By I used to be hardcore into strategy games back in the day.
I loved playing old school games, from Age of Empires to Total War, I’ve played them all.
Today, I’m featuring some of the best mobile strategy games you can play on your phone.
These strategy games for Android and iOS are all about careful planning, strategizing, and execution. To play these games, you need to think harder and master patience.
Most of the games on this list are premium games. Trust me, it’s worth paying a one-time price to access a great game than having to deal with microtransactions and paywalls in a free game.
But if you’re broke, don’t worry, there are a few good free mobile strategy games included below for you as well. Have a look.
1. XCOM 2 Collection
- Price: $13.49
XCOM 2 is the sequel to one of the best strategy games out there. And this game improves upon the original in many different ways.
XCOM 2 is a turn-based tactics game where you command a team to fight back an alien invasion. It’s all about planning ahead, using cover, and completing missions one by one.
This game includes XCOM 2 base game and 4 DLC content all packed into one game for a single price. There are no ads, no MTX, and no paywalls. Just pure fun.
If you can, get this game on PC to experience it in full immersion.
2. Rome: Total War
- Price: $8.99
Rome: Total War is arguably the best strategy game on PC, and now you can play it on your phone.
This is a grand strategy game, similar to Civilization, that involves real-time battles in massive scale. It’s a complex game where you have to manage many different aspects of war, including controlling your armies and managing cities.
For the price, it offers great value, and you can spend hours upon hours in this game managing your empire and conquering the world.
3. Into the Breach
- Price: Free
Don’t let the retro pixel graphics and the tiny grid-based design fool you, this game will get you addicted and obsessed before you know it.
Into the Breach is a highly addictive grid-based strategy game where your goal is to defend your city from an alien invasion using giant mechs and machines.
This game is apparently published by Netflix, but I was able to install the game on my phone without having to go through Netflix. So I’m not sure if it requires a Netflix subscription to play anymore or not.
4. The Battle of Polytopia
- Price: Free
Polytopia is a highly praised strategy game for its Civilization-style gameplay mechanics.
This game comes with simple polygonal-themed graphics but with very addictive gameplay mechanics. Your goal here is to start off with a small tribe and expand your empire by battling your way through to world domination.
You can play the game for free with no ads. But you’ll need to buy tribes to unlock and progress further into the game. I know it’s a paywall, but it supports the developers and you get to play an awesome game in return.
5. Company of Heroes
- Price: $13.49
Company of Heroes is one of my favorite strategy games I’ve played on PC a long time ago. And the mobile version comes with the same fun and addictive content of the original game.
In Company of Heroes, you get immersed in World War II, where you command different battalions to attack and defend from the enemies.
The game features an impressive campaign mode with lots of missions that take you across different regions and maps, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
6. Through the Ages
- Price: $9.99
This is a very unique mobile strategy game that plays like a board game.
Inspired by the Civilization board game, Through the Ages captures the essence of strategy games and combines them with board game-style game mechanics to offer a unique experience.
It uses a card-based system to help you plan, strategize, and manage resources to expand your civilization and empire.
7. Clash of Clans
- Price: Free
When it comes to strategy games, we can’t forget about Clash of Clans.
For more than a decade, Clash of Clans has reigned as one of the most addictive real-time strategy games on mobile platforms. And it’s still one of the most popular games on Android and iOS.
In Clash of Clans, you manage your village while raiding other villages for loot. In case you’re not familiar, Clash of Clans is a PVP multiplayer game where you can attack other player’s villages while defending your village from their attacks.
8. Marvel Snap
- Price: Free
Marvel Snap is a card-battling game that I’ve been addicted to for a long time.
I’m not sure if you can call this a strategy game. While it involves some strategy to plan your moves, build decks, and attack enemies using wits, Marvel Snap is mainly about card-based action.
But I can promise you this game will take over your life. Whether you’re a fan of Marvel comics or not, this game offers a ton of fun and value. There are MTX in this game, but they are not required to progress.
9. Art of War 3
- Price: Free
Art of War is another real-time strategy game featuring PVP battles with real players.
This game features intense battles with real players and it can get a bit hectic at times. If you’re familiar with Command and Conquer games, this title will be right up your alley.
The game features a combination of base building, managing units, planning attacks, and strategy. It’s perfect for fast-paced, action-packed gaming sessions.
10. Xenowerk Tactics
- Price: Free
Xenowerk Tactics features gameplay similar to XCOM games.
It takes you to a world dominated by mutants and your job is to lead your squad on missions to defend and attack these mutants and save the world. Or you can help the corporation cover up their mistakes and help them make more profits.
The first part of the Xenowerk Tactics is free to play. You can try it out and see if you enjoy it. Then you can purchase the full game to continue playing.
11. Thronefall
- Price:$10.99
Thronefall is another highly addictive mobile strategy game that features minimalist graphics.
This game is ideal for beginners to try a strategy game without having to worry about complex planning and mechanics. It has a much simpler approach where you can build, manage, and conquer land at your own pace.
Despite the price tag, this game offers tons of gameplay and replay value that will last dozens of hours.
12. Command & Conquer: Rivals
- Price: Free
Command & Conquer is a great game and an iconic franchise. The mobile version of the game also lives up to that name.
However, being an EA title, this mobile game is riddled with microtransactions and loot boxes. That’s the only reason for it to be ranked at the bottom of this list.
Otherwise, Command & Conquer: Rivals is an action-packed real-time strategy game featuring addictive gameplay mechanics. It’s free, so it’s worth checking out anyway.
