We’re all tired of all those action and role-playing titles with high graphics but predictable gameplay. Nobody denies that they can also provide a lot of fun, but sometimes you might want a video game that’s focused on strategy. You might want something that really puts your mind at work, and that’s why we’ll gladly mention ten classic games that are still being played today.
Our list will be in a random order, and you’re free to tell us about your own preferred classic games. Of course, even the term ‘classic game’ is relative, but we hope that you will find interesting titles in this article. Our list can surely be a lot bigger, but we’ll narrow it down to ten pieces:
Poker
With about 40 million people who play online poker on a regular basis, we can be sure that this classic game is still popular. Many of you know the drill very well: we’re talking about card games in which players wager over which hand is the best according to that specific game’s rules.
Solitaire
Solitaire Game is one of the oldest classics, and it can surely give you a lot of headaches as you start playing. But that’s the beauty of it! Just like poker, Solitaire can either be played as a software version or in reality with cards or dominoes. The game has its roots way back in the 1700s in Northern Europe. But despite its age, Solitaire is played by around 35 million people every month, according to Microsoft. There are many variants of Solitaire that you can play with FreeCell being one of the most popular variants.
Tetris
Compared to the other games mentioned until now, Tetris can only be played as a software version. The concept is simple: different-shaped bricks fall constantly, and you have to position them in the right way to fill an entire layer horizontally. The filled layer will disappear, and you lose the game if the pile gets too high to fit on the screen. The sad aspect of Tetris is that everybody loses at some point, but the goal is to last as long as possible.
With a history of only a few decades since it was created by Russian software engineer Alexey Pajitnov back in 1984, Tetris has been played by around one billion people worldwide. You can play the game from just about any system you can think of: smartphone, PC, tablet, consoles, etc.
Minecraft
In Minecraft, everything is made of blocks, and the only limit is the player’s imagination. He can build or wreck houses, cars, castles, and do a lot of creative stuff. Minecraft will be ten years old in November, and it has about 126 million active players worldwide.
Chess
Although some people consider that the popularity of chess is declining, this game will always have its upholders. Chess is far too creative, strategic, and fun: the armies of two people encounter for a merciless battle. You can lose almost all your army and win a game, or you can have all your army alive and lose a game if your opponent takes your king. On chess.com, the world’s most popular website dedicated to online chess, there are about 15 million people who play this fabulous game.
Backgammon
With a history of about 5,000 years since its first archaeological traces in Mesopotamia, backgammon is among the oldest known board games and still popular in pretty much all countries. Since it’s not recommended to aim for ‘the real deal’ during these pandemic times, playing backgammon online should be the first option. Furthermore, you can play against many more skilled players from other countries. Either way, the rules remain the same: two players face each other in a game of both strategy and luck. The way the dice rolls could determine the outcome of a game.
Angry Birds
Angry Birds has a history of a bit more than a decade since its first release for iOS and Maemo devices. Whether you’re talking about the very first Angry Birds, its sequel, or other versions, this series has caused more than 50 million downloads and 200 million minutes of gameplay every day. The player’s goal is to make his angry birds destroy the pigs’ settlements by using a slingshot. Those pigs have stolen the birds’ nests and created all sorts of complicated settlements. The player will have to hit the right spots to win and not waste his limited chances. He must not wait too long, either, as the birds are eager for revenge!
Candy Crush Saga
This is another puzzle game with a short history. Candy Crush Saga was first released in 2012, and it’s currently available for many platforms. The game has a staggering amount of 272 million monthly active players. The goal is simple, as you have to switch and match candies to progress to the next level. However, higher levels will make it more and more difficult for the player to reach his goal.
Super Mario
This game doesn’t exactly involve a lot of strategies, but it surely requires a lot of attention. Super Mario is an entire series of around 200 games, and they all involve one of the most important characters from the video game industry: the little plumber with a mustache named Mario. We’re talking about the best-selling video game franchise, as the Super Mario series has sold more than 510 million copies worldwide. The most common games of the series involve Mario as he avoids enemies, collects points and marshmallows to become stronger, and ultimately tries to save the queen, who will almost always be in another castle and kidnapped by the dragon known as Bowser.
Pac-Man
Pac-Man is a maze arcade game created and released by Namco over forty years ago in 1980. The player has to control a character named Pac-Man, who has to eat all the dots inside a maze while avoiding ghosts. In just two years after its release, Pac-Man had about 30 million active players only in the USA. As for today, the game remains one of the most popular games in history.
Don’t forget to leave us your own thoughts on the article and tell us about your favorite classic games!
Henry Lares is still early into his career as tech reporter but has already had his work published in many major publications including Tech Crunch and the Huffington Post. In regards to academics, Henry earned an engineering degree from Apex Technical School. Henry has a passion for emerging technology and covers upcoming products and breakthroughs in science and tech.
