Ages 7–12: Thinking-Ahead Strategy Games

Games in this collection:

Double 12 Dominoes
Players: 2+ • Play time: ~20–40 minutes

Labyrinth by Ravensburger (1986 Spiel des Jahres Recommended)
Players: 2–4 • Play time: ~20–30 minutes

This collection helps children move from making a good move now to thinking about what that move might make possible next—planning ahead, watching possibilities develop, and adapting when the game changes.

Who this collection is for:
This collection is designed for boys and girls ages 7–12 who understand basic game strategy and are ready to begin thinking beyond the immediate turn. It’s especially well suited to children who enjoy patterns, routes, puzzles, and games where a good plan may need to change as new possibilities appear.

If your child enjoys making first tactical choices and anticipating an opponent in Gobblet Gobblers, this collection offers a natural next step—asking them to think farther ahead, consider several future possibilities, and adjust their plans as the board develops.

The two games approach that skill very differently. Double 12 Dominoes asks players to notice patterns and think about which plays will preserve useful options for later. Labyrinth asks them to plan a route through a board that changes every turn.

What’s inside:
Double 12 Dominoes expands the familiar domino set from blank through twelve, creating 91 unique tiles and many more possibilities than a standard Double 6 set. At its simplest, children match numbers and recognize patterns as they determine which tiles can be played.

As players gain experience, the decisions become more strategic. They begin noticing which numbers have appeared, which possibilities are becoming limited, what opponents may still be holding, and whether playing one tile now will leave them with better—or worse—choices later.

That makes Dominoes an approachable way to introduce an important strategy habit: don’t just look at the move in front of you; think about what choices it leaves you afterward.

Labyrinth develops the same habit through route planning. Players try to reach treasures hidden within a maze, but before moving their playing piece they must slide a maze tile into the board, shifting an entire row or column.

That single change can create a new route, close an existing one, or alter another player’s opportunities. Children must picture what the maze will look like after the shift and decide which change gives them the best path toward their goal.

Because every player changes the maze, plans rarely stay fixed for long. Children learn to look ahead while also remaining flexible enough to recognize a new route when the one they expected disappears.

Together, these games develop two complementary thinking-ahead skills: Double 12 Dominoes teaches players to preserve and anticipate future options, while Labyrinth teaches them to plan routes and adapt as circumstances change.

Why this collection works:

• Develops thinking ahead and multi-step planning
• Encourages players to consider future possibilities
• Builds pattern recognition and logical reasoning
• Strengthens route planning and visualization
• Develops flexible thinking when plans change
• Encourages decision-making based on both current and future options
• Reinforces number recognition naturally through play
• Offers simple rules with strategy that deepens over time

These games help children make an important strategic shift: instead of asking only “What can I do now?”, they begin asking “If I do this, what will I be able to do next?”

Why A Thoughtful Choice picked these:
We chose these games because they create a natural bridge between first tactical games and more complex strategy.

Double 12 Dominoes begins with an exceptionally simple rule—match the numbers—but gradually rewards players who notice patterns and think about the options they are creating for future turns. Labyrinth makes planning more visible, challenging children to picture how a changing board will affect the route ahead.

Neither game requires complicated rules to introduce deeper thinking. Instead, children learn through experience that a strong move isn’t always the one that helps most immediately—it may be the one that creates the best possibilities later.

Together, they prepare children for the next stage of strategy, where territory, blocking, drafting, and optimization begin to matter even more.

What to play next:
Children ready to take thinking-ahead skills into more competitive spatial play can move to Ages 8–12: Spatial Strategy Games, where Kingdomino and Battle Sheep introduce territory control, drafting, blocking, and optimization.

Older players ready to weigh resources, timing, and competing priorities can progress to Ages 10–14: Strategic Decision-Making Games, where Popcorn and Combo add more complex tradeoffs and resource-management decisions.