I recently went around the Quimbley offices and asked everyone what their favorite strategy games were.

It was a pretty diverse smattering of content, let me tell you. We of course had the ones you would expect, like Cthulhu Wars and Root, along with classics like Risk, Ankh, and Age of Empires (there was even a Monopoly in there, but we’ll leave that one out…).

For me, a strategy game is one where victory and defeat come down to player choices, not any predetermined mechanics of the game itself.

Super Mario Bros is not a strategy game. It’s hugely fun, but not big on individual choice.

As a company that creates and distributes board games, we’re always focused on the next game in our production schedule. Right now our minds are on Kung Fu Vampires and our upcoming versions of the original Cthulhu Wars (more on that in the coming weeks), and of course Hyperspace.

Sid Meier’s Civilization

My personal favorite, a game I played as a teenager and still love today, is Sid Meier’s Civilization.

Civilization is a computer game that originally came out in 1991. Back in the day, I had a disc, some instructions, and my imagination to fuel it all. When I started playing, I was immediately sucked in. The mechanics of creating a city, building military units, and managing resources completely captured my imagination.

"One of them I was within one turn of losing to another civilization... I went on to win, after believing all was lost. That’s the power of a great strategy game. You can claw victory from the jaws of defeat simply by making the right set of choices." 

 

Cthulhu Wars

The number one answer in the Quimbley offices (not surprisingly) was Cthulhu Wars. This game, designed by Sandy Petersen, offers incredible strategic depth with every decision. Each choice, whether to sacrifice cultists or summon Old Ones, has long-term consequences.

With up to 11 players, the game becomes a massive battle of minds and strategy. Can you imagine playing chess against 11 opponents? It boggles the mind.

Planet Apocalypse

Another game that intrigues me, although I haven’t played it yet, is Planet Apocalypse. What first drew me in was the art, which felt gritty and chaotic. The game’s dark themes and tense gameplay have garnered a lot of praise from our gaming friends.

I’ll be learning to play it with Sandy next week, and I’m incredibly excited to dive into this new experience.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re into classic games like Risk and Civilization, or modern hits like Root and Cthulhu Wars, there’s a strategy game out there for you. What matters most is that we’re challenging ourselves and having fun.

For now, I’m looking forward to playing Cthulhu Wars with ten other people tonight at Quimbley’s. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll dust off my old Civilization disc and try to conquer the world one more time.

 

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