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Board games aren’t equal. There, we’ve said it! While for some, Snakes and Ladders might be the pinnacle of board game entertainment, nothing beats the glory of a strategy game for us. It’s just something so thrilling about them! Okay, nerd-like thrilling with all the planning and scheming and whatnot, but nonetheless. And, if you agree with us, we think you’ll enjoy our list of the best strategy board games to date! 

What will you find in this list full of strategy board games? Well, for starters, the father of them all - chess! Yup, same old good old chess. And, if you’re more into games with actual narrative (although we bet that you can also make up a narrative for chess, hands down), you’ll find such gems as Catan, Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride here, too. Oh, and Risk did also make it to our list of best board games; how could it not?! Actually, there are so many good strategy board games listed here that you’ll never think about the family-ruining, feud-inducing Monopoly ever again. Although we admit it, it also made it to this list. But hey, you can give your likes to the other cool board games, so this thing of evil never finds its way to the top spot of this list! 

So, ready to check out these awesome strategic board games? If so, scroll on down below, take a look at our selection, and do not forget to vote for the games you think to be the best representative of this category. Once that is all well and done, share this article with your friends! 

#1

Catan

Catan

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Hill Branda
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of the best board games ever...if you can get past your husband's friends giggling like schoolboys whenever someone trades "wood for sheep."

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    #3

    Carcassonne

    Carcassonne

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    Hill Branda
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Love this game. Easy to learn and always different, every time you play. There are a TON of expansions, if you're willing to invest that much into a game.

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    #5

    Scythe

    Scythe

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    Dahamada Jamawas
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    yes, yes and yes - graphics perfect, material high quality, tactics and strategy high level - but nothing for small children

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    #7

    Wingspan

    Wingspan

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    Heather Resatz
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Our family plays loads of board games and I love trying new ones .. just looked this up and it's $200!! How good can this game really be???

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    #9

    Pandemic

    Pandemic

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    Randall Peek
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What’s shown is one of the several Pandemic Legacy versions on the market. Legacy games are designed to fundamentally change over the course of a campaign stretching over a number of games. The changes are based on what players do in the game so one campaign could be very different from that played by another group.

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    #11

    Twilight Struggle

    Twilight Struggle

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    Randall Peek
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Strictly two players. It takes a long time to learn and a long time to play, but it is a rich and rewarding game where you take the part of either the US or the USSR and play through the Cold War. Most of the game involves influencing other nations toward your ideology.

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    #12

    Taco vs. Burrito

    Taco vs. Burrito

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    Dahamada Jamawas
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    3 minutes to learn 15 minutes to play - perfect for a long 18 minute evening

    #14

    Terraforming Mars

    Terraforming Mars

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    Randall Peek
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You represent an organization trying to terraform Mars into a habitable state. Through cardplay you complete projects that bring Mars into a better state, trying to reach milestones and gain prestige faster than your rivals. Excellent game.

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    #17

    Ravensburger Disney Villainous

    Ravensburger Disney Villainous

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    Ridley the Monster
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Villainous has a simple rule set (move your token, take 4 actions) but the interactions between players can drag the game out for a while. Has the kingmaker problem in competitive groups where someone finally decides to let someone else win. Every villain has a unique rule set making the game a little tricky to teach. Overall though the journey is worth it, beautiful careful game design is on display to balance every character and provide a very unique game.

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    #18

    Gloomhaven

    Gloomhaven

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    Randall Peek
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is a juggernaut. The game weighs over twenty pounds and comes in a box the size of a small foot locker. There is so much content in the box it it unlikely any player will see it all. This is a campaign game where your characters have individual skills and goals and as the campaign progresses older characters will retire and new ones are unlocked and will join the fight. There are even randomly generated dungeons to play through if you would rather wait for your friends to be available to continue the sprawling story. This is the very definition of epic.

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    #19

    Risk: Game Of Thrones

    Risk: Game Of Thrones

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    Dahamada Jamawas
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A bad game, that can be bought for less than 5$ second hand is not any better because it has GoT written on it. But somehow got some upvotes. Btw: Neverending boring battles, decided by luck without strategy - is this really something GoT should promote?

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    #20

    7 Wonders

    7 Wonders

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    Randall Peek
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Three to seven players, this is a game of drafting cards and building up your civilization. One of the nice things is that the number of players hardly changes the time to play the game. The two player version, 7 Wonders Duel, is even better.

    #24

    Small World

    Small World

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    Randall Peek
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Imagine a Risk like game, except your people have special, unique powers and ways of scoring points. It scales well for anywhere from 2 to 5 players, there are expansions available for even more variety, and it’s one of the easiest games to learn.

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    #25

    Root

    Root

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    Ridley the Monster
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Complicated a-symetrical war game style game with a cute first creature theme will warm your heart.

    #26

    Castles Of Burgundy

    Castles Of Burgundy

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    #27

    Everdell

    Everdell

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    Ridley the Monster
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This game is a beautiful forest worker placement game. Lots of fun. Easy to teach. First game I played of this was kinda long. Agricola fans will pick up this game quickly. 4 seasons 15 turns plus each turn used to build your city doesn't take a worker, so about 30 turns on average per game. Would highly recommend.

    #28

    Agricola

    Agricola

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    Hill Branda
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Love this game but you better have the entire day free before you start playing.

    #29

    Brass: Birmingham

    Brass: Birmingham

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    #30

    Terra Mystica

    Terra Mystica

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    #31

    Puerto Rico

    Puerto Rico

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    Hill Branda
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    LOVE this game--- great for a big group. But tons of fiddly little pieces and tons of things to do on your turn make it last for AGES, so be sure you have the entire evening free.

    #32

    Power Grid

    Power Grid

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    Hill Branda
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A really fun and complex game that's actually pretty easy to learn. Needs a big table top to play.

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    #34

    Brass: Lancashire

    Brass: Lancashire

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    #35

    Lost Ruins Of Arnak

    Lost Ruins Of Arnak

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    #36

    The Crew: Mission Deep Sea

    The Crew: Mission Deep Sea

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    #37

    Race For The Galaxy

    Race For The Galaxy

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    #38

    Clank! A Deck-Building Adventure

    Clank! A Deck-Building Adventure

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    #39

    Lords Of Waterdeep

    Lords Of Waterdeep

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    #40

    Tsuro

    Tsuro

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    Not Telling
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This game is great for any age! If kids wanna join in, it's ok, but still fun for adults.

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    #44

    Gloomhaven: Jaws Of The Lion

    Gloomhaven: Jaws Of The Lion

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    #45

    Mage Knight Board Game

    Mage Knight Board Game

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    Dahamada Jamawas
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The mother of analysis paralysis: If you like strategy, you love this game (although it can take up more than one evening). Every time you think you found the perfect solution there will be a more perfect one if you think longer.

    #46

    Paladins Of The West Kingdom

    Paladins Of The West Kingdom

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    #48

    Grand Austria Hotel

    Grand Austria Hotel

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    #50

    Architects Of The West Kingdom

    Architects Of The West Kingdom

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    Note: this post originally had 116 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.