Strategy Games: Types Explained and How to Get Better at Them

A strategy game is one where planning beats luck. You make a series of decisions, your opponent (or the computer) reacts, and the player who thinks further ahead usually wins. That covers a huge range of games, from a 2,000-year-old board game to a tower defense game you play on a phone. This guide sorts strategy games into the main types, helps you choose, and lists the habits that improve your play in all of them.

The main types of strategy game

Abstract board games

Pure strategy with no story and almost no luck. Chess, checkers, Go, reversi, Connect 4 and similar games belong here. Both players see everything and the rules fit on a page. They are the best place to learn how to plan, because every loss is your own mistake. See our guides to chess for beginners, checkers and reversi.

Turn-based strategy

You move, then the other side moves. You can take as long as you like to think. Examples are turn-based war games, strategy RPGs and most board games on a screen. These suit players who like to calculate.

Real-time strategy (RTS)

Everything happens at once. You build, gather resources and command units while your opponent does the same. Speed and multitasking matter as much as planning. Real-time games are harder to learn but tense and exciting.

Tower defense

You place defences along a path and stop waves of enemies. It is a gentler strategy genre, where the key skill is deciding what to build and when to upgrade. A good place to start if you have never played a strategy game. Browse the Strategy category to see what is available.

Resource and building games (4X and city builders)

The name "4X" means explore, expand, exploit and exterminate. You grow an empire, balance an economy and decide when to fight. Games are long and the strategy is about the long term.

Card and deck-building strategy

You build a deck or use a hand of cards and decide what to play when. Luck exists but skill shows over many games. Our 2 player card games guide covers several for two.

How to choose

If you want...	Look at
A quick game with a friend	Abstract board games
To think at your own pace	Turn-based strategy
Fast action with planning	Real-time strategy
An easy start	Tower defense
A long game with growth	Empire and city builders

If you want a strategy game for exactly two people, read 2 player strategy games.

Habits that make you better at any strategy game

1. Think one reply ahead. Before every move, ask "what is the best answer to this?" Most beginner mistakes are moves that look good until the opponent responds.
2. Control the centre or the key resource. In board games it is the middle of the board. In economy games it is the income. Whoever controls it usually leads.
3. Count material and tempo. How many pieces, units or resources does each side have, and who is faster?
4. Do not rush. An early attack that fails costs more than a slow build that works. Get a plan, then act.
5. Trade when ahead, avoid trades when behind. This works for chess, checkers and many war games alike.
6. Learn from every loss. After a game, find the one move or decision that turned it. Fix that, not everything.
7. Study openings in board games, build orders in real-time games. Most strategy games have a standard start. Learning the first ten moves saves you from early traps.
8. Scout. Information is power. Find out what your opponent has before you commit.

Where to play

You can play free strategy games in your browser with no download. The Strategy and Board and Card categories are a good start, and you can pick a game for one player or for two. Games differ in controls and modes, so read the page of each game before you play.