For strategy board games specifically, Dustin Stevens of Summit Comics & Games says that the difficulty level is crucial. “Usually, the more challenging a strategy board game is, the more enjoyable it is,” he says. However, this varies by person, so be sure to find out the skill levels of your group before picking a game. We spent hours researching the best strategy games available, considering the difficulty level, playing time, and player count for each pick. Our favorite picks for a fun challenge include Ticket to Ride, which challenges players to build train routes, Betrayal at House on the Hill for a frighteningly haunted good time, and Villainous, where players take on the role of iconic Disney villains. Here, the best strategy board games. Players work to collect train cards, claim railway routes, and connect historic destinations on maps across the country. The winner gets the most points by having the longest routes, completing destination tickets, and other achievements—but be careful as you count those points because you can lose them, too. Users report a high entertainment and replay value with this game, as no two games are alike. We also love the quality of the board and pieces and that the cards don’t bend or rip easily. Just take note that the small cards may be difficult to shuffle. Price at time of publish: $48 Number of Players: 2-5 people | Playing Time: 30-60 minutes | Age Range: 8 and up For this game, players unite to settle the Island of Catan while trying to trade with others and spread across the board to earn victory points. A very popular game, Catan has lots of groups and communities folks can join once they learn the rules and start enjoying the game. There are even national and world championship tournaments for Catan. Our tester found that even small kids enjoyed this adult-favorite strategy game, especially the setup process, which can often be tedious. “Overall, we found the setup process easy and enjoyable—similar to putting together a simple puzzle with multiple moving pieces. In fact, my teenage son Charlie says that after winning, it’s his favorite part of the game,” they shared. Price at time of publish: $48 Number of Players: 3-4 people | Playing Time: 60 minutes | Age Range: 10 and up Terraforming Mars can be played within approximately 120 minutes (although some say it can take much longer depending upon the number of players and skill level of each player). Patient, rule-abiding folks will do best with this game as it’s complex and takes a while to master—i.e., the instruction manual is 15 pages long—but it’s said to be a lot of fun once you get used to it. Price at time of publish: $47 Number of Players: 1-5 people | Playing Time: Not listed | Age Range: 12 and up Players will explore the mansion, find out about disturbing events, live through fifty potential scenarios, and figure out there’s someone in the mix to betray you with each and every game. Price at time of publish: $42 Number of Players: 3-6 people | Playing Time: 60 minutes | Age Range: 12 and up Number of Players: 1-6 | Playing Time: 45-60 minutes | Age Range: 14 and up Price at time of publish: $34 Number of Players: 2-4 people | Playing Time: 45 minutes | Age Range: 8 and up Price at time of publish: $67 Number of Players: 3-5 people | Playing Time: Not listed | Age Range: 18 and up To get started, you’ll pick your villain from among the ranks of Maleficent, Captain Hook from Peter Pan, Jafar from Aladdin, and more. Then you’ll go about doing their bidding using that particular villain’s card decks and movers. Include more villains as you wish from other boxes as you go forward with the game, eventually creating the ideal situation for your villain. Price at time of publish: $35 Number of Players: 2-6 people | Playing Time: 50 minutes | Age Range: 10 and up Price at time of publish: $62 Number of Players: 1 - 5 | Playing Time: 90-120 minutes | Age Range: 14 and up Make sure you move the breakables into another room before you start—the burritos will be flying through the air in no time—and if you get hit by one, you lose points. Don’t worry, they’re made of foam and won’t hurt—other than wounding your pride if you lose the final Burrito Duel. Price at time of publish: $25 Number of Players: 2-6 people | Playing Time: 15 minutes | Age Range: 7 and up Price at time of publish: $38 Number of Players: 2-4 people | Playing Time: Not listed | Age Range: 8 and up To play the game, players must work cooperatively as wandering adventurers to overcome monsters, survive dungeons, and explore the darkest of places. Using cards to determine their next move, players work through decisions together at the end of each scenario. There are twists, turns, and even some surprising permanent changes that keep the game fresh over multiple game sessions. Price at time of publish: $168 Number of Players: 1-4 people | Playing Time: 60-120 minutes | Age Range: 12 and up Basically, this game consists of players asking questions off the black cards and answering off the white cards, played according to the enclosed book of sensible rules—unless, of course, you choose to go with the alternate book of preposterous rules instead. There are many expansions you can add if you decide you really enjoy it, but you’ll want to start with the game pictured above and master that first. Price at time of publish: $29 Number of Players: 4-20 people | Playing Time: Not listed | Age Range: 17 and up Price at time of publish: $87 Number of Players: 3-7 | Playing Time: 30 minutes | Age Range: 14 and up Players work together as a team to solve ten mysteries in London. The game is sort of a blend of role-playing, doing seasoned detective work, and playing a traditional board game all at once, and there are numerous challenges and hidden clues to make it difficult. In the end, you’ll get to compare notes to see how you did against the man himself, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Price at time of publish: $41 Number of Players: 1-8 | Playing Time: 90 minutes | Age Range: 14 and up In Azul, players each try their hand at decorating the lush Royal Palace of Evora with tile patterns. Points are earned later in the game according to how well sets were completed and patterns were arranged. The player with the most points wins the game, but be careful: Wastefulness can lower your score. Price at time of publish: $35 Number of Players: 2-4 people | Playing Time: 30-45 minutes | Age Range: 8 and up Price at time of publish: $54 Number of Players: 2-4 | Playing Time: Not listed | Age Range: 13 and up For classic Monopoly, players move around the board using dice and cards from the Chance and Community Chest piles, hoping to be the first to buy up lucrative real estate while trying to avoid being sent to jail or landing on others’ property—and having to pay them rent. Price at time of publish: $22 Number of Players: 2-6 people | Playing Time: Not listed | Age Range: 8 and up Price at time of publish: $14 Number of Players: 2-6 | Playing Time: 30 minutes | Age Range: 8 and up Price at time of publish: $36 Number of Players: 1-4 | Playing Time: 30 minutes | Age Range: 13 and up Price at time of publish: $47 Number of Players: 1-5 | Playing Time: 40-70 minutes | Age Range: 14 and up “However, this can be different for everyone,” Dustin Stevens of Summit Comics & Games adds. “When someone’s shopping for a game at my shop, I’ll have the customer first describe the types of games they usually play so we can find something that best matches their interest.”
Playing Time
Maybe you have an hour to play, maybe more like fifteen minutes, or perhaps the whole day (think: Magic the Gathering). Either way, know what you’re getting into before buying a strategy board game. Different types of games have their times and places, but if one game takes over an hour to complete, how often will you break it out? Note that younger players might not be as interested in longer games.
Number of Players
Strategy board games are great for family game nights or parties, depending upon the number of players you can allow. Certain versions of Monopoly and other games allow for additional players, but you have to make your own moving pieces or break up into teams. Other games, like Terraforming Mars, allow for solo play, which allows for more freedom and control over your strategy.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written and researched by KJ Callihan, a Spruce writer who loves creating gift and shopping guides. KJ has worked on guides for AAA Northeast, CNET, and Knoji. She has been writing guides since 2014, so has learned a thing or two about great products. We also consulted Dustin Stevens, of Summit Comics and Games for his wisdom and guidance in selecting great strategy board games.
