• Upcoming Rts Games

25 essential games to have in your iOS collection

Updated February 03, 2020: Post entry tweaks

Most people would probably associate the strategy game genre with the PC. They might well conclude that the sheer complexity of these hardcore games requires a mouse, keyboard, and monitor set-up.

But that's a load of outdated piffle. Strategy games can be as intuitive, streamlined, and accessible to a mainstream audience as they please. Just look at a list of the most popular mobile games of the past decade (by any metric) for confirmation of that fact. The iPhone and iPad stores are rife with great strategy games.

The likes of Clash of Clans, Mobile Strike, Summoners War, Boom Beach and Game of War: Fire Age have all raked in more than $1 billion in their lifetimes.

This doesn't mean that mobile strategy games need necessarily be flimsy, shallow or overtly casual affairs though. It's possible to wring real depth out of a modern touchscreen device.

The following list of mobile strategy games covers the entire gamut, from casual city builders to hardcore turn-based tactics. That's the beauty of the mobile strategy game scene - its sheer variety.

Feb 01, 2020 The 100 Best Mac Games today. It already is one of the best games for Mac of 2018 so far. Civ 6 may not be the most detailed Mac strategy game on the market. The strategy games of 2018 Whether you enjoy turn based games or a good RTS, 2018 will present some interesting options. Naturally, the brace of current 4X games.

We haven't even included tower defence in our deliberations, as that's a thriving sub-genre that deserves (and indeed has received) its own separate list.

Here, then, is a list of our favourite mobile strategy games for iPhone and iPad. We're quite aware that there are loads of stone-cold classics and popular favourites that we've left off. We only had 25 slots to fill, after all, and we always try to reflect what's current.

If there's a mobile strategy game you think should be on this list, let us know in the comments section below.

Sid Meier's Civilization VI

It's Civilization VI on your iPad. Like, the actual Civilization VI, not some streamlined approximation. It's nothing less than one of the best and deepest strategy games on any platform.

XCOM: Enemy Within

XCOM has a reputation for being one of the finest squad-based strategy games around, with tense turn-based battles rendered in glorious 3D. This iOS conversion brings it to mobile without compromise.

FTL: Faster Than Light

FTL tasks you with running your very own spaceship, allocating resources to the departments that need it most. But the real thrill is that you have to do this while fleeing through a hostile star system.

Iron Marines

The maker of the peerless Kingdom Rush series proves that it can do classic RTS as well as its does tower defence. Iron Marines is brilliantly balanced, great to look at, and generally quite special.

Bad North

Bad North is a uniquely brilliant mish-mash of RTS, tower defence and roguelike elements as you defend your island communities from Viking attack.

SteamWorld Heist

SteamWorld Heist demonstrates that strategy games can be a zoomed-in, action-packed and even funny. This brilliant 2D squad-based game as you taking on robotic pirates with expertly placed ricochet shots.

Invisible, Inc.

Klei combines turn-based strategy with high-tech stealth in this beautiful isometric cyber-punk adventure.

ROME: Total War

One of the greatest and deepest real time strategy games ever made makes its way onto iPad, and it works shockingly well. ROME: Total War is the real deal.

Warbits

It doesn't look like we'll ever get Advance Wars on mobile, but Warbits is as close as it gets. This is colourful, intuitive turn-based strategy with a surprising amount of tactical depth.

Dungeon Warfare 2

You could well make the argument that Dungeon Warfare 2 is a tower defence game. But constructing the ultimate death-filled dungeon here proves to be so much more strategic and nuanced than your average lane runner.

Chaos Reborn: Adventures

A dauntingly deep and involving strategy game that punishes mistakes and rewards smart thinking. Its hex-based 3D battles have an impressive amount of tactical scope.

Tropico

Easily the best city builder on the market, Tropico is a richly detailed, responsive, engaging, and fun PC port that feels perfectly at home on iPad. It looks and sounds beautiful, too.

Tharsis

Strategy games don't need to be ponderous and small scale. First Strike concerns a global nuclear conflict, and each battle can be swept through in frighteningly quick time.

Pocket City

Though it's less viscerally impressive than Tropico, Pocket City remains an absolute treat of a premium city builder. In particular, it manages to combine intuitiveness with strategic depth better than most.

Sid Meier's Starships

Sci-fi strategy on a grand scale, Sid Meier's Starships has got interplanetary diplomacy, deep space exploration, and plenty of pew pew laser battles.

Clash of Clans

Oooh, controversial pick. But there's no denying that Clash has done something super interesting with the strategy genre, making it truly social and accessible, and making defence as important as all-out attack.

Crush Your Enemies

Pocket real time strategy in its purest form, Crush Your Enemies whittles things down to a series of feisty minutes-long battles. It's just not a sharply-made RTS, but a funny game filled with foul-mouthed, half-drunk barbarians.

Hero Academy 2

Hero Academy 2 starts slow, but blossoms into a brilliantly tactical turn-based experience. It's also an extremely polished, layered affair.

Plague Inc.

We're all used to defending life in our strategy games - Plague Inc. tasks you with destroying as much of it as possible by spreading and mutating a horrible virus. It's dark, man.

Upcoming Rts Games

Frozen Synapse

Some strategy games simulate the big, the epic, the expansive. Frozen Synapse goes in tight, letting you plan the individual seconds of a frantic gunfight between computer simulated warriors.

Egypt: Old Kingdom

Star Trek: Fleet Command is a slick 4X mobile strategy game with sympathetic monetisation and a flexible mission-based progression system. It uses its license well too.

Battleplans

Battleplans is a thoroughly modern mobile strategy game hybrid, blending RTS, MOBA and base defence elements into a gloriously colourful whole.

Wild Beyond

What initially appears to be another Clash Royale clone soon reveals itself to be a lot deeper. It's got an engrossing single player campaign, and there's a real flow to its steadily branching battles.

The Bonfire: Forsaken Lands

An engaging and intuitive strategy game that offers genuine consequences for your decisions as you strive to keep your village alive and thriving. It's also beautiful, in its own sparse way.

Xenowerk Tactics

A brilliant turn-based strategy game set within Pixelbite's tense sci-fi Xenowerk universe. There's more than a hint of XCOM to its tight squad manoeuvring, but with a slightly more arcadey edge.

RELATED STORIES

Mac isn’t a gamer’s go-to platform, due to obvious reasons. But, thanks to some awesome developers and publishing platforms like Steam, Mac users have a decent selection. So, even if you cannot enjoy GTA V on your brand-new MacBook Pro, there are some cool strategy games in Mac.

In this article, we have listed some of the best strategy games for Mac. While some of them are heavy with graphics, some work on low-end devices. We have also mentioned system requirements along with each of the titles.

Most of the games are available via Steam. However, if you are interested, you can find standalone versions as well. Shall we check out the list, then?

Read: 20 Best Simulation Games for Android (2018)

Games Games Software Software. Hardware Hardware ® News Steam Labs. Browsing Star Wars Browse the newest, top selling and discounted Star Wars products on Steam New and Trending Top Selling What's Popular. STAR WARS™ Knights of the Old Republic™ II - The Sith Lords™. Dec 12, 2019  Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is almost here, so it's time to look back at the best Star Wars games of all time. With a brand spanking new entry with Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi. Good star wars games for mac.

Best Strategy Games for Mac

#1 0 A D

Let’s start with something completely free. 0 A D is an open-source strategy game for Mac. When you start the game, you’re a leader who is up for the challenge. Using the resources around, you have to set up your civilizations and beat down enemies ahead. Quite interestingly, the game brings a battle between 2 different civilizations — one from 500AD and another one from 500BC. It’s still under development and there may be a few bugs. Still, 0 A D is a must-check out.

Price: Free, Open Source

Campaign. Sandbox mode. GET OUT' Features. A bunch of silly units.

System Requirement: You should have an Intel-based Mac released after 2006

#2 Democracy 3

Democracy 3 is a wonderful political strategy game for Mac. It’s available via Steam and it has lots of extra downloadable content too. One of the popular simulation games too, Democracy 3 wants you to be a leader. The story is set in a western industrialized nation and you have to address all sorts of issues, from crime to climate change. It has a wonderful User Interface that enhances the strategy gaming experience. In this game of politics, each of your decisions matters.

Price: Democracy 3 is priced at $24.99

System Requirement: 2Ghz Processor, 1GB RAM, 256MB Graphics and 500MB Storage space

#3 XCOM: Enemy Unknown

If you are looking for a strategy game with tactical gameplay, make sure you play XCOM: Enemy Unknown. As the head of a paramilitary organization, you have to protect the world from a potential alien invasion. A graphic-intensive game, you have to take part in on-ground combat, action and strategy. There are also some Role-Playing elements in the game, in case you are interested. The game features a huge number of missions you can keep playing.

Price: XCOM: Enemy Unknown is priced at $29.99

System Requirement: 2GHz Processor, 4GB RAM, 20GB Storage, 256MB Video Memory

#4 Civilization V

Civilization V is where you become the ruler of a civilization that travels from old ages to the current one. As you guide the people, you will discover more people and technologies. You have to use your strategies when it comes to building your space as well as combat. It comes with an impressive UI that lets you manage your world easily. You can keep downloading new maps to explore so that you never get bored with Civilization V.

Price: Civilization V is priced at $29.99

System Requirements: Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 8GB Storage Space, 256MB Video Memory

#5 StarCraft II

If you want to extend your game to an interstellar scenario, StarCraft II is one of the best strategy games you can get for Mac. Once you have constructed your base, you can start building the army. After that, you have to lead the army to beat the opponents and conquer the galaxy. There are three different races in the game, who play in different modes. It does not matter which one you choose, you need the right strategy to lead your team and win.

Price: StarCraft II is free to play

System Requirements: Intel Core 2 Duo, GeForce GT330M or ATI Radeon HD4670 or better, 4GB RAM, 30GB Storage space

#6 This War of Mine

This War of Mine is an awesome Mac game that wants both strategy and survival tactics. Instead of being a super-soldier with weapons, you are made a civilian. Making your way through radars and aimed snipers, it is your duty to protect you and others. The decisions are important here, because you have to keep everyone on the hooks. It comes with impressive graphics and one of the intriguing gameplay experiences. There is additional downloadable content too.

Price: This War of Mine is priced at $19.99

System Requirements: Intel Core 2 Duo or later, 2GB RAM, 512MB Graphics

#7 Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition

Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition is definitely one of the best strategy games for Mac. It’s set during the early civilization of Rome, where you take up the role of the emperor. From political decisions to action-rich battles, you have to take decisions based on strategy. Versatility is one thing that gamers love about Total War series, and Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition offers better. Every decision matters, depending on what you build at the end of the day.

Price: Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition is priced at $59.95

System Requirements: 1.7GHz Core i5 or better, 4GB RAM, 25GB Storage Space, 512MB Video Memory

#8 Sproggiwood

Even if you’re not an expert in Finnish mythology, you would love Sproggiwood. It has been packed with an awesome design and storyline. You start off as a farmer but you come across a spirit and a rivalling group of civilization. What happens next depends on your actions and decisions. Sproggiwood lets you nurture various classes and prepare them for battle. It’s a roguelike game and you have the standard features like looting as well as building options.

Price: Sproggiwood is priced at $14.99

System Requirements: 1GHz or faster, 512MB RAM, 350MB Storage Space, Any Graphics Card after 2004

#9 Mount & Blade: Warband

Are you ready to travel towards the throne of Calradia? To do that, you have to prepare your team for never-ending battles and combat. Mount & Blade: Warband is one of the most graphics-rich games for Mac, and it brings 64-player online gaming battles as well. Being a king, you have to take both personal and political decisions, even your marriage. In short, it has some impressive RPG elements too. You should consider this title if you are into high-end gameplays.

Price: Mount & Blade: Warband is priced at $19.99

System Requirements: 1GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8600M / ATI Radeon 2400 or better, 1GB Storage space

#10 Robothorium: Rogue-Like RPG

Robothorium: Rogue-Like RPG is the perfect combination of strategy and role-playing gaming. Just in case you wanted to be a savior for humanity, sorry. Robothorium: Rogue-Like RPG wants you to be the leader of a revolution against humanity. You have to build a robot-based attack team and conquer the silly beings on the earth. Of course, you need to have a proper strategy; otherwise, you fail. The game comes with turn-by-turn tactics, online multiplayer and more.

Price: Robothorium: Rogue-Like RPG is priced at $13.49

System Requirements: 1.3GHz Processor, 2GB RAM and 1.2GB Storage Space

#11 Europa Universalis IV

Europa Universalis IV is a strategy game that takes you through a long period of time. You have to build your civilization and see how it survives the test of time. Compared to other strategy games, Europa Universalis IV offers more freedom for your decisions. As you progress through the large-enough map, you can get used to different systems like trading and commerce. It also offers cross-platform multiplayer games where your strategy and combat are important alike.

Price: Europa Universalis IV is priced at $39.99

System Requirements: Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, ATI Radeon HD 6750 / NVIDIA GeForce 320 / NVIDIA GeForce 9600 or higher, 2GB Storage space

#12 Total War: SHOWGUN 2

Another title from the Total War series, Total War: SHOWGUN 2 is set at a period when Japan is struggling through its hard time. You have to be the clan leaders and bring solace, through your political decisions and more. The clan will conquer places and extend the empire to other places, while you have to take the right decisions. Thanks to the larger community, you can play online multiplayer missions as well. This title has an impressive set of graphics and gameplay to offer.

Price: Total War: SHOWGUN 2 is priced at $29.99

System Requirements: 1.8GHz Processor, 4GB RAM, 256MB Graphics, 25GB Storage Space

#13 The Banner Saga 2

The Banner Saga 2 is primarily RPG in nature. However, without the right strategy and tactics, you can’t win this game. It’s based on an epic story and each character has something behind the trail. As you move along the timeline, you have to engage in battle and take some worthy decisions. While making sure that Viking clans are completely safe, The Banner Saga 2 wants you to explore sub-plots as well. It’s actually about the story than the gameplay, you know.

Price: The Banner Saga 2 is priced at $19.99

System Requirements: 2GB RAM and 4GB available space

#14 RimWorld

RimWorld is still available as an early-access title on Steam. However, this does not mean that you have to compromise features or performance. When RimWorld starts, you have three characters — survivors — who are struck in an unknown world. Each of these three survivors have different stories to play, you know. That is the best part about RimWorld: it lets you change the story depending on the slight details. If you love a lot of stories that involve strategical playing, RimWorld would never bore you.

Price: RimWorld is priced at $29.99

System Requirements: Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384 MB of RAM, 500MB Space

#15 Medieval II: Total War

We’d like to conclude this list with another title from the Total War series. Medieval II: Total War is set in a time when bloodthirsty battles were common. When it comes to gameplay, the graphics and choreography get better and better. You can also engage in multiplayer matches via Internet or LAN. One of the best things about this strategy game is its reach itself. You have a huge community of gamers to play with. And, nothing beats a strategy game with a large user-base, you know.

Price: Medieval II: Total War is priced at $19.99

System Requirements: 1.8GHz Processor, 4GB RAM, 256MB Graphics, 32GB Storage space

The Bottom Line

Most of these strategy games can work on the current Macs, subject to storage space and performance. So, you can focus on getting a game of your taste instead of worrying about compatibility. Also, if you think you know some other great strategy games for Mac, do let us know via comments.

Read: 20 Best Online Games for Android