Chess has long been revered as the ultimate test of strategic thinking, a timeless battle of minds. But in 2025, a new wave of strategy games is pushing the boundaries, offering exciting alternatives that challenge your brain in fresh and innovative ways. Whether you’re a seasoned chess player looking to explore new horizons or a newcomer to the world of tactical gameplay, these chess-inspired games promise to elevate your strategic skills with unique twists, captivating themes, and immersive experiences. Ready to take your strategic prowess to the next level? Let’s dive into the top 15 games like chess that will keep you hooked and thinking critically in 2025.
So without further delay, get ready to explore these top 15 games that bring fresh excitement to the world of strategy!
Bored of playing chess again and again! Explore the 15 best board games like chess that aren’t like chess but offer unique and immersive gameplay experiences and make you forget chess.
| S.No. | Game Name | Players | Core Gameplay Mechanic | Why It’s Like Chess |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Azul | 2 | Tile placement and board design | Strategic placement and score calculation |
| 2 | Hive | 2 | Insect-themed tile movement to trap queen bee | Abstract movement and piece protection |
| 3 | Onitama | 2 | Card-driven movement on a 5×5 board | Strategic pawn-like moves and capturing pieces |
| 4 | Tafl Games | 2 | Asymmetrical gameplay with attackers and defenders | King piece protection and tactical escape |
| 5 | Cathedral | 2 | Area control and territory placement | Spatial planning and opponent blocking |
| 6 | Xiangqi | 2 | Chinese version of chess with unique board and pieces | Directly inspired by chess with a cultural twist |
| 7 | 7 Wonders | 3+ | Card drafting and resource management | Deep strategic planning and development |
| 8 | Risk | 2+ | Turn-based global domination via armies | Strategic movement and territory control |
| 9 | Blokus | 2–4 | Polyomino tile placement with corner-only contact | Visual strategy and spatial control |
| 10 | Shogi | 2 | Japanese chess with piece promotion and piece reuse | Complex tactics and flexible strategy |
| 11 | The Resistance | 5–10 | Hidden roles, bluffing, and mission voting | Requires deduction and forward thinking |
| 12 | Dead of Winter | 2–5 | Story-driven survival with personal and team objectives | Strategic decision-making and resource management |
| 13 | Connect Four | 2 | Align 4 discs vertically, horizontally, or diagonally | Pattern recognition and opponent prediction |
| 14 | Othello (Reversi) | 2 | Flipping opponent’s discs through tactical placement | Positional dominance and area control |
| 15 | Pentago | 2 | Place marbles and rotate grids to align 5 in a row | Abstract pattern-making with dynamic board layout |
When you are looking for chess like strategy games, then Azul secures the first position. Azul is more of a complex strategy game involving two players. Unlike different pieces, this game includes the right placement of tiles which players need to design a board game. The game is easy and quickly understandable. Players get points for each tile they place and the final scores are tracked based on their performance. With a quite similar experience to Chess, the game offers an interesting plot for chess lovers.
Hive is one of the board games like chess that attracts players by offering an amazing storyline with immersive features. This game revolves around trapping your opponent’s queen bee. It seems simple and easy but it is not, as it includes some hidden layers of complexity and hurdles which players need to pass to become a winner. Playing this game seems as if you are playing chess but is quite different and integrates a unique storyline and concept. Here, players need to protect their queen and defeat other’s pieces by trapping them in a vicious circle of insects. As a player, you need to avoid insect breakouts and protect your piece of queen to become a winner.
If you are looking for chess alternatives that resemble mind games then Onitama is here. It is based on a strategy requiring players to take control of each other’s pieces mindfully. The rules and instructions of this game are a lot like chess, but herein the main power lies in the pisces of the pawns. The possible moves appear to be open-move cards. The player who manages to move the opponent’s pawns in the first place is more likely to be a winner. The game requires a lot of attention to detail to move forward and strategically defeat the opponent’s pieces.
One of the free online games like chess on the list is Tafl games. It is called Tafl games as it resides in different variants named Hnefetafl, Tablut, and other variations. The game is played on a 9×9 grid and showcases the same type of conflicts that chess does. Where chess imagines two armies clashing on a neutral battlefield, Tafl games are all about a siege. Here, one player is the attacker, and the other is the defender. The attackers are called “Muscovites” whereas defenders are called “the Swedes”. The Muscovites win when they capture the king and the Swedes win when their king escapes to the border of the map.
Cathedral is one of the online games like chess where the main objective is to put all your pieces on the board before your opponent does. This game features two shades; players use the best-in-class strategies and tactics to place their pieces on the board. Just like Chess, it is played between two players where both give tough competition to each other. If you want to seek a little adrenaline rush, make sure you play Cathedral with your friends or family.
Also known as Chinese Chess, it is a chess like strategy game that puts 2 players against each other in battle. Both aim to capture the opponent’s king, just like seen in chess. It is played at the intersections of lines rather than inside squares with black and white pieces on the board, but the pieces are different. It includes a cannon that must jump to capture a piece and generals that can’t face directly to each other. Some special sections are also available on the board called “river” and “palace”. In these sections, movements of certain units either speed up or slow down.
When it comes to strategy making, 7 Wonders comes in the list of board games like chess. It involves a lot of thinking and analysis from the player’s point of view to make a strategic move and win. However, unlike chess, it involves a lot of roleplaying which improves the overall engagement and motivation of the players. The players aim to become richer and more imaginative to win the game. It is a pure mindful game which 3 or more players play. When you play this game it reminds you of chess and that’s why it is quite popular among players which makes it a suitable chess type game.
The game of Risk begins with a player choosing a color to represent their empire, starting from a single country to dominate the world. Two or more players who then make alliances to battle and acquire the title of the winner. As the name suggests, Risk comes in chess like games that require a lot of focus to make many decisions and apply playful strategies and tactics. If you are searching for a similar fun-packed game but that mustn’t be the same as Chess, Risk is what you must try to quench your gaming enthusiasm.
Also Read: Top Games Like Risk That Will Test Your Strategic Genius
Blokus is one of the games like chess introduced in 2000 by Bernard Tavitian. Within a short period, this game has made a huge presence and is successful in attracting global players. The game aims to fit the most number of pieces on the board, and whoever fits the most becomes the winner. Each player has 21 Pisces in a single color. Learning this game is easy but the twist is that each piece you put on the board must touch at least one other piece on the board with the same color. Blokus is from a few of those chess like strategy games demanding you to make your own winning strategies to win. Give it a try and you will be a die-hard fan of this game.
Looking for games that aren’t actually chess? Well, Shogi is different but one of the most complex games played between 2 players. The center of this game consists of pieces, here every single piece is similar and the player has to keep an eye on their pieces while playing. Every player has 20 flat widgets that are pentagonally shaped and are played on the board that consists of 81 squares 9X9. The chess alternative’s interesting fact is the pieces are represented to be the “treasures”. Apart from Japan, this trill-based game is getting popular in other countries as well.
Another chess like game purely based on a story. Here players need to complete missions while avoiding spying enemies. Generally, the game is played with a deck of cards that decides what mission takes place and how the game will go about. Compared to chess, The Resistance has easy gameplay requiring less thinking but needs more creativity. What makes this game a solid chess alternative is the fun experience it provides to players, with a lot of interaction, bad hints, and a ton of backstabbing involved in the game.
Dead of Winter is a game like chess where players have to have a great strategy and an objective to play out scenarios. Played between 2~5 players, the game is set on a story revolving around a set of survivors struggling to stay alive during a zombie apocalypse. The game tests a player’s capability to survive. It’s like a team game where players are required to work together to tackle obstacles during the journey and try to win. The game has main as well as secret objectives, drawn from cards. The players completing their secret objectives are the winners.
Connect Four is a classic game that’s easy to learn but hard to master, making it a fantastic choice for chess lovers looking for a quick yet strategic challenge. Played on a vertical grid, the objective is to get four of your colored pieces in a row—horizontally, vertically, or diagonally—before your opponent does. Despite its simple premise, Connect Four requires deep strategic thinking as players anticipate their opponent’s moves while plotting their own. It’s a great game for honing your tactical skills in a more fast-paced format.
Othello, also known as Reversi, is another classic strategy game that will appeal to chess enthusiasts. The board starts with four pieces in the center, and players take turns placing their pieces with the goal of capturing their opponent’s pieces by “flipping” them to their own color. The real challenge of Othello lies in the placement strategy—where you place your pieces not only affects your own position but also flips your opponent’s pieces, shifting the balance of power on the board. It’s a fast-paced and cerebral game that keeps you on your toes.
Pentago is a modern strategy game that combines elements of chess with the spatial thinking of a game like tic-tac-toe. The game board consists of four smaller 3×3 grids, and players take turns placing marbles in any empty spot on the board. The twist: after each move, the player must rotate one of the four grids 90 degrees, potentially changing the entire layout of the game. The goal is to create a line of five marbles in a row, and the added rotation mechanic creates dynamic, unpredictable gameplay. Pentago’s mix of strategy and spatial awareness makes it a perfect challenge for fans of chess-like games.
the world of strategy games is evolving at an unprecedented pace. The integration of AI is playing a pivotal role in this transformation, enhancing gameplay with intelligent opponents that adapt to your strategies and push your skills to new limits. Additionally, the rise of multiplayer and online capabilities is redefining how we play. These games now offer seamless, global competition, allowing you to test your strategic abilities against opponents from every corner of the world, whether you’re on a mobile device or a PC.
The growth of digital and mobile platforms has made these games more accessible than ever before, with enhanced graphics, immersive environments, and user-friendly interfaces that draw players in. As more players join the community, these chess-like games are becoming a dynamic hub for collaboration, creativity, and intellectual challenge. With these advancements, the appeal of strategy games like chess is not just about outthinking your opponent, but also about experiencing the game in entirely new, interactive ways.
As we venture into 2025, it’s clear that chess-inspired strategy games are evolving in exciting and unexpected ways. From AI-driven opponents to global multiplayer experiences, these games are pushing the boundaries of traditional strategy. Whether you’re a seasoned player seeking your next challenge or working with expert chess game developers to bring your own idea to life, there’s never been a better time to explore these captivating alternatives.
Which of these games do you think will become your next favorite? Or perhaps there’s a chess-inspired game you’d love to see made into an app? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop a comment below and let us know which game you’re most excited to try, or share your ideas for the next big strategy game. Let’s keep the conversation going—and if you’re ready to bring your vision to life, BR Softech is your trusted partner for developing next-gen chess-inspired strategy games.
Ans. Azul, Hive, Onitama, Dead of Winter, Cathedral, Tafl Games, 7 Wonders, Risk, and Shogi are the best and the most popular games similar to chess.
Ans. It costs around $5,000 to $15,000 on average for a chess game with interesting features and online capabilities. However, chess game apps with more advanced features will increase the cost.
Ans. Generally, chess game developers take 4 to 6 weeks for basic chess game app but can take up to 8 weeks if you want a highly functional chess-like game app with advanced features.
Ans. Partnering with a board game development agency can help you build a game similar to chess.
Ans. Games like Connect Four, Othello, and Checkers are excellent for beginners. They offer a solid introduction to strategic thinking without overwhelming complexity. These games help develop foresight and tactical planning, just like chess, but with simpler rules and faster gameplay.
Ans. Chess-inspired games remain popular because they challenge the mind, encourage critical thinking, and offer endless replayability. With advancements in AI, online multiplayer modes, and mobile accessibility, modern strategy games are more interactive and immersive than ever before.
Ans.games similar to chess can significantly improve memory, problem-solving, decision-making, and concentration. These games train the brain to evaluate multiple possibilities, anticipate outcomes, and adapt strategies on the fly.
Ans. Modern strategy games often incorporate digital features such as AI opponents, real-time multiplayer, and adaptive difficulty. They also explore unique mechanics—like board rotation in Pentago or variable piece abilities—that differentiate them from traditional chess while keeping the core strategic depth.
