7 Best Strategy Board Games to Play in 2026
Strategy games make us think, plan, and sometimes argue over pizza slices. These picks teach, challenge, and bring strategy fun to everyone.
The 7 Best Board Games for Strategy Lovers: Top Picks for New Players
If you love board games where every move counts, you’re in the right spot. We’ve spent way too many evenings wrangling our friends over cardboard and meeples to bring you our list of the best strategy board games. When picking these board games, we looked for games that are easy to learn, fun to play, and full of tough choices. Whether you’re plotting train routes, trading resources, or just trying not to flip the table, our top picks are perfect for anyone who wants a taste of strategy without needing a PhD in board gaming.
On this list:
7 Ticket to Ride
We always come back to Ticket to Ride when we want a fast and welcoming strategy game. You get to build train routes, block your friends, and cheer when your sneaky plans work out. It’s perfect for new players who want to try some lighter strategy without their brain melting. It never gets old watching someone claim the route you wanted, and everyone groans and laughs. The rules are simple, but the choices get tense, especially near the end. It’s the board game we pick when we want to chat and snack but still feel clever.
6 Carcassonne
Carcassonne turns everyone into a sneaky architect. We lay down tiles to shape the map and try to outwit each other for control of the countryside. The strategy is sneaky but friendly, and it’s always fun to see the table crowd around a single unfinished city. Even when someone beats you to your pasture, you want to play again. This is great for folks new to strategy games because you only ever have one simple choice, but every choice matters. Plus, it’s quick to set up and never takes too long.
5 7 Wonders
7 Wonders makes us feel like genius city planners, even if we’re mostly just collecting colorful cards and hoping for the best. The draft mechanic is so clever—everyone’s watching their neighbors, trying to guess what they’ll take next, and getting mad when their perfect card gets snatched up. The game rewards both bold and sneaky strategy, and it scales well for groups because everyone plays at the same time. If you want a good intro to more complex strategy but with no downtime, this is the way to go.
4 Catan
Catan is the first ‘serious’ strategy game many of us ever played. Every session is pure chaos—trading sheep for wood, making sneaky deals, and blocking your best mate’s road just because you can. The board is different every time, so you have to adjust your strategy over and over. It’s full of friendly betrayal and panicked resource collecting. We’ve played more Catan than we’d like to admit, and it’s always a blast, even when half the table is asking who has wheat for the hundredth time.
3 Pandemic
Pandemic flips strategy on its head by making us work together instead of against each other. It’s tense, it’s sweaty, and everyone shouts advice, even when nobody listens. The challenge comes from planning as a team, using your roles, and balancing quick wins with long-term goals. We either win as a team or lose as a team—and both feel epic. For new players, it’s a great way to see how much fun a good strategy can be when you’re not just looking out for yourself.
2 Splendor
Splendor makes strategy feel cool and classy. You collect gems, buy cards, and try to look calm while plotting your sneaky victory. The rules are simple, but every turn you’re deciding whether to save up, block a rival, or make a move. We love the tense silence as everyone stares at shiny cards, and the sudden groan when someone grabs the noble you needed. New players pick it up fast, but there’s enough strategy to keep us playing round after round. Plus, who doesn’t want to be a gem tycoon?
1 Terraforming Mars
We pick Terraforming Mars as the best because it’s strategy on a galactic scale. The first time we played, our brains nearly exploded, but in the best way. You build cities, forests, and oceans, race your friends to milestones, and manage a hand of cards that could launch your whole plan or leave you in dust. Every session is different, full of twists and tough choices. It’s a bit trickier for new players, but once you get it, you’ll want to play again and again. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as making Mars green for the first time with a perfect strategy.
