Joshua Tyler | publishing
Ask people about the most strategic game shows and they will likely answer Danger! Or something like that Wheel of Destiny. Geeks know better.
Even the smartest people in traditional game shows are better than memory games. The memory I remembered was not thinking about.
Over the past two decades, TV has used reality programs to transform the space of broadcast games into a war of wisdom. Super smart, sometimes rock star-like contestants use their brains to think about their opponents. This is the most compelling and inspiring way to gain an intimate understanding of human nature by watching the screen.
These are the best strategy game shows ever.
5. mole
when mole It premiered on ABC in 2001, bringing a new type of reality game to TV, a not too much based on physical endurance but on psychological warfare. According to the Belgian series de Molthe show travels with a group of contestants, completing the challenge of adding funds to the group pot. But one of them, the mole works secretly for the producers, subtly undermining these efforts from within.
Anderson Cooper hosted the original American version before CNN became a household name. Over the years, it has returned in various forms, including the brief celebrity version, recently underwent a Netflix revival in 2022.
What is it mole Stand out of the box, not just destructive; it’s the game’s victory. There is no vote on tribal committees or popularity. Instead, at the end of each episode, players test the identity and behavior of the mole. The person who knows the least is eliminated. This means that observation and deduction are the real skills being tested.
Unlike many reality shows, mole Reward quiet strategies, memory and logic. It turns reality TV into a mysterious novel, unfolding in real time, and the audience and players guess.
4. The Devil’s Plan
The Devil’s Plan is a Netflix work and the creator of Jung Jong-Yeon. geniusKorean shows will hear more about it later on this list.
Unlike survival or voting-based formats, it allows 12-14 contestants to live in a class environment where they play games to survive. There is a major match every day, a competitive strategy game where players bet and lose “smash”. The fewest pieces of the players went to prison, and in a death match, they played against each other there.
Success depends on negotiation, memory, logic, math skills, board game strategy and hidden deductions. The game ranges from mafia-style “virus” to auctions, logical puzzles and collaborative challenges. Hidden Chambers rewards smart players or makes them give everything.
The first season of the show was a slight blow, but never quite worked. have The Devil’s Plan So far, it won’t list this list, but in 2025 it returned to its second season on Netflix and adjusted the show to add a new layer. These new layers more strongly encourage post-thorn and selfish gaming, thus enhancing the audience’s experience.
If there is a third season, it’s easy to imagine The Devil’s Plan Finally higher in this list.
3. survivor
when survivor It debuted on CBS in 2000, reshaping the TV overnight. Adapted from Swedish series Adventure Robinsonthe show puts 16 strangers in a remote location, initially Borneo, and challenges them to beat, beat each other. This format is simple: compete in physical and mental challenges, form alliances, vote one by one until only one player maintains a million dollar prize.
What is it survivor Revolutionaries are not just environment or competition; it is social games. Participants must build trust when planning betrayal. Winning challenges may lead to security, but navigation team dynamics are more important.
Richard Hatch, the show’s first winner, cemented the idea that strategy is crucial by pioneering alliance strategies, proving that manipulation and vision are as valuable as strength or endurance. He makes strategy games available on TV.
After more than 40 seasons, survivor Has evolved, adding hidden immune idols, secret advantages, and complex twists such as Island of Exile and Fire Token Economy. Essentially, the show remains a social strategy game disguised as adventure. It’s not just a survival race. It’s a long format chess game that was played on the beach, where the board is constantly changing, and other players are trying to flip it over.
2. Big brother
when Big brother It premiered on CBS in 2000 and looks like another reality experiment. In Season 2, the network completely improved the show and quietly evolved into one of the most complex and enduring strategy games on TV.
The core premise is to lock a bunch of strangers in a house full of cameras, remove them from the outside world, and let them vote each other one by one until there is only one winner left. Below the simple structure is a layered, evolving social and strategic manipulation game.
Each week, a new family leader (HOH) nominates two players for eviction. Then the power of veto, the coalition shifted, the threat was exposed and tested. What is it Big brother Strategy is not only its format, but also how much control it provides to the players. Lies, secret alliances, backdoor blind people, these are not twists and turns, they are gameplay.
27 seasons, still strong, Brother, we Added complexity: hidden power, double eviction, team format, and even fan-controlled missions. On the surface, it usually looks stupid and ridiculous.
The work goes out of its way to emphasize drama, romance and camping. The core of the American version is hidden beneath all stupidity, a psychological pressure cooker that you can’t hide and pay attention to every move. It all happens in real time, and the audience is able to watch what happens 24/7 on the live camera, which is completely unedited.
There is a version Big brother In many other countries. But no other version except the Canadian version is a strategy game.
Big brotherThe greatest player is the mastermind icon.
-
Plastic surgeon Dr. Will Kirby manipulated the entire house around him by telling him to hate them and not care about the game. -
High school football coach Dan Gheesling switched to Twitch player to save his own doom by holding his own funeral. -
Undercover policeman Derrick Lavasser is a social chameleon who cleverly changes his appearance and manner to manipulate players.
Big Brother is a unique social chess game. And the best players? They don’t just survive. They convinced everyone else to help them win.
1. genius
when genius It premiered on TVN in South Korea in April 2013, introducing a razor that focuses entirely on the brain around the brain, not the Warriors. From students and mathematicians to comedians and politicians, 13 hand-picked players performed a week of WIT exams through carefully designed games.
Each plot is divided into two stages:
-
Main competition: All players fight in unique intellectual or social games, from auctions to mafia-style deductions, strategic board settings and memory puzzles. Winners earn The symbol of life and other Tibetan currencies are called Garneteach worth 1 million -
Death Game: The lowest performer in the main game faces face to face in duels from head to head – paper paper, card game, logic puzzle. The loser is eliminated.
Strategy is everything. Players form alliances, agents process garnets and parse hidden information. From Seat Exchange in Season 2 and Season 1’s Zombie Game to Season 3’s Sword and Shield, and Season 4’s Menu Today, every challenge requires adaptability and vision.
In four seasons (48 episodes), genius It is a landmark of brain gameplay. This is a live chess game where smart people play smart games for smart audiences. For strategic fans, this is the ultimate masterclass.
In a game full of beautiful models, physicists and professional poker players, the smartest player of the show ever? Jang Dong-Min is a middle-aged, intermediate comedian with a high school education and incredible thinking ability to read opponents out of the box and find ways to win.
