Nederland · EN

Guide 4 min read

Strategy games for beginners: where to start

Strategic does not have to mean difficult. How to pick your first strategy board game, and which games make a good next step.

Short answer: Start with a strategy game you can teach in fifteen minutes, such as Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Kingdomino or Catan. If that clicks, move on to games like Wingspan or Cascadia. Save heavy games such as Ark Nova and Terraforming Mars for later.

You win a strategy game mainly through good decisions rather than luck. That sounds daunting, but many of the best-known modern board games are strategy games with simple rules. This guide takes you from your first game to the big boxes.

What makes a game strategic?

In a strategy game you plan ahead. Every turn you pick from several moves, and those choices pay off (or not) later in the game. Dice or cards may play a part, but smart choices win more often.

Strategic does not have to mean difficult. In a good gateway game the rules are short and the depth is in the decisions. On BoardGameDrop games are also sorted by complexity: quick to learn lists the ones you get to the table fastest.

The best gateway games

These have been the classic first step for years. They take minutes to explain and play with two to four or five people.

  • Ticket to Ride Europe by Alan R. Moon: collect cards in train colours and claim railway routes between cities. The original Ticket to Ride won the 2004 Spiel des Jahres, Germany's best-known game award.
  • Carcassonne by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede: take turns placing a tile and build a shared landscape of cities, roads and monasteries. Spiel des Jahres winner in 2001.
  • Catan by Klaus Teuber: gather resources, trade with the other players and build settlements and cities. The base game is for three or four players.
  • Kingdomino by Bruno Cathala: a short tile game in which you build a five-by-five kingdom. Spiel des Jahres winner in 2017 and good with children too.
  • Splendor by Marc André: collect gems to buy cards, which then give you discounts on later cards. Step by step you build an engine.

Gateway games

The next step

Once you have played the gateway games a lot, these offer a few more choices and a longer playing time:

  • Cascadia by Randy Flynn: place habitat tiles and wildlife and score for patterns. Spiel des Jahres winner in 2022.
  • Wingspan by Elizabeth Hargrave: attract birds to your wildlife preserve, each with its own power. Winner of the 2019 Kennerspiel des Jahres, the award for slightly more experienced players.
  • Everdell by James A. Wilson: build a city of woodland critters by placing workers and playing cards.
  • 7 Wonders Duel: a strong pick if you mostly play as a pair. More in two-player games.

A handy rule of thumb: Kennerspiel des Jahres winners are often a good second step after the family games that win the Spiel des Jahres.

A little more depth

Big strategy games

Games like Ark Nova and Terraforming Mars come with thick rulebooks and easily take two hours or more. The publisher lists Ark Nova for 1 to 4 players aged 14 and up. Experienced players love them, but as a first game they tend to put people off. All heavy games are under heavy games.

For later

Terms you will come across

TermWhat it meansExample
Tile layingyou place tiles to build an areaCarcassonne, Cascadia
Set collectionyou collect cards or pieces in combinationsTicket to Ride
Engine buildingwhat you buy makes later turns strongerSplendor, Wingspan
Worker placementyou place figures on spots that give an action; taken is takenEverdell
Tradingyou swap resources with the other playersCatan

How to choose

  1. Player count: check the box, but not every game is as much fun at its minimum. Filter by number of players.
  2. Playing time: a gateway game usually takes 30 to 60 minutes. When in doubt, pick 30 to 60 minutes.
  3. Age: the age on the box says something about how tricky the rules are. Games for ages 8 and up and 10 and up often make good gateway games for adults too.
  4. Theme: trains, nature, animals or space. A theme you like helps you remember the rules.

All strategy games are together under strategy games.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good first strategy board game?

Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Kingdomino and Catan are classic first games. Their rules are short and a game takes about an hour or less.

What is the difference between the Spiel des Jahres and the Kennerspiel des Jahres?

Both are German game awards from the same jury. The Spiel des Jahres goes to a game for families and newcomers, the Kennerspiel des Jahres to a game for players with a bit more experience.

Are strategy games suitable for children?

Yes, if you follow the age on the box. Many families play Kingdomino and Carcassonne with children. The age is the publisher's guideline; you know your own children best.

Can I play strategy games with two players?

Many, yes, but some are less exciting with two. The Catan base game, for example, is for three or four players. If you want something truly for two, look at two-player games.

Does the language edition matter?

For games with a lot of text on the cards, such as Wingspan or Everdell, an edition in your own language helps. For games with little text, such as Kingdomino or Carcassonne, it matters less. Editions are listed separately on the product page.

Keep browsing

BoardGameDrop does not sell or test games itself. Player count, playing time and age come from the box and the publisher; the prices are the shops’ prices today.

Games from this guide

Popular games with a current price at the shops. Compare the prices on the game’s page.

More guides