Summary
Many strategy games can be inaccessible to newcomers, or simply featuresuch complex mechanicsand underlying systems that it can take hours to get to the meat of the game. The fun of some strategy games doesn’t even come to the fore until players have gained a considerable amount of skill.
Other strategy games, particularlysingle-player titleswith a smaller scope, are able to offer more accessible experiences. With streamlined designs and intuitive controls, these titles are able to get straight to the fun in a fast and efficient manner.
Dicey Dungeonsfeatures asimple dungeon-crawlingstructure that will be familiar to many. Players are also likely to quickly get acquainted with the game’s dice-based combat thanks to the lack of required reading and the clearYahtzeeinfluences. This familiarity will likely allow most players to get into the game fast and quickly dive into the meat of the experience.
Although it’san accessible roguelike,Dicey Dungeonsalso features a unique equipment system and elemental weaknesses/strengths that encourage strategic thinking.Dicey Dungeonstakes no time in showing players these systems, providing a consistent groove that steadily increases in difficulty.
Thisopen-world roguelikeRPG features overworld exploration on a hexagonal map, dungeon-crawling, and strategic turn-based combat. What makesFor The Kingso immediately fun is its instant accessibility and fast pace, facilitated by simple controls and a reasonable scope.
For The Kinggives players control over three characters, each of which can be customized and controlled separately. The combat, which players are quickly given a taste of, is tremendously accessible and immediately fun, combining elements of luck and tactics in equal measure. Furthermore, the RPG quest system and the growing threat of the Chaos meter provide instant motivation, giving players clear and concise goals.
Dropping players into combat almost immediately,Tinyfolksteaches players the ropes with brutal efficiency. This, combined with the minimalistturn-based combatsystem and intuitive user interface, allows players to quickly get into the game.
Tinyfolks, similar to games such asDarkest Dungeon, combines town management with turn-based dungeon crawling. However,Tinyfolksis more immediately fun thanks to its light-hearted tone, more forgiving gameplay, and faster pace; players will quickly get access to new classes and items, and the simplified dungeon-crawling offers a tantalizing game of risk and reward.
Cobalt Coreisa roguelike deck-builderthat combines familiar card play with a tactical twist, shaking up the formula while remaining accessible. The game’s immediately relaxing atmosphere, colorful pixel-art graphics, and quirky characters provide an instant sense of joy, and the elegance of its familiar but innovative design will allow most players to quickly learn the ropes.
The combat system ofCobalt Coreis built around small dogfights in space, fought by playing cards that represent unique crew members. The fast pace of the early encounters, the generosity of the reward system, and the intuitive node-based map all make for an experience that takes little time to get lost in.
Battle Brothersfeatures a deeply tactical turn-based combat system that can be unforgiving, as well as RPG character progression that can at first be hard to optimize. However, it benefits from an action-packed and optional tutorial that throws players into an already-bloody battle and provides instant fun while supplying immediate context.
This tutorial also provides players with the immediate goal of killing a named boss character. Not only does this tutorial teach the ropes to inexperienced players, but it also gives players a starting direction, gently leading them through the world and naturally teaching them how to run their company.
This strategic roguelike may be turn-based, but its combat is remarkably action-packed. This elegantly designed system takes place on a single axis and features minimal controls, emphasizing positioning and patience over dexterity or deep knowledge. As a result,Shogun Showdownis immediately fun, as players are able to get into the action without having to learn a complex set of systems, and it’s easy to get good at dispatching the game’s earliest foes.
The quick nature of each combat encounter also ensures a fast pace, allowing players to progress quickly, provided they don’t perish.Shogun Showdownalso features boss fights and a variety of environments that provide a welcome change of scenery, keeping a steady flow throughout each run.
Charging players with the construction and defense of a miniature kingdom,Thronefall’seasy-to-grasp concept and elegantly designed combination of mechanics allow its tutorial to be snappy and, more importantly, short. The minimalist RTS systems, intuitive controls, and slick user interface all help ensure the experience is as friendly as possible to newcomers, allowing them to focus on the action rather than getting held back by obtuse mechanics or walls of explanatory text.
Despite being a base-defense game,Thronefallgives players their own character to control, allowing them to move around each level and command their forces from the ground. This added tactility provides immediate fun, simultaneously making the experience more accessible by facilitating a lack of menus.
Tactical Breach Wizardsis a slick, streamlined turn-based strategy game set in an urban fantasy world. It’s elevated by a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and stylish graphics, but the puzzle-box nature of its combat encounters is arguably its greatest strength. Thankfully,Tactical Breach Wizardsdisplays all of its greatest qualities almost immediately.
The opening tutorial ofTactical Breach Wizardsis fast, slick, and cinematic; players are immediately introduced to two bantering characters, the context is set, and mechanics are taught. Within minutes, players are playing the game, and it doesn’t take long before more complex mechanics start trickling in.
