What are the best turn-based strategy games for Android?

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Jul 13, 2019

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Best turn-based strategy games for Android	Price	Controller Support	Genre
93 Hoplite	-	None	Roguelike
93 FINAL FANTASY TACTICS : WotL	-	No	Tactical / RPG
90 The Battle of Polytopia	Free (IAP)	-	-
-- Battle for Wesnoth	Free	-	-
89 XCOM: Enemy Within	-	-	-

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FINAL FANTASY TACTICS : WotL

Top Pro

Large game with many hours of content

Being that this is a port of a console game the player will find the length of the title much more than the average mobile release. See More

Top Con

Touch controls feel awkward to use

The touch controls use an on screen dpad overlaid on top of the game. This means fingers move cover some of the game field or action when trying to maneuver. See More

Specs

Controller Support:No

Genre:Tactical / RPG

Co-Op:None

Top Pro

Turn based tactical combat

To simplify how the gameplay works it is a bit like playing chess where in each turn needs to be scrutinized in order to find the best play on the board. Being that there is a large amount of RPG elements thrown into the game, these choices become even more complicated while also adding a huge amount of options to the game. See More

Top Con

No cloud saving

On Android, there is no option to save to cloud storage. Save files are local (on device) only. See More

Top Pro

Masterpiece

This tactical RPG always ends up destroying all other alternatives with jobs, skills, stats, items, story, and enhanced dialogues. If only it had better graphics, it would be mainstream. See More

Top Con

Poor port

There is no immersive mode, which would allow this to be fullscreen on devices that have the Android navigation bar. On top of this the game is letterboxed on both sides of the screen do to it being a port of the port for iOS. There is also no other Android specific features to speak of in the game either. See More

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The Battle of Polytopia

Top Pro

Straightforward game mechanics

Top Con

Must pay for more than 4 players

pollastrerostit's Experience

Very fun game, amazing design, intuitive controls and quick to learn However it sadly gets old quickly due to lack of multiplayer or even different single player game modes See More

Top Pro

Intuitive control

Top Con

Multiplayer is paid

You must pay for multiplayer or you will play against AI (not very good) and friends. See More

GregariousGrannus's Experience

Nice design, simple to learn, engaging. See More

Top Pro

Good graphics

Top Con

Game outcome may be random due to unfair map

CalmAngraMainyu's Experience

This game is so easy to grasp, yet has tons of depth. Even with its expansion clans, they still remain balanced and fun! Truely a game worth investing time and money in. No regrets. See More

Top Pro

Deep strategy

The resource tree & expansion requirement balance each other out very well. See More

Top Con

Square grid not hex

Square grid makes ranged attack very tricky and defending hard. See More

Top Pro

Every game is unique

Top Pro

Similar to Civilization

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26 Other Games Considered

Battle for Wesnoth

Top Pro

Endless replayability

A large assortment of maps, classes, units and campaigns. Community addons available ingame for download, as well as a random map generator. See More

Top Con

No simultaneous multiplayer mode

This limits player counts, map sizes and a really simultaneous mode is the only truly acceptable mode for a modern turn-based multiplayer game. Should have been part of the game years ago. Maybe the engine is not suitable for it. See More

Specs

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Top Pro

Very well done port of the PC-version

Hours of content and even more player-created content online. Free, no ads or in-game purchases. A sort of Fire Emblem meets Advance Wars with slightly less interesting combat visuals. See More

Top Con

Editing SCENARIOS (Campaign/Single Player/Custom maps) has to be done on the PC

Map editor works on the mobile version, but you can only create Maps for playing in standard multiplayer games. It's not possible to create/edit triggers. See More

Top Pro

Deep strategy involved

The strategy for individual campaigns really forces you to think through available strengths and weaknesses, especially given the hex-based terrain See More

Top Con

Doesn't explain game mechanics well

Battle mechanics, job changes when leveling up, and traits/skills are not explained outright. However, there is in-game help which you can refer to. See More

Top Pro

Active development

BfW gets updated frequently. See More

Top Pro

Well established

BfW has been around since 2003 and is a firm favourite within the FOSS community. See More

Top Pro

Great graphics

Easily one of the most beautiful FOSS TBS games around. See More

Top Pro

Unique play style

The unique combination of LoC, hex-based map, terrain defence and movement, and map type, with damage types and resistances varying between units, gives a refreshingly unique play style. See More

Top Pro

The strategy for individual campaigns really forces you to think through available strengths and weaknesses, especially given the hex-based terrain

Top Pro

Multilingual

Dozens of languages available to choose from. See More

Top Pro

Single-player and multi-player

Battle it out against the game's advanced bots or go the online/hotseat route. See More

Top Pro

Immersive storyline

BfW comes with an entire lore which adds depth and variety to the playing experience. See More

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XCOM: Enemy Within

Top Pro

Underground base building

As you progress you also have an underground base of operations that you will upgrade to conduct research on alien technology, level up your troops, deploy various satellites and air craft, and in general manage the global threat. See More

Top Con

Second half of game lacks as many options as first half

The second half of the game feels a bit lack luster in options when compared to the first half. See More

VivaciousSzelatya's Experience

Great game See More

Top Pro

Hardcore strategy gaming at it best on a mobile platform

For a series that is regarded as hardcore gaming even on PC, to see this franchise come to mobile is a godsend. See More

Top Con

Many crashing bugs

It may crash often when loading missions. See More

Top Pro

Many upgrades

Many possibilities for upgrades are available in the game, which is impressive. Cybergenetics and genetics mods are some of the options you can use as upgrades in the game. See More

Top Con

Not compatible with specific Android devices

As for the game itself, if you’ve played XCOM on PC, you’re going to love it on Android as well. Unfortunately though, Enemy Within is not compatible with Nvidia Shield. However, if you’ve got a large screen Android device you’re going to enjoy the game. See More

Top Pro

Standalone expansion pack

XCOM: Enemy Within is an expansion pack for XCOM: Enemy Unknown - not a sequel or a spin-off, despite arriving as a separate, full-price app. See More

Top Pro

Enjoyable gameplay

XCOM sets the standard as to what to expect in turn based strategy gaming. Players use soldiers to fight off an alien invasion by utilizing cover, flanking and other strategy tactics to defeat the alien baddies on each level of grid based environments. See More

Top Pro

Expansion on what was already a fantastic game

Enemy Within is and expansion on the classic Enemy Unknown. With Enemy Withing players are given new options such as maps, missions, enemies and of course the new Mech Suits. See More

Top Pro

Turn based strategy works well on touchscreen devices

The gaming genre of turn based strategy lends itself very well to touch screen devices. It is actually easier to interact with the characters on screen with ones fingers instead of a mouse. See More

Top Pro

Ethical choices effect long game

The choices the player makes from what kind of upgrades to use to what soldier to send where on a battle map will effect later game play. See More

Top Pro

Online multiplayer

There is support for asynchronous online multiplayer built into the game over Google Play Services. See More

Top Pro

Unexpected storyline

A strategy game such as this is often not expected to have a storyline, or if so, a good one. But this game has an interesting and surprising one. See More

Top Pro

New upgrade resource

There is a new resource known as Meld that allows the user to purchase upgrades. See More

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Civilization Revolution 2

Top Pro

Offers lots of replay value

Civilization Revolution 2 offers so many maps, leaders, and scenarios that the replayability of the game is pretty much endless. See More

Top Con

Small maps

The map size is severely limited in comparison with any other Civ titles. See More

Top Pro

Randomly generated levels

Each map is the same size but is randomly generated to allow for each new session to play differently from the last. See More

Top Con

Civilization Revolution 2 is expensive

At $14.99, Civilization Revolution 2 is one of the more expensive games on the Android platform. See More

Top Pro

Enhanced graphics

The graphics of Civilization Revolution 2 have been enhanced from the first iteration of the game. See More

Top Con

Bad coding

Buggy and gets very slow as the game progresses. See More

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The Banner Saga

Top Con

Battery consuming

Because of the distinctive looking graphics and music, playing on mobile will tend to stress the battery, even on the latest devices. See More

Top Pro

Bleak yet beautiful music score

Composed by Austin Wintory, the musical score is quite beautiful and haunting. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Controller Support:No

Genre:Turn-based RPG

Co-Op:None

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Top Con

Pretty difficult and uneven

The difficulty is sometime uneven with some battles being not to hard after one that was extremely difficult. Couple this with how difficult the game can be even on the easy setting and it is very apparent that the game will take some patience to complete. See More

Top Pro

Distinctive looking hand drawn graphics

The graphics really stand out in The Banner Saga, definitely not many games of this caliber on Android. See More

Top Con

High price

Even though The Banner Saga is worth every penny of the asking price of $9.99, some may find the price off putting for a mobile game. See More

Top Pro

Over 25 playable characters

Banner Saga has over 25 playable characters within the game. See More

Top Pro

Branching, choice based dialog

The dialog interactions in The Banner Saga are reminiscent of Mass Effect's branching dialog. See More

Top Pro

Great story

In a single player game, the story is quite important. In TBS story is great. See More

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Uniwar

Top Pro

True multiple races to play

There are 3 races to play and each are actually different. It's not just changing colours and costumes. The units have different prices and abilities, strengths and weaknesses. So to win strategy needs to change, making the experience rich. See More

Top Con

Can be hard to get to the "I get it!" phase

It takes some patience and determination to get to the point where the richness of the gameplay opens up, especially if you're following the totally free path. Many players give up before they get that far, which leads to thinking "it's pay to win!" when it really isn't. (It is "pay or watch ads to get the cool stuff sooner" though.) See More

OrganizedHemithea's Experience

Great game in multiplayer. Single mode is just for start to learn game basics but the real fun starts when You play against human opponents. You can't get bored of it because of hundreds of maps created by players, each game you must adopts your tactic to map, opponent's race and moves. See More

Specs

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Top Pro

Asynchronous turn based system

With generally 24h or 12h turns. Notifications when it's your turn See More

CooperativeSobek's Experience

Great game See More

Top Pro

A true competitive game

No place for luck, only the skill prevails. In particular when all players have the same race, and maps are mirrored. A rating system ELO style, that matches you with players of your level. Multiple tournaments every months. See More

Top Pro

Ad free if you want it that way

Ads are" pull", you only watch them if you want to earn in-game money more quickly. It's perfectly possible today forever without seeing any. See More

Top Pro

Great social features

Team games up to 8 players. Friendlist. Chat in game (and out). Tournaments. A huge and very active community. See More

Top Pro

Variety of maps makes each game different

Variety of maps created mostly by other players (voted if good or bad) make each game different. Combined with necessity to adopt your tactic to which race you and your opponent play and his moves, makes each game unique. See More

Top Pro

Balanced in-app purchase

There are in app purchases, most are cosmetic and don't affect game play. There's even one which is simply "support our developers". There are some key purchases which DO affect game play: extra unit types and extra undo turns. However these are available through watching commercials and can also be had permanently without money for the patient by saving the in-game rewards. It does take a long time though. Undo is the most important one. Get it first. See More

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Partia 2

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Cardinal Quest 2

Top Pro

Lots of achievements

There are a bunch of achievements that can be earned in the game, thus giving the player something to strive towards. See More

HelpfulDecima's Experience

very cool See More

Specs

Controller Support:None

Genre:Roguelike

Co-Op:None

See All Specs

Top Pro

Very streamlined item management

Cardinal Quest 2 is more streamlined over its first title. When picking up equipment, the user is given the option to sell if it is worse than what is already being used or worn. Making equipment management a lot easier. See More

Top Pro

The included immersive mode allows for full screen gaming on devices that use a software navigation bar

Cardinal Quest 2 features full screen immersive mode on any Android device with OS 4.4+, which is great for those who have devices that use stock Android, as they can game full screen, hiding the software navigation bar. See More

Top Pro

Very streamlined item management that does not get in the way, allowing the player to concentrate on the gameplay, over organization

Cardinal Quest 2 is more streamlined over its first title. When picking up equipment, the user is given the option to sell if it is worse than what is already being used or worn. Making equipment management a lot easier. See More

Top Pro

Nothing is locked behind a paywall, you are free to play as you like without worry of being coerced into spending money

Often you will see paid character classes or currency in mobile games. Luckily in Cardinal Quest 2, the currency is earned by successful or failed runs, and even the paid character class can be earned through a boss fight mechanic, making it something to work towards. This way everything in the game can be earned just by playing, and not spending money. The purchasable content is there for those that would just like to unlock things faster. See More

Top Pro

A good choice of character classes allows for a mix of different strategies in the gameplay

There are six character classes that are available to use; paladin, ranger, pugilist, fighter, wizard, and thief. Though not all are available from the start and need to be unlocked through play or in-app-purchase (all can be unlocked through play). Having a good selection of classes to play with allows for different experiences to be had, which extends the playtime. See More

Top Pro

Nothing is locked behind a paywall

Often you will see paid character classes or currency in mobile games. Luckily in Cardinal Quest 2, the currency is earned by successful or failed runs, and even the paid character class can be earned through a boss fight mechanic, making it something to work towards. This way everything in the game can be earned just by playing, and not spending money. The purchasable content is there for those that would just like to unlock things faster. See More

Top Pro

Good choice of classes

There are six character classes that are available to use; paladin, ranger, pugilist, fighter, wizard, and thief. Though not all are available from the start and need to be unlocked through play or in-app-purchase (all can be unlocked through play). Having a good selection of classes to play with allows for different experiences to be had, which extends the playtime. See More

Top Pro

Immersive mode

Cardinal Quest 2 features full screen immersive mode on any Android device with OS 4.4+. See More

Top Pro

Deep gameplay

Depending on the character class used and items equipped, different strategies can be used and experimented with. Making for a deep game that allows for plenty of different setups. See More

Top Pro

Lots of Google Play achievements to earn, which makes for some interesting tasks on top of the regular gameplay

There are a bunch of achievements that can be earned in the game, thus giving the player something to strive towards. This way the player can feel a sense of progression as well, since roguelikes tend to be light in this area. See More

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Star Realms

Top Pro

Bases

Bases are permanent cards on the playing field that each player needs to try and destroy but giving that there is a choice each turn to hit a base or the players ships, it becomes a juggling act of what takes priority to destroy. See More

Top Con

Design is lacking

More thought, design and production value could have been added to the game to give it a better polished feel, sadly it is not the case as most aspects pass as just serviceable. See More

Specs

Controller Support:None

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Top Pro

No CCG system. It's a deckbuilding game in which both players start with the same deck. In each game, players use ressources to acquire cards to their deck, from a common trade row.

If playing with expansion cards, you are matched with players that also have them. See More

Top Pro

Single player mode

There is an included single player mode where the player faces off against the CPU. See More

Top Pro

Unpredictable

There is no way for the player to know what will be in their hand or what they will eventually be able to purchase, making for every game being unpredictable. See More

Top Pro

Turn based with the possibility to play both asynchonously or in realtime.

Turns of 48h See More

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Shattered Pixel Dungeon

Top Pro

Challenging and fun gameplay that lends itself well to repeat plays

SPD's gameplay is intuitive, allowing for it to be easy to get into. What is great though is that it's also very challenging, quickly making the experience both rewarding and addictive. Just one more game is a thought many will have before actually turning off their device. See More

Top Con

Hard to master

SPD's difficulty can be a turn off for some players as it is quite challenging and takes a long time to master. While there will be those that enjoy such difficulty, those looking for something easy may not enjoy the game. See More

Top Pro

Has a reasonable amount of strategical depth where the player can easily plan out their next move

The top-down, turn-based nature of the game gives the opportunity to plan out a complex series of moves. This way there is no time constraint, and the player can leisurely strategize what they would like to do next. See More

Top Pro

Tons of replayability thanks to the randomly generated levels

In true roguelike fashion, levels are randomly generated each time a new game is started. On top of this mechanic, Shattered Pixel Dungeon goes one step further by randomizing effects of all items as well, so it's impossible to tell if a dropped item will have a positive or a negative effect based on its sprite representation. See More

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Tank Battle: 1944

Top Con

Free, but not actually

Only tutorial is free. Must pay for actual content. See More

Top Pro

Best implementation of turn based squad tactics in a WW2 setting

Specs

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Top Con

Game freezes sometimes

Top Pro

Minimal HUD

HUD is informative but not overwhelming. See More

Top Con

Enemy turns take a long time

There should be an option to be able to fast-forward during enemy turn. See More

Top Pro

Challenging missions with great replayability

Top Pro

Many Campaigns avaialble to play

Lots of campaigns are available as IAP to keep you busy for long time. See More

Top Pro

Amazing sound design

Weapon sounds feel authentic & with impact. See More

Top Pro

Realistic damage

Top Pro

Good documentation on the each unit.

Top Pro

Great graphics

Units rotate based in its direction. Units & environments look clean. Not too realistic or not too plastic looking 3D. See More

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Great Little War Game HD

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War Cronies

Top Pro

Free to play and highly addictive

You can have many games going at once and play at your own leisure. See More

Top Con

In-app purchases

AdaptableZipacna's Experience

so nice, smart gameplay as chess! addicted to it! See More

Top Pro

Unit/nation variety & balance

Ground, Air, and Sea units with specialty units for each Nation. Each has their own skill-set and flaws, making for gaming that the user has to find a balance with in order to succeed. See More

Top Pro

Turn based gameplay that takes planning

Units takes different number of turns to build (IE Infantry 2 turns to build, Medium Tank 3 turns to build, etc), combined assault, and increased repair on/around owned buildings. See More

Top Pro

Multi-opponent matchmaking

Can have up to 20 games (current version) and can queue up multiple games in a row. This way the player can find a game that has an active turn, for those times when the opponent is taking their time to make their move. See More

Top Pro

Well-designed maps

Game maps include Fog of War, Terrain Effects, Roads & Rail, and Multiple Building Types. See More

Top Pro

Sophisticated battle and production

Multi unit combat combining land air and sea into single battles, from several positions on the map. Turn based production with individual factories for different unit classes. See More

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Star Wars RPG by Fantasy Flight Games

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Race for the Galaxy

Top Con

Not much player interactivity

The cards you play have an influence what your opponent can and cannot do each turn, but it all feels so random and impersonal. There's little to no communication required among the group. Everyone just scrambles to get their points without really worrying too much about what the player sitting next to them is doing. This issue is fixed in the expansions, but those who only own the base game are out of luck. See More

Top Pro

Asynchronous multiplayer gameplay with 1 week/30mn turns

Specs

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Top Con

Strict, complex rules ruin some of the enjoyment

It can be really hard to enjoy the game when you're more focused on the rules than having fun. Having to consult the rule book several times per turn can get old after a while, and may turn new players off completely. See More

Top Pro

Each round is different and exciting

At the start of every round, players each choose one action card from among a pool of their seven cards and place it face down on the table. After everyone has chosen, all the cards are flipped over and the round begins. Any action chosen can be completed by all players. For example, if you choose to Explore, then everyone else may also explore on that turn. If your opponent chose to Produce, then you are also free to produce. Since you never know what actions the people around you are going to choose for that turn, it's possible that any or all actions will come into play that round. This keeps things fresh and exciting on a per round basis as you never know (except for your own choice) which actions will be 100% in play. See More

Top Con

Iconography can be difficult to learn

This game relies heavily on a variety of symbols to indicate what each card does. This can make it very difficult for new players that don't yet understand what each symbol means. These symbols range from different colored shapes like circles and diamonds to shapes with various icons inside them. It's not always intuitive what they mean, so expect to consult the rule book quite often while learning. See More

Top Pro

Great for quick gameplay sessions

A group of experienced players can play a game of Race for the Galaxy in 30-60 minutes easily. There are no complex boards or pieces to manage, and each game usually only lasts about 7-12 turns. See More

Top Con

Steep learning curve

This is a difficult game to learn. Not only does each card contain symbols which need to be memorized, it has very complex rules in general. Each turn is defined by a very rigid and detailed ruleset. See More

Top Pro

Many different ways to win

There are seven different actions that can be taken each turn such as Produce, Explore, Develop, etc. Each of these actions will then influence which cards you can play from your hand, and also the points you get from all active cards already in play. There are are an almost unlimited amount of possible scenarios and ways to accumulate the most points. No one strategy will ever overpower another thanks to so many random factors and paths to victory. See More

Top Con

Different rules when playing with only 2 players

It is highly recommended to play with 3 or more players, but there is a rule set available for when only 2 players are available. However, this requires learning an entirely modified set of advanced rules. This can be especially complex and frustrating for people who are still struggling with the standard rules. See More

Top Pro

Deep and strategic

Race for the Galaxy is deep and offers plenty of room for customized strategies, so those who enjoy more advanced games should really enjoy it. For example, you may put together an intelligent play by trying to predict which phase your opponents are going to choose on any given turn. If your opponent controls an area that allows them to trade resources for cards, they might choose the Trade Phase that turn. Since all players can participate in any other player's chosen phase, you may want to counterplay with the Settle Phase so you can join the area and take advantage of the trade too. There are hundreds of scenarios like this. The amount of sheer strategy and paths to victory combined with the random nature of cards can create plenty of interesting and deep gameplay sessions. See More

Top Pro

You can play it with 2-4 people online

In addition to the single-player option, you can play the game online with 2-4 people. See More

Top Pro

Quite advanced single-player bot AI

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