Beginner Friendly Strategy Games

Keen to brush up on your strategic thinking? Looking to become the next great general of the digital world? Whether you're new to strategy games or looking to dip your toes into the genre, it can be overwhelming to find the right entry point. Here are four excellent games that strike a balance between approachability and depth, each belonging to a different sub genre of strategy.

Sid Meier's Civilization VI:

Civ 6 is the perfect game for players looking to ease into a strategy title at their own pace, it's generous in giving players ample time to plan their next moves, the AI can't take their turn until you hit the end turn button yourself, this gives you the freedom to build improvements, plan out your cities and make military moves on your turn.

The game advisor does a fantastic job introducing you to the mechanics of diplomacy, city building, scientific progress and exploration if you require some help on your first few games. Each culture in the game is unique and offers a different strength to exploit throughout the game, for example Greece can be cultural powerhouses whereas Korea is more scientifically oriented, this doesn't lock them into only one playstyle however and you can choose to do whatever you like to grow your civilization. We highly recommend this game for beginners and it usually goes on steep sales too.

Pros: Turn based gameplay, multiple victory conditions, helpful in game tools

Cons: Late game gets very busy, AI can make illogical decisions

Age Of Empire 3:

Age of Empires 3 changed a few things from the previous instalments in the franchise, streamlining and simplifying many of the systems making it much easier for new players to jump in and learn. The Home City mechanic in particular can be a real boon and allows players to ship in resources or units directly to their city should they find themselves in need of it. This eases the early game pressure for new players and alleviates any potentially hairy situations.

This title is much less micro-management heavy than the previous titles and provides clear unit counters and an improved UI. The campaigns in the game are engaging and narratively driven, they're fun and often get the player to want to play just one more missions before switching off.

Pros: Streamlined resource management, modernised controls & stunning visuals, factions feel distinct

Cons: Campaigns can feel too easy, some clunky AI behaviour

Starcraft 2:

Starcraft 2 offers a fantastic player learning curve through it's campaigns and eases you into progressively more complicated and epic battles. The game is broken up into three acts, each big enough that they are their own games. The Terran (human) campaign is free on BattleNet so you're welcome to give it a try without spending a dime! Each mission introduces new units and tactics that you can employ, this helps new players not feel too swamped with tons of units and abilities right off the get go.

Multiplayer is quite competitive but you're also able to do skirmishes against the AI or co-op challenges to brush up on your skills or experience battles that are apart from the main campaign. Each unit in the game is unique and can be used to perform different acts and strategies, from basic soldiers good for holding the line and pumping out cheaply to more complicated units like ghosts, that are able to cloak themselves, snipe enemies or call down tactical nukes and battlecruisers, hulking floating fortresses that rain down heavy ordinance on it's foes, the options you have are interesting and war-band combinations are varied.

Pros: Fantastic campaign design, well polished user interface, unique factions

Cons: Some missions require high actions per minute, multiplayer ladder is highly competitive

Dungeon Keeper

Didn't you know? It's good to be bad. Dungeon Keeper is unique in it's design, flipping the usual trope of you being the hero saving the day, in this game you play as a dark and evil lord of the depths and build intricate and devious dungeons for your creatures and treasures to reside. It seamlessly combines base building, unit management and relatively light real time combat providing you with a fairly relaxed and enjoyable game.

The overall tone of the game is largely comedic, the pressure in earlier to mid game missions is relatively low and experimentation is rewarded. Losing a mission doesn't penalize you and you're welcome to reload a previous save or try again to see what you can do differently. There's multiple traps that you can research and the layout of your dungeon is made by you, creating funnels and death zones is delightful when pulled off correctly and you can lean back in your chair and chuckle to yourself as your monsters eradicate the goodie two shoes that try to end your reign. Dungeon Keeper is a stunning game that stands the test of time and we wholeheartedly recommend it!

Pros: Unique concept, gradual difficulty curve, satisfying gameplay and genre mix

Cons: Now outdated interface, semi autonomous creature behaviour (they can be really silly sometimes), no in game tutorial

Strategy games can seem intimidating at first, but the right starting point makes all the difference. Whether you're building empires, commanding armies, or managing your own dungeon lair, these beginner-friendly titles offer the perfect mix of depth and accessibility. Try one that fits your style, take your time, and most importantly—have fun learning how to outthink the world, one turn (or real-time skirmish) at a time.