Summary
At their core, strategy games are about making decisions without strong time constraints or the intermediary of hand-eye coordination. To compensate, thosedecisions are often harder, the possibility space is much wider, and the ramifications of those choices are less predictable. A player might input hundreds of commands each minute spent playing an action game and only a few dozen in a strategy game. But in the second case, each decision carries much more weight.
The best strategy games for kids feature a combination of forgiving difficulty, colorful worlds, kid-friendly themes, and cartoon violence, at most. The most popular sub-genres of strategy (turn-based tactics and real-time strategy) are a bit too reliant on violence and war for some interests. Thankfully, the genre encompasses a variety that is very welcoming to younger gamers, with a few stand-outs that truly appeal and accomodate for younger audiences.
Wingspan Digital Editionis the video game form of the popular board gameWingspan. That said, it fits the bill of a kid-friendly strategy game too well not to mention. Its animal-focused theme, low competition between players, and replayability make it an especially great candidate for younger players.
InWingspan, players compete to see who can build the best bird habitat, more or less. Beyond its bird theme, this game is pleasantlyabstract in a way only board games can be. This is actually a good thing: paying eggs from another bird to spawn a different species of bird raises some questions as to the nature of the exchange, but it’s also really funny.
Northgardis a simple real-time strategy game often suggested as an entry point into the genre. This makes it a great game for kids, too, as itdoesn’t require speed or familiarity with this RTS games. This game also has cartoon-style graphics, which help undersell the violence that does happen, and a simple but compelling story.
A normal match ofNorthgardsees players build up a city from their camp, expanding to collect more resources and gradually building up an army. Eventually, the game turns into all-out warfare, but as most fans of the genre know, the game isn’t about the battle but about the preparation.
Kingdoms and Castlesis a charming little city building game about watching a little settlement grow into a real city. It’s also about managing resources and diplomatic relationships.
One of the selling points ofKingdoms and Castles, one so important that it’s written in the game’s Steam description, is that “each villager and resource is individually simulated.” While this might be true, it oversells the complexity of the game. The most dedicated players will certainly find a lot to bite into, but for the more casual crowd, there isn’t a lot to worry about going in, and that is a good thing.
The Wandering Villageis a beautiful game aboutsurviving the post-apocalypseby building a village on the back of a gigantic wandering beast. This description might sound bleak, but the game is everything but. This is noFrostpunk: surviving is not difficult at all, and the tone is more hopeful than tragic.
The Wandering Villageisn’t a very complicated game, but what it loses in simplicity, it makes up in beauty. The occasional narration is compelling. The presentation style is based on a pleasant juxtaposition of 3D environments and 2D sprites that look like hand-drawn animation.
Airborne Kingdomis the latest in a series of weird city builders, but many consider it to be one of the best. Unlike something likeThe Wandering Village, this game is actually fairly complex, even for the high standards of the genre. On top of managing resources and unrest, players have to struggle with maintaining the city airborne.
While “story” might be too strong a word,Airborne Kingdomis noticeable because it almost has a narrative focus. The mystery of this world is front and center in the game, which makes some of the more complex mechanics feel more rewarding.
Airborne Kingdomonly has a few strategy elements and primarily falls within the city-builder genre. As such, interested parties should consider that before picking this game up.
Potionomicsis one of many games aboutmaking potions and running a shop, but it’s also one of the more unique examples of the genre. For one, it’s a bit of a deck-building game, a rarity in the genre. It also has a strong focus on story and character relationships.
Potionomicsis a fair bit more difficult than most games “for kids”, so it might appeal more to teens than children. Players who don’t do well in the beginning might find a game-over screen or two. But while this is not a cozy potion-brewing game, it’s not particularly brutal either. No one is going to lose hours or progress or get soft-locked out of progression.
Potionomicsblends a few genres like life and dating sims, with the strategy component largely present in the deck-building system.
