Strategy is defined as a plan designed to achieve a particular long-term aim (Source: Concise Oxford English Dictionary). In gaming, the goal of a strategy is to help you win, but it’s not the only objective. Top strategies for skill games include a wide variety of tactical goals, all geared towards the overall aim. A skill game requires proficiency, prowess, and a degree of specialized knowledge. Numerous prominent examples of skill games are available, including chess, darts, billiards, air hockey, and pinball.
But there are also new-age skill games readily available to players on virtual platforms. These high-octane attractions rely heavily on a player’s mental acuity, pattern recognition skills, and precision to rapidly complete rounds of play in pursuit of victory. When implemented correctly, a combination of physical and cognitive skills can achieve success with less reliance on luck. Good fortune, or lack thereof, can never be eliminated from the gaming arena. It’s an indelible element fashioned into the bedrock of a game’s creation.
Types of Strategies for Skill Games
- Tactical planning – Tactical elements refer to short-term objectives. Tactical goals are not disparate objectives – they are interrelated. Each short-term goal is aimed at achieving the strategic objective. In a typical virtual game setting, the tactical plays include moving alternating red and black cards as quickly and seamlessly as possible to the appropriate piles and removing them from the board in skill games like digital solitaire. In chess, tactical play involves positioning your pieces in such a way that your opponent is squeezed for options and ultimately succumbs to checkmate
- Pattern recognition – These strategies are critical because they provide a blueprint for gameplay. Like the age-old aphorism: if you don’t know where you’re going, all roads will take you there. The only way to achieve success is to cut a path towards success. In tic-tac-toe – the simplest game, there are clear patterns that winners recognize. The same is true for card games, board games, and other online games.
- Time management – Poor time management is just as important in skill games as it is in real life. The only resource we cannot create more of is time. Once too much time passes, the moment is gone, and the game is lost. Many skill games are timed today or, at the very least, rely on players performing actions as quickly as possible. Think of a virtual game with clay pigeons, a dancing game with synchronized music and dance moves, or games that require quick reflexes. Believe it or not, there are many card games requiring effective time management. If you wait too long, you lose out.
- Psychological resilience – This is sacrosanct in many strategy games. Think of an extended session of play against tough competition. It doesn’t matter what the game is – psychological resilience is necessary. There are many online games, such as poker, where players must compete against intense competition in multi-table tournaments (MTTs). Some of these games can take an extraordinarily long time to complete, and if you lose your composure – your psychological edge – you’re done. In high-stakes competitions, such as championships, tournaments, leaderboard challenges, and similar contests, psychological resilience often distinguishes good players from great players.
Strategic Takeaways
As we unravel the great mysteries of strategic games, a few golden nuggets continue to surface. Regardless of the skill game played, several universal strategy tips apply across the board, notably:
- Practice builds predictive thinking
We make mistakes when we’re still learning, and that’s part of the process. Practice makes perfect. It’s a clichéd expression with a foundation of truth. The more you practice your skills, abilities, and talents, the better you become at anticipating potential challenges, identifying opportunities, and charting a course toward victory. Skilled dancers, martial artists, gymnasts, sportspeople, marksmen, and gamers practice obsessively to become great at what they do. Practice builds predictive thinking capabilities.
- Analysis of past moves improves current performance
Closely tied to building predictive thinking is analyzing past moves. If we keep doing the same thing, we shouldn’t expect a different outcome. When we analyze past moves in games, we can adopt different tactics and strategies to improve our current performance and yield a different outcome. That’s how winning is done.
- The focus should always be on improving one skill area at a time
This is an important strategic takeaway that every player can benefit from. The focus should always be on improving a singular skill area at a time. When you fine-tune a specific skill, you can perfect that skill and use that newfound strength to improve other skill areas you may be lacking in. Any skill game benefits from this approach. Different types of skill errors include resource management, timing, pattern recognition, hand/eye coordination, and mental composure.