Turn-based strategy (TBS) games are something like chess--they include built-in pauses, in which you can consider your tactics and plan the defeat your opponent. A TBS title allows you to build a formidable army and use the skills and abilities of each unit to inflict maximum damage on enemy units. Moves made by your opponent may force you to change your strategy, and this aspect makes battle more engaging. Over is 25 Turn Based Strategy Games for iOS & Android
Several free collectible card games (CCGs) for Android let players create their own decks, play a co-op battle with online friends, and take advantage of tactical opportunities to defeat opponents.
If you are fond of old-school trading-card games, then you should try out the games listed below. Almost all CCGs sport amazing artwork, and many will remind you of your prized card collection. A few games feature animated battles, where characters come alive out of cards and show exceptional combat skills. Here’s a rundown of some of the top free Android CCGs.
1. Order and Chaos Duels
Order and Chaos Duels brings the O&C universe back to life with a brand new collectible card game. Featuring your favorite heroes and villains from the epic multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, this Android CCG boasts beautiful collectible cards and a gorgeously animated environment where players lock horns and draw their best cards to defeat opponents.
The fantasy card battle game lets you create decks from around 250 brilliantly designed cards and fight opponents in a stunning-looking battle arena. You will also be able to choose from six different hero classes, and battle opponents in an asynchronous online multiplayer environment. Different card battle rounds allow you and your opponent to draw non-hero cards from a pool of cards. You can play against AI opponents too, and in my opinion they are tough to beat.
The game is a freemium title, which means you may need to purchase booster packs to win a card game session. The game’s difficulty curve can be a bit worrisome, especially for newbie players. Aside from these two flaws, Order and Chaos Duels is a perfect card battle game. It offers deep strategy and has a stunning set of collectible fantasy cards.
2. SpellStorm
SpellStorm is an online multiplayer collectible card game featuring gorgeous humans, monsters, and magical characters straight from a fantasy movie. In this freemium title, you step into the shoes of a summoner who is charged with dealing with a large number of monsters. The plot might sound a bit confusing to many players, but the gameplay is top-notch. Players explore areas, collect cards, and fight AI opponents or online players in a PvP arena.
SpellStorm adds some variation to card battle gameplay. You can equip creatures with weapons and artifacts and use special items. The game's automatic card battles are a treat to watch. The AI pulls out cards from both players decks' randomly, and an animated battle takes place. You get a sense of achievement from your hard-earned skills being used at the right moment. You can also skip directly to results if you don't want to watch the animated combat.
SpellStorm is a stunning card game, despite the deficiencies of the story. The excellent combat system and card enhancements are some of the top features of this game.
3. Eredan Arena
Eredan Arena’s unique dice system, superb card artwork, and simple, yet addictive, gameplay make every card battle session a thoroughly enjoyable experience. This CCG lets you control a team of five heroes, and battle opponents in quick matches.
There’s no deck-building, which may disappoint a few, but the unique dice system compensates for the lack of it. Because luck plays a big role, hero selection is crucial. You need to have a good squad of heroes with a good set of skills, so that every time the result is in your favour, the damage inflicted will be enough to eliminate the enemy.
The game’s comic book-style card artwork is pleasing to the eye, and the animated hero evolution is brilliant to say the least. The game’s free-to-play model may frustrate players, but battles can be won by proper selection of heroes with skill-sets that complement each other. Luck matters more than strategy, but if you get the strategy right, you will win most matches.
If you love quick matches, simple gameplay, and zero deck-building hassles, then you should download this free card battle game to your Android device.
4. Rage of Bahamut
A fantasy TCG (trading card game), Rage of Bahamut is known for its solid battle system and card managing system. There are over one hundred cards to collect and each card has its own special abilities. The stunning card artwork is reminiscent of Japanese manga style.
The best thing about Rage of Bahamut is that it gets regularly updated with new cards and daily surprises. The list of quests is exhaustive and there are plenty of quests that let you battle AI monsters or your multiplayer foes. Rage of Bahamut is extremely addictive and offers plenty of gameplay variations.
5. Yu-Gi-Oh! BAM Pocket
The pocket-friendly version of Facebook’s popular Yu-Gi-Oh card game offers the same level of fun as the original card battler.
The game has over 500 legendary cards, making plenty of room for creating unique, powerful decks. You can create stronger cards by combining unused cards, and challenge online players in competitive card battles at the Duel Arena.
The game’s unique feature is its excellent storyline, which unfolds after each victorious duel. In each card battle, you will be confronting popular characters from the Yu-Gi-Oh universe. Another fun feature is the card crafting system that lets you use “recipes” to create powerful cards.
Moreover, you will be unlocking extra challenges and maps, and exchanging rewards and tips with your online buddies. Fans of Yu-Gi-Oh will love every bit of this game. And even if you are not familiar with the Japanese manga series, you will still find card battles quite engaging. Don’t miss the tutorial if you are new to this genre.
6. Shadow Era
Shadow Era’s gameplay reminds me of Magic: The Gathering, a collectible card game known for its depth in gameplay and card variety. This CCG offers deep strategy and is known for its mind-blowing card artwork. You start as a warrior and have your own card deck. As you progress, you will be able to try out new classes and earn more cards.
Battle is either against AI opponents or your online friends. Since it is cross-platform, players can access their saved cards from any device, including their laptop. The game can also be played on Internet browsers.
Shadow Era has over 150 cards. Each day, new cards are added to their database. If you are looking for some good collectible card games on Android, then you should not miss playing this game.
7. Epic Cards Battle
Epic Cards Battle is strictly for the compulsive deck-builder. It allows players to build different decks, leaving plenty of room for strategy. With tactics and a bit of luck, players will be able to complete quests and collect loot and rewards.
The game features lovely, mesmerizing 3D backgrounds and splendid card-battle visual effects.
Epic Cards Battle’s real-time match-making mode lets players from all around the world battle similar-level opponents. Multiplayer battles are asynchronous, which means you don’t have to wait for your buddies to be online; you can play with them anytime. If you are looking for a serious card battle game for your Android, then this game is worth a gander.
8. Ayakashi: Ghost Guild
Ayakashi: Ghost Guild has a unique theme with gameplay elements reminiscent of popular Japanese card battle games. Players step into the shoes of a ghost hunter who has the job of exorcising troubled (and troublesome) spirits. After exorcising and taming the ghost, the ghost hunter enters into a negotiation with it, and if lucky, captures it. That’s one way you obtain ghost cards with which to battle opponents. Other ways are to buy premium cards, or participate in daily draws to get a brand new card.
Ayakashi: Ghost Guild’s story mode gives you a chance to investigate an area, hunt for spirits, and find them - all this can be achieved at a click of a button. Besides ghost hunting, you will stumble upon silver (the standard currency), or pieces of rare jewels that can be fused together to make daemons more powerful. You also enter into interesting conversations with ghosts you find.
In Ayakashi, card battles aren’t animated; the battle system just compares your card stats with your opponent’s stats, and if your stats are higher, you win. Strategy lies in building a formidable deck and fusing weaker cards with items or stronger cards.
The game boasts gorgeous visuals and the cards are a treat to watch. The artwork is enchanting and the anime-look is perfectly executed. Ayakashi: Ghost Guild may not be one of the best games around, but it offers a unique plot and theme.
9. Blood Brothers
Blood Brothers combines age-old board game mechanics with a traditional card-battle game. It also includes a Pokemon-style breeding system, allowing players to breed new monster cards and use them in card battles.
This Android TCG is known for its RPG-like features, such as character evolution, skill system, party customization, and exploration-based gameplay.
Players have their own unique board game figurines, with which they can explore villages, dungeons, and castles. Blood Brothers is free, but requires you to log in to your Facebook account to battle online friends.
10. Reign of Dragons
Reign of Dragons has everything one would expect from a collectible card game. It boasts stunning artwork, has plenty of cards to collect, and offers excellent PvP matches. Cards can be enhanced and evolved, and powerful cards can be added to your deck to boost its attack and defense attributes.
Evolution and enhancement can really make a difference – stats-wise and looks-wise. Cards evolved into stronger and rarer cards will sport a different look. Speaking of looks – the graphics, battle animation and card design are brilliantly executed. You have got to see the dragons and deadly-looking damsels in your deck.
Reign of Dragons is a stunning Android CCG that can really get people addicted to its gameplay. Rage of Bahamut fans shouldn’t miss it.
Card games are a fantastic form of entertainment. They work anywhere and everywhere, they’re small enough to fit into a bag for travel, and there are so many different kinds of card games. With our smartphones always on us, we can also play card games on mobile as a way to pass the time or goof around with friends. On this list, we’ll look at the best Android card games. It’s important to note that there are two distinct kinds of card games. There are fantasy card games like Magic: The Gathering and the regular card games using the 52-card deck that we all know and love. On this list, we’ll include both of those types of games. Also don’t forget that many entries on this list hold more than one game, so there are vastly more than just 12 games total. Playing! 1. 6 Takes
6 Takes is a game inspired by famed board-game creator Wolfgang Kramer. The idea of the game is that each player must avoid getting cards. When cards are dealt, players are assigned points based on how many bullheads are on each card. The player with the least number of bullheads at the end wins. It requires some strategy as well as luck like any good card game. It’s also great for kids and you can play against the CPU or there’s a local multiplayer mode where you can play with friends on the same device.
2. AI Factory Limited collection
AI Factory Limited is a developer on the Google Play Store who has released a ton of card and board games on Android. These include standalone versions of Gin Rummy, Euchre, Hearts, Spades, and Solitaire. There are also some non card games like Chess, Checkers, and Sudoku. Pretty much all of them are pretty good and most of them were updated in the last year so the developers are still working hard on these. If you click the button, we’ll take you to the AI Factory Limited page on Google Play so you can see their entire collection.
3. Ascension
Ascension is a fantasy card game where you must build a deck and battle against other players. There are 50 cards in total but those cards can do a vast number of things. It’s also worth mentioning that an expansion called Realms Unraveled was released very recently which adds to the total number of cards. There is online multiplayer support that is also cross platform so you can face foes on Android or iOS and you can play against AI opponents as well. It’s a good looking card game that has only gotten better in recent updates.
4. CardShark
CardShark is one of the best regular card game apps available. It includes a huge number of games including Solitaire, Gin Rummy, Rummy, various forms of Poker, and even some more obscure games like Crazy Eights, Egyptian Rat Screw, and more. There are literally dozens of games and they’re presented on a simple interface. There are even different card deck styles so you can customize it to your likes. It hasn’t been updated in a while and that’s a shame, but for now this is the best if you want a lot of games in a single app.
5. Deck Heroes
Deck Heroes is a fantasy card game with hundreds of cards you can get. The game play is of a similar style of Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone so those familiar with those kinds of rules should be able to pick this up pretty quickly. There is online multiplayer mode along with a campaign mode for offline play, and plenty of other things to do. It’s a solid card game with a little depth to it for those that want depth.
6. Eradan Arena
Eradan Arena is a mix between a dice game and a card game. You choose five heroes from a deck of 120 and then in battle you throw dice to trigger their abilities. It’s a unique premise that combines multiple elements of tabletop gaming. There are a lot of strategies which helps keep the game fresh and heroes level up and unlock new abilities. Thanks to the randomness of the dice rolls, pretty much any match can go any way and that also helps keep things even.
7. Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft
Hearthstone is a long-anticipated card game that finally hit Android late in 2014. It’s a fantasy card game with hundreds of cards you can use to build your decks and you can play against people online or against AI characters if you prefer. The only downside is that the game is only available on tablets and phones with screens that are larger than 6-inches. There are ways around that, though, and we expect there to be a release for phones eventually.
8. Live Holdem Poker Pro
Sometimes people just want to play a good old fashioned game of Holdem and this app lets you do that. The game features extensive online play that includes a live chat, personal avatars, and the ability to quickly sign up with Facebook. We would’ve liked to have seen Google+ included as well. It features well over a million players and it’s a great way to play a classic card game with other people in a comfortable setting.
9. Magic 2015
When it comes to real life fantasy card games, there are few that can even approach the massive following and customization of Magic: The Gathering. We acknowledge that the video game versions aren’t nearly as good as the real life game, but they’re still really good card games. Magic 2015 features a number of pre-made decks that you can start with and unlock new cards and decks as you go. There are expansion packs, online multiplayer, a campaign mode, and plenty of other things to do. It’s a big finicky from time to time but overall it’s a good entry point for people interested in Magic: The Gathering.
10. Star Realms
Star Realms falls into the category of fantasy card game but with sci-fi and it was designed by a couple of the same people who worked on Ascension. Like most, it features online multiplayer so you can battle it out with other people and many cards so you can customize your decks. The free version features six campaign missions with the full version giving you an additional nine missions. It’s worth noting that online multiplayer mode is for full version players only while the free version acts mostly as an open ended trial.
11. Solitaire MegaPack
Solitaire is one of those games that we all played when we were younger because it was on Windows computers. Solitaire MegaPack features a wealth of Solitaire variants including FreeCell, Spider, 3 Towers, Clock, and Pyramid variants along with others. It has an easy-to-use interface, includes stats like fewest winning moves and longest win streak, and even allows for Samsung’s Multi-Window feature. It’s $2.99 but there are no in app purchases and no advertisements.
12. World Series of Poker
It’s a rarity when a name brand product like the WSoP makes a top list. Generally they’re sub par (read: Wipeout 2) but World Series of Poker managers to be pretty good. It features multiple variants of poker, online leaderboards, the ability to play with your friends through an invite system, and more poker fun. The in app purchases aren’t very good and, with patience, you can play without them but other than that, it’s a solid online poker experience.
Magic: The Gathering, first published in 1993, spawned an entire genre of collectible card games in which players collect cards and compete against each other with customizable decks. Like many traditional tabletop and board games, collectible card games are making the jump to digital; titles such as Magic 2015 provide impressive mobile ports of a traditional game, while games like Hearthstone and SolForge take advantage of the digital format to introduce new gameplay innovations to the genre. Check out 10 of our favorite digital card games below, from venerable collectible card game (CCG) classics and deck-building upstarts to new, digital-only experiences.
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (Android, iOS)
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is that rarest of species: a fun, free and fair digital collectible card game. Players take on the role of the great heroes (and villains) of the Warcraft universe such as Thrall, Jaina Proudmoor and Gul'dan, engaging in epic duels and summoning allies and minions into the fray. Hearthstone features simple, easy-to-learn rules and full cross-platform play with PC and iPad players. Players earn gold that can be spent on booster packs or in the Arena mode, a special "sealed draft" format that rewards canny deck building and smart play. 2016's release of the Whispers of the Old Gods expansion marks the introduction of a new "Standard" format that helps level the playing field between new and old players.
Magic Duels (iOS) & Magic 2015 (Android) The venerable Magic: The Gathering was a groundbreaking hit that spawned an entire genre of collectible card games, and is still going strong. Magic Duels on iOS is the latest digital version, featuring a detailed gameplay tutorial, as well as a challenging single-player campaign featuring Magic's iconic planeswalkers. As you play, you earn new cards and coins with which to customize your deck. Magic Duels also features online play, as well as the hit Two-Headed Giant teamplay mode. Android players are stuck with Magic 2015 for now.
The Pokemon video games also spawned a wildly successful trading card game that draws in fans both young and old with its simple but competitive gameplay. In an amusing twist, a card game born from a video game is now getting its own mobile port, closing the circle with the Pokemon TCG Online (Android, iOS) app for iOS. This game allows players to learn the basics of play with starter decks, as well as engage in head-to-head battles with AI and human opponents in order to unlock new cards and decks. Players can eventually build their own decks, as well as apply cosmetic changes to the appearance of their cards, deck boxes and avatars.
Pathfinder Adventures (Android, iOS)
Pathfinder Adventures (Android, iOS) is the digital port of Paizo's Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, a curious mixture of deck-building and role playing game. Pathfinder Adventures is a co-op deck-builder, with each player's deck representing a fantasy adventurer's weapons, gear and other special abilities. Players use these to defeat a series of themed location and quest decks. The app takes full advantage of the digital medium, with animations, backgrounds and cut scenes, while also sidestepping the intricate setup of the paper game. The app includes both single player and pass-and-play coop modes, with the full Rise of the Runelords campaign available as an in-app purchase.
Dream Quest
Dream Quest's art looks more like a kid's coloring book than a premium iOS game. Dig deeper, though, and you'll find an enthralling mix of deck building and roguelike dungeon crawling. Starting out with a basic character and a beginner's collection of cards, players explore dungeons, find treasure and unlock new cards to improve their decks. Do well, and soon, your character deck will be running like a well-tuned engine, and you'll need to do just that in order to defeat Dream Quest's ferocious boss battles. Death may be permanent. But do well, and you'll unlock achievements that provide lasting bonuses, secret characters and other extra content.
Ascension: Chronicles of the Godslayer (Android, iOS)
Ascension: Chronicles of the Godslayer (Android and iOS) sports an impressive pedigree, with Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Champions Justin Gary, Rob Dougherty and Brian Kibler contributing to the original game's design and Playdek in charge of the mobile app. It shows, as Ascension is easily among the most polished digital card games in the Android and iOS app stores. A fantasy deck-building card game, players start with a limited set of cards, and then slowly build up a repertoire of heroes, mystics and constructs, as they compete against other players and monsters to earn victory. The game features a well-scripted tutorial, beautifully detailed cards, varied AIs to play against and support for asynchronous multiplayer. The base game is free, but further expansion packs are available as in-app purchases. Star Realms (Android, iOS)
Rival interstellar empires clash in Star Realms (Android and iOS), a lean and mean deck-building card game that takes the action to the stars. Starting out with a small clutch of scout ships and fighters, players race to draft a variety of warships, freighters and starbase cards from various factions as they outwit and outfight each other in a battle for dominion. Easy-to-learn rules combine with solid deck-building mechanics and a tricky faction combo system to provide short but intense games. Star Realms provides a basic campaign and AI skirmishes for free, with an in-app purchase unlocking more campaigns, tougher AI foes and support for asynchronous and pass-and-play multiplayer. SolForge (Android, iOS)
SolForge (Android and iOS) shakes up the basic formula of card battle games by adding a positional element and taking advantage of the digital card format. Players try to reduce their opponent's life to zero by launching attacks with creatures. SolForge adds an interesting tactical wrinkle by having five "lanes" where you can deploy your creatures to attack or block, as well as a card-leveling mechanic that players can use to improve their units in play. SolForge's easy to learn but tactically challenging rules and sleek digital presentation easily earn it a slot in our favorite digital card games.
Card Crawl (Android, iOS)
Card Crawl (Android, iOS) is a fast-playing solitaire card game that's all about risk and reward. As an adventurer crawling through a dungeon, you must make it out of a dungeon alive carrying as much loot as you can carry while fighting your way through a mob of monsters. Each round, you're dealt a spread of four cards, which can be gold, equipment like swords, shields and potions, or monster cards which deal damage to you unless you use equipment to take them out. Simple rules, challenging play, and neat art make it a great pastime, with each game playable in 2 to 5 minutes, ideal when killing time in a line or commuting.
Clash Royale
Supercell's free-to-play Clash Royale (Android, iOS) may be a surprising addition to a list of old-school cardgames, but it features a cool mix of card management and tower defense, all within tight, 3-minute rounds. Using a variety of unit cards played on a tower-defense style map, players must carefully balance offense and defense in quick-play rounds where a single misplay can swing an entire match. That said, it is free to play, so expect some grindyness as you slog through matches in order to earn reward chests (which you must also wait to unlock), unless you shell out cash for premium currency.
You will find plenty of puzzle, arcade, sports and action games on your iOS device. However, few turn based strategy (TBS) titles are available on iPhone or iPad. The good thing is that most iOS TBS games are impressive as PC games. Some offer tactical gameplay, others are a mixed bag.
I know all you PC gamers would frown upon the idea of playing a tactical game on a small screen space when you have a bigger LCD monitor to get a perfect view. Playing a TBS game on a 3.5 inch touch screen isn’t disappointing at all. It adjusts very well within the small screen estate, plus your device's touch-screen makes it very easy for you to maneuver units, fire at enemies and get your strategy right. Here's a rundown of the some of the best games that make the most of your device's touch screen to provide a satisfying gameplay experience.
1. Skulls of the Shogun
Skulls of the Shogunis a stunning TBS game set in the underground, where ghoulish samurais fight their hearts out to gain supremacy in the field of war. The game is fast-paced, has excellent graphics and great presentation. However, Skulls of the Shogun isn’t an easy game to win. The AI is smart and will make the right moves to ensure your troop gets vanquished in no time. There’s a tutorial mode, but the real fight starts right after the basics are explained. Trust me it’s one hell of a hard game to finish.
Battles are standard turn-based affair, with limited number of actions for each unit. You can recruit new units throughout the game in order to have a stronger defense and a good counter attack strategy. You will need to make the most of archers, monks and cavalry to send a strong message to your enemies. One unique aspect of gameplay is the ability to “devour” the skulls of the dead enemy to restore health. This adds more depth to the overall gameplay.
Skulls of the Shogun is one game you should not miss playing on your iOS device. It challenges players to rethink their strategy (the game has lots of replay value). The stylish visuals, presentation and challenging gameplay clearly makes it one of the top turn-based strategy games for iPhone and iPad.
2. Crimson: Steam Pirates
Crimson: Steam Pirates
One of my dream themes for a TBS game was naval combat/pirate battles. Developers Bungie Aerospace has made my dreams come true. Crimson: Steam Pirates teleports players to the world of pirate ships.
This visually-enticing game looks like a slick graphic novel, but ends up as an engaging TBS title. Players can explore islands, embark on a treasure-hunting journey and battle rival pirate ships and zeppelins. The game's gripping story slowly unfolds as the virtual "torned" pages of a journal explain the story bit by bit.
Crimson: Steam Pirates’ strategy is not limited to turn-based combat. It relies on several factors, such as speed, the number of crew members on a pirate ship and additional units, such as air balloons, which give additional assault support to defeat enemy pirate ships.
The full-scale pirate battle looks great from a birds-eye view, giving you full control of your fleet. You can easily distinguish your ships from the enemy ships and use their abilities to win battles. If you like to add some steam to your game collection, play Crimson, because it is it is by far the best naval strategy game for the mobile platform.
3. Hitman Go
I am a big fan of all Hitman games, but was a bit baffled when I heard that developers Square Enix Montreal decided to launch a mobile strategy title. However, the gamble to infuse chess-like gameplay style into the traditional sneak-and-kill mechanics has paid off surprisingly well. Hitman Go’s board game style, the visuals and unique gameplay mechanics is brilliant to say the least.
In every mission, you will be moving Agent 47 from one point to another without being spotted. There will be guard pieces patrolling an area, which can be taken care of by sneaking up on them and eliminating them from behind (or from the sides) or by distracting them by throwing rocks or tennis balls.
All missions are little puzzles in themselves, and they require players to reach a target or finish a game in 10-15 turns or less. You will also have a chance to snag a disguise of two, which will help Agent 47 blend with the guards. Occasional use of sniper rifles and silverballers to kill enemies add more fun to the board game. Fans of Hitman will find this pocket strategy title interesting, but not as immersive as PC titles.
4. Civilization Revolution
Civilization Revolution is not for the impatient. It’s a slow-paced TBS mobile title best suitable for single-play, because the multiplayer mode would require two even-tempered players to slowly evolve their civilization from Stone Age to the Atomic Age, which may take days, even months to finish.
Revolution should be played on your iPad, because everything, from maps to units looks great on the big screen. The artwork of each unit, soldier and leader is quite detailed, but the animated battles could be impressive if they were shown on a larger screen.
While Civilization Revolution is a slow-paced game, it mainly lets players focus on his/her civilization’s culture, military, technology or economy. Some elements have been omitted, and thankfully so, otherwise gameplay would have been excruciatingly boring. All in all, it’s a good game and will suit those who are looking for a nice little pocket historical strategy game for their iOS device.
5. Battle Nations
Battle Nations
Part turn-based strategy, part resource management, Battle Nations (BN) follows the traditional TBS game mechanics. It lets you place soldiers and assault units on a small grid and strategically position them to get a tactical advantage over enemy units.
BN follows the rock/paper/scissor mechanic. You will need to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of each unit before choosing them for battle. When in combat, each turn lasts only for 20 seconds. You will have to be extra careful in positioning key units and have to be quick enough to place units/attack opposing forces before the timer runs out.
Battle Nations' premise is very much like any war game sim. The colorful graphics and animations are spectacular. The attention to detail of each army unit and the terrain is amazing. The visuals look more like the polished version of Advance Wars. So get ready with your flame throwers, tanks and snipers and battle AI/friends via the multiplayer mode in this epic TBS game.
Uniwar
6. Uniwar
One of the first TBS titles to hit the mobile platform, Uniwar combines the galactic battles of StarCraft with gameplay mechanics borrowed from Advance Wars and has a lengthy 21-mission campaign.
A short tutorial explains key gameplay aspects and immediately takes players to the first campaign map. The controls are very simple, making it easy for even non-TBS fans to get used to it.
Along with the campaign mode, there are plenty of individual maps to explore. Local multiplayer mode allows players to play with 20 online friends. The player will receive notifications via email for any moves made by his friends. That doesn't mean the The AI isn't impressive. It throws a good challenge, but playing with random opponents online can be fun. If you like hex-based strategy games and are into futuristic settings, you will love playing Uniwar.
7. Rogue Planet
Rogue Planet
Rogue Planet offers pure, unadulterated strategy fun. Most TBS games released for the iPhone are a mixed bag (i.e. combine RPG with TBS elements). But this game sticks to traditional TBS.
The game has a gripping storyline, spectacular map design and smooth controls. The animated 3D artwork is too good. The animated combat will remind you of games like Advance Wars. Besides top-notch graphics, Rogue Planet offers some good strategic gameplay. Gameplay surprises likeKamikazemakes things more interesting. It allows units to self-destruct. Doing so destroys any nearby units. As you progress, the enemy AI becomes more difficult and challenging.
The current version has a multiplayer mode, which is great news for online players. The detailed visuals in the iPhone 4S versions look even more stunning than the 3GS version. Trust me guys, Rogue Planet is a steal!
8. Rad Soldiers
Rad Soldiers visuals remind me of Team Fortress. The gameplay mechanics is similar to X-Com: Enemy Unknown. It’s a simple turn-based strategy shooter that leaves plenty of room for team tactics. Every unit type has its own abilities which add more depth in tactical combat. However, each unit has a fixed energy count. You need to juggle between positions and firing options keeping in mind the energy currency. Good energy management, position and firing options will decide the mission outcome.
The game’s top-down visuals are simply brilliant. You can pinch-zoom to see each unit in action. The units respond with grunts and other taunts for each command you give. Its excellent touch screen controls allow players to rotate the screen and view the positions of soldiers behind cover.
Rad Soldiers is a marvelous game because it gives enough space for strategy. While the objectives are a bit repetitive in nature, the graphics and gameplay is brilliant.
9. Mecho Wars
Mecho Wars
Another iPhone turn-based strategy game with a sci-fi theme, Mecho Wars is inspired by Advance Wars. The game has a pretty vague story, but the strategy is flawless. Moreover, the inclusion of time and environmental elements forces players to change their strategy every time, which makes gameplay quite challenging. Watery areas freeze during morning, which allows land units to pass over them. But as time passes, the ice melts. This strategy element will force you to make an early move and inch in closer to your opponents. During combat, the split screen will show splendid animated battle between the two forces.
Mecho Wars has a host of strange alien species to encounter. Most have bizarre insect-like features. The alien artwork variety is excellent, so is the colorful background. If you are a fan of sci-fi strategy, this game is worth a gander.
10. Battle for Wesnoth
Battle for Wesnoth
This fantasy strategy title offers a nice combination of role-playing and TBS gameplay. While the visuals aren’t that epic, the gameplay has plenty of tactical moments to keep gamers glued to their seats for hours. It will take more than 100 hours to complete 200 challenging campaign scenarios.
Wesnoth’s campaign scenarios are for serious strategy gamers. Battles are designed for shrewd gamers who would love to use their very best units to defeat enemies. The one gripe I have is the game’s slow frame-rate. This makes scrolling a bit frustrating. It takes time, especially when I click on a unit, scroll down and click on the area to move it.Thankfully, the game has an option that lets me speed up unit movements.Despite some hiccups, Battle for Wesnoth gets my thumbs up because of its depth and variety.
Turn-based
strategy (TBS) games are something like chess--they include built-in
pauses, in which you can consider your tactics and plan the defeat your
opponent. A TBS title allows you to build a formidable army and use the
skills and abilities of each unit to inflict maximum damage on enemy
units. Moves made by your opponent may force you to change your
strategy, and this aspect makes battle more engaging.
For
Android, there are a few satisfying turn-based strategy games, covering
a range of genres like wargame, fantasy, and squad-based combat. Here
are six titles available on the Google Play Store.
1. Hunters: Episode One
Hunters: Episode Oneis
a tactical turn-based title with focus on team-based tactics and
combat. Played from a top-down perspective, this squad-level combat game
lets you command a ragged team of heavily-armed ruthless mercenaries as
they storm into enemy territory blasting anything that comes in their
way. But don’t expect it to be a fast-paced action game. It’s a rather
slow, tactical game that gives you ample time to plan your tactics and
use your small team to inflict maximum damage on enemy territory.
Missions
are generally focused on tactical kills and fetching objects of
interest. Maps are varied, and the game gets regular mission updates.
However, one needs to be online to get new missions and maps. Completing
missions lets you earn in-game cash, which can be used to upgrade
mercenary armor, weapons, and other equipment.
Movement
and attack rely on action points. One must use these precious points
strategically to ensure maximum kills. Visuals are slick and quite
polished. Maps are designed to ensure a challenging gameplay. One can
easily zoom in to get a closer look at combat or zoom out to get a
“bird’s eye” view of the battlefield. PlayHunterson your Android tablet PC to witness superb graphics and excellent character models.
“Hunters”
has plenty of surprises in store for strategy gamers. The $5 price tag
may irk many players, but they won’t be disappointed with the gameplay.
2. Hoplite
Hopliteis
a turn-based strategy game with a hexagonal play area. Inspired by
dungeon-crawling games, this TBS title puts you into the boots of a
warrior. Armed with a spear and shield, your 8-bit hero must find a way
to recover the “Fleece of Yendor”. You guide him through the underworld,
avoiding or killing demolitionists, demon archers, and footmen.
Each
level has a uniquely hexagonal game board where enemies are randomly
placed on stone tiles. You will need to move your character tile-to-tile
to the end point to reach the next level. And because moves are
turn-based, you have plenty of time to think about your next move. A
proper tactical approach would be to move away and hit enemies using
your spear, a long-range weapon. Getting past those quick-footed enemies
is tough, so you must get your tactics right. Fortunately, there are
plenty of new tactics to discover every time you jump into a new
hexagonal game board.
Hoplite’s
first 16 levels are free to play, but you will need to spend cash to
download additional levels. The premium version also allows unlocks
achievements and new power-up choices at the temple.
3. Great Big War Game
Great Big War Game
A large-scale turn-based strategy title,Great Big War Gameadds
a cartoon-like flavor to the war game genre. The game focuses on land,
air, and sea skirmishes fought between the Red and the Blue army. Its
large 50-mission single-player campaign presents various objectives,
such as rescuing and escorting personnel to a safe zone, assassinating
enemy generals, and building a strong defense against the Red army. The
game’s riotous one-liners and funny moments are a comical take on
intense military battles.
InGreat Big War Game’s
turn-based combat, Red and Blue teams take turns moving and attacking
each other on a hex grid, using a variety of units, including snipers,
bazookas, and rocket launchers, as well as an assortment of air and
naval units. There’s also some resource-digging, which involves
collecting money from captured oil fields. The money can later be used
to buy advanced units. Upgrades can be made using battle points, which
are earned throughout the campaign mission.
Multiplayer
skirmishes against human opponents are far more engaging than battling
AI enemies. But both players must be online to ensure combat takes place
quickly.
Visually,Great Big War Gameis
way ahead of its competitors. The 3D graphics are top-notch and the
cartoonish characters and units are adorable. If you love strategy
games, then you should not miss this epic war game.
4. Battle for Mars
If you have played games likeAdvance Wars, then you might be familiar withBattle for Mars’s
turn-based mechanics. Instead of fighting enemies on terrestrial
territories, you will be taking on evil Martians on the Red Planet. The
futuristic Android turn-based strategy game allows players to recruit
units of different abilities, not just soldiers but mechanical
combatants like Bomb Bots, Sniper Bots, Rocket Robots, and Transport
Bots.
Deploying
these units takes thought. The map layout forces players to adopt
different tactics for the varied terrains. There are more than 15
large-scale mission maps, each more complicated and challenging than the
other.
The game’s 2D visuals are adorable, with units of futuristic design.Battle for Mars's
artwork and design seem to have come right out of alien B movies. The
game is available in two versions: free (one map) and paid (which
contains all 16 maps). The paid version also has a multiplayer mode to
battle online players.
5. Greed Corp.
Greed Corp.,an
excellent fun game, stands out from the crowd with its
destruction-centric gameplay and endearing visuals. Set in a steam punk
universe, this game lets you control adorable mechanical beasts that
destroy rival beasts and grab territory, all in a hexagonal grid where
you and your enemies try out every means of destroying each other.
Besides
battles, the game also focuses on resource-harvesting and
unit-building. The game’s uniqueness lies in its destructible terrain.
Building anything will blow up a chunk of the hexagonal grid. The
crumbling hex columns are a treat to watch. Destroying enemy units and
buildings help eliminate factions. The last one to survive is the
winner.
There
are some really fun units to build, including cannons to destroy enemy
hex columns, cutesy walkers to grab land, and transport units to carry
walkers to another location. The game has a multiplayer mode where you
can topple rival online players off of hex columns. But the
single-player campaign mode is plenty large, and each mission offers
plenty of fun moments.
Greed Corp.has
a single-player mode with over 20 unique destructible maps, and a
multiplayer mode that lets you play against online and local players via
Wi-Fi. It looks more like a board game than a TBS title, but it is
extremely addicting.
6. King's Bounty: Legions
A fantasy turn-based strategy game for Android,Legionspits
you against an army of monsters and warlords in a hexagonal
battleground filled with secrets and treasure chests. This Android
spinoff of the popularKing's Bountyseries keeps the intense turn-based combat intact and offers a variety of quests.
Quest-based
combat is fun and allows you to battle deadly opponents with a host of
units: knights, pirates, dragons, and anthropomorphic characters, armed
with their own weapons and skills. Units can be upgraded to improve
their attack and defense skills.
Turn-based
battles are more like a game of chess, where you and your opponent take
turns tapping on a hexagon to move units and tapping on enemies to
launch attacks. There will be ranged attacks in the form of deadly
spells, which can be launched from a distance. Offensive and defensive
spells play an important part of your strategy. Once the battle is over,
you can gather loot from the eliminated armies. The loot can later be
used to craft new items, weapons, and equipment.
You
will need to be online to play this game, which may be frustrating for
some but necessary because many elements require an Internet connection
to load. The game graphics are bright, colorful, and gorgeous. You will
just adore those lovely visual effects when you cast a spell on your
opponents.
The
environment is quite lively and the animation is top-notch. The game is
optimized for Android tablet PCs powered by NVIdia Tegra3, and may
require a faster processor to ensure smoother gameplay. A must-download
game, if you love lengthy strategic campaigns and intense turn-based
combat.
If you're looking for Steam games to run on an older laptop or a touchscreen device, turn-based strategy is a great genre. It rarely demands top-notch computing power and will wait patiently for you to fiddle with clumsy controls.
Even if you're just an everyday Steam gamer, top strategy titles are always worth a look. It's a neglected genre in the mainstream, yet contains so many unique titles. If you want a break from twitch gaming or role-playing, the mental workout of strategy can satisfy like nothing else.
So here's our top picks for gamers looking for a change of pace. A mix of introductory and in-depth titles with a particular eye toward those that work well on mobile. All of them guaranteed to give the gray matter a good stretch.
Sid Meier's Civilization V
Let's get this out of the way first: the most popular and accessible 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) game around.
Some say its predecessorCiv IVis more demanding and compelling. Which it might be for micromanagement maniacs. For the rest of us, the smooth balance of positional, diplomatic, and economic strategy offered by this game is a safer bet.
The chance to re-create human history in a randomly generated world is rarely less than enthralling. And a choice of play styles, world seeds, and difficulty levels ensures an almost limitless play time.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Staying with getting the most obvious choices out of the way first, here's the strategy smash of the decade.
Again, an approachable interface hides a cybernetic fist of strategic depth underneath. Add in the role-playing elements of gradually nurturing a squad of soliders toward elite status in a demanding environment and you've got a sure-fire winner.
The game also achieves a rare satisfying marriage of tactical and strategic elements. While famed for its combat missions, managing the whole XCOM enterprise is equally fun, and can be just as deadly if you make a bad choice.
Invisible, Inc.
One of the more obviously derivative spawn ofXCOMturns out, on inspection, to not be derivative at all. Rather than a combat title,Invisible Incis an almost unique stealth strategy game.
Your task is to guide agents through corporate buildings, hacking terminals for tasty secrets. Quiet is the order of the day, with missteps ratcheting up the security level in an unbearable corkscrew of tension.
Add in procedural generation, role-playing elements and terrifying time limits, to make one of the best indie games of the year so far.
X-COM: UFO Defense
Some gamers might not realise thatXCOMis an up to date version of a much older game, originally released in 1993.
The presentation is as bad as you might expect by modern standards. The gameplay, however, doesn't feel like it's aged a day. This is the ancestor of almost all modern squad tactics titles.
It's also quite different from its modern day descendants. Most notably in its punishing level of challenge. Anyone who's already suffered at the hands ofXCOMmight find that surprising, but seeing of the aliens is all the more satisfying as a result.
Chaos Reborn
TheXCOMfranchise is the brainchild of developer Julian Gollop. One of his earliest commercial games was fantasy strategy titleChaoson the ZX Spectrum.
What made is special was the simple mechanic for illusions. Wizards could summon creatures with a risk of failure, or cast an illusion that always worked. However, everyone had a disbelieve spell that destroyed illusions - at the cost of wasting that turns' casting slot.
This simple yet brilliant dynamic is intact for this modern remake. Along with better graphics, collectibles, stats, options, online multiplayer, and all the other bells and whistles we've come to expect.
Skulls of the Shogun
Quality fantasy strategy games like the latter pick can be hard to come by. Which makes it all the more surprising that this little gem, a hit on mobile, seems to have passed so many Steam gamers by.
The action follows a murdered Samurai into a violent afterlife to seek revenge. The tone is a fantastic blend of horror and humour.
What makesSkullsstand out, though, is the way it grafts difficult decisions onto simple mechanics. Do you attack the enemy, move to a defensive position, or eat someone's skull? It's a harder choice than it might sound.
King's Bounty: Armored Princess
There's a long and distinguished history of fusing fantasy strategy with role-playing. But most titles in this group tend toward the latter.
Not soArmoured Princess. Good job, too, since the narrative elements are mostly dire, as typified by the egregious bikini armour of the box cover.
If you can get past that, then the turn-based game beneath is a treat. The strategic layer sees you recruiting, training and maintaining an army. While tactical skirmishes seamlessly weave sword and sorcery together.
Endless Legend
If you want something fantastic but on a grander scale, you won't do better than this recent fusion of fantasy and 4x.
It takes two genres which are both defined and constrained by their stereotypes and blends them with a skilled eye on what to keep and what to tweak.
The result is at once comforting yet challenging. And also manages to be approachable without sacrificing the epic scope of a civilization game.
Unity of Command: Stalingrad Campaign
Turn-based strategy is synonymous with a certain genre of historical wargame. These titles have an often-deserved reputation for being confusing and inaccessible.Unity of Commandturns that on its head.
With smooth graphics and simple mechanics, it brings the strategy of the Second World War alive for anyone and everyone. But don't mistake ease of access for ease of play: it's a demanding, realistic game with an AI that will punish your mistakes.
Interlocking historical scenarios given the game a grand narrative sweep. If you've any interest at all in military simulations, this is the place to start.
Order of Battle: Pacific
And if you're into World War 2 strategy, this is the place to continue.
The action has shifted to the island-hopping of the Pacific campaigns. It's epic in scope but eases the player in gently, like slipping into a warm bath. By the time you're in full flow, juggling supply lines for hundreds of unit types across the ocean, you'll hardly notice.
Plus it makes a breeze of spreading the action across land, sea and air, something that's eluded almost every game set in the Pacific before.
Panzer Corps
The previous entry owes an awful lot to this title which, in turn, owes and awful lot to the classicPanzer Generalseries of the 90's. Wargame designers don't like to waste good ideas.
It gets that vital balance of being approachable yet deep right from the off, and keeps it across all its campaigns.
And those campaigns cover all the titanic clashes on the Eastern Front that you've read about. Stalingrad, Kursk, and Moscow transform from dots on the map to the epicenter of colossal battles.
Jagged Alliance 2 Gold
The majority of the games on this list focus on strategy over tactics. Which is a shame in some ways. Because what you lose in terms of epic sweep you gain in intimacy.
There's no better proof of this than theJagged Alliancegames, which see you nurture a squad of mercenaries through a series of demanding missions. You'll get to know each one, and the stories they carve across the map will be burned in your memory.
Plus, there's a suprisingly modern role-playing feel to the stats and inventory management in this game for a title released over fifteen years ago.
