We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more A good number of board game players love the strategy genre. A strategy game is not simply about war or moving pieces of armies across the board. It’s often so much more, from the asymmetry of Root to the innovative theme of Ark Nova, right down to the sobering realism of Through the Ages, which one of the best strategy board games of all time and a big favorite on our list.
Whatever your taste, though, you will find some of the finest strategy board games right here. We bring you a variety of topics and game mehchanics that make the strategy board game so much more fun, and easier for you to pick. Whether you are after the best strategy board games for adults or prefer something a bit lighter, you will find it here.
List of Top Strategy Board Games
This list features the best strategy board games of the past several decades. These are all award-winning and acclaimed strategy board games, and there will be something for all right here. Read our mini-previews to get a better idea and find your next tabletop bundle of joy.
- Scythe
- Terra Mystica
- Root
- Catan
- Twilight Struggle
- Terraforming Mars
- Through the Ages
- Great Western Trail
- Castles of Burgundy
- Concordia
- Star Wars: Imperial Assault
- Twilight Imperium
- Barrage
- Pax Pamir Second Edition
- Carcassonne
- Orléans
- Viticulture: Essential Edition
- Ark Nova
- War of the Ring
- Dune Imperium
1. Scythe
- Designer: Jamey Stegmaier
- Players: 1 – 5 Players
- Play Time: 90 – 115 Min
- Age: 14 +
- Complexity: 3.45/5
Set in an alternate-history timeline during the 1920s, Scythe can best be described as one of the best engine-building strategy board games of all time. The game has no rounds in the traditional sense, instead using a streamlined action-selection mechanism. Strategy is key in Scythe, existing in every single part of the game. While building their engines, players will have to carefully upgrade their actions to become as efficient as possible, build structures that improve positioning, enlist new recruits to enhance character abilities, deploy mechs to deter invasions from opponents and expand their territories to gain access to new resource types. What is unique in Scythe is that while there is plenty of action to go around, units cannot be killed, mechs cannot be destroyed and there is no direct player elimination. Players will have to use critical thinking to find their key to victory.
2. Terra Mystica
- Designers: Jens Drögemüller, Helge Ostertag
- Players: 2 – 5 Players
- Play Time: 60 – 150 Min
- Age: 12 +
- Complexity: 3.97/5
Terra Mystica is one of the top strategy board games for adults that has players control one of 14 unique factions on seven different landscapes, with each faction being bound to its own landscape. That is not set in stone, however, as players compete to expand their territorial control via terraforming. Players must develop different buildings to gain access to various resources, faction skills, actions, and terraforming, and then use those acquired skills and resources to outrage, outsmart, and dominate their opponents. Gaining resources is rather difficult, so players also need to bear in mind that direct confrontation may not be the best course toward victory. The game has no luck elements built into it, so strategy is the key to victory in Terra Mystica. To add further strategic depth, players can also follow regional cults, which players can progress for extra rewards.
Buy Terra Mystica on Amazon US.
3. Root
- Designers: Cole Wehrle
- Players: 2 – 4 Players (increased to 8 with the Riverfolk expansion)
- Play Time: 60 – 90 Min
- Age: 10 +
- Complexity: 3.77/5
Root is another one of our favorite adult strategy board games that have players fight over control of a forest. The base game has four vastly asymmetrical factions, with each one offering a unique mechanic and a new way to play. The differences between factions are vast and wide-ranging, from gameplay to faction point scoring and win conditions, which not only offer strategic depth but also player creativity – something the game is universally praised for. Furthermore, Root has a myriad of expansions, which either add new playable races, gameplay diversity, and new win conditions. You’d be surprised how much the game loves direct combat, especially considering its cute aesthetic themes. But as the saying goes – never judge a book by its cover.
4. Catan
- Designer: Klaus Teuber
- Players: 3 – 4 Players
- Play Time: 60 – 120 Min
- Age: 10 +
- Complexity: 2.30/5
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should already know Catan is a critically acclaimed strategy board game, perhaps the most recognizable board game ever. Catan offers a resource management system that is easy to learn and play, but difficult to master. Players take on the roles of settlers and city builders. The goal is to build the biggest, most developed, and most well-connected state. Players will need to carefully spend resources and choose the correct strategy given their situation, as there are several ways to win a game of Catan, and the straightforward approach isn’t always the best one. Catan has a myriad of expansions, extensions, and different settings of the game (one such example being Catan: Starfarers), so one could say there is a version of the game for every taste.
5. Twilight Struggle
- Designers: Ananda Gupta, Jason Matthews
- Players: 2 Players
- Play Time: 120 – 180 Min
- Age: 13 +
- Complexity: 3.60/5
Twilight Struggle is among the best war strategy board games set in the Cold War. The game is specifically made for two players and puts them in control of the United States of America and the Soviet Union. These two titanic forces then fight over global influence through fast-paced, card-driven area control. At its core, Twilight Struggle attempts to encompass all three stages of the Cold War, and going with this theme, will have players constantly on edge and guessing what their opponent is up to. The game features actual characters and events of the period (in the form of event cards), and some themes may be hard to digest by some players (as some may have lived during the period), but this strategy board game is worth the try.
Buy Twilight Struggle on Amazon US.
6. Terraforming Mars
- Designers: Jacob Fryxelius
- Players: 1 – 5 Players
- Play Time: 120 Min
- Age: 12 +
- Complexity: 3.26/5
Set in the year 2400, Terraforming Mars is a strategy board game that puts players in the roles of huge terraforming corporations working together not only to terraform Mars but advance humanity altogether. However, working together for a common goal does not mean that they won’t be competing against one another (like all corporations do). Players compete for victory points by completing three terraforming goals, known as global parameters. Those consist of raising the planet’s temperature, making the atmosphere breathable, and covering the Martian surface with flora and fauna. This is done by playing various project cards (there are over 200 of those) and completing their challenges. As you can imagine, resources are scarce, so resource management and strategic planning are key to achieving victory. When all three global parameters are complete, the player with the most accumulated points wins the game.
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7. Through the Ages
- Designer: Vlaada Chvátil
- Players: 2 – 4 Players
- Play Time: 120 Min
- Age: 12 +
- Complexity: 4.43/5
Through the Ages is a game suitable for those who enjoy civilization building in all its aspects – resource management, technological advancements, forging leaders, maintaining a strong military, and a touch of world domination. It’s hailed as one of the best strategy board games and civilization board games of all time. Reminiscent of some Age of Empires games, the setting takes place from the age of antiquity all the way to the modern age. In order to advance through the ages, players must obtain various “civil cards”, which allow them to either build historical wonders, elect leaders which provide unique effects that either last until replaced or become obsolete, gain resources, military might, or research technology. Whichever player has the most culture at the end of the modern age is declared the winner. There are several ways to obtain those points, with some being more peaceful than others. Players must make a lot of strategic choices and decide whether they’re builders or warlords.
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8. Great Western Trail
- Designer: Alexander Pfister
- Players: 2 – 4 Players
- Play Time: 75 – 150 Min
- Age: 12 +
- Complexity: 3.70/5
Great Western Trail is a board game in the Eurogame strategy genre that puts players in the rather unique position of a 19th-century rancher that must move his cattle from Texas to Kansas City. And while this may not sound like the most exciting concept in the world, never judge a book by its cover. The game offers players so many strategic options that some might find it difficult to grasp on their first playthrough. Players must deal with hand, action selection, and strategic movement on the map – all of which are important keys to victory. The goal is to accumulate as many victory points as possible, which can be obtained via various means, usually by submitting cattle cards at the final destination in Kansas. Players must carefully choose how they want to go about reaching Kansas City and how to make the trail as safe as possible, as there are dangers on the road. So far as strategy board games go, Great Western Trail offers absurd amounts of strategies and ways to play, so it’s well worth giving a go.
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9. Castles of Burgundy
- Designer: Stefan Feld
- Players: 2 – 4 Players
- Play Time: 30 – 90 Min
- Age: 12 +
- Complexity: 2.99/5
Have you ever dreamt of being a medieval aristocrat? If so, Castles of Burgundy is just the strategy board game for you. Set in medieval Burgundy, players take on the roles of aristocrats with small princedoms, looking to grow their power and influence. The game uses unique dice-rolling mechanics that give players a lot of strategic options and depth. Players must accumulate victory points over 5 phases, each consisting of 5 rounds. Through dice rolling and careful strategy, players gather resources, obtain workers and seize land. At the end of the 5th round, the player who has accumulated the most victory points wins the game. Castles of Burgundy is widely considered to be the most influential Eurogame of the last decade, having perhaps the best dice roll mechanic in any strategy board games out there.
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10. Concordia
- Designer: Mac Gerdts
- Players: 2 – 5 Players
- Play Time: 100 Min
- Age: 13 +
- Complexity: 3.00/5
Concordia can best be described as a hand and resource management strategy board game set during the times of the Roman Empire. Players take on the roles of wealthy merchant family leaders looking to establish their dominance within the Empire and beyond. In order to do that, they must send colonists out from Rome to settle and provide bricks, food, tools, wine, and cloth for the Empire. Each game is played differently due to the different distribution of cards and strategies the players can employ. Furthermore, the game features a modular city system for extra excitement. The game ends when all cards have been sold or when a player builds his 15th house. Essentially a Eurogame at its core, the player with the most victory points is declared the winner.
11. Star Wars: Imperial Assault
- Designers: Justin Kemppainen, Corey Konieczka, Jonathan Ying
- Players: 1 – 5 Players
- Play Time: 60 – 120 Min
- Age: 14 +
- Complexity: 3.30/5
Fans of dynamic and intense tactical combat strategy board games need to look no further than Star Wars: Imperial Assault. Set during the fan-favorite Galactic Civil War setting, the game puts players in the shoes of a Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire commanders, aiming to dominate the other with their tactical prowess and mighty armies. Star Wars: Imperial Assault offers two distinct play modes – campaign and skirmish. In the campaign mode, one player controls the endless Imperial armies, while the others – the forces of the Rebel Alliance. The rebels must use guerilla and covert tactics to stop the Empire’s evil plans, but that’s easier said than done. Skirmish offers a completely different experience – a head-to-head battle between hardened strike teams. Whichever game mode you and your friends choose – the fun is guaranteed.
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12. Twilight Imperium
- Designer: Christian T. Petersen
- Players: 2 – 6 Players
- Play Time: 240 Min
- Age: 12 +
- Complexity: 4.31/5
Twilight Imperium is one of the top war strategy board games best suited for fans of science fiction and large-scale space opera. In it, players take the roles of leaders of rising Empires striving for dominance after the long, but steady decline of the Lazax. Players need to take note that a game of Twilight Imperium can take more than six hours of your time, and if you’re a novice – it might take even longer. The universe is immersive and deep, and combined with the multiple strategic layers the game offers – ranging from trade agreements between players, planning a successful economy, to developing your military might – players need to prepare for a lengthy campaign that is well worth their time. The game offers an extreme variety of races, each with its own unique traits, home planets, units, and objectives, so every playthrough is unique.
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13. Barrage
- Designers: Tommaso Battista, Simone Luciani
- Players: 1 – 4 Players
- Play Time: 60 – 120 Min
- Age: 14 +
- Complexity: 4.09/5
Set in a dystopic 1930s era, this engine-building strategy board game will have players building dams in order to generate much-needed power. However, the dams are limited, so there is a lot of strategic thinking and decision-making involved. Players will need to plan their actions very carefully because their action tokens and resources are stored on a Construction Wheel. The catch is they only become available after a full turn of said wheel. Basically, the better you manage your Construction Wheel – the more resources and action tokens you get. Add that to the limited number of dams you can build, and the limited amount of rivers on the map – you have yourself a challenge. Players compete for energy quotas over five rounds, and whoever is the most successful entrepreneur/engineer wins the game.
14. Pax Pamir: Second Edition
- Designer: Cole Wehrle
- Players: 1 – 5 Players
- Play Time: 45 – 120 Min
- Age: 13 +
- Complexity: 3.84/5
Set during the age of “The Great Game”, where European powers used Central Asia as a stage for their own rivalries, Pax Pamir: Second Edition has players taking the roles of nineteenth century Afghan leaders aiming to forge a new and stable state. At its core, Pax Pamir: Second Edition is among the best tableau builder strategy board games, but there is more than meets the eye. Similarly to chess, players need to play several turns ahead, putting themselves in the most advantageous position possible. Players purchase cards from a central market, then play them in front of them in a single row, called a “court”. There are up to 140 cards in the game, each with a unique effect. As you can imagine, this allows for tons of ways players can directly or indirectly interact with one another, while they compete for victory points through “Dominance Check” cards. Whoever player manages to get ahead by 4 victory points after the last “Dominance Check” is declared the winner.
Buy Pax Amir Second Edition on Amazon US.
15. Carcassonne
- Designer: Klaus-Jürgen Wrede
- Players: 2 – 5 Players
- Play Time: 30 – 45 Min
- Age: 7 +
- Complexity: 1.90/5
Highly regarded as one of the most popular board games ever, Carcassonne is a highly dynamic tile-placement strategy board game. Players start the game by drawing terrain tiles from the tile pile. Each tile may feature a city, a road, a cloister, grassland, or combine several of the aforementioned terrains. Then, players must place them adjacent to tiles that have already been played, in such a way so that the same terrain types are connected to each other (cities to cities, roads to roads, etc.) Players may then claim an unclaimed terrain by putting a meeple on it. Cities and roads keep building up until finished – a city is finished when encircled by walls, and the roads when ending at a city, junction, or monastery. Placing a meeple on a monastery turns it into a monk, which can potentially bring nine points if surrounded by tiles on all sides. Grasslands turn meeples into villagers which stay until the end of the game, and also add points depending on how many cities touch a grassland. When the tile pile is exhausted and the last tile is placed, the game ends, and the player with the highest score wins.
16. Orléans
- Designer: Reiner Stockhausen
- Players: 2 – 4 Players
- Play Time: 90 Min
- Age: 12 +
- Complexity: 3.03/5
Orléans is a leading medieval-themed engine-building strategy board game, where players need to recruit farmers, merchants, knights, and monks, which they need to properly use in order to make a trade enterprise through strategy, science, intrigue, and construction. Much like in a medieval society, each unit has a purpose and must be used carefully and effectively in order to gain the upper hand over your opponent. There are many paths to victory, as players can choose to master one of the three specific fields – construction, science, and trade – or become a jack of all trades and be as efficient as possible. Due to the multiple strategies involved in the Orléans, the game has excellent replay potential.
17. Viticulture: Essential Edition
- Designer: Reiner Stockhausen
- Players: 1 – 6 Players
- Play Time: 45 – 90 Min
- Age: 13 +
- Complexity: 2.89/5
Viticulture turns the process of winemaking in Tuscany into a strategy board game. Players find themselves controlling their own winery, and in order to be successful, will have to acquire vines, plant them, harvest the grapes, make the wine itself, and finally – sell it. While this may not sound exciting, Viticulture is one of the most polished games out there – every single action card is significant, every mechanic is smooth and well thought and gameplay is interesting. Unlike most worker placement games, luck is not as impactful, as there are careful mechanics in place to mitigate the frustration of an unlucky string of events.
Buy Viticulture: Essential Edition on Amazon US.
18. Ark Nova
- Designer: Mathias Wigge
- Players: 1 – 6 Players
- Play Time: 90 – 150 Min
- Age: 14 +
- Complexity: 3.73/5
Ark Nova is a tile-laying and card-drafting strategy board game that tasks players to make the best zoo possible by building enclosures, accommodating the animals under their control, and supporting conservation projects. Players perform one of five actions, all of which have upgraded versions when certain conditions are met. The success of any given zoo is measured by three tracks – Reputation, Appeal track, and Conservation. The Appeal and Conservation tracks move towards each other, and when they meet – the endgame is triggered and the player with the highest score is declared the winner.
19. War of the Ring
- Designers: Roberto Di Meglio, Marco Maggi, Francesco Nepitello
- Players: 2 – 4 Players
- Play Time: 120 Min
- Age: 12 +
- Complexity: 4.21/5
Based on the epic high-fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, War of the Ring is an asymmetrical card-driven fantasy war-simulation strategy board game, which puts players as either the Free Peoples (FP) or the Shadow Armies (SA). The game somewhat simulates the events of the novel, using elements of action drafting, dice rolling, and hand management, and is widely considered to be one of the most immersive board games out there. The game offers multiple ways to win – either through straight warfare or by what happens to the One Ring. If the Ring Bearers get 12 corruption, the Shadow Armies immediately win. If, however, the Ring Bearers reach the steppes of Mount Doom with less than 12 Corruption, the Free Peoples claim victory.
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20. Dune Imperium
- Designer: Paul Dennen
- Players: 1 – 4 Players
- Play Time: 60 – 120 Min
- Age: 14 +
- Complexity: 3.02/5
Dune: Imperium takes heavy inspiration from the ever-popular Dune franchise, giving players what it truly feels like to take control of a Great House and strive for control over the spice trade on the desert planet of Arrakis. Dune: Imperium uses clever deck-building and worker-placement mechanics to navigate players through the political and military landscape of Arrakis and is praised as one of the best strategy board games set in this beloved franchise. Players initially start with identical decks, but choose a unique leader card, which you can use to build your strategy around, or take a not-too-straightforward approach – the choice is yours. And while we’re on the topic of approach, players may take a more military-focused approach by building better armies, or choose political scheming to curry favor with the four political factions: the Emperor, the Spacing Guild, the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, and the masters of the desert – the Fremen. The game offers a ton of strategic options and replayability and is sure to please anyone looking for a well-polished strategy board game.