If we were to look at a game genre like sports simulators or superhero games, we would see a relatively short timeline from when these games first launched until now. Most of the history of gaming as we know it is digital, but some games come from a more historical source. Strategy games were being played long before anyone had even conceived of a computer. Ancient civilizations had strategy games involving boards and cards and the evolution has been fascinating. Some games haven’t changed that much while others have been on a long and unusual journey.

Table Games and Strategy Games

Many people consider chess to be the very first game of its kind – involving pieces and a lot of strategy! In fact, a lot of people would describe this as a game of pure strategy, where each move requires careful consideration of the opponent’s possible responses. Chess laid the groundwork for all strategy games that followed in some ways and introduced the idea of outmaneuvering an opponent and thinking several steps ahead – something most 1v1 strategy games need.

Modernization has led to more chess being played on screens like iPads than being played on physical chess boards these days. This is a journey some other games that involve strategy have been on, including casino games. Blackjack is another example of a game played with cards that involves some level of strategy (it also involves luck, of course). Players can potentially choose how they play the game in terms of approach and which hands to stick on. Casino brands have led a shift for strategic games like this to go online and they can provide ways to play via either interfaces or in a more modern method with a live dealer. Joe Fortune Live Casino has games with dealers that deal the cards in real-time to connected players. This is a newer way of playing but one more reminiscent of when this game was purely played in person. Modern casino gamers have options.

Casino games and chess have been joined on a digital journey by games like Risk, released in 1957, and a significant departure from traditional games which introduced the concept of world domination. Players move armies across a map, conquering territories through a combination of luck and strategic thinking as the dice add randomness to the game.

Games Built For PC and Console 

We’ve been through games that already existed and have adapted, but there are loads of games first released in the 80s and 90s that have shaped digital strategy gaming. Many early digital strategy games were turn-based with the structure of board games. Titles like Civilization, released in 1991, became huge. 

In Civilization, players guide a civilization from the dawn of time through the ages and have a lot of elements to keep an eye on such as the economy, requiring players to think not just in terms of individual moves, but in terms of long-term goals and strategies. Along with six main games released in this series, there have been loads of spinoffs and tie-in games, and “Civ” as fans call it is still popular.

As technology advanced, real-time strategy (RTS) games emerged. Dune II, released in 1992, is often thought of as defining the RTS genre – the company is still releasing well-reviewed games like Dune: Spice Wars in 2023. Unlike turn-based games, RTS games unfold in real-time so the quick-thinkers got ahead. This has been one of the bases for games like the common esports games now where players may have to strategize as well as perform quickly.

Lots of games are still played like this and use the real-time mechanic, but not all are directly competitive via online play. Strategy games may enable people to play on their own and simply get the satisfaction of a high score or just play through the challenges. Some of these strategy games come with an inbuilt sense of humor to keep things interesting. Evil Genius and its more recent sequel, Evil Genius 2, are examples of a game that has the “world domination” idea, like Risk, but is more based on solo gameplay.

Indie Strategy Games

Modern gamers may have noticed that independent game developers in the 2010s brought new life to the strategy genre. Indie developers experimented with unique mechanics and storytelling, leading to innovative strategy games that pushed the boundaries of what games could be. Titles like FTL: Faster Than Light are examples. In this game, the player is in the role of controlling a spaceship with precious cargo and needs to get this to the desired location. 

Games are more accessible for people to create now and some developers can build full strategy games with small teams and not a huge number of resources. This has led to the ten thousand games released every year, showing just how far strategy games have come since chess and other table games.