One genre of games that has been popular since the dawn of computers (and long before) is the strategy game. Every app or game store will have a section that is totally dedicated to this type of game, so what is the appeal?
How come strategy games predate digital gaming altogether, and why do people still opt for the kind of game that requires a little input from the brain? That’s what we’re exploring in today’s article.
An important note is the fact that strategy games are incredibly varied. Few other genres have the diversity of this one! There’s a real strategy game where people play as kooky aliens trying to create a spacecraft from scratch (shout out to the Kerbal Space Program), but there are also strategy games with a much more serious outlook. Plague Inc. is a strategy game where players try to spread a certain type of virus around a fake globe, and it even has an educational aspect.
Strategy Gaming Predates Computers
When people think of strategy gaming, they might think of games where they control a big organization or even a whole country. Modern playing methods mean there are many potential ways that high-tech simulations can be incorporated.
Strategy in games comes from a time long before a computer was in almost every home. Board games and card games were popular long before players could connect to each other and battle it out in a war simulation anywhere across the globe.
Depth and Replayability Appeal
The sheer depth of strategy games is another key factor in their lasting popularity, as the game can go in many directions. Many strategy games offer endless variations in how they can be played and even multiple paths to success or failure.
Sometimes, after completing a game, players find new strategies to explore or new tactics to experiment with, so they choose to play again. This depth of gameplay creates a level of replayability that keeps people returning for more. Look at the most popular games with a replayable factor, and you’ll see a pattern: lots of strategy games or games with strong strategic elements.
We’re back in an age when single-player games are very fashionable again, and lots of strategy games tick this box. They can also be played online against others—or even in collaborative modes.
Mastery of complex in-game systems (an economy or morale in a war game is an example) provides a sense of achievement that is hard to replicate in more straightforward game types. Players often find themselves engrossed in fine-tuning their strategies to try to get the best outcomes. Sometimes, these smaller changes can make all the difference between being good at a game or just being average.
People Like the Challenge
Some games aren’t really challenging after a brief time of playing. Once you know how to shoot the zombie in a horror game, you might find that there is more to the story but less to the actual gameplay.
The strategic element of thinking multiple steps ahead often defines this genre (in name and nature). Unlike other games where reflexes or reactions are key, strategy games reward foresight and planning. Players must anticipate their own moves and those of their opponents, whether human or AI. This creates an experience that is both mentally stimulating and highly competitive for players.
People have studied the psychology of difficulty in games, and they tend to find that there is a sweet spot when it comes to difficulty—people want to be challenged enough to keep it interesting, but they also want a game not to be so difficult that it is overwhelming (or where winning feels unattainable). Everyone should feel like they have a shot at success when playing one of the top strategy games.
