Best Strategy Games to Play in 2025
The best strategy games are the ones that have lasted decades and will last decades more. This list focuses on abstract strategy: zero luck, two players, pure skill. These games do not need updates, expansions, or battle passes. They are already complete.
The Picks
Raichu
Browser (free)Chess depth in 15 minutes. No account required. Best option for getting started with abstract strategy right now.
Chess
Lichess, Chess.comTimeless. The most developed competitive scene. AI opponents at every level. Hundreds of thousands of active players.
Go
KGS, OGS, Fox Go ServerThe deepest game available. If you want a lifelong pursuit, this is it. Free online servers have millions of active players.
Hive
Board Game Arena, iOSThe best physical two-player abstract game of the last decade. Works digitally or as a physical set you carry anywhere.
Onitama
Board Game ArenaEvery game plays differently due to rotating movement cards. Fifteen minutes, fierce, no two games alike.
Chess960
Lichess, Chess.comBest entry point for chess players who want to escape opening theory without learning a new game entirely.
What Has Changed in 2025
Not much. The best abstract strategy games are stable by design. Chess and Go are unchanged. What has changed is the quality of online platforms. Browser-based play is now smooth enough that there is no meaningful difference between playing online and playing in person.
Raichu is new enough that its online community is still growing. Playing now means finding opponents at every skill level as the player base expands.