The rise of smart devices has brought a resurgence of the mobile strategy game genre. Whether you're a fan of long campaigns, or prefer tight, tactics-heavy game loops, there's a title out there for you. Here's my top 10 mobile strategy games on both Android and iOS.

The Top 10 Mobile Strategy Games

10. Clash of Clans by Supercell

Still going strong!

There’s no denying the impact of Clash of Clans has had on the strategy genre. It seems like a new clone of Supercell’s freemium mobile strategy comes out every day. Not only is Clash of Clans a deep strategy game, it’s proven to be incredibly profitable as well, so it comes as little surprise that so many developers want a piece of the pie.

Even today, nearly nine years after launch, the game’s mixture of city building, real-time strategy, and guild-based grand strategy remains compelling. If you’re going to invest your time (and money) in a freemium mobile strategy game, there aren’t many that can stand toe-to-toe with the OG in terms of quality and polish.

9. FreeCiv by zielmicha

Opensource version of a classic game

There’s a reason the original Civilization was hailed as a ground-breaking game back in its day. It birthed a whole new genre of strategy games with complex, interwoven diplomacy and city-building mechanics. Most of all, it let us rewrite history. Several of the games on this list have elements directly inspired or lifted from the original Civilization, so why not go back to where it all began?

FreeCiv is the open source version of the original Civilization. It’s available for free and is surprisingly playable on touch screens for a game that originally released in 1991. The game holds up even today, and with the resurgence of the pixel art aesthetic, it doesn’t even look outdated!

8. Clash Royale by Supercell

Another hit from Finnish giant Supercell

Supercell’s other hit strategy game takes the spot at number eight.

Clash Royale pits you in card-based duels against players around the world. The gameplay loop in Royale is tighter than that of its sister game, and the focus on duels over long-term campaigns makes it a game that’s perfect for pickup matches.

Part card game and part tower defence, Clash Royale pits two players against one another in a duel to see who can destroy the other’s base first. Rounds are intense and the various units types all have clear strengths and weaknesses which rewards quick on-the-fly adjustments to enemy strategies. The game even has a small but dedicated esports community if you’re interested in some competitive play.

7. Civilization Revolution 2 by 2k, Inc

Civilization Revolution 2 by 2k brings the visual style and gameplay of modern Civilization games to mobile. The production value of these games are second-to-none, with an interface that’s clean and easy to navigate and incredibly attractive aesthetic design.

Mobile Version of the strategy Classic

If you've ever played a Civilization game from IV onward, then you already know how to play Revolution 2: build up your nation, train an army, and conquer your neighbours. Researching new technologies advances your civilization through the ages, from the Stone Age to the Space Age and beyond.

 

The only significant differences between the Revolution series and the mainline titles are pacing and map complexity (civilizations advance faster than in the PC version, and map tiles are four-sided). Otherwise, Civilization Revolution 2 is a near-perfect translation of modern Civilization titles for your smartphone.

6. Plague Inc. by Miniclip

Plague Inc. is a game about creating and evolving a disease with the end goal being to kill all of mankind. It’s a pandemic simulator, that is first and foremost a strategy game.

Destroy the world one mutation at the time

Infecting and killing people grant you plague points which you can use to evolve new traits on your illness. Some traits improve your virus’ resilience toward weather conditions, others make them more transmissible via land, air, or sea, and others will add to the symptoms of your illness, making it more deadly or contagious.

Eventually all those dead people will lead to your virus finally being identified. When this happens, the game transforms into a race against the scientific community. Things really pick up here and every decision matters if you want to kill off all life before a cure is found.

The game saw an uptick during the lockdowns for obvious reasons. Challenging, innovative and even a bit educational, there’s no other game like Plague Inc. on the market.

5. Shattered Pixel Dungeon by Shattered Pixel

With four different playable characters, completely randomized enemies and levels, and hundreds of weapons to collect, Shattered Pixel Dungeon will keep you busy for months.

And this multi-layered gaming experience is continuously updated with new content on a monthly basis, meaning you’ll regularly find yourself having to think your way out of unfamiliar situations.

Pixel based multi layered fun!

The game remains rather simple, all things considered. There’s tons of variety, but the simple and intuitive controls and the low stakes make every run fun and stress-free. Mess up and just start over again!

The pixel art visuals aren’t for everybody, but if you’re a fan of roguelikes with extreme replayability, Shattered Pixel Dungeon has everything you need. The best part is that it’s entirely free -- no in-app purchases or ads to get between you and the game.

 

4. Void Tyrant by Armor Games

Fills the Slay the Spire void

If you’re a fan of Slay the Spire, then you know what a tragedy it is that there’s no official mobile version. Void Tyrant is a single play, rogue like card game in the vein of Slay the Spire that fills that… void.

Just like Slay the Spire, Void Tyrant has players exploring dungeons filled with rooms that branch out into other rooms. Each room has an event that lets you develop your character. Usually, it’s a fight that rewards you with a new item or some gold, but occasionally, it’s a shop where you buy new cards for your deck, or an item that grants a passive buff (or debuff) that affects future encounters. Once you’ve finished the room’s event, you choose what room you want to enter next.

Each run presents you with new challenges, and no two attempts will play out the same way. Completing runs also unlocks new characters with their own play styles and weapons, making Void Tyrant an endlessly replayable game.

 

3. Star Traders 4X by Trese Brothers

Space Based Empire Builder

Star Traders 4X is a 4X strategy game set in space which feels a lot like the original Galactic Civilizations at a smaller scale.

You start with a single planet and a handful of ships and must slowly build your civilization into an interstellar empire. The space combat is turn-based and quite involved, with various technologies and upgrades that you need to keep track of to get the most out of your ships.

Diplomacy is a key mechanic here, and it’s surprisingly deep, with several races and civilizations that you can interact with.

2. Battle of Polytopia by Midjiwan

Polygonal turn-based strategy fun

Battle of Polytopia is a turn-based grand strategy game with stylized voxel visuals which takes clear inspiration from classic Civilization.

Like any grand strategy game, the idea is to grow your nation by gaining strategic control over geography, fighting and defeating your rivals, and researching new technologies to gain a military or economic advantage.

It might not be the most innovative game on the list, but only a few of the other titles mentioned here can match Battle of Polytopia’s pace and balance. The auto-generated maps and multiple distinct tribes make for a game experience filled with variety. And the sleek interface means you spend more time managing your tribe and less time stuck in menus.

Battle of Polytopia has great matchmaking and servers for an excellent multiplayer experience.

1. Hoplite by Magma Fortress

A brilliantly simple and quick dungeon crawler

Hoplite is a turn-based roguelike which takes a back-to-basics approach to the dungeon crawler genre. There are no complex inventory systems or convoluted backstories to distract you from the game, which is about getting to the stairs before the bad guys kill you.

Each stage is a grid of randomly-placed hexagons. One grid is occupied by the stairs that lead you to the next stage. Others are stone tiles or environmental elements, such as lava. Occasionally there’s an altar where you can pray to obtain a new skill from Apollo.

There are enemies, too (of course). Combat is simple enough: move to a tile adjacent to an enemy to attack them. As you add more skills to your arsenal, you have more interesting means of navigating the stages and attacking the enemies. The leap ability, for instance, lets you leap several tiles ahead of you, allowing attacks from distance.

Hoplite doesn’t want to be more than it is -- a simple and quick dungeon crawler that’s made to be played on a break or the bus ride home.

By Andi Nuruljihad forGamesforum Online