Venture on if you are looking for games like Scythe and are curious about what similar games to play next. Scythe is set in an alternate-history 1920s period. You are a character from one of five factions of Eastern Europe, attempting to earn your fortune and claim your faction’s stake in the land around the mysterious Factory. You must conquer territory, enlist new recruits, reap resources, gain villagers, build structures, and activate monstrous mechs.
To determine this list we broke down Scythe to what it is. At the forefront, the game is an area control with you trying to dominate the most space, but it goes so much deeper than that. The detail is robust, down to the upgrading and managing of your single units. And there is a big engine builder component. Picture playing Risk, but each one of your troops is unique with traits and personalities, and you need to worry about how to feed and train each one.
If you are looking for something similar, you have come to the right place. We took all this into consideration and came up with this list of the 5 board games like Scythe.
FOR MORE: Scythe Page | Buy Scythe on Amazon
#05 | Kemet
Kemet is on the list of games like Scythe because it is an early ancestor. The way the choices of actions work and play out in Scythe is what is happening in Kemet. It is much simpler though as it shed many of the other components and boiled it down to this bare core.
In Kemet, you deploy the troops of an Egyptian tribe and use the mystical powers of the gods of ancient Egypt to invade rich territories. This can be done from different actions such as winning attacks, controlling temples, controlling fully-developed pyramids, sacrificing to the gods, and wielding particular magical powers. For 2 – 5 players, games run 90 – 120 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Kemet on Amazon
#04 | Terra Mystica
Another game on the list of games like Scythe that originated some of it’s key mechanics is Terra Mystica. This more has to do with the engine and resource building side of things. If that is the portion of Scythe that you enjoy, then check this one out.
In the land of Terra Mystica dwell 14 different peoples in seven landscapes, and each group is bound to its own home environment, so to develop and grow, they must terraform neighboring landscapes into their home environments in competition with the other groups. You must attempt to rule as great an area as possible and to develop that group’s skills to win. For 2 – 5 players, games last about 60 – 150 minutes.
FOR MORE: Terra Mystica Page | Games Like Terra Mystica | Buy Terra Mystica on Amazon
#03 | Gaia Project
If you love how complex and how so many game mechanics are intertwined in Scythe, you are going to like Gaia Project. This is another derivative of Terra Mystica but in space. It is a smart and strategic take on territory control with just the right amount of aggression.
You lead a faction living on one of seven different kinds of planets. To develop and grow, you must terraform neighboring planets into your home environments before others do. You will need to excel in six different areas of development — Terraforming, Navigation, Artificial Intelligence, Gaiaforming, Economy, Research — leading to advanced technology and special bonuses. For 1 – 4 players, games run about 60 – 150 minutes.
FOR MORE: Games Like Gaia Project | Buy Gaia Project on Amazon
#02 | Lords of Hellas
Lords of Hellas is like Scythe because it is another micro-level area control game with a robust semi-fantasy world. Where this differs is in that the engine the pushes growth is worker placement. It is a great mix of complex big and little game mechanics, just like Scythe.
In Lords of Hellas, you enter the dark ages of Greece, ruled by mighty Gods wielding advanced technology. You control a bespoke hero and choose your path to victory, either by strategic control or adventure style monster hunting and quests.
Through the game you can choose from various actions and influence the game thanks to the mighty monuments of base Gods: Zeus, Athena, and Hermes. You need to strategically move your armies and hero as well as manage your actions in order to win. For 1 – 4 players, games run about 60 – 90 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Lords of Hellas on Amazon
#01 | StarCraft: The Board Game
The top spot on the list of board games like Scythe goes to a wonderful game based on one of the top computer strategy games ever created, Starcraft. Things are different but collectively, feels very the same. This game is also a robust area control game with interesting mechanics going on in the background. Here it happens to be elements of deck building.
In StarCraft, you are a faction in one of the three races (Protoss, Human, Zerg) hell-bent on galactic domination via controlling the best areas. Rounds are broken into 3 phases (planning, execution, regrouping) where players take turns within the different phases. Unlike other similar games that have you take a massive turn all at once, this lends itself to some classic upsets and combos. For 2 – 6 players, games last about 3 – 4 hours.
