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A strategy game is one in which thedeliberation abilities of the player and his decision-making skills combine to impact the outcome. Strategy games are a board, computer or video game. Recently, one can find and play online strategy games. Most games involve some subtlety of some sort, however, those classified as strategy games tend to rely on the decision-making skills of the player to determine more than half of the final scores. The word strategy is taken from the military, meaning military deliberation and tactics used to achieve results. This is in contrast to games in which players can rely to a large extent on probability to win.

Strategy games can differ a great deal and can be found with different themes. Some of the types include abstract strategy, war games, real time tactics or strategy games, simulation, building of cities and God games. In war games for instance, there is usually an extensive simulation of past military battles involving great leaders such as Alexander the Great, some Roman Emperors and even world wars I and II. The player is usually required to take on the role of commander or even an ordinary soldier who literally has an "impossible" mission to save rescue his comarades and save the day. Traditionally, strategy games are played with physical miniatures or on a board. With the advent of the internet, however, one can find many online strategy games to play or for those who prefer, they can download strategy games.

Real time tactics strategy games as opposed to real time strategy games, are usually military based, and require the user to handle all the aspects of warfare. For instance, you have to run into enemy lines without getting hurt. Such games include Warhammer: Dark Omen. With real time strategy games, on the other hand, the state of the game is continuously changing and the gamer has to keep up by making cautious decisions in order to win the game. Real time strategy games include Blizzards and NukeZone.

Simulation strategy games use real life situations as themes. Thus the player's choices and actions result in similar consequences as it would be in real life. Abstract strategy games, on the other hand do not necessarily use real life themes. The player must understand the logic to win the game. This includes games such as Go, Chess, Checkers. Many free online strategy games can be played on the internet as well.

Another type of strategy games is the economic variety, which tries to simulate the real life economic environment. Here the player is usually expected to plan in order to cash in some earnings or obtain the proverbial "gold at the end of the rainbow" The better your system the more you gain. Examples of economic strategy games include some famous ones such as Capitalism and Railroad Tycoon. Economic strategy games also encompass city building strategy games such as SimCity. These games allow the player to build and manage a city.

Strategy games have evolved gradually over the years. Although, for the die-hard traditionalists, there still exist the expensive stratey game miniature market, more and more people are seeking to play test their analytical skills online. More and more strategy games are now available to download online for a small fee. Better still there are some gaming platforms that are offering strategy games for free online. This is perhaps the best way to test out your strategy gaming skills without having to pay for fortune or having the need to download anything.

With more free online strategy games available online everyday. For the strategy game lover, this is surely the welcome prospect and future of promise.

By Jake Jenkins, Free Games Fan

Play Free Online Strategy Games, Free Action Games at Strategy Games

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Chess has experienced a long trek throughout history, bringing it to the present day. It has experienced a variety of forms from a number of different countries, each putting a unique spin on the game. In its modern incarnation, Chess is derived most heavily from Europe in the late 15th Century, where most of the common rules of the day became established. Since this time, Chess has formed a hold on many of the intelligent minds of each Century, never disappearing from the common view. Many books have been written on Chess from a variety of locations and authors, placing it high in the spotlight of intelligent, popular games which can both entertain and stimulate.

The first game from which Chess came to be born was originated in India in the 6th Century. It was originally called "Chaturanga," which translates into "four divisions of the military." These divisions, chariots, elephants, infantry, and calvary, were all represented by pieces much like Rooks, Bishops, Pawns, and Knights respectively. This game was played on an eight by eight board, which while uncheckered, had certain spaces with special marks. The meanings of these marks aren't currently known today, but do not seem to have special meaning to the game itself. This game, the earliest that has been found, seems to be the birthplace of Chess.

From Chaturanga, travellers carried the game to the Far East. Here, the game began to be played on the intersecting lines instead of the blank spaces themselves. The purpose of the game was to render the opponent's King, sometimes referred to as a General, as completely useless, much in line with a modern Checkmate. This game shares many elements with another popular game, Go, which also comes from Eastern Asia. The pieces for this version of Chess are commonly flat, marked pieces, much like a traditional checkers set.

Through Persia, the Byzantine Empire, and the expanding Arabic empire, however, the game slowly began to reach Europe. The Norman Conquest of England reached areas which played Chess early on, although the game was unpopular with Northern Europeans at this point. It wasn't until Chess pieces began to be depicted as they are today- Kings, Queens, Bishops, Knights, Rooks, and Pawns, or men of arms- in the middle of the 12th Century that Chess began to grow popular with the people.

In 1475 AD, however, drastic changes were made to the game, evolving it into the game that Chess is today. The Queen was granted powers that had never been seen on a Chessboard before. Bishops were granted more power as well, allowing the game to begin to focus more on long-ranging attacks which ultimately sped the game up. It is also believed that the transition of the pieces into more courtly images, rather than military ones, helped the game to catch hold in Europe. In the middle of the 19th Century, Chess began to take an even stronger hold, becoming a popular game played among intellectuals. Chess tournaments became popular and every since then, the game has held a place in common public knowledge.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for board games, chess boards, and dungeons and dragons miniatures. You will find all these things and more if you visit used board games and chess board history.

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