The best games like Halma 2026

Immerse yourself in the world of Onitama, a dynamic two-player abstract game offering perfect information and a randomized starting setup on a 5x5 board. Both participants begin the game with five pawns each, strategically placing the main pawn at the board's center.

Santorini is a beautifully re-imagined strategy game that combines abstract elements with accessible gameplay, suitable for a wide range of players.

Players engage in a tactical battle inspired by pebbles stacked along paths. Each player begins with eight colored pebbles, while a neutral colored set is placed in the corners of the board. On their turn, players stack a pebble on a chosen pile and then shift it, leaving one pebble on each space crossed. The first to stack four pebbles of their color wins the game.

Nine mystical stones are arranged in a grid of rocky ruins. Players must position the stones to match one or more patterns in their hand, sacrificing a card each time they swap or flip a tile. Score the most points to secure your victory!

Chaos reigns at the reef as various marine creatures form swarms. On their turn, a player selects one of six stones and places it on an empty space. Players aim to create groups of the same color or identical sea creatures, with the option to move a stone before placing a new one to form larger swarms. The larger the group, the more points it's worth, and the player with the most points wins!

Hive is a highly strategic two-player game that stands out for its versatility and unique gameplay mechanics, involving a variety of insect-themed pieces.

A cup of coffee relaxes the customer, but for the coffee shop, orders pile up during peak times. Players gather ingredients on a board to fulfill customer orders and improve their ratings. Unfulfilled orders lead to penalty points, while completing three orders allows a player to upgrade their ingredient gathering. The game ends when all order cards are used or when a player receives five penalty cards. The player with the highest score wins!

TZAAR is a compelling abstract strategy game that emphasizes the delicate balance of weakening your opponent versus strengthening your own position. With 30 pieces each, divided among Tzaars, Tzarras, and Totts, players navigate a game of tactical decisions where every move counts. The core challenge lies in managing these three distinct types of pieces, each essential to the game's strategy, as players aim to either deplete one type of the opponent's pieces or trap them in a position where they can't capture anymore.

Deep in the northern forests lives a charming tribe of elves called the Frogriders. Each spring, they host a tournament where their four main groups engage in a mock battle. Players collect uniquely shaped plastic figures by jumping them over one another, using their special abilities strategically to score points or return to the tribe’s village. The game features various privilege and scoring cards, creating numerous tactical nuances and strategies to explore for victory.

Players each have four good and four evil spirits, but only the player who owns a spirit can see whether it is good or evil. The spirits start in the back rows of a 6x6 board with the corners removed. On their turn, players move one of their spirits one space orthogonally and can eliminate an opponent's spirit by landing on it. To win, a player must either get rid of their own evil spirits, eliminate the good spirits of their opponent, or move one of their good spirits off an opponent's corner space.