ListNook

WarmlyInvited Apr 3, 2026 +1

Honestly something like tetris looks dead simple at first but once you dive in it turns into a brutal game of foresight and precision.

1

default_person_14818 Apr 3, 2026 +1

There are still people trying to set new high scores in the first release of the game, going way beyond what the hardware is supposed to support

1

The_300_goats Apr 3, 2026 +1

Which hardware is this? I'm fairly sure even the hardware of the time could handle anything Tetris was able to throw at it. Unless it was being asked to virtually Telestransport blocks from the top of the screen to the bottom. But that would be a software problem (and I'm not sure that was the point of the game)

1

DrustRain3 Apr 3, 2026 +1

It goes from a fun puzzle to a high-speed panic attack real fast.

1

Mazzerboi Apr 3, 2026 +1

OSRS. The stuff Port Khazard does is basically impossible to the average player by a mile. But at a glance it’s just a clicking game about cutting trees etc edit: spelling

1

bobby_table5 Apr 3, 2026 +1

For the people who go outside: that’s likely Old School RuneScape.

1

Deep-Assignment4124 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Crusader Kings 3. It seems like a simple map game. It goes deep. You can launch just about any scheme you can think of.

1

sooojew Apr 3, 2026 +1

lol I’m not sure the game that presents you with 21 different menus, warnings, and a near infinite amount of things to click, zoom in on, or otherwise inspect for further info would count as easy to learn and seemingly simple.

1

bobby_table5 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Paradox players have a different definition of “simple”. But hey, you need a hobby first people who think DevOps is fun.

1

Important_Average_11 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Chess

1

d1ld02 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Depth and strategy is inherently part of chess. Even on a basic level. Imo ofc

1

Simple_Avocado_9388 Apr 3, 2026 +1

minecraft, seems simple but once you get into redstone and mechanics it gets really deep

1

[deleted] Apr 3, 2026 +1

[deleted]

1

Simple_Avocado_9388 Apr 3, 2026 +1

my brain broke when i saw someone build a working pc in minecraft with redstone. some of those builds get insanely complex

1

Aggressive_Peanut924 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Backgammon. Unlike chess you don’t have to learn a whole new language. To play backgammon your brain draws from skills that it had already acquired in the past: number literacy, basic percentage and risk assessment. Bright people take it up in two or three games, but of course to play it an elite level you’d need an exceptional brain

1

Ok-Material7391 Apr 3, 2026 +1

There is a wonderful world of variant sudoku out there. "1-9 in every row, column and box" and then suddenly you try to figure out which rat is which, which clues are lies and curse dutch whispers. (I highly recommend the Cracking the Cryptic YT channel if that sounds appealing to you).

1

FriendlyManCub Apr 3, 2026 +1

Absolutely this. Some are very challenging but so satisfying. And there are so many out there for free that you'll always find something

1

vsRushy Apr 3, 2026 +1

Hearts of Iron IV

1

anteklegos Apr 3, 2026 +1

They asked for easy to learn, not HOI 4

1

sooojew Apr 3, 2026 +1

Same thing I just said to someone about CK3. Same style ish (paradox game) I think HOI 4 is more complex, just because I have more CK3 experience probably. But yea neither I would say is seemingly simple or easy to learn (relative to what else is out there).

1

Glum-Chicken8155 Apr 3, 2026 +1

And twister 😂😂 helps u know how old u have gotten that your joints don’t work anymore, teaches you that your not 20 and flexible anymore

1

Glum-Chicken8155 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Jenga, teaches to be mindful, observant and patient. Such a simple game that teaches great life skills

1

Flora_KAtherin Apr 3, 2026 +1

checkers

1

joschi27 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Rocket league

1

Zuribus Apr 3, 2026 +1

Rocket League.

1

Dreadn0k Apr 3, 2026 +1

Basketball

1

tigrefacile Apr 3, 2026 +1

Tennis.

1

smartyladyphd Apr 3, 2026 +1

Netball, quite easy but extremely bound by rules

1

Pure_Drama_978 Apr 3, 2026 +1

rock paper scissors

1

dug99 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Chinese checkers.

1

Whistling_Birds Apr 3, 2026 +1

P****

1

The_300_goats Apr 3, 2026 +1

P****

1

Admirable-Anybody602 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Checkers looks simple, but once you dive in, the strategy and tactics can get surprisingly intense.

1

Seamer7 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Browlallah, è gratis per qualsiasi piattaforma

1

GrassFunny868 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Minesweeper. > Most people just click randomly until they hit a bomb, but once you learn the logic patterns (like the 1-2-1 or 1-2-2-1 patterns), it becomes a high-speed game of deductive reasoning. At the expert level, it’s not even about the numbers; it’s about internalizing the "shapes" of the board. There is even a massive competitive scene where players finish the "Expert" board in under 35 seconds.

1

selcouth_mode Apr 3, 2026 +1

chess. easy to learn, but you can spend years and still feel like you barely understand it

1

ShaoShao27 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Yugioh, eternal ccg, dawncaster and most of the roguelikes and roguelites

1

EntrepreneurNice4994 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Most paradox games tbh. Crusader kings, stellaris, Europa universalis. All looks relatively simple but have pretty infinite depths until you find strategies that are overpowered which make the game as deep as a puddle

1

EbonyHelicoidalRhino Apr 3, 2026 +1

Go

1

Physical_Break1641 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Chess seems simple at first, but once you dive in, the strategy is endless and mind-blowing.

1

maronics Apr 3, 2026 +1

I wouldn't call a high number of options depth. You have 6 different pieces and 64 squares. Every possible move is a simple move. What you judge as 'deep' is the battle of minds but not the game itself.

1

DraconianAntics Apr 3, 2026 +1

At a certain skill level, the battle of minds becomes the game itself. It very quickly jumps from “remove pieces until I can take the king” to “how will they react to how I react to how they react to how I…”

1

maronics Apr 3, 2026 +1

Yeah, but you could have that over any game with a certain level of complexity.

1

Considered_Dissent Apr 3, 2026 +1

For sure. I tried to exclude Chess and Go from the question, but for some reason the question wouldn't go through with them referenced. It's a great answer, unfortunately it's also sorta the default answer and I was hoping to find some unexpected stuff : )

1

What easy to learn (and seemingly simple) game actually has a lot more possible depth and strategy, if you do a deep dive into it, than you'd initially expect?

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