POG · Category / 08

Strategy & Defense Games · 20

A tech switch is dramatic because it attacks the opponent's assumptions, forcing yesterday's perfect counter to solve a different problem today. A related fact is worth keeping: Turn-based systems remove reaction pressure but increase consequence visibility; once the move is committed, there is usually plenty of time to understand exactly why it was terrible. Scouting is the art of spending a little effort to avoid a very expensive surprise.

Tower defense
Tactical choices
Build & upgrade

One strange fact

Risk began as a French board game created by filmmaker Albert Lamorisse in the 1950s before becoming an international hit. Its map makes one fact immediately clear: somebody always cares far too much about holding Australia. The next bit is equally fun: Diplomacy was commercially released in 1959 and uses almost no luck. There are no dice deciding battles; the real uncertainty comes from secret negotiations and whether another player means what they just promised.