You could argue that strategy lies at the heart of most games, both in the online and offline worlds. After all, it’s all a question of not just out-thinking your opponent but also being able to anticipate their next move.
This is as much a skill that is needed in playing a physical game like tennis as it is in arguably the most strategic of all games, chess.
So it’s no wonder that there are also a huge number of online games that have a strategy at their heart.
They may not offer the adrenalin-filled thrill of a Call of Duty or a Grand Theft Auto. But by using your brain power, they can be just as rewarding to play.
There’s even evidence that these games can help to make you more effective in improving productivity. That’s because they bring together different threads like decision-making and even teamwork to help you to operate more effectively.
But with so many games out there to choose from, it can be hard to find the best ones to play. Luckily, we’ve done a lot of the spade work for you, and here are seven games that are sure to help you hone your strategic skills.
Lost Ark
Allegedly it cost the developers Tripod Studio and Smilegate over $85 million to develop Lost Ark, which was first launched back in 2019. From the huge critical acclaim it has received, not to mention the six gongs it received in the Korea Game Awards, it seems like an investment that paid off.
Even though it is an MMO at heart, there are certain elements that make it both a PvP and a PvE game. It’s the latter that makes it into a real strategic challenge as well. So skills like farming, creating strongholds, and winning allies are all important elements of the game. And doing all of these effects will be essential if you’re going to have any hope of reaching the ultimate level 50 in the game.
Online Poker
At first sight, it would seem like there may not be very much room for strategy in a game like a poker. After all, you can only play with the cards that you are dealt, and your hand’s strength will depend on that alone.
While this is true, as anyone who has ever downloaded poker software to play online will tell you, it’s only part of the story. That’s because the real strategic skill is working out the styles and habits of opponents and then outwitting them with strategic planning and tactics. This can even work when you’re playing against a piece of computer software.
The real skill comes in luring opponents into believing your hand is stronger or weaker than it actually is and encouraging them to bet against you accordingly. Play it right, and you can win big.
Old World
While many believe that Civilisation is the ultimate title in this particular genre, Old World has more than enough to it in order to compete. It helps that lead designer Soren Johnson worked on Civ 4, but he has taken this game to a very different place.
In this, you don’t move through history. Instead, you live through one emperor’s reign and then live on as their heir. It also explores the human side of empire-building, including making strategic marriages and other alliances and even producing your own heirs. It also pays to trust no one – even close family members may want you out of the way!
Company of Heroes
Here’s a game with an enticing mix of action and real-time strategy. So while it offers many of the thrills of Call of Duty, it combines this with a far greater sense of humanity. So as you send your men into battle, don’t be surprised if you’re also concerned for their safety and wellbeing. A lot of this is down to the superb detailing in the game that developers have included.
It also recreates the reality of war in which periods of inactivity are interspersed with frenetic episodes of combat. When it does go off, it’s not just a question of shooting and hoping for the best. There are real and vital strategic decisions to be made.
Endless Legend
Proof, if it is needed, that strategy games can be beautiful too. It’s easy to see the care that Amplitude Studios put into every element of this game. This includes the cast of characters, all of whom play a part in the legend, including the weird cults who live in a broken metropolis and seem hell-bent on destruction. Then there are the mysterious Broken Lords in their suits of body armor who deal in “dust”, the game’s strange currency. But it’s the Roving Clans, on the constant search for dust with the aim of unlocking its power, who is truly fascinating.
All of these are involved in multiple complex narratives that combine to create a truly rich and textured gaming experience.
Druidstone: Secret of the Menhir Forest
Most of us have only ever encountered druids in Asterix books or the lyrics of a Spinal Tap song. But this game gives us a chance to understand their world a little better. A party of four characters needs to work their way through no less than 35 different levels completing core and secondary objectives along the way.
With no fixed order to the levels, this makes for a very free-flowing game in which you never have to feel stuck for a solution; you simply move on. For a fantasy game, the tone is also refreshingly light, with a sense of merriment along the way. So it makes for a great game that is as fun to explore as it is to actually play.
So there they are. Seven great strategy games that won’t just entertain; they might even advance your thinking skills. And who wouldn’t welcome that?