The 5 Best Mobile Turn-Based Strategy Games

In a lot of ways, turn-based strategy games are an ideal fit for mobile. Their menu-heavy navigation and slow pace mesh better with touch input than just about any other control scheme.

Unsurprisingly, this means there are a lot of strategy games to choose from on mobile, but not all of them are worth your time (or money). Take, for example, War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. For all its flashy visuals and pedigree, it’s a shameless gacha game that capitalizes on your fondness for Chocobos and older, better games while locking up its strategic depth behind a dizzying amount of monetized systems.

With that in mind, I went ahead and selected our top picks for the best turn-based strategy games on mobile. Check them out below.

The Battle of Polytopia (Free)

If you’re new to this genre and wondering where to start, I can’t recommend The Battle of Polytopia highly enough. It’s free, matches are short, and it does a great job of teaching you the fundamentals of strategy games without feeling overly complicated.

It’s also one of the most convenient strategy games there is, as it plays well in portrait mode and auto-saves constantly. Once you feel ready, you can also spend as little as $0.99 to unlock a new tribe that will also give you the ability to play with others online.

Click here to read why The Battle of Polytopia is the perfect introduction to strategy games

Banner Saga 2 ($9.99)

All of The Banner Saga games are great, but the second one showed me that the first one was worth playing, and the third one isn’t out on mobile yet. This pick melds strategic combat with a rich narrative about a world in the midst of an apocalyptic event, and is set against some gorgeous Eyvind Earle-style artwork.

This is also a good title to pick up if you’re looking to dip your toe into turn-based strategy games, as the tactical combat takes a backseat to the game’s world and characters. Although it makes up a large chunk of the game and has its own unique depth, embracing the combat system (or even winning fights) isn’t completely necessary in order to make your way through the story, which — while bleak — is absolutely worth experiencing.

Click here to read our Banner Saga 2 review

Invisible, Inc. ($4.99)

If you want to be strategic without necessarily having to fight, Invisible, Inc. might just be right up your alley. This game is about a small band of super spies infiltrating megacorp facilities to try and take them down.

In almost every scenario in Invisible, Inc. you are outmanned and outgunned, so stealth and subterfuge is key. Luckily, this game is jam-packed with really neat skills and abilities that allow you to sneak and hack your way around just about anything. You need to be careful though, as this game can cut you down fast.

Click here to read our Invisible, Inc. review

Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out ($9.99)

When most people think of turn-based strategy games, they think about moving little units around a map. While there's a tiny, tiny amount of something like this in Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out, this game is way more about having much less direct control over a tribe that is trying to carry on at the end of the world.

As the tribe's leader, you decide what the path forward looks like, but unlike most other strategy games, everyone around you won't necessarily agree with you or respect your choices. The result is a fascinating and compelling experience unlike any other strategy titles I've ever come across.

Click here to read our Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out review

XCOM 2 Collection ($14.99)

The games Firaxis developed to reinvigorate the XCOM series are all modern classics in the turn-based strategy genre, and the XCOM 2 Collection is the best iteration of the series you can play on a mobile device.

In case you’re unfamiliar, the XCOM games are about putting together a paramilitary organization in a fight against extraterrestrial enemies. The odds are stacked against you, but with some tactical prowess, strategic planning, and perhaps a little bit of luck, you can scrape by. XCOM 2 is just such a detailed and layered strategy experience that you’ve got to pick it up if you haven’t yet. Even if you have, it’s absolutely worth revisiting.

Click here to read our XCOM 2 Collection review