7 – 9 Kings
Since Hooded Horse made its appearance in the strategy gaming scene, they have been releasing nothing but bangers, with Manor Lords, Terra Invicta, and Against the Storm. In their catalogue, the perfect game for those with 10 to 15 minutes to spend also lives. That game was one of 2025’s best strategy games, and its name is 9 Kings, a game I reviewed and called it the best way to waste time in 2025, and one of the most exciting strategy games for quick gaming sessions in 2026, blending roguelike progression, deck-building elements, fast-paced kingdom management, as well as auto-battler elements, making it a compact, deeply strategic title. In just a few minutes, players will be expanding their realm, deploying cards for buildings and units to create the best possible combos, and facing hundreds of enemies.
6 – Bad North: Jotunn Edition
Bad North: Jotunn Edition is one of the few games that attempted the whole “let’s try and keep strategy games simple” with a modicum of success, and it did that by compacting real-time strategy into its very basics, but not letting go of complexity. Players have to defend an island kingdom against Viking invasions in battles that’ll typically last only a few minutes while still requiring smart squad positioning and terrain awareness, similar to the previously mentioned Grit & Valor -1949. Each island is procedurally generated, but they’re consistent in the fact that they present similar challenges, allowing the player to adapt their tactics, but also to learn from their mistakes. Success comes fast, and failure too. The game also has a rogue-like layer to keep the campaign moving forward. If you only have 10 or 15 minutes to burn, they’ll be well spent with Bad North.
5 – Slay The Spire
Card games became all the rage since Hearthstone released in 2014 (it has been 12 years since Hearthstone came out). Slay the Spire managed to combine two player-favorite genres of the mid to late 2010s, those being card games as well as roguelikes. In Slay the Spire, players pick one of four characters, each with their unique set of cards, and go on to fight the creatures of the Spire. Each of these battles lasts only a couple of minutes, and at the end, players are rewarded with cards, items, and consumables. Slay the Spire is a perfect strategy game for quick gaming sessions that you can pick up across the day, and constantly feel like you’re making progress and building your very own overpowered deck. Also, Slay the Spire 2 is right across the corner, with a release date planned for March 2026.
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