Even with technology rapidly improving the capabilities of gaming every year, and more and more Gargantuan and visually stunning games being released, there is a strong segment of the gaming population that remains loyal to the original “platform” – cardboard. Even with games like Cyberpunk 2077, Avowed, and the ridiculously advanced Microsoft Flight Simulator, many are more than happy to fall back on good ol’ paper, playing cards, and a set of dice. Maybe it’s something to do with personal play, or maybe there’s just something about the structure of board game gameplay that can be emulated by even the best consoles.

Anyway, we thought we'd run through what we think are the best strategy board games that you and another friend (you do have one, right?) can play.

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Nearly every strategy game today, whether it’s Age of Empires, Civilization or Warcraft, can trace some of its DNA to Risk in one way or another. It’s the unique OG of grand strategy, eclipsed perhaps only by Chess and Go. The gameplay is something of a cross between Monopoly and Go, with players starting with a set number of armies and a few starting territories from which they mount a linear campaign for global domination, attacking neighboring territories, fortifying their positions and doing their best to gain power.