Simply speaking, a strategy game is any game where the outcome is determined by the choices a player makes. These games are won through tactics rather than force or technical proficiency. Chess and checkers are strategy games, as are other board games like Risk. Strategy games are one of the most popular genres of video games as well, encompassing several types of games.

One type of game is the real time strategy game, or “RTS.” Popular versions of this game include Starcraft, League of Legends, and Age of Empires, although there are hundreds of different games of this genre. These games will usually involve moving one or more characters across a map, utilizing resources and winning specific locations on the map. RTS games move quickly and are usually multi-player.

There are also turn based strategy games, or “TBS”s. These are similar in premise to the RTS, but instead of action occurring quickly in real time, the player formulates his moves while the game is on pause, then sees how the actions pan out. Games like Total War, Civilization, and Heroes of Might and Magic are based on a TBS engine.

The majority of the RTS and TBS games can be generally classified as “war games”: Players guide troops, engage in battle, conquer territories, and receive domination of a battlefield. Not all strategy games are war simulations, however, and in fact many of the best strategy games deal with domestic topics. Many female gamers who refuse to play shooters play strategy games.

Most “sandbox-style” games involve a strategy element. For example, Viva Pinata won the “Best Strategy Game of the Year” award for its unique gameplay and extensive challenges. Similar types of games are Zoo Tycoon or Rollercoaster Tycoon, Sim City, and even The Sims. In these types of games, players make choices regarding how to best achieve goals that they set for themselves; because game play is open-ended, play is based more on individual success than any exterior notion of “winning.”

Strategy games are a great way to engage players with thought-provoking game experiences. Because these games are often interactive, they also provide an excellent form of social engagement between users, and strategy games are guaranteed to keep players engaged and prevent boredom.