Not long ago, your phone was the last place you’d expect to find a strategy game. These days, it might just be the first one.
See, one of the best things about mobile strategy games is their versatility. From collectible card games to city builders, this genre has something for everyone. Add the elegant simplicity of the medium itself, and you get an appealing package.
Not sure what’s worth your time? Here are the five most popular strategy games you can play on the go!
1. Bad North
Many strategy games for iPhone have a minimalistic approach, but Bad North takes it to the next level.
Think of it as a Viking tower defense game where you protect your tiny island from the invaders. You position your units and pick up stragglers along the way, trying to stay ahead in every encounter.
Losing units means you lose them forever, which gives the game a great risk-reward mechanic. Add in the adorable visual style, and you get a surefire hit.
2. Clash of Clans
At this point, what’s there to say about Clash of Clans? It changed the mobile industry forever, spawning countless clones in the process.
Even nine years later, CoC remains one of the best war strategy games out there. Its combination of real-time strategy and city-building is as potent as ever. If you feel like investing your time in a freemium game, you won’t do much better than CoC.
3. Plague Inc.
If you’re not tired of thinking about a pandemic, give Plague Inc. a shot. The idea: create and evolve a virus strong enough to kill all of mankind.
You evolve your virus via plague points you earn for infecting as many people as possible. You can get traits that make your virus more transmissible, resilient, or deadly.
Once enough people die, your virus will get identified. At this point, the game becomes a race against time with no room for mistake. Challenging and educational, Plague Inc. is unlike anything else on the market.
4. The War of Ages
One of the best iPhone games out there, The War of Ages is perfect for when you only have a few minutes to spare.
As the name implies, this Gamemine offering is all about the different eras of humanity. By defeating your enemies, you gain their technology. With a wide variety of missions, weapons, and upgrades, TWoA will keep you hooked for a while.
5. Hoplite
Out of all the games on this list, Hoplite may be the most old-school.
Your task is to get through a series of stages consisting of random hexagons. One of those hexagons hides the stairs that take you to the next level. Others contain enemies, lava tiles, or altars where you can learn new skills.
Like most Android games, there’s no backstory or inventory management to distract you. Hoplite doesn’t set its sights high but achieves what it tries to do with flying colors.
Other Popular Strategy Games
The best strategy games require you to think two steps ahead. The five games above all achieve that while adding a little je ne sais quoi into the mix. Regardless of what you like about the genre, you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Looking for more popular strategy games you can start playing today? Keep reading our Gaming section!
