s filled with classic horror tropes. Not knowing if the next room will have a useful tool or a frightening challenge makes the game exciting, and it encourages players to keep exploring.
Second, it adds replayability. As players explore the house, they’ll draw new room tiles from a shuffled stack. This means that every time you play, the house will have a different layout. When you consider that you’ll also have different events, items, and challenges to overcome, you can see how the randomness in Betrayal is a key feature. It creates new experiences every time you play, which keeps the game from feeling stale.
The Best Strategy Board Games for Adults by Type
Now that you know what a strategy
The Quickest Strategy Board Game to Learn
Psycho Killer is super easy to pick up and play. However, despite its simplicity, it has quite a bit of replay value. It’s a fast-paced, funny, and strategic party game that is a ton of fun to play. It also satirizes and pays homage to slasher movies from the ’80s and ’90s. Fans of horror films are sure to enjoy using classic cliches to doom their friends and survive the Psycho Killer.
The Best Cooperative Strategy Board Game
2-4 Players
45 Minute Play Time
8+ Years Old
Difficulty Level: Medium/Hard
Players looking for co-op games need to look no further than Pandemic. The world is threatened by four diseases, and you’re the only group in the world capable of stopping them. Together, you’ll travel across the map to find cures, eradicate diseases, and handle epidemics. Each player will also have special roles that give them their own unique powers in the game. For groups that want to solve a challenging puzzle together, Pandemic is perfect.
The Best Strategy Board Game for Fantasy Fans
If you’re a fan of the fantasy worlds of Walt Disney, this is the game for you. It features 6 classic Disney heroes and villains for players to pit against one another in the ultimate battle of good versus evil. Hero or villain, you can count on thwarting opposing game plans with sinister twists at every turn.
The game features fan favorites such as Captain Hook, Maleficent, Jafar, Ursula, Queen of Hearts, and Prince John. As well as Aladdin, Peter Pan, Ariel, and more. Furthermore, it can be paired with the other games in the Villainous line: Evil Comes Prepared, Wicked To The Core, and Perfectly Wretched.
The Best Strategy Board Game for Beginners
This is a fantastic game based around trains and building railroads in the continental United States and lower Canada. Not only do you want to make the longest route, but you also get bonus points for connecting specific cities. Once all the points are counted up, whoever has the most points at the end wins.
Not only is it lighthearted, colorful, and fun but it is quite easy to pick up as a beginner. If you’re looking for a game you can teach to new friends quickly, this is a great option.
The Best Overall Strategy Board Game for Adults
3-6 Players
1hr Play Time
Ages 12+
Difficulty Level: Medium
Betrayal at House on the Hill is an amazing game. At the beginning of the game, you and your friends work together to explore a haunted house and discover its secrets. Halfway through, though, the game’s ‘Haunt’ will begin, and one of the players will betray the rest of the group. From there, the heroes race to stop the betrayer before they can complete their evil task, all while battling monsters, killers, or even the house itself.
What are the Best Strategy Board Games for Adults?
By now, we’ve gone over what makes the a great strategy
Ticket To Ride
This is a fantastic game based around trains and building railroads around the continental United States and lower Canada. Each player tries to make the longest train around the US, as well as complete specific routes from city to city for more points. Once all the points are counted up, whoever has the most points at the end wins.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to learn | Some players might want more complexity |
| Colorful and fun |
It’s very easy to learn, has an appealing aesthetic, and provides lighthearted competition for friends and family. The biggest drawback to Ticket to Ride is that some players might want a more complex game. There is also a poorly designed point tracker piece that can easily be accidently bumped or moved. That piece can be generally ignored and instead you can count points at the end.
Settlers of Catan
Settlers of Catan is a fun, competitive game between you and your friends to see who can secure 10 victory points the fastest. In this game, you’ll collect resources to either build your own network of towns and roads, or trade them with your opponents to get what you need.
| Pros | Cons |
| Deep strategy that allows multiple ways to win | A good amount of luck is involved to get resources |
| Lots of expansions and tons of re-playability | Can be very “cutthroat” with friends |
My biggest complaint with Settlers of Catan is that luck plays huge part in what resources you get. Because of that, it takes some “political” skills with other players to get what you want. While that is an element of strategy, it can be very frustrating if nobody wants to trade and you keep getting bad luck.
This game would best fit the “Best Strategy
Pandemic
2-4 Players
45 Minute Play Time
8+ Years Old
Difficulty Level: Medium/Hard
Pandemic is a co-operative game where you and your friends have to stop four diseases from overwhelming the
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to learn | Can be very difficult |
| Rewards teamwork | The roles are not well balanced and some are very powerful |
This game would be the best co-operative strategy
Mysterium
2-7 Players
45 Minute Play Time
10+ Years Old
Difficulty Level: Medium
Mysterium is a
| Pros | Cons |
| Fun concept and interesting teams | Difficult to learn |
| Can be time consuming due to difficulty of rules |
Mysterium is a ton of fun to play, but the learning curve to figure out how to play it is very steep. This game would best fit into the, “Best Co-operative Strategy
Vault of Dragons
This is a game that is closely tied to the tabletop role playing game, Dungeons and Dragons. You control one of four crime families in the city of Waterdeep, competing to claim the riches within the Vault of Dragons. In this game you will battle with other players as you try to take control of different parts of the city, gather resources, and venture into dungeons.
RELATED: Dungeons and Dragons Alignments Explained
| Pros | Cons |
| Very detailed strategy game | Difficult to learn |
| A great fantasy game for anyone who likes DnD | Might be less engaging if you don’t play DnD |
Vault of Dragons has multiple routes to victory, as well as an engaging theme. I love the lore of Dungeons and Dragons, and while it won’t exclude anyone who doesn’t know the lore, it might not be as fun for them.
This game fits into the “Best Fantasy Strategy
Splendor
In Splendor, players compete to craft precious jewels from gems, racing to be the first to 15 points. It is a relatively straight forward game with subtle strategy, but that’s what I love about the game. You and the other players are fighting over the same resources, and gaining the upper hand can be tricky.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to learn | May not be as in depth as some players want |
| Subtle strategy |
This game fits greatly into “The Quickest Strategy
Psycho Killer
This is a fun, fast paced strategy
| Pros | Cons |
| Very quick to learn | Very Horror oriented. |
For fans of the horror genre, this is a tense, fast-paced game that you can finish in less than half an hour. I haven’t had such a fun, compact strategy experience in a long time. Because of this, this game is definitely fits into the “Quickest Strategy
Disney Villainous
This is a game that takes fun Disney classics and spins them on their heads. In this game, you play as Disney villains, all racing to finish your nerfarious schemes first. Each player has a different goal based on which villain they are, and everyone has unique powers to help them achieve that goal. However, you don’t have to face all the other villains by yourself. By performing special actions, you can sabotage your opponents with the heroes from their own franchise. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the worlds of Disney for yourself, this is the game for you!
| Pros | Cons |
| Very in-depth strategy | Can be a little confusing at first |
| Lets you experience Disney classics from a new perspective |
Even though the rules for this game can be a little complicated, it still provides a unique experience different from any other game on this list. If you’re a fan of Disney, I would highly recommend this title!
Betrayal at House on the Hill
3-6 Players
1hr Play Time
Ages 12+
Difficulty Level: Medium
Betrayal at House on the Hill is an amazing game. At the beginning of the game, you and your friends work together to explore a haunted house and discover its secrets. Halfway through, though, the game’s ‘Haunt’ will begin, and one of the players will betray the rest of the group. From there, the heroes race to stop the betrayer before they can complete their evil task, all while battling monsters, killers, or even the house itself.
| Pros | Cons |
| The game is different every time | Some haunts are better than others |
| Very immersive theme |
Betrayal at House on the Hill creates such a deep, rich environment that immediately after playing, my friends and I always want to play another round. My friend group and I still tell stories about our amazing experiences with this game. I highly recommend this game; it’s truly the best of the best.
Conclusion
By now, we’ve gone over what makes the best strategy
