Summary
Strategy games are often complex experiences that take time and patience to learn. However, there remain a variety of strategy games that make perfect use of simple gameplay to provide players with accessible experiences.
These games feature easy-to-grasp concepts and intuitive controls, championing simplicity above all else. This results in often elegant designs that are relatively free of frustration, allowing for a pain-free experience that remains strategic.
Tooth and Tailis a real-time strategy game that’s immediately approachable with its charming pixel-art visuals. However, it’s also a tremendously accessible experience thanks to its minimalist gameplay, stripping back typical RTS mechanics to provide players with a game thatdoesn’t require speedto be successful.
Instead of commanding units from above,Tooth and Tailgives players control of their own character to explore and command from the ground. This also minimizes micromanagement, allowing for breezy real-time battles that can easily be controlled with just a few inputs.
StarVadersisa roguelike deck-builderwith a structure that takes inspiration fromSpace Invadersto provide players with a unique experience. In the game, players control a battle mech via a variety of simple cards, maneuvering around grid-based battlefields to take out enemies before they reach the bottom of the screen.
The simplicity of this gameplay loop also brings with it a great deal of clarity, allowingStarVadersto be a constantly readable experience. This allows players to work with all the information they need, and well-telegraphed enemies also help to keep the experience free of frustration.
6Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers
A Simple But Strategic Blackjack Roguelike
Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblersis a roguelike deck-builder that some will find immediately easy to grasp, as it’s based around the popular table game of Blackjack. Despite its simplicity, however,Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblersremains a funand strategic experience.
This is thanks in large part to its roguelike elements, which dramatically gamify the experience and extend/break the rules of the game. Furthermore, the game features a surprisingly immersive ambiance that provides ample backdrop to the card play.
For The Kingis a strategy RPG that can be played either alone or cooperatively, excelling with its tactical overworld exploration and refreshingly simple combat system. In the game, players control one to three adventurers as they venture across the land, battling enemies and delving into dangerous dungeons to complete quests and find more powerful items.
The combat itself is relatively simple, witha healthy dose of RNGthat keeps players on their toes and often forces them to adapt. What keepsFor The Kingengaging, however, is its variety of playable classes and abundance of items, allowing players to tilt the odds in their favor.
Despite beinga turn-based game,Shogun Showdownis an action-packed experience that moves at a fast pace. This is arguably the game’s greatest strength, and that’s thanks in large part to the elegant simplicity of its design.
This breezy roguelike deck-builder features tile-based gameplay that tasks players with controlling a character on a single axis, battling a variety of enemies along the way. The encounters are small in scale but incredibly dense thanks to engaging enemies. Furthermore, the game’s design emphasizes combos that can be tremendously satisfying to carry out.
With itscharming, minimalist pixel-artand buoyant chip-tune soundtrack,Tinyfolksis an immediately enchanting and ultimately simple experience. This carries through to its gameplay, which offers players an accessible take on turn-based strategy that remains engaging thanks to finely-tuned mechanics and an addictive loop.
Combining turn-based combat encounters with light town management gameplay,Tinyfolksis instantly comparable toDarkest Dungeon. However, rather than crushing players with an immediate and unforgiving difficulty,Tinyfolksoffers fun through simplicity and accessibility, allowing it to stand out on its own.
Thronefall’sminimalist art-style and simple gameplay loop offeran immediately accessiblecombination of RTS and tower defense. The inclusion of well-known genre trends, stripped back to their bare minimum, allowsThronefallto be a remarkably simple experience, but the slight intricacies and additions to the formulae give it a unique feel.
In the game, players build a miniature kingdom while defending it from waves of enemies. Its loop will be immediately familiar to many, butThronefallremains engaging thanks to the addition of action gameplay and, more notably, remarkably intuitive RTS mechanics.
For anyone familiar with the popular table game of Poker,Balatrowill be immediately easy to grasp. In the game, players must work through a series of score-attack encounters, playing hands of standard playing cards to achieve as high a score as possible.
Though simple, the game is made more interesting via its roguelike elements. The game features a variety of clever twists on standard playing cards, introducing a wild array of its own unique and imaginative Jokers that allow for player expression. As a result,Balatrois able to offer simplicity and fun in equal measure.
