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Best Wooden Puzzles for Adults: Strategy Games

You’re probably looking for a gift for your uncle or Father and came across this page looking to solve your gifting woes.

Well…. you’re in luck we’re about to give you the ultimate breakdown on the best wooden puzzles and games for adults to help you be a better gift giver.

Today we are going to deal with strategy games for adults – no kids play here.

There is simply no one size fits all it depends on what your recipient likes. Some play for the fun, the competition, the smarts or a mixture of all.

Picking the perfect puzzle for your Father can be broken down in too many parts, but it really depends on what they are into. Today, we’re taking on strategy games – the oldest form of game there is.

Strategy Games for Adults


Think, plan and execute. Strategy is a mental art. What will your strategy be? What will he do next? What does he think that I think he will do? You get the picture.

For the light player, there is nothing quite like a strategy game, a game for the ages, a game to test the mental mettle of everyone who has played. Some of which have literally dated back millennia so you are doing some history shaking magic when you unlock their gifts.

Strategy games are known to be good for smarts and laughs. Most of us have the played the staple classics, Chess, Draughts & Backgammon, but if you are feeling extra adventurous check out an eclectic range of Asian based games, like Xiang Qi, Go and Battlefield.

Why are they so fun? Most of us played Age of Empires, Civilization, Command and Conquer or at least Lemmings during our lives. Strategy is the appeal of thinking, planning ahead and making decisions. When you combine this with the excitement of fast-paced action you’re going to have a ton of fun. They are so addictive as they challenge the brain to solve problems and achieve goals, but you will very rarely reach perfection, just a little bit better.

The Options


Chinese Checkers


Despite its name, is not actually Chinese – but everything that is named Chinese seems a little bit more exotic. It’s actually of German origin, so you know it’s well thought through and is natively known as Star Halma or Halma and should not be confused with Xiang Qi which is Chinese Chess.

Chinese checkers can be played by 2-4 or 6 players, 5 players cannot play as they would lack an opponent playing opposite them. The aim is to race all one’s pieces into the star corner opposite. Every player has 10 pieces; all pieces remain in play for the duration of the game.

Buy Chinese Checkers - $26.99



Chess


Chess is probably the most famous game every invented and there is a bunch of reasons why it’s been so popular. People have been playing chess for near 1500 years, making it one of the oldest games in existence, with the exception of backgammon and checkers.

Originating from India in the 6th century AD known as Chaturanga, which means the 4 divisions: infantry (pawn), cavalry (knight), elephantry (bishop) and chariotry (rook).

After the first four moves, there are 318,979,564,000 possible options open to you, which means you will never play the same game of chess twice. Because there’s no luck involved, chess cannot be conquered by a whim, a random roll, or the wind.

It’s just one brain against the other, no outside factors, no excuses.

Backgammon


A two-player strategy game that Is not a game of pure skill like chess, due to the use of dice.

Players roll two dice to find out how far their pieces move in one turn. The winner of one game is the first to get all pieces the way around and off the board.

Backgammon is a game loaded with strategy and mental fortitude. 'Hitting' opponent’s checkers at the right time, understanding how far ahead or behind you are (harder to do than you think), and employing various strategies and counter strategies based on your rolls are just the tip of the iceberg.

If you are looking for a low bar to entry Backgammon could be the game for you. Anyone can learn backgammon with about 10 minutes of instruction and a few practice games. Backgammon is not all luck, although due the dice being in play there is an element of fortune. Backgammon greats know how to respond to 'bad' rolls and use the odds to their advantage.

Checkers


A down to earth strategy game played almost universally across generations.

Is the North American variant of draughts and is one of the oldest games still in existence. This is a pure strategy game, with a low barrier to entry, unlike chess. Beginners can play proficiently against experts and have fun, although they will almost certainly lose. Dating back to almost 3000 BC – the game comes from a variety of regions each with different pieces and boards.

A taxing game for sure, and pleasurable for everyone who takes part due to the easy access of play.


Buy Backgammon, Checkers & Chess - $148.99