Top 20 Greatest Strategy Games
Published on October 25, 2008 - 113 Comments
Throughout the centuries people have enjoyed games. From simple ones to pass the time to more complex ones that use strategy and challenge the participants to compete intellectually and have been called mental sports. Man’s love of competition and play has evolved over recent decades and there are far more choices now than ever before. For the list I have skipped video and online games, sticking with those that have actual physical pieces. No exclusions were made based on whether they are better with 2 or multiple players. In the 17th and 18th century, being a great gamer was admired as often top military leaders played wargames to determine different scenarios and plan attacks.
Today gaming is simultaneously more popular yet often considered as nerdy. Hopefully this list will inspire some people to try out new games or dig their old ones out of the closet.
The game features bones (tiles) with a number of pips on them. Players match them up trying to empty their hands by matching one of the numbers with one of the free numbers on the table. Dominoes are also noted for being able to stand on end in long rows so that when one is knocked over they all fall in a row. A popular pasttime is lining up hundreds or thousands of dominoes to make designs when they fall.
This popular game among children features discs which move along an 8×8 grid jumping opponent’s pieces to remove them from the game. It does feature pure strategy and no luck (outside of tournament play) but tends to be simplistic by today’s standards. In the 1930s Tournament play began reducing the number of draws by introducing random starting moves.
The world’s most popular and imitated boardgame features players as landlords trying to buy properties, build houses and hotels, and monopolize areas for higher prices. A trading aspect is popular. The game has undergone criticism as being too simplistic but is still considered a classic by many and is a great game for kids. The economic aspects are highly balanced however and common rules variants such as collecting money while landing on free parking tend to remove the strategy turning it into a luck based game.
The game played on a 15×15 grid features players spelling out words for points. The game features areas with double or triple letter or word score and letters have more points if they are less commonly used. Fanatical players have actually gone as far as memorizing all the acceptable words from the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary. Be warned, if someone you don’t know offers to play you for 10 cents a point as they might be able to win by many hundreds of points.
This game has undeservedly remained relatively obscure since its creation but is on par with the best in the world. The game is played on an unusually designed board of 7 interconnecting rings made of triangles, squares and hexagons. One of those games that takes minutes to learn and a lifetime to master. You place pieces each round trying to control areas and you do have the option of moving opponents pieces to areas of your choosing.
Versions of this game have been popular ranging as far back as 3000 BCE in Egypt, Persia, and Rome. The game involves some luck with dice rolling and some strategy with planning moves. It has been very popular since the 1700s as a strategy/gambling game. Today there are a number of clubs devoted to it and a world championship held each year in Monte Carlo.
The original mass produced world conquest game has each player send their armies into battle to take over continents and finally the world. Play has a large random element with dice rolls, a good amount of strategy, and is fun for the making of alliances and the
eventual backstabbing when they no longer suit you.
Similar in some ways to Risk this world conquest game has a unique twist. Before each round players go off in pairs with each other making deals. “If you send troops to attack him here I will attack him here”. They negotiate this way with each other. “He is planning to move to attack you here so fortify it and he will be weak here so I will attack him there” After everyone has made plans this way they write down on paper what they actually do which can range from anticlimactic to shockingly unexpected.
Developed about 2500 years ago in ancient China this game (not to be confused with the Mah Jong solitaire game which has been a popular video game in different versions) caused a sensation when introduced into the west around 1920. It became a fad among the middle and upper classes and today vintage sets from that era are sought after collectibles, however be warned many had tiles made of ivory and ownership can be illegal in some areas.
The original Tactics published in 1954 was a predecessor to this classic. Avalon Hill was known as THE wargame company and produced strategy “chit based” games on virtually every major battle in history. This was the one that started the entire wargame genre and without it there likely wouldn’t have been many of the newer games on the list.
19th century developed from earlier games. This is the king of trick taking card games. Teams work together to try and make books after bidding on how many they expect to take and the suit to be considered trump. Not as popular as it once was, there are still a number of fans and newspaper columns devoted to the strategy of the game appear in many newspapers on a regular basis.
The opposite of the conquer the world type games this is about developing societies through trade and cooperation with other players. You need to help your fellow players in order to advance your own societies and the game has a good moral lesson as well as being highly fun to play. An online version of the game has been remarkably successful as well.
While this one barely qualifies on the physical pieces requirement it has to make the list based on originality and long lasting appeal. In 1974 Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) a small company that produced wargames produced this based on their chainmail game of wargame rules. The longest lasting and most popular of the RPG (Role playing game) genre has each player create a fantasy (typically middle ages style) character while a DM (Dungeon Master) creates a story scenario. The players then work as a team to solve the created problems such as battling monsters, negotiating with NPCs(Non player characters run by the DM), disarming traps, and rescuing damsels in distress. The role playing part can range from minor bad acting out of fantasies to seriously talented (I’ve seen a few people who could be on the stage with their skill) but the strategic part is what interests many players. There have been several editions over the years with different rules so be sure your group uses the same set that you do. The game suffered a bad reputation in 1982 when an exploitive TV movie was made about a teenage player using the game as a way to plan the murder of his stepfather.
The game that established Germany as the most innovative game nation of the last decade has had tremendous worldwide popularity with many different versions (Seafarers of Catan/Starfarers of Catan). One of the cooperation/resource trading games genre it features gathering of the resources you have access to such as wood, grain, wool, and brick and trading extras to other players so that you can each build your areas. Played on a board of interconnecting hexagons, it can be rearranged for each new game creating different strategies each time.
This German game won the 2001 game of the year award and has been extremely popular worldwide with a number of optional expansion sets. Square tiles are drawn and feature a puzzle like design. Placed together in different ways the game board is built as you play as you try to build cities, roads, fields, and cloisters scoring points both along the way and at the end. One of the fun aspects in multiplayer is that no one gets eliminated along the way and has to sit and watch the surviving players.
The ultimate world conquest game has been called “Risk on steroids”. Highly in depth rulebook and attractive playing pieces have made this THE World War II game. It features in depth strategy and even though it is dice based a minimal luck factor. Some players even eliminate the dice and just determine results of attacks based on odds. The original features the entire world war while later versions have been produced concentrating on Europe or the Pacific. A highly addictive game for many be warned to have enough time as games can take quite a while. I once played from 7pm to 6am, although 4 hours is usually enough time. Optional expansions both licensed and unlicensed have been produced.
The ultimate game for conspiracy theorists and just silly fun for others. This game features cards for various groups and players work to each build their own conspiracies through them. Perhaps the FBI is controlling the Ford Motor Company, or the Semiconscious Liberation Army has secret plans regarding the IRS and Cattle Mutilators. Do South American Nazis really run the Nanotech Companies? Along with a traditional method of winning each player also has an individual victory goal which makes the game highly challenging. Special rule… cheating is both allowed and encouraged (other than stealing from the bank while collecting your normal income) as long as you don’t get caught.
Former world chess champion Emanuel Lasker once said “although chess is probably confined to Earth, if there is intelligent life on other planets, surely they know Go.” Each player has stones of either white or black and take turns laying them on intersections of a 19×19 grid. Simple rules and infinitely complex strategies make this one of the greatest games ever.
(Predecessors from 600 BCE) India. What can be written about chess that hasn’t been? One of the most popular games worldwide for over 500 years this game has had more clubs devoted to it, more books written about it, more computer versions (one theory suggests computers were invented mainly to create chess programs) than any other game. The game masters the art of removing luck and leaving it purely at skill.
The origins of the game are lost to history today but variants such as the French Poque have been around for 300 years. The most popular strategy game in the US and probably the world today is played regularly by tens of millions in the US alone. The game is about mastering luck in which the random element of the cards dealt is compensated for by the skills involved in betting, bluffing, calculating odds, and trying to figure out what your opponent has and will do. Poker has experienced an explosive growth in popularity over the last 6 years as televised matches among the top players have been very popular. Although there are many variants such as 7 card stud and Omaha High-Low, one of the lesser known ones worldwide, No Limit Texas Hold-em has been the most televised and seen the biggest boost. The World Championship held each year in Las Vegas is open to anyone with $10,000 to enter and often features celebrities (Don’t underestimate them! some like Gabe Kaplan, Sully Erna, Jennifer Tilly, and Montel Williams have had some notable results) and poker professionals, online players, and amateurs.
Contributor: Clantargh
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1. cb - October 26th, 2008 at 2:44 am
Cool lost
2. Oz - October 26th, 2008 at 2:55 am
BS! Poker number 1? You must be joking. whatever….
PS: Where is starcraft on the list?
3. Denzell - October 26th, 2008 at 2:57 am
I seriously thought Chess will be item no. 1. Bah, guessed wrong again!
cb- you mean “list”
4. scrumpy - October 26th, 2008 at 4:09 am
The picture for #9 is of the computer game called Civilization. Does the entry refer to a board version?
5. thewebpromoter - October 26th, 2008 at 4:55 am
#18 - Monopoly is my favorite among the rest, but I will try other games too this list awakened my interest to play them.Thanks.
6. ronsantohof - October 26th, 2008 at 5:34 am
#5 - In the same style as Axis & Allies are Fortress America and Shogun (which I’ve seen under a different name that escapes me now). If you like #5 they are worth checking out.
7. Du - October 26th, 2008 at 5:37 am
hmm… no Magic the Gathering?
thats been around for more than i decade i think.
i feel that this has way more stragetical thinking involved, although it does involve alot of collecting of rare and expensive cards.
i think this would have been a better choice than monopoly… or maybe even TCGs in general
8. Kittykat73 - October 26th, 2008 at 5:56 am
No Solitaire? (The board game not cards.)
9. DamienKarras - October 26th, 2008 at 6:48 am
holy cow… I found my original Tactics II in the attic the other day; awesome game! Good list.
10. Ernmas - October 26th, 2008 at 6:57 am
No Othello? The game takes skill and strategy as the opposing players can flip the pieces to their color and the strategy is to have as many of your color pieces on the board at the end of the game.
It is still a good list. I had only heard of about 70 percent of these games.
11. G*Lo - October 26th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Sure,
Cool list. But if it had included Magic The Gathering as well, it would have been a VERY cool list. Then again, I guess us geeks will discuss this list to pieces as well
Have fun…
G*Lo
12. Tenebrae - October 26th, 2008 at 7:06 am
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.....board_game
The board game predates the computer version by a number of years.
M:tG is great for strategy, but far too much of the game relies on rare card combinations to be very good at it. Not to mention paying a small fortune to make a ‘good’ deck. These games can be played ‘as-is’ straight out of their respective boxes.
For Starcraft - that delves into computer games, which is not covered by this list. If you’re going to go with Starcraft, then you’d have to mention Warcraft, which is what the SC engine was built on.
All told, it’s a pretty good list. Though I find the inclusion of Monopoly & Scrabble a bit odd in comparison to the rest.
13. Bill - October 26th, 2008 at 7:40 am
No Pente?
14. gandalfthewise - October 26th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Chess is my #1… though that’s subjective wrt Poker! These games have a way…if u clued into one, rest pale into insignificance!
Good list, btw!
Monopoly is a childhood favourite, and if u have a good(read: shrewd) set of players and the “standard” rules.. Its every bit a “strategy” game!!
15. Chris - October 26th, 2008 at 8:41 am
I’m pretty sure 9 looks like a computer game, but besides that, cool list.
16. Tenebrae - October 26th, 2008 at 9:17 am
#9 is a picture of the PC version of the board game.
17. Kreachure - October 26th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Poker over Chess? That’s definitely not right.
The fact that Poker is “more popular” now than chess or other games doesn’t make it “the greatest”. (Especially not the greatest strategy game.)
18. lightningclash - October 26th, 2008 at 9:58 am
civilization and no starcraft?
19. Vera Lynn - October 26th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I love Chess. I keep a set in my trunk so I can play at the drop of a hat. Scrabble I like too. Never really got into Monopoly. Used to play Backgammon as a kid. Not so much any more. This was a good list.
Oh, and Syd Barrett used to play Go with his girlfriend.
20. Vera Lynn - October 26th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
One more thing, The Chicago Tribune decided to cancel its Bridge column. That lasted one day there were so many complaints. One day!
21. Tink - October 26th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
COME ON JAMIE!!!! You’re posting STRATEGY games and you don’t have STRATEGO??????? It practically has stragey in the title…. jamie jamie jamie, I’m saddened. otherwise a goood list.
22. icarusfoundyou - October 26th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Tink - you’re right Stratego is brilliant
also i’m very happy to see Civ on this list
23. Diogenes (not Dead) - October 26th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
No Fucking Way! I was just thinking about BACKGAMMON the other day! Whoa DUDE! That is some Crazy shit!
I taught myself chess and backgammon as a child, off my parents boards. We kept all our games in the den closet and I would ramble through all the crevises of the house when left alone. No wonder I am disturbed. I was thinking of backgammon and how I use to play laying down on the furry carpet of youth(the only way in my opinion) and how I Haven’t played sence those days. In fact I believe all of the family games were sold one fatefull summer in a yard sale. Fare thee well!! –sigh. My brain has been collapsing in on itself ever since.
The only way to get “ONE UP” on your opponent with the game “Diplomacy”, is the correct tactical use of what is known as, “THE BITCH SLAP”.
Didn’t R.A.W. invent The whole Illuminati thing? Or has it just become a word, like a brand name (ie: the game) for a larger network?, and any connective sealiant adds to the infra-structure.
It’s a nice weekend list to come across Clantargh. I havent heard of a few of these (ie: dominoes? wha?) The more recent ones have slipped by me until now(probably because of the brain cell lossage (you know, from losing all my games of youth…and all the drugs and sugar and sap, that i have dumped in as a replacement.)
A good Sunday retreat, this list be. Giving me ideas. Maybe I’ll pull the ole computer out of the closet and dust it off, so that I can play a couple of the oldest-still existing games in the world(ie: chess&backgammon&go).
My only gripe, that comes to mind, is that the photo in #1 isn’t the famed “dogs playin poker” . What gives?
Stratego.
yeh, what is that? Some kinda hamburger helper/pasta mix?
24. Avi - October 26th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Love the list. no matter what the order is, everything on this list is fun and strategy based so there is nothing to not love or anything to complain about.
25. BrotherMan - October 26th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Great list, Clantargh! I may have to look into a few of these as there are some that I have never heard of.
I would have also liked to have seen Stratego and also Mastermind. We used to play the hell out of Mastermind and one day I finally beat my father after a few years of playing.
26. dustin - October 26th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
sha’rah
27. YogiBarrister - October 26th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Great list, and well written, it even has pretty pictures. I’m glad you rated poker first, it’s the only game that I was any good at, so naturally it cost me the most money.
28. Brad - October 26th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Chess is BY FAR the number one strategy game of all time.
I agree poker should be included, but back further — certainly not number one.
29. Maggot - October 26th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Nice list. One of my favorites that is missing is Cribbage.
30. arkz - October 26th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
any table top miniture game has plenty of strategy, dnd minis starwars minis, warhammer warhammer 40k lotr etc oh and pente is another great one, great list btw
31. warningdontreadthis - October 26th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
where the hell has listverse been all day?
32. Angryfeet - October 26th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Great list - it brought to mind the many violent games of scrabble that have almost ended friendships, relationships, and even family ties.
Both Dominoes and Monopoly are banned in my household. We take our games pretty seriously, and there were just too many fights.
Good times.
33. maximuz04 - October 26th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Just a thought, you might want to consider splitting board and computer games intro separate lists. Also TCGs are immensely strat based, more so than poker…
DarkSpace
A few omitted but great additions to this game would have been:
1) Magic TCG (played a bit but appreciate the great skill)
2) Yugioh TCG (played extensively, very creative strategy)
3) Civilization 2, 3, 4 (I know you said civ, but the sequels are in a whole other level)
4) Starcraft or Star Trek Armada (The latter is less known but requires immense strategy as well)
5) Warcraft 3
6) ST: Birth of the Federation (Star Trek equivalent of Civ)
7) Super Power (PC, lets u play simultaneously with up to 1 player per country, for all countries in the world (200+))
Not a well known PC Game but the level of creativity is ridiculous that it is sometimes banned.
For example: players realized they could destroy their own engines (they had 4, destroyed 3) and use the space to add additional armaments.
Furthermore, one of the smallest ships on the game, can beat the strongest if you are an awesome pilot.
34. jay - October 26th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
when im bored i just watch porn….
35. k1w1taxi - October 26th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Ernmas (10)
Othello is really just a knock off of Go.
A few others that perhaps are deserving of a mention
Battleships
Tic Tac Toe
I used to love both Risk and Diplomacy when younger though I had trouble getting enough other mates interested in Diplomacy to make it worthwhile.
36. ericdraven26 - October 26th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
stratego is my favorite
i like carcassone(sp?) too, it is a suprise to see it on here for some reason
37. segue - October 26th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Great list. It sort of divides my life into sections.
I remember playing draughts, in the front room of my uncle Tom’s favorite pub, along with cribbage ( they wouldn’t let me at the dart’s).
When I came back to the U.S., draughts were called checkers, something it took me awhile to get used to, but I was able to beat the pants off just about any kid in my school or on my street, having learned the ropes in pub games.
Monopoly and Scrabble were the other grammar school games. We’d have Monopoly game’s which would last for days, set up in a neighbor boy’s backyard screened patio. It was usually summer, so downtime for games like Monopoly was scarce, maybe 1/2 an hour, before the call of action was too much for us to bear. Still, Monopoly kept rearing it’s head for decades, through school and child raising.
Scrabble still occupies an evening now and then.
My first husband was a bridge fiend. I can’t even tell you how many evenings were spoiled by bridge games. If it wasn’t bridge, it was backgammon. Backgammon is actually a game I can see liking if it weren’t for the associations.
In high school, I got turned on to chess and poker. What wonders! If there had been a poker club, I would have been a member. I loved both games from the get-go, but realized immediately that mastering either would be a lifetimes work.
Uni introduced me to Mah Jong and Go and Pachinko. Go was a favorite. Simple, yet complex. Beautiful.
Pachinko doesn’t belong on this list, but it was such loud fun, that I couldn’t exclude it.
38. Me - October 26th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
What about Warhammer the table top game orpokemon the card game
39. Jeff Sorensen - October 26th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I love your list.
Point of information though, the board game “Civilization” by Francis Tresham and published by Avalon Hill has absolutely nothing to do with the computer game of the same name by Sid Meier and published by MicroProse.
I will happily agree with your assessment of the former being in the top 20 strategy games ever. But must strongly disagree if you include the later in the same list.
40. artmadd - October 26th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
The reason why chess should be number 1 is because anybody could play poker against world champions and win, if he/she was lucky. Luck just doesn´t play a role in chess.
41. ohrmets - October 26th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Risk should be way higher, like top 5.
And how can you make a top strategy game list and NOT make Chess #1? That’s sacrilegious!
42. Cash Pash - October 26th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Umm, how about the most played game in office buildings everywhere? SOLITAIRE
43. Spinner - October 26th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
I’m also of the opinion that chess is THE game of strategy. Poker is good, but then there seems to be a dozen versions. Theres only one chess and by hokey by jingo, I think it’s MY #1!
Having said that I really like the list and it takes me back many years to when we could find 4 hours of dedicated game playing ( or more ). Those were the days
44. Greg - October 26th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I’m surprised Stratego wasn’t on the list!!
45. Hayzeus - October 26th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
It doesn’t count as a ’strategy game’ if it involves random chance (ie: dice rolls or the shuffling of a deck).
46. Paulb - October 26th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Settlers of Catan is one of my favorite board games
47. Wildlifeman - October 26th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Good list. I have to agree, Stratego should be on the list. And poker, not sure I agree with the #1 rating. Backgammon is a good choice, but there is so much luck involved. If you have 2 equally capable players, it is nothing but luck. That is why I prefer the acey deucey version of backgammon. Still has luck involved, but strategy is more important and can actually overcome bad luck on the rolls. Well done.
48. Kerbare - October 26th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Really Othello is a version of Go…never heard of Go.
Battleship definitely should be on the list too…
I really I think Monopoly is overrated…
and Poker is just in right now I really don’t think it is the best strategy game ever…
Risk is awesome…
and final thought I never really thought of Scrabble as a strategy game…but it is my favorite game on the list.
49. Swebby - October 26th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I’ve always had a really strong desire to play Risk or something similar, but never managed to find anyone to give me a game. My dad always insisted it was the most boring game ever invented. Is it actually any good?
50. copperdragon - October 26th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
The best strategy games are the ones where all the pieces are exposed and there is no luck (dice,cards) - this elevates Chess to #1, with Checkers #2 (less pieces). All the others have some random or hidden element. (although Go and Pente are close)
was hoping to see Stratego and/or Cribbage on the list.
My kids learned strategy playing MTG (and economics as well!!)
51. copperdragon - October 26th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
TIC TAC TOE !!!!!
(the only luck involved is “who goes first”)
52. Vera Lynn - October 26th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Brotherman (25) I love Mastermind. I have a game at home and another at school. I taught my lawyer friend how to play. He’d never heard of it. It took him a while to beat me, but he was hooked. BTW he is much smarter than me. Every time I beat him, I sort of chortled in my head.
53. Perotin - October 26th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Great list! Go and poker should be switched, though. Go is the ULTIMATE strategy game.
54. james teh flame - October 26th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
my teacher is gonna teach us to play Axis and Allies when we learn about world war 2
this makes me want to play that game now
55. Ford - October 26th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I’ve played way too much Monopoly in my life. But I still love it.
I also love Go, Poker, Chess, Checkers, Backgammon, Dominoes and D&D. Not in any particular order.
56. jajdude - October 26th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
There are 5 or 6 there I have never even heard of. I like backgammon and scrabble. I believe checkers, chess, and go, and maybe others, are pure skill games, or the only luck being your opponent’s mistakes. Most of the others involve some luck. Monopoly is a good game as it is a bit like the world really is, where the ruthless in business bleed others for their money. Perhaps generous players tend to lose at monopoly.
57. Brad - October 26th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
D&D should totally be higher on this list!
58. nyys - October 26th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
What happened to Chinese chess? It’s one of my favorite games…
59. knight_forked - October 26th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Like many others who have commented on this list I find it really preposterous to have put Chess on #2 and that too comparing chess against Poker? Why is the compiler of this list still calling this the list of greatest strategy games?
What you need is a better editing process before such outright wrong lists are posted, or it should be noted that this is just the opinion of the compiler.
Don’t take me wrong, I really love this web site and visit it many times a day and probably this is the first time that a negative comment is posted by me.
60. Slipstick - October 27th, 2008 at 12:06 am
I figured that pinochle would’ve made the list. A lot of strategy is involved in the bidding yet the element of when to throw a counter and what to lead exist throughout the hand. It has as much if not more strategy than poker does.
61. nur - October 27th, 2008 at 2:36 am
Poker as No. 1, I don’t think so. Remove the element of money and it will be boring as living in the north pole. Chess should be the greatest strategy game here in this list. And I don’t think I should explain why.
The title for this post should be, “TOP 20 GREATEST STRATEGY GAMES, IN MY OPINION”. Sorry I can’t just help it.
62. Ghidoran - October 27th, 2008 at 4:53 am
Nice. But a pic of Civilization(PC)…..lol just kidding.
63. Jeffreygvl - October 27th, 2008 at 5:43 am
I agree,…. no starcraft?!
64. Pengi05 - October 27th, 2008 at 6:57 am
I am glad to see that Chess is not #1 that would have been so predictable and overrated. I guess I am just one for going against the grain. I personally would have made GO the #1. It has been around for ever and I think takes the most strategy to win! I do think poker is a strategy game for all those who seem to disagree and also a very popular game (which seems to make sense that it could fall relatively high on the list). Also Poker was not defined. There are several versions of the game…I mean I remember playing poker when I was a little kid…maybe a young as 5. There is so much going on in a poker game…knowing when to fold, bluff, what odds your getting on a particular hand….I think the list is fun good job!!!
65. Callie - October 27th, 2008 at 7:01 am
I’m convinced that every youngest child hates Monopoly because their older siblings are big fat cheaters. That certainly holds true for me- my oldest sister was always the banker and slipped my other sister money and didn’t give me enough…urggggg I hate Monopoly.
Speaking of my sister though, my brother in law proposed to her using a chess board (I don’t really know that rules, but if you get a pawn to somewhere, you can make them a difference piece? I’m not sure) At any rate, he slipped the ring over the pawn just in time to make it a queen and instead asked her to be his queen and opened his hand and there was the ring (awww) As a result, they have a cabinet in their house filled with chess boards people got them for the wedding…it’s like a chess museum..kinda weird.
66. Dane - October 27th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Poker over Bridge?! Poker shouldn’t even be on the list. Strategy my butt.
67. mushyyyyew - October 27th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Where the fuck is Starcraft?
Man your list sucks ass.
68. Wally - October 27th, 2008 at 9:23 am
mushyyyyew - Wheres your list asshole? You can piss off. I dont care what your suggestion was.
Anyone who has made a list for this site doesnt come on here suggesting crap, knowing full well somebody has spent hours making that list. You can piss off - get a real name and then punch yourself in the face, film it and post it on You Tube because being such an ass you are going unloved when you could be looking like the prick you are on a whole other level. Man you suck ass.
69. Seanithan - October 27th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Good list, although the PC picture of Civilization was strange and subsequently made a bunch of people who can’t read start screaming “Where the “F” is Starcraft?!”
Notable additions could be: Stratego and Chinese Checkers
I don’t really see a need for that Illuminati game, but if you say so..
70. JayArr - October 27th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I must say that Axis & Allies is a very limited-strategy game. I’ve been playing the game for over 28 years, and you can tell within the first 4 rounds which side will win (dice notwithstanding). And the strategy is almost always the same for each of the 5 nations - maybe 2 variations for any given nation as a rule.
Number 1 is just not right for strategy games - Poker is more of a tactical game, not a strategic one. There’s absolutely no way you can plan 5,6 or a dozen ‘moves’ in advance… not strategic.
I would definitely put Diplomacy and Othello (Go) much much higher on this list.
71. bigski - October 27th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I agree with #34.Well said Wally! What is the American translation for piss off? Over here it means your mad. I used to beat my sisters at Monopoly like a rented mule. Then I got caught cheating and could no longer be the banker. I have no patience for board games,now poker is another thing.Anyway pretty cool list nothing to argue about though.
72. copperdragon - October 27th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
I was telling my teenage daughter about this list, and she asked ” what about Parcheesi?”
Also knows as Sorry/Pachesi/etc. its a game where you have 4 or 5 tokens and you have to get them all around the board without your opponent doing the same or knocking yours home (by landing on them). small amount of luck in the dice rolling, but lots of strategy for which piece to move when.
Chinese checkers is a good strategy game as well - with no random element!!
73. Ravyn - October 27th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I love Diplomacy. It is so hard finding someone who will play the game. Takes too long for most people.
74. Idreno - October 27th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Is Diplomacy just another name for the game Stratego?
75. Jono - October 27th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I would remove checkers altogether as the game has been “solved” with computer algorithms. Kind of sad really.
76. Shivver - October 27th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
It should be noted that the Civilization board game and the Civilization computer game that most people today know are completely different games. The description given for #9 is definitely about the board game and not the computer game (as one of the possible ways of winning the Civ computer game is by destroying everyone else).
On the other hand, I think both Civilizations are possible candidates for this list.
77. Anon E. Mouse - October 28th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Oooh, a list I almost entirely agree with. And found immensely enjoyable!
Not too fond of Poker being the number one spot. It is undeniably a strategy game, but only insomuch as being able to know when to play, bet, fold, etc. As someone said earlier, take away the monetary factor and the game is about as strategic as Solitaire or Go-Fish.
I love Go, I learned it while learning Korean (in which it’s called Baduk). I’m still horrible at it though!
I love everything included in the list, all viable strategy games. Honorable mention, I think, should go to a few of the tabletop war games around (Warhammer 40K, Flames of War, etc.) They aren’t my cup of tea, but I’ve watched them be played, and the strategy involved is undeniable!
78. lowtolerance - October 28th, 2008 at 2:12 am
A list of strategy games without the drinking game “asshole” mentioned is not a valid list in my book.
79. JayArr - October 28th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Idreno(74) - No, Stratego is a much different board game, much like the card game concentration, except that instead of getting matching pairs of cards, you capture enemy markers based on who’s marker has the better rank (and watch out for the bombs!).
80. z - October 28th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Poker is a game of statistical probability, not strategy.
81. Nauplius - October 28th, 2008 at 9:51 am
One of my favorite games:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequence_(board_game)
82. Maggot - October 28th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
#80 z (and others):
fwiw, I ran a query on Amazon for “poker strategy”, and it returned over 700 results. True, allot of these books likely focus on explaining in great detail the odds and probablity tables, but there is plenty of strategy involved in the betting aspects of the game. As some have said: take that (betting) away and ya got nothing, but IMO take that away and you don’t have Poker either. Debatable semantics perhaps.
That all said, I agree with many of the comments here that say chess should be numero uno.
83. Ernmas - October 29th, 2008 at 10:53 am
#71 bigski - I’m not sure where “over here” is for you. I am an American, so here goes for the piss off explanation! “Piss off” (to me) is a British/European term rudely telling someone to go away. In America, “pissed off” means you’re angry, not “piss off.” I would say “F**k off” here to rudely tell someone to go away.
I don’t know if I confused the issue or not!
84. madhead - October 29th, 2008 at 11:10 am
For my money, I’d swap Illuminati with Stratego. Used to play the hell out of the Lord of the Rings edition.
I also have enjoyed Ludo; another dice game; mastermind, and of course, snakes and ladders - but perhaps these fit into another catagory (or another list
)
85. segue - October 29th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
71.bigski & 83.Ernmas: Hmmmm, I’m in the odd position of being an American who thinks of the term “piss off” as a somewhat rude way of telling someone to bug off…go away. I’d never tell anyone to f*ck off. It wouldn’t come naturally to me.
So, does that confuse the issue even more?
86. Maggot - October 29th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Speaking of dice games, a favorite of mine is the classic bar game “Liar’s Dice”. Yes the random element of a dice roll and knowing and calculating the statistical probabilities plays a big part, but there is a good deal of strategy also involved.
87. Alda - October 29th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
i somehow knew poker would be first on the list
88. astraya - October 30th, 2008 at 4:41 am
Go is very popular in Korea. Almost every park has a cluster of (mainly) old (mainly) men playing. A television channel broadcasts games all day.
Quite by coincidence I saw a banner ad at an intersection tonight for an amateur baduk championship. I asked my wife what that was, and she said “The game with the small black and white counters”. Then, scrolling back, I find that Anon E Mouse has anticipated me with the Korean name for that.
Anon E Mouse: annyeong haseyo?
Years ago I was a school boarding house assistant. One Saturday afternoon a small group of students settled in for a game of Axis and Allies. I wandered by again and the Axis players were winning comfortably. I wandered by again again and they’d lost. At least that game ran true to history.
Soon I after I returned to university, and a group of us went away to the family holiday house of one student in our group. One member of the uni wargaming society brought our Risk, and proceeded to beat the rest of us single-handedly, even after we’d agreed to gang up on him. I gave up and composed music instead.
I don’t have the patience for most of these. I am also a bad loser.
89. Anon E. Mouse - October 30th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Astraya: Annyeong hashimnika! (pardon my romanization… I’m horrrid at it and rusty as is… Not many places to practice my speaking around here :))
Yep, you pick those kinds of things up spending two years learning Korean from native Koreans (quirks and all, but they were great.)
I’ve had a crash course in most of these, seeing as how my major ‘hang out with friends’ place is a gaming store. I managed to win my first game of Risk… came as a suprise. Not to mention I’m a huge D and D nerd.
90. JayArr - October 30th, 2008 at 6:47 am
Hurray for D&D - been playing since 1979! Of the 20 games listed, I’ve played all but maybe 6 of them. Yes, I too am am nerdy… heehee.
91. JayArr - October 30th, 2008 at 6:48 am
Oh, and I too am am for two am making am am sentence mistakes!
92. Ernmas - October 30th, 2008 at 6:58 am
#85 Segue - I guess it may be a generational thing. I generally tell people to go away, and neither the piss off or other. If they don’t leave when I repeatedly ask, then I’ll resort to the f*** off! As for other slang, I tend to cuss non-American when I am bowling!
93. Anon. E. Mouse - October 30th, 2008 at 9:02 am
JayArr: D&D nerds unite! I love that game so much. Yep, I’m a straight up nerd!
The whole piss off vs. f**k off thing… It depends on present company and mood for me. I say both.
94. cohonas - October 30th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Chess is just simply the best, well you dont need to think about that one
95. segue - October 30th, 2008 at 10:40 am
92. Ernmas & 93. Anon. E. Mouse: When I was about 8 I struck my finger with a hammer, and blood started flowing freely from the gash I had opened.
I ran into the kitchen yelling to my mum “Look at my bloody finger!”, whereupon I was suddenly on the other side of the room with a stinging cheek, and mum screaming at me for using foul language. Meanwhile, my finger was making a puddle on the floor.
96. JayArr - October 30th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Segue(95) - I find that when I’m drunk, I’m pissed… When I’m pissed, I need to piss a lot - when I finish pissing, I’m still pissed, but at least I’ve pissed - hopefully in the proper receptacle… ready to keep on keeping on (now THAT’S strategy)!
97. Brickhouse - October 30th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I was expecting Othello.
Some of these I’ve never heard or tried. I love Scrabble - one of my all time favorites - but put me in front of a Monopoly board and the hours dra-a-a-a-a-a-g on and on…
98. segue - October 30th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
96. JayArr: That gave me the best laugh of the week so far!
Thanks!
99. G Note - October 30th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Poker has way too much luck involved to be #1, especially ahead of a game like chess which has none whatsoever.
A really shitty player can beat a professional if they are getting the right cards at the right time. It happens regularly.
Everyone who has played poker has seen good players get beaten out by others who barely even know the rules.
Such a thing would never happen in chess (or probably every other game on the list)
100. bigski - October 31st, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Ernmas & segue thankyou for settin me strait on the pissing thing. Having thought about it I think it`s more fun to say F@ck-off than Piss-off.It seems to get your point across better.Anyway have a Happy Halloween today.Peace out!
101. Elwyn - October 31st, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Your comments betray a very strong cultural bias.
With tens of millions of players in east Asia for several millenia, surely Go ranks as the number 1 in all-time importance, far surpassing chess and poker.
102. bigski - November 1st, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Sorry Elwin most people over here never played Go.Not that there`s anything wrong with that.
103. Magda - November 5th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Dane (#66) Maybe you’d be surprised to know that many bridge players play poker as well…
Bridge should definately be higher. It is aknowledged as a mental sport, along with chess, but the moreI watch poker tournament, the more I believe thatluck is not much of a factor. Sure, an amateur, clueless of the game can beat a pro once or twice, but in the long run a pro can beat any amateur no matter what cards are dealt.
104. ilbrelic - November 6th, 2008 at 8:19 am
lol gay I thought these were gonna be the best stradegy VIDEO games not board games lmao, civilization is an acception but you gotta get like age of mythology age of empires star wwars galactic battlegrounds stuff like that
105. Maggot - November 6th, 2008 at 10:36 am
I was actually Stratego champ at the neighborhood park when I was a teenager. Fun game. But the strategy is pretty simple (well, at least against my fellow 14 yr olds!): wait for or get the other guy to expose his 1 and 2 first (might have to sacrifice a 3 or 4 to do it), then you can control the three lanes with your own 1, 2, and a 3 by taking out anything that tries to get past you. Once you have even a one piece rank advantage (even if it’s only over a portion of the board), you just start hitting anything that moves and the game is as good as won.
106. mightyexcelsior - November 9th, 2008 at 9:40 am
A great game to play is Rifts
107. Spoon - November 11th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Yo oz. This doesn’t include video / computer games. Otherwise I’d agree with you
[Civilization was a board game before being a computer game, in case you didn’t know]
108. Lilith Hel - November 15th, 2008 at 6:02 am
i think every other game on that list is more complicated than poker.
109. Cy - November 18th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Yeah but the beauty of poker is that someone with absolutely no experience and the worst hand possible can still beat a world class player with a great hand. Sure it’s unlikely, because it’s still a strategy-based game, but it’s still possible. And that element of poker is not shared by any other game on this list.
110. Colonel - December 5th, 2008 at 9:50 am
The list needs Stratego, other than that its pretty good
111. Andrew - December 19th, 2008 at 12:30 am
STRATEGO!!!
112. moussaS - December 27th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Othello have nothing to do with Go so it should be on the list.Poker No 1.I dont think so.Go is No ONE.Theres much more
possible turns in GO than in Chess.Poker and Backgammon
sould be more close to each other on the list.But thank you
for an interesting list.REAL Boardgames RULES!!!