Strategy Board Games

Strategy games require a great deal of thinking in order for the player to win. Not only do the players need to analyze their move, but they also need to anticipate the moves of their opponent. Besides that, they also need to anticipate the outcome of several moves in the future. The immense importance of thinking ahead and applying the present and past situation to anticipate the future outcome, separates strategy games from many other games in general.

For example, Snakes and Ladders are hardly seen as a challenge for most adults. This is because the game is purely contingent. The roll of the dice determines the fate of the player, and there is no need to think things through. It is only the sheer suspense of it that this game is still popular amongst children.

Strategy games, on the other hand, rely heavily on how a person think things through, applying analysis, logic so a player can study the opponent, predict his or her moves, and eventually win the game.

War and Strategy

Today, strategy games, or sometimes war games, are more commonly associated with video games such as Red Alert or WarCraft. However, way before the advent of video games in present times, strategizing has been used in board games. If fact, it can be traced back to the mid-2000 B.C. with board games like Go.

Some people may ask why strategy games are more associated with war games. The analogy can be asserted by history. War and strategy go hand in hand. A general who cannot strategize well will lose his battles and suffer other considerable losses.

For example, the aforementioned game of Go is a virtual microcosm of a battle, or even a war. Several scholars have theorized that the game Go came from Chinese generals and tribal warlords who used the pieces of stone to make a visual representation of their attacking positions. They, in turn, could map out what will happen in the battlefield.

The correlation of war and strategy is especially evident in the game of chess. All pieces hold true military significance at the time of the game's creation, which was around the 6th century A.D. Checkers is also patterned on strategy and war board games, utilizing the player's quick-wittedness to overcome and defeat the opponent.

Other games that fall under this category are backgammon, Stratego, Game of the Generals, Battleship, and many more.

Investors and Murderers

Strategy board games have also evolved into more placid games. One great example is Monopoly. A game of real estate, investing, and many more is considered as the most popular board game in the world. Despite the fact that the player's pace is controlled by the dice, it still needs a great deal of strategizing in order to overcome the opponent. This is where smart investing, and at times luck, comes in-much like in real life. By strategizing with a business sense, the player can easily ruin their opponents' finances.

Clue is another game that demands strategizing. Players need to find the murderer among them. In this dizzying and confusing game, a player needs to outsmart everyone to know who the real murderer is. But lies, secrecy and confusion can easily leave players scratching their heads, until, of course, they are killed. Thinking ahead and speculating, like the rules of strategy, can definitely help the player.

There are a lot of great board games out there that require strategizing. The problem with today is that people are now more drawn into the video game types. Classic strategy board games like chess or checkers are actually more challenging to the mind. Contemporary ones influence interaction between family and friends. Video games don't exactly encourage conversation, so try strategy board games more often.

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By Robert Diarioti