If you like strategy games, there are plenty of great ones available for your iPhone. Some work offline, while others require an internet connection. Some games are free, while others cost a few bucks, but they’re all worth checking out if you like this genre.
With the release of the iPhone, a lot of great games have made their way to the app store. One of the most popular genres so far has been strategy games, including notable titles like Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. Both of those games are great for killing time, but when you’re looking to get serious about gaming on your phone, there are some great titles out there that can really test your strategic thinking while still being able to fit in your pocket.
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Strategy games are some of the most challenging and rewarding games to play. They are challenging, because there is no room for errors in the gameplay. All it takes is one wrong move and you could potentially lose the game. Strategy games also have a deeply addictive quality to them, which can make it difficult to put them down once you start playing.
As with any gaming experience on your iPhone, the main purpose of strategy games is to have fun. However, these games can be very time-consuming and even lead to compulsive behavior if you’re not careful. It is important that you understand the risks associated with these types of mobile apps before you begin playing them.
If you’re committed to playing strategy games on your iPhone, there are some things you should keep in mind:
- Always turn off notifications from your device’s settings menu. This will prevent game alerts from distracting you during other activities.
- You do not have to spend real money to enjoy these games, but if you want an advantage over other players, it is tempting to pay for in-game perks or premium currency that can help you advance more
Strategy games, be they on a tablet or a phone, involve planning and careful execution. It takes time to learn the rules of a new game, but once you get the hang of it, you can play for hours without even realizing how much time has passed.
The best strategy games for iPhone have three things in common: they are easy to get into without too much instruction, they require some brainpower to play well, and they reward you with in-game satisfaction when you make well-calculated moves. If you’re looking for something to keep your mind sharp and give you a sense of accomplishment when you win, try the below mentioned titles.
These are the 20 best strategy games for iPhone right now
Strategy games are a great way to unwind, and they’re the perfect games to play with friends, too. Strategy games don’t require much movement, and they’re the perfect way to turn off your brain and relax after a long day.
With such a huge variety of games to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to find a new strategy game. So, to make things easier, I’ve compiled an up-to-date list of all the best strategy games for iPhone. The games on this list have proven to be some of the most fun out there, and have been listed in no particular order. Now it’s time for you to check them out!
Check out these 20 best strategy games for iPhone that will keep you on your toes.
1. Clash of Clans – The best iPhone strategy game
Clash of Clans is one of the most popular strategy games available on mobile devices. The game, which is available on both Android and iOS, allows players to build an army and attack other players’ bases, as well as their own bases when upgrading structures.
The game does not have a tutorial, which can make it difficult for new players to learn how to play the game properly. Fortunately, there are several online resources that can help you learn how to play Clash of Clans.
I’m a huge fan of strategy games and I’ve found there are a lot of people who are into them, but also a lot of people who aren’t. It’s rare that you find both people who love strategy games and people who don’t. I was just one of those guys.
The weird thing about strategy games is that they can be really easy to pick up for someone who is not really interested in them. A lot of them involve match-3 game play, or defense type gameplay, or collecting resources and building things. Clash of Clans takes all the things about these kind of games that makes them easy for a new player to get into, but it also builds on that with an incredibly deep strategy game underneath it all.
I love the game because there’s so much to do in it. You can collect resources, upgrade your base in town, send troops off on raids or quests, and research new troops as well as upgrades for your troops. The game involves fighting against other players online within your region (and also globally) and requires you to defend your own resources while raiding other players’ bases to get theirs.
The graphics aren’t amazing in the game, but they’re still fun to look at and there’s plenty going on.
Initial release date: 2 August 2012 Mode: Multiplayer video game Developer: Supercell Original author: Supercell Genre: Real-time strategy Developer: Supercell Platforms: Android, iOS, iPadOS
2. Rise of Empires: Fire and War
Rise of Empires: Fire and War (iPhone) is a turn-based strategy game from the makers of Rise of Empires Online, an MMORPG that features the same ancient civilizations and tactics.
To anyone who has played the MMORPG, this will feel like a watered-down version. The game features some of the same civilizations and battle tactics that made the MMORPG so enjoyable, but because it’s a mobile game, it’s missing several key aspects that made Rise of Empires Online special.
Most notably, there are no territories to conquer, no large scale battles, and no cities to build up.
While it’s understandable why these large scale battles aren’t included in this mobile version, the lack of any real territorial control or city building is what makes this strategy game feel like a shallow imitation of an otherwise exciting franchise. This is only made worse by the poorly implemented plot line and limited map gameplay.
Everything you do in this game feels like busy work; there isn’t much incentive to keep playing other than earning enough experience points to get better equipment to use in future missions. You’re constantly put into situations where you have to defend your base from enemy attackers until you can finally amass enough resources to attack their base yourself.
3. Clash Royale – A free-to-play real-time strategy video game
Clash Royale is a strategic game for iOS and Android devices that can be played against real opponents or against computer players. It is a game about building up a base and attacking your opponent’s base with the goal of destroying their towers before they destroy yours. During the attack, you have to defend your own towers because if you don’t, they’ll be destroyed by your enemy.
The most interesting aspect of Clash Royale is that there is no specific way to win. You have to build an army of different units that are each good at countering other units, so you can adapt to what your enemy is doing and come up with a strategy that suits the battlefield. The game has a number of valuable lessons such as planning during the build phase and making quick decisions during combat phase.
As far as graphics go, the visuals in Clash Royale are fairly basic; if it were released ten years ago, it would be considered state-of-the-art, but these days it looks a little outdated. However, this does not take away from the game’s appeal because Clash Royale is not about fancy graphics—it’s about playing strategically and adapting to whatever situation your opponent throws at you.
The map layout in Clash Royale is quite nice.
Let’s start with the basics. Clash Royale is a multiplayer game that puts you in control of a variety of units, each with different strengths and weaknesses. You’ll have to learn how to use these units together effectively if you want to win against real opponents, and one of the best ways to do that is by establishing a deck of cards at the beginning of each match.
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A deck consists of 8 cards: 2 from your chest and 6 from your battle deck. Your battle deck is where you choose which cards you want to enter each match with; it must contain at least 30 cards, cannot contain duplicates of any card, and cannot contain more than four copies of any single card. Before we go into detail about particular card types, it’s important to note that some cards can be leveled up after they’ve been unlocked (by winning matches) using gold or gems. Leveling up increases their strength and makes them more effective when played.
It’s a great way to pass the time with friends, or even just to play by yourself if you’re feeling a bit anti-social. The game involves collecting cards that represent different troops in your army, and building decks of eight cards that you use in battle. Your goal is to destroy the other player’s towers and win the game. You can play against people from all over the world, or against bots if you’re looking for a challenge. This game is simple enough for children to pick up but has enough strategy for adults to enjoy as well. I would recommend this game for anyone who loves card games, likes competition, or just wants something new to try out on their phone.
Initial release date: 2 March 2016 Card: 107 Mode: Multiplayer video game Developer: Supercell Original author: Supercell Awards: AMD eSports Audience Award Nominations: AMD eSports Audience Award
4. State.io – War Strategy Games
State.io is a new strategy game that challenges you to expand your kingdom from the Stone Age to the Space Age, while fending off threats such as natural disasters, barbarians, and other players. You begin the game with a tribe of villagers armed with spears, and must set about gathering resources like food and wood.
These resources are used to build structures like farms to grow more food or barracks to train troops. But be careful: you will need to defend yourself against other players who might want to steal your resources. Luckily, if you choose to battle another player, you can recruit help from other players who want in on the fight, and even if you lose, your troops will get experience that they can use to improve their fighting skills.
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State.io boasts an impressive variety of different buildings and troops that can be built over time. The graphics are also lovely—bright colors against a barebones white background give it a simple but attractive aesthetic. There’s also an excellent tutorial that walks you through every concept at a pace that’s neither too quick nor too slow; even if this is your first foray into browser-based strategy games, it should have you up and running in no time. You can join up with friends in order to band together.
5. Stick War: Legacy – Real time strategy game
Stick War: Legacy is a fun, challenging game with a long-term appeal. The initial gameplay is intense and engaging, and there are many different upgrades and features to keep you hooked for hours as you try to uncover all of the secrets in the game.
Stick War: Legacy is the sequel to a popular, if a bit dated, game in the vein of Age of Empires. It features many of the elements that made its predecessor so much fun: you control hundreds of units at once, you have many types of troops to choose from, and there are plenty of maps and game modes to keep you occupied for hours. The graphics and art style have been updated to match today’s standards, but the core gameplay remains untouched.
With this new installment, you can expect a lot more content than what was available in Stick War 1. You can now play online against other players in one-on-one matches . There are also a number of single-player campaigns that follow an interesting story line and allow you to unlock new units as you progress. This is all set against a background of beautiful scenery, with some remarkable hand-drawn backgrounds that bring each map to life.
If you enjoyed playing the original Stick War (or games like it), I highly recommend this sequel—it is an excellent evolution not only of its own series but also of the genre as a whole.
In this sequel to the original, you’re charged with defending your castle from an invading army as you attempt to destroy their castle. You have all your favorite characters back, including the archers, swordsmen, wizards, and spearmen. You can upgrade each soldier with better weapons and armor and use them strategically on the field to gain ground against your attackers. The graphics are great, especially considering that this is a free-to-play game. There’s also a wide variety of maps to explore and conquer, so fans of the first game will definitely want to check out this one!
6. XCOM: Enemy Within
The recently released expansion for XCOM: Enemy Unknown is now available for iPhone users. This is a turn-based strategy game that can be played on the go, and it’s a great way to kill time when you have a few minutes to spare.
It’s structured similarly to other games in this genre, with the exception that you don’t need to spend hours setting up your squad—you only have a few seconds at the beginning of each mission to choose which four soldiers will accompany you into battle. The rest of the time is spent in action-packed combat situations, where you’ll find yourself fighting against hordes of aliens while trying to rescue humans or retrieve artifacts.
XCOM: Enemy Within is more of the same, and that’s a very good thing. It is essentially a re-release of the old XCOM: Enemy Unknown, with a few extras thrown in. They’re all incredibly welcome additions, but you don’t need to be sold on this game to know that it’s great. XCOM has won numerous awards for its addictive gameplay, and the new features only enhance it.
The game follows the story of XCOM, a military organization tasked with defending Earth from alien invaders whose technology is advanced beyond anything mankind has ever seen before. While they possess weapons and abilities far beyond our own, they are still outnumbered by the human forces ten to one. The player takes control of XCOM and must use their strategic skills to protect Earth from this massive threat.
XCOM: Enemy Within features all new missions, new maps, and new gameplay that enhances the original experience in every way possible. In addition, it includes new soldier abilities, upgrades, and technology. One of the most notable additions to this expansion is genetic modifications that allow soldiers to be modified with alien implants giving them incredible powers and abilities such as extra health or combat bonuses against specific enemy types.
XCOM: Enemy Within gives you an intricate web of choices when it comes to how your team operates on an individual level, but it also puts you in charge of making some high-stakes decisions about how to proceed around the world. Each decision is weighed carefully based on its consequences for your team’s well-being—if you don’t make good choices in either place, you might not be able to stop the alien invasion at all!
Mode: Multiplayer video game Developer: Firaxis Games Original author: Firaxis Games Composer: Michael McCann Genre: Turn-based tactics Awards: Satellite Award for Outstanding Mobile Game Nominations: Satellite Award for Outstanding Mobile Game, BAFTA Games Award for Strategy and Simulation
7. Boom Beach
Boom Beach is a strategy game that takes a lot of the ideas from games like Clash of Clans and gives them a new coat of paint. It’s a lot more animated, has great music, and features some very interesting new features that make it not just a clone of other popular mobile strategy games.
Boom Beach isn’t your standard real-time strategy game, where you have to worry about gathering resources as quickly as possible. This one is set up more like Clash of Clans—once you start playing, you can rest easy knowing that there won’t be any resource shortages (although you do still have to keep an eye on the rate at which your resources are being used).
“But wait,” I hear you thinking, “how can this be an RTS without resource gathering? I don’t know how to make buildings!” That’s where Boom Beach’s unique feature comes in—your island is made out of blocks of wood, stone, and metal. You start off with enough to fill up one square side of your island. When you want to build something, you need to pick which block type (wood, stone, or metal) and how many units will go into it.
The great thing about Boom Beach is that it’s not just another one of those “collect stuff” games. Your base, the troops and the resources are important to winning the level. Your goal is to build a base on an island and defend yourself from other players while you build up your forces. You want to build defenses so that you can get more resources faster and help you progress further. You can also use troops to attack other bases and steal their resources. The higher level your troops are, the stronger they will be when attacking.
I love the sound effects and music in this game, which really helps me get into the rhythm of the game. The graphics are really well done, too; I really like how every different level has its own art style. I also like how there’s so many different units with different abilities and strengths—it makes each battle feel new and interesting.
The best part about this game is that it’s completely free! If you’re looking for an addictive, fun game to play on your phone, check out Boom Beach!
Initial release date: 26 March 2014 Mode: Multiplayer video game Developer: Supercell Original author: Supercell Genre: Massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game Developer: Supercell Platforms: Android, iOS, iPadOS
8. Iron Marines: RTS Offline Game
Iron Marines is a strategy game, but it’s not like any other strategy game you’ve played before. It’s got all the basics you’d expect from a RTS—you build up your base, create an army, and take on the enemy—but it also mixes up the formula quite a bit. For example, the units you recruit aren’t stationary; they walk around the map fully under your control (and you can even get them to attack other units). There are also RPG elements in play; not only do you have your base building and army management duties, but you can level up your units by killing enemies and earning experience points.
It’s a fresh take on the genre that results in a highly enjoyable game that I’ve sunk many hours into already (and I’m sure I’ll sink many more in the future!). You can pick it up for free on Steam or iTunes to try it out for yourself.
Iron Marines is a hybrid between a turn-based strategy game and an action shooter. You play as the commander of a squad of space marines and your goal is to complete missions that involve shooting at aliens and dodging bullets with your men. The majority of the gameplay consists of the squad moving around in different environments, shooting at enemies and trying to stay alive.
The main difference between this game and other similar games is that while you are controlling your men, they are also controlled by their own AI. They will prioritize their targets based on where they should be and what you have told them to do. While this might seem like it would take away some control from the player, it actually makes the gameplay more challenging because you need to make sure that you are keeping your men out of danger and making sure that you are using them efficiently.
If one man is low on health, you could order him to run back to safety or heal him using another man. You can also use your men to distract enemies so that another man can get behind them for an easy kill. This allows for some very interesting strategies and keeps the game fresh every time you play it.
Developer: Ironhide Game Studio Genres: Action game, Strategy Platforms: Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS Publishers: Ironhide Game Studio, Ironhide Games
9. ROME: Total War
ROME: Total War is a popular strategy game that was released in 2004. The success of the game led to an expansion pack, Barbarian Invasion, which was released in 2005. “Total War” is a term that refers to games that use real-time strategy for the combat within the game, as opposed to turn-based strategy. ROME: Total War is the first game in this series to be made with 3D graphics instead of 2D graphics, which makes it stand out among other games of its kind.
For fans of the Total War series, ROME: Total War was a dream come true when it was first released. For fans of ancient history and/or war games, it is still worth looking into today. Since the beginning of its release, there have been several expansions and spinoff games that are available on various gaming platforms.
The game allows players to take control of one of eight different factions, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, and engage in battles both on land and at sea. At the beginning of each campaign, players must choose whether they want to play as Rome itself, or as one of several other factions that vied for dominance during this time.
Players can also choose from a variety of different generals that have unique bonuses and abilities that impact gameplay. For instance, Pompey Magnus’s abilities allow him to acquire more territory than other generals, while Julius Caesar has a special unit that makes him more powerful when fighting near water.
The game features two main modes: campaign mode, where players take on computer-controlled factions in turn-based battles with their chosen general; and multiplayer mode, where players can directly challenge other human players to a battle. Multiplayer mode features a variety of different maps, ranging from fertile farmlands to snowy tundras, that are randomly generated every time a match begins.
Mode: Multiplayer video game Composer: Jeff van Dyck Awards: GAMES 100 Best New Strategy Game (Electronic) Nominations: VGX Award for Best PC Game, MORE Developer: Creative Assembly, Activision Original author: Creative Assembly, Activision Genres: Real-time strategy, Turn-based strategy, Simulation Video Game, Real-time tactics, Tactical wargame
10. Citytopia
Citytopia is a strategy game with a city-building focus that was developed by Orange Pixel. The player has the opportunity to build their city from scratch, choosing between seven different landscapes and placing unique buildings on each of them. Each building provides a different benefit—such as increased population, increased material production, or defense from enemies—and each one also has its own set of side benefits that are more specific to the building and the area it’s placed in.
The object of the game is to build a thriving metropolis. There are three modes:
- Campaign Mode is about building the most fantastic city as quickly as possible.
- Challenge Mode asks you to make do with a small, limited budget to build a successful city.
- Sandbox Mode allows you to build whatever you want with unlimited money and resources.
In addition to these modes, there are also over 100 buildings available for purchase in sandbox mode. Buildings range from basics like homes and businesses to luxury items such as mansions and yachts.
What really sets this game apart is its unique touch interface and user experience.
As your population increases, you will have to specialize your city in order to maintain its balance. For example, if you choose to place an entertainment facility in an area where no other buildings contain entertainment facilities, then you will increase the happiness level of this area of town. However, if you place entertainment facilities in every section of town, then the special effects of this type of facility will be lessened for everyone. You must constantly analyze your layout and place new buildings strategically based on what you want out of your city.
The battle element comes into play when monsters attack your city. Each monster requires having a certain number of towers nearby in order to defeat it before it reaches your population center.
11. Raiders of the North Sea
Raiders of the North Sea is a worker-placement and resource management game for 2-4 players. Raiders takes place in an old-school Viking setting, where you are a Viking leader trying to grow your ship crew and become powerful enough to raid the northlands. The game is played over four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Each season is made up of 5 rounds of play.
Raiders of the North Sea is all about your hand management. How do you utilize your workers? When do you use them? How many times can you use them? It’s a very simple game to learn but has some strategic depth if you’re looking to make well thought through decisions.
Initial release date: 29 July 2019 Developer: Dire Wolf Digital LLC Engine: Unity Publishers: Dire Wolf Digital, Dire Wolf Digital LLC Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Macintosh operating systems Genres: Strategy Video Game, Indie game, Strategy
12. DomiNations
DomiNations is a mobile strategy game, similar to games like Age of Empires or Clash of Clans. DomiNations has much of the appeal of a traditional strategy game: opportunities for resource collection and city building, military battles, and extensive research trees. But what really sets DomiNations apart from other games in the genre is its unique approach to civilization progress.
Domination points are earned through completing various objectives in the game, like building certain buildings or creating a certain type of unit. You can then use these points to upgrade your civilization level, which unlocks new features—like more resources to collect—and gives you access to new buildings that can be built in your cities.
The game starts in ancient times, when you begin with a single city on the edge of civilization. Your goal is to create a massive empire by expanding your territory and building dozens of cities. You’ll need enough resources to build new cities, including wood, food, and iron. To get them, you can explore your surroundings to find natural resources and barbarian settlements you can attack, or trade with other players to get what you need.
DomiNations has a simple control scheme that makes it easy to play on your phone. By tapping on different parts of the screen, you can zoom in and out on the world map, move your troops around quickly by dragging them with a fingertip, and select one of your units by tapping on it once. You start the game with a small army that the computer controls while you build up resources, but soon you’ll be able to take direct control of those troops and lead them into battle against enemy empires or wandering barbarian tribes.
The feature that makes DomiNations special is building a city on an archipelago: each island grants you access to different resources and different areas for expansion. The challenge is deciding which islands to place your cities on and which to leave free for future expansion!
Mode: Massively multiplayer online game Genre: Strategy Video Game Developer: Nexon, Big Huge Games Original author: Nexon, Big Huge Games Developers: Big Huge Games, Nexon Platforms: Android, iOS, iPadOS Publishers: Big Huge Games, Nexon People also search for
13. The Elder Scrolls – Multiplayer strategy video game
It’s no secret that the immense popularity of the Elder Scrolls games (seven titles in total) has been a boon to their developer, Bethesda Softworks. So when it was recently revealed that Bethesda had obtained a trademark-pending status for “The Elder Scrolls: Heroes of Skyrim” in 2012, it seemed fans might finally be able to get their hands on an iPhone version of the game series’ flagship title.
If you’ve never played another Elder Scrolls game, you may not know that Bethesda publishes the most highly rated role-playing games available today. Set in vast fantasy worlds with a distinct history and lore from one another, players can explore any part of these expansive universes and immerse themselves in the stories and quests of each individual release. In short, if you’re a fan of role-playing games, I would recommend The Elder Scrolls as some of the best work out there.
Each game is completely separate but when they’re all together they tell the story of a man’s quest to save the world from destruction by an evil dragon god named Alduin. These games aren’t just about going through each level and fighting monsters, you also have to solve puzzles to advance through the game. The puzzles can be very challenging, which adds to the fun for people who like thinking as much as playing video games.
First release: The Elder Scrolls: Arena; March 25, 1994 Developer: Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios Original author: Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios Designers: Todd Howard, Michael Kirkbride, Emil Pagliarulo, MORE Developers: Bethesda Softworks, ZeniMax Media, MORE Publishers: Bethesda Softworks, ZeniMax Media, Ubisoft
14. Civilization VI – A turn-based strategy 4X video game
I’ve been playing Civilization VI on my iPhone for about a week now, and it’s been really fun. The game is pretty well optimized for the smaller screen, and it doesn’t look much different from the PC version—I just had to get used to the fact that I can’t see a whole map at once.
Most of the time I play while waiting in line or on a bus, so instead of getting up and walking around like I used to on the PC, I rotate my phone around so that it faces me in portrait position when I’m planning out my next move. The touch controls are pretty good, too—it’s easy to drag your settlers across the map.
The app is free, but if you pay you’ll unlock all of the current civilizations and scenarios available in-game. It’s still fun without that stuff, but if you’re already invested in Civilization VI then I’d recommend getting the full version to support Firaxis (the developers) and let them know you appreciate what they’re doing.
You must guide your fledgling empire through the ages, building infrastructure, advancing culture and science, and conquering opposing civilizations. But with every new advance comes new problems: every new technology means weaker defenses for your cities, and every great work takes time and effort away from other tasks.
In Civilization VI, you are given a plot of land to build your civilization from scratch. You must decide how to develop it, which technologies to advance, what kind of government to have, which resources to focus on, and whether or not you want to wage war against your neighbors or become the dominant force on the planet through peaceful means. Your decisions will affect your growth in various ways; for example, if you advance to certain levels in a technology too quickly, you may find yourself without enough resources to sustain your advancement and will be forced to go backwards.
If you’re going to play Civilization on your iPhone or iPad, it may be tempting to take things at face value and just assume that you can play the game the same way you would on your computer. While it’s true that some elements of Civilization VI translate well to a mobile platform, there are ways in which playing on a touchscreen will affect how you approach strategy—and if you want to succeed at Civilization VI on iOS, you need to adjust your strategy accordingly.
Initial release date: 21 October 2016 Mode: Multiplayer video game Composer: Geoff Knorr Awards: The Game Awards for Best Sim/Strategy Game Nominations: The Game Awards for Best Sim/Strategy Game Developer: 2K Games, Firaxis Games Original author: 2K Games, Firaxis Games
15. Subterfuge – A real-time strategy game for iPhone
Subterfuge is a strategy game for the iPhone and iPad. The game is played by 2 to 5 players on a virtual map of the world from 1940 to 2020. By strategically placing pieces called flags on the map, players compete to gain control of oceans and continents and build a military or civilian empire.
Subterfuge is set in an incredibly deep and complex world with a sci-fi story complete with hundreds of characters, several different factions, and evolving lore. The game itself is simple: you and the other players are trying to sabotage each other in order to conquer the world. This involves starting bases on the map, building up your defenses, and sending out fleets to attack your opponents’ bases.
The key mechanic to this game is that you don’t have any direct control over your ships—you just choose where they go, then they run their programming in real time. You can order them to attack another player’s base or defend yours (or both), and then watch as they carry out those orders on their own. You also have to keep track of what everyone is doing, because after each round ends there’s an opportunity for everyone to vote on what happens next—in these votes you have to decide whether you want to help yourself or screw over everyone else.
The game takes place in real time—it’s not turn-based like many other strategy games. When you start the game, you can choose whether you want to play with other people online or play against bots, which will be more predictable but also less fun. You can also choose whether you want your moves to be anonymous or public, so that other players know what you’re doing but don’t know who you are (and vice versa). And if you’re worried about wasting hours while playing on your phone instead of being productive at work (as I am), Subterfuge allows you to set a limit on how much time you’ll spend per day on it.
Initial release date: 15 October 2015 Genre: Real-time strategy Publisher: Snappy Touch Developer(s): Ron Carmel and Noel Llopis Platforms: Android, iOS
16. Invisible, Inc.
Invisible, Inc. is a stealth-based strategy game for iOS in which you play as a secret agent who has been exposed as a double agent and is on the run from the authorities with your band of fellow agents.
I’ve been playing this game called Invisible, Inc. on my new iPhone, and it’s great! You play by infiltrating a corporation and trying to steal as much cash from them as you can before getting caught by security or the police and getting locked up for 3 minutes (unless you have a prison key). It’s kind of like the board game “Clue” where you’re trying to figure out which room to go in next, except in this case there are multiple rooms with locked doors, so you have to plan more than one turn ahead.
The graphics are great and the gameplay is really engaging because of all the different objectives you can pursue, such as stealing data or destroying equipment. I’m really into it!
The goal of each level is to reach the extraction point without being caught by enemy patrols and security systems, but I found that there’s so much more to it than just that! There are many ways to approach each mission—it’s up to you to use the environment and your agents’ abilities most effectively, so if you play well, you’ll be able to reach the end faster than if you’d just rushed in guns blazing. It’s satisfying feeling like you really outsmarted the enemy AI, and I love how this makes each level different every time I play.
One of the cool things about Invisible, Inc. is that it puts an emphasis on hiding bodies. If an enemy agent discovers a dead body, they’ll automatically sound an alarm and call for backup, so it’s important to hide or dispose of any bodies that you’re forced to leave behind. You can even set off some explosions near bodies and have them go off in a chain reaction, causing other bodies to explode too!
Mode: Single-player video game Developer: Klei Entertainment Original author: Klei Entertainment Developer: Klei Entertainment Nominations: Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Video Game Genres: Stealth game, Turn-based tactics, Action game, Indie game, Strategy Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Classic Mac OS
17. Fallout Shelter
One of my favorite new games is Fallout Shelter, which is based on the popular post-apocalyptic roleplaying game series by Bethesda. It’s developed by Bethesda itself and released for free on iOS and Android devices. You’re in charge of building a vault in the aftermath of a nuclear war between the United States (called simply America) and China (the Chinese), where you’ll need to provide for the needs of your shelter’s denizens.
It’s not every day that you get to play as the Overseer of a post-apocalyptic nuclear fallout shelter, but with Bethesda’s free Fallout Shelter iPhone game, you can now do just that. It’s a fun, addictive, and surprisingly deep simulation game that allows you to build your own shelter and protect its inhabitants from the dangers of the wasteland. Depending on how you choose to play, it has virtually unlimited replay value.
It’s a good game, especially if you’re into the Fallout universe—it makes me feel like I’m rebuilding civilization after the apocalypse. It has some great humor, too: some examples include an alcoholic named Dan who doesn’t even drink because he’d “rather get drunk on radiation,” and a perk called “beer goggles” that gives an increased chance of getting extra resources from bringing dwellers with high happiness out into the wasteland.
The gameplay involves building rooms to house and entertain your population, assigning people to work in different areas, collecting resources like food, water, and power to keep them happy and healthy (or else they’ll die), exploring outside your vault to build alliances with other groups, collecting weapons from fallen enemies or scavenging them from abandoned buildings, fighting off super-mutant creatures called Radroaches.
You collect resources from your wasteland surroundings in order to build new facilities for your people. Each room can be upgraded based on your needs and how much space you have left in the vault. One of the most fun aspects of the game is deciding what items to place in each room—you want to make sure you have enough beds for all of your dwellers, but also need to make sure you have enough power generators to keep everything running smoothly.
As you progress through the game, it will become more difficult to manage everything in your vault—not only because things are becoming more chaotic on the surface, but because you have more people living in your shelter who need a place to sleep and food to eat.
Writer: Emil Pagliarulo Mode: Single-player video game Nominations: BAFTA Games Award for Mobile & Handheld, The Game Award for Best Mobile/Handheld Game Developer: Bethesda Game Studios, Behaviour Interactive Original author: Bethesda Game Studios, Behaviour Interactive Genres: Role-playing Video Game, Construction and management simulation, Simulation Game Designers: Istvan Pely, Tomas Henriquez, Emmanuelle Hardy-Senecal, Janick Neveu
18. Plants vs. Zombies
Plants vs. Zombies is an award-winning game where you protect your house from the zombie onslaught by strategically placing defensive plants, such as pea shooters and wall-nuts, in and around it.
The core gameplay loop is simple: every night, a new stream of zombies march towards your house, and you use your arsenal of plants to hold them back and prevent them from breaching your front door (which is the only point of entry). If even one zombie makes it inside, you lose that level, and you have to start from the beginning—the goal is to make it through all 50 levels in one piece.
When I first heard of Plants vs. Zombies, I was skeptical. Who wanted to play a game about killing zombies? I didn’t realize that the game was actually more of a puzzle/strategy game than an action-packed shooter. It doesn’t take much to get hooked, and before long hours disappear while you’re playing.
There are two different modes in Plants vs. Zombies: In “Adventure,” you battle through 50 levels in various scenarios—on a pirate ship, in space, at the pyramids of Egypt, etc.—to stop the zombies from reaching your house (in other words, your brain). For each level you unlock new plants that you can use to fight off the zombies and win. Winning levels earns you coins that can be used to buy additional plants or upgrade existing ones (for example, double shot or fireball).
In “Survival,” you simply try to stave off as many zombies as possible for as long as possible without losing all your lives. The gameplay changes somewhat in this mode, because new plants are unlocked randomly every few waves instead of all at once at the beginning of a level.
The goal of the game is to protect your house from zombies with various plant species like peashooters and sunflowers. You can also buy power-ups to help you through the game such as extra sun or the ability to defend yourself with a freeze attack. The plants you choose get stronger over time if they survive a level, so it’s important to find balance between offense and defense. There are some levels where you have to use a certain combination of plants to complete them, so you’ll have to experiment with different combinations before finding the right one for each level.
19. Kiss of War
Kiss of War is a fantasy strategy game for the iPhone that’s all about good timing. You run around with your hero, raising magical towers to try and withstand the evil hordes. As far as I can tell, it’s a brilliant game whose creators have done a fantastic job in making it easy to play on small screens.
Kiss of War has a unique approach to its story and gameplay, and it’s easy to see why it’s one of the top strategy games in the app store. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world where zombies have taken over the planet. You play as a member of the elite Zombie Hunters’ Unit, fighting to keep humanity alive.
Kiss of War’s first person shooter style is fast and exciting. It offers both single player and multi-player gaming, with a variety of different types of missions. In addition to standard missions, you can play variations on Capture the Flag and Zombie Survival. The gameplay is intense, as you battle against other players or zombies for power ups and resources in towns across America.
Aesthetically speaking, Kiss of War is beautiful–the graphics are crisp and clean and make this game look like an action-packed movie! There are lots of details that make this game stand out from others in its genre–for example, the HUD is an overlay over the screen so you don’t lose track of what’s going on in the actual game world when you’re looking at your stats or aiming your weapons.
20. Total War Battles: Kingdom
Total War Battles: Kingdom is a free-to-play mobile strategy game with a high production value and addictive gameplay. The game has lots of challenging missions, intriguing characters and engaging battles.
The game is designed for both novice and advanced players. It has tutorials that teach the basics of Total War Battles: Kingdom, and it also has some more challenging missions for more experienced players.
One of the aspects that player’s like about Total War Battles: Kingdom is the adaptability of the game to their play style. This is achieved via buildings that can be constructed in the player’s kingdom, which provide bonuses like more troops or better resources. The buildings are unlocked as the player levels up their hero character, and each building can be leveled up to three times. Thus, players have different ways they can develop their kingdoms depending on whether they focus on combat or resource production, as well as what type of troop they want to focus on.
The graphics that Total War Battles: Kingdom uses are very detailed and look realistic. Each unit has different animations depending on what they’re doing in battle, and the heroes themselves have great detail in their armor and weapons.
Total War Battles: Kingdom also offers a large selection of different troops, buildings, and weapons. You’ll be able to choose from dozens of different military units, ranging from archers and catapults to cavalry and defensive units like ballistas and castles. You can also customize your troops with upgrades that allow you to improve your attack strength or defense against certain kinds of units. In addition, there are dozens of different kinds of buildings in the game that allow you to produce new types of troops or provide valuable bonuses when they are near their respective building type.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this list has given you some things to think about, and if you’re a fan of strategy games, such as Clash of Clans, it should be easy to find something to enjoy in the coming months .
If you’re looking for a quick pick-up and play game that doesn’t require you to sacrifice hours of your life, then one of these 20 games ought to fit the bill. The games presented here run the gamut from casual to hardcore, so there’s something for everyone—and they are all highly rated (at least 4.5 stars) on the App Store. Give ’em a try.