Stratego is officially an OLD game. But that doesn’t mean it’s out for the count. It’s survived the test of time and held out a lot longer than a whole slew of its competitors. And today there exists more than enough Reimplementations of the original game to spend your time wading through. But if you’re looking for games like Stratego that isn’t just an exact copy reskinned then look no further. This is the list for you.
These are the games you turn to when you want the war, the cunning and the strategy. These are the games that will test your wits and make you feel brainy and brawny when you finally take that crown. These are ten games similar to Stratego.
10 Games like Stratego
Hnefatafl
The first on our list of games like Stratego is not just officially old, this one is really old. There have been a lot of lovely sets made for this game in the past few years but the original dates back to the 400s.
Hnefatafl (Nee-faa-taff-le) is often compared to chess and it makes a great addition to this list. In this two-player game, one will take on the King’s army and the other will be the Invading Force. The King starts in the middle of his land and will try to escape, via one of the corners of the board, while the Invaders will move inwards trying to surround and capture the King.
It might seem rudimentary compared to some of the games we have nowadays, but this is another one that’s held out over time and still plays as exciting and entertaining.
Hive
This game like Stratego asks players to pit forces against one another, but instead of armies this time it’s reams of creepy-crawlies.
Hive is speedy to play but full of opportunities to get some tactics in that will make your friends want to flip a table. It is boardless, so two players will use the white and black pieces to build the playing area with their bugs.
The aim is to encapsulate the rival queen and protect your own at all costs but the unique movements of all the pieces let players get invested in their own strategy despite its simplicity.
People of all ages are likely to find Hive a fun time though its bright colours also make it very friendly for a young fan who you might be trying to show new genres of games to.
Robin Hood
Two players will fight over the fate of Nottingham in this game like Stratego. Using the legend of Robin Hood to create its setting, this game asks players to choose between the side of the Law and the side of Justice.
In Robin Hood, one player will control the Black Knight and his forces while the other player will be Robin and his band of Merry Men. The blend of different characters from Knights, Pikemen and Archers right to Robin Hood and Marian will all play slightly differently on the board.
But each of them is still just looking to get a lot of gold at the end of the day. As the groups travel across the map of Nottingham they will make battle, gain and lose gold, collect the support of the common folk and try to change the area to their own wants.
Risk
Risk is another older board game like Stratego. It’s an extremely popular war game and a staple of families everywhere. In Risk, two to six players will all fight to take over the world.
First, they’ll carve up the world map into their own territories and fill them with as many occupying forces as they are allowed. Then they’re turned free and able to invade each other.
This game is all about allowing players to battle back and forth trying for world domination and can become highly competitive even for the most zen players out there.
But it’s not all about moving your troops forward and attacking everyone nearby, a good defence is the only way to be sure you won’t be completely removed from the board.
Already know and love this game? Check out our list of games like Risk!
Shogun
Shogun takes place in Japan during the Sengoku period and each player assumes the role of a Lord or Daimyo leading their troops to conquer the provinces of the Japanese islands.
Like in most territory building games there is a lot of resource management and multiple ways to gain Victory Points that will affect the strategy of each game.
However, this game is particularly unique because its combat doesn’t use dice. Instead, when rival armies meet on the board and have to battle the coloured cubes that represent their troops are dropped into a Cube Tower together. The Cube Tower is designed to catch and release them at random.
Whichever colour has more cubes released into its tray is the winner of that altercation.
Axis & Allies
In this two- to five-player game, we’re in a World War II setting. This is a game like Stratego in that there are hidden stats. There are unique National Objectives for each country that they’ll want to complete unknown to their opponents.
The players will all take on separate countries (UK, USA, USSR, Italy, Germany, Japan) and work within their historic groups to intimidate and destroy their enemies. The turns will steadily phase through the actions; R + D, Purchase Units, Combat Move, Conduct Combat, Non-Combat Move, Mobilize New Units and Collect Income.
Which they will want to synchronize their strategy on to help the Nations of the Axis & Allies bring an end to this wretched war.
Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre
When you think about games like Stratego, you’re probably not going to think about Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre first. But I would argue this game has all the head-to-head battle you could want after an afternoon of strategy gaming.
If you’re not reaching for it subconsciously next time you want to thoroughly thrash another individual I don’t know how to help you. In this game, Battle Wizards overpower one another with spells in an all-out magic war.
Two to six players will continue to fight, trying to wrack up two wins from these battle royales to be able to take the whole game. And when you win an Epic Spell War, nothing feels better. Except maybe watching someone else lose an Epic Spell War.
Mage Knight
Mage Knight is a good choice for someone looking for something more complex on this list of games like Stratego. Utilising a similar gridded board design as well, it is also just a beautiful game to look at.
Players will each be taking on the moniker of Mage Knight and will be using their title to build up bigger armies to help them fight more monsters, collect more artefacts and conquer the most land as they travel. This one is for up to four players but also has a solo mode, the game can even be changed to cooperative by playing out one of the unique scenarios for that mode.
This game really is a perfect solution any time you find yourself with too much time on your hands.
Catan
Another classic game like Stratego is the veteran Catan. It’s an award-winner and the board game that every sitcom in the world has decided is mandatory gaming. And they’re not wrong, you really do need to have a copy on your game shelf.
In Catan, players work to build settlements, cities and roads together on a randomly generated board however they are working against one another to hold the most territory and win validations like the Longest Road token or Biggest Army token. When a player gains 10 points they are the winner.
Catan can be played by three to four players however expansions exist for even bigger games to be plated should you want to.
Already a fan of this classic strategy game? Check out our list of games like Catan!
Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation
In Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation, like in Stratego, two players will fight each other using the full power of the forces they lead. Either the Followers of Saruman or the Free Peoples armies.
The side of goodwill need to move Frodo to Mordor to destroy the ring in order to win, but the side of evil will need to murder him before that happens. Players each have nine unique characters they can move and a hand of 9 cards they will use to resolve fighting on the board.
Big fans of the Lord of the Rings and board game enthusiasts who are less fussed about hobbits will both find this a well-balanced and genuinely fun strategy game.
And there we have it! That was ten games like Stratego. Whether you’re more into classic games or modern titles this list has you covered. We have so many settings from the fantastical to the historic, the West and the East. Not to mention that, all of the suggestions for board games on this list pull from Stratego’s greatest features.
So, next time you need a fight, a think and some fun don’t just pick up something you already have. Try one of these and you won’t be disappointed.
Are you looking for more games like Stratego? Have any recommendations that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments!
