Best Strategy Games for Android You Must Try in 2023

One of the first game genres in human history is strategy. We have been playing strategic games for a very long time, whether it be chess, board games, or even certain card games.

Although Best Strategy Games for Android have advanced significantly, the fundamental idea of employing intelligence to outwit your opponents still holds today. It's an excellent method to put your creative abilities to the test.

Strategy games are top-rated among PC players, but they are also becoming very popular on smartphones. Other than the solutions designed for high-end smartphones, there are plenty that can run on rather outdated handsets. The sheer volume of strategy games being developed recently for Android and iOS is the strongest indication of this. Versions of some of the top PC games.

For the sophisticated thinkers out there, we've compiled a list of some of our best strategy games for Android. These are more complex puzzle games that demand thoughtful planning and preparation in order to succeed. Games like these also have a lot of replay value because the same tactic won't necessarily work twice.

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Best Strategy Games for Android

The concept of playing an Android strategy game on the phone would have looked absurd just ten years ago. Even in the earliest stages of the smartphone revolution, phones lacked the processing power and pixel density to match the complexity that the greatest tablet strategy games offer. However, these are the lists of free android available games for the player inside you.

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Raid: Shadow Legends

Before you start whining that Raid: Shadow Legends isn't a strategy game, try to assemble a team that can handle all of the material. Not so simple, is it? The RPG style of Raid is especially strategic as you try to gather the greatest warriors and battle the toughest opponents. Looking to explore more action and adventure? Check out the best adventure game on Frolic to take an action-packed journey. Frolic is one of the best

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Elvenar

Elvenar is indeed among the best strategy games for androi in which you construct and expand an empire of fantastical cities. Some strategy games let you experience the thrill of commanding an army into battle. It stands out from the plethora of contemporary city-building games that are available to mobile players because of the fantasy setting, which gives it a distinctive spin.

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Forge of Empires

You may take advantage of not one but two different styles of strategic games in the free-to-play game Forge of Empires. On the one hand, you're creating a civilization that expands and changes through time, offering you choices about how to do it. You can also engage in turn-based war with other countries using an octagonal grid.

You only have a small area of wilderness at the game's beginning, where you might begin to establish a small settlement. You'll gradually build a powerful empire and witness it progress through various periods in real-world history and far into the future. You can invest a significant amount of time into it since it can be so gratifying.

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Rise of Cultures

Okay, so we've covered Elvenar and Forge of Empires, but we also need to mention Rise of Cultures. These games are all among the greatest in their respective genres, were all created by Innogames, and center on the strategic growth of your own civilization. But what distinguishes this game from the rest of Innogames' selection? We're delighted you asked, though.

This game's emphasis is on cultivating great empires' civilizations, not only on conquest, as the title might imply. Different structures you can construct contribute to that culture in various ways, and depending on the kind of culture you want for your own small empire, you'll gain various advantages.

In general, there is more of an emphasis on the "little people," as you may establish the schedules of your employees and use them in ways that are most advantageous to you, albeit they will still need downtime.

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Rebel Inc.

Rebel Inc. follows in the footsteps of its forerunner and has the same stellar design background. Your task, as the recently appointed administrator of a territory that has recently seen a significant conflict, is to attempt to aid the populace in rebuilding while simultaneously maintaining control of neighborhood militants.

It's full of difficult decisions and difficult tactical gameplay as you fight to contain hostile insurgents and stop them from causing too much damage. Reconstruction is never an easy notion to deal with, and given the recent events that inspired it, the topic can be deemed a little contentious. But Ndemic has handled the problem with as much consideration and care as they could, even speaking with actual subject-matter specialists.

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Plague INC.

The list of best strategy games for android is incomplete without mentioning Plague Inc. The name might lead one to believe that this game is about saving civilization from a pandemic. What a mistake that would be. Plague Inc. challenges you to create a pathogen, spread it around the globe, and bring an end to civilization as we know it.

It is widely regarded as the better prequel to Rebel Inc. Regardless of your preferences for strategy, the game offers a distinctive blend of realistic simulation and strategy that is well worth checking out.

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Dominations

Due to the high level of play it offers and the generally tasteful way in which it is monetized, this game deserves to be adored and well-known. With empires spanning the Iron Age to the Space Age, wonders to build, raids to undertake, and all the usual trappings, Dominations is essentially Civilization meets Clash of Clans.

There are some similarities to well-known powerhouses, but the nuances are where Dominations really shines. It will take some patience to play through to a satisfying conclusion without spending a lot of money, but the recreation of all recorded human history and conflict is quite satisfying.

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Clash of Clans

It's difficult to overstate the significance of Clash of Clans' influence on the mobile gaming industry as a whole, which has resulted in a slew of limitations as well as Clash Royale, a successful card battler that adapts the game's structure. It is without any doubt one of the best strategy games for android which let’s you explore your strategic side.

You must construct your town in this tower defense game and gather a troop of heroes, warriors, and wizards to defend it. Leagues of players from all over the world are still competing for supremacy in the multiplayer environment, which is nevertheless still rather active.

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Clash Royale

This android strategy game, which was released sometime after Clash of Clans, represents a re-imagining of the gameplay mechanic in which you gather cards and use them to assemble a battling deck with which to engage in combat. Similar to the original, Clash Royale places a strong emphasis on multiplayer. You can join leagues and compete against players from all over the world to win trophies. Although it differs from Clash of Clans, the enjoyment is identical.

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Subterfuge

As promised, Subterfuge is a deceptively complex game of strategic alliances and cold-blooded betrayals that is rife with unquestionable logic and the uncertainty of war. While it is real-time like warfare is real-time, a turn simply entails giving subs and bases a command that will take hours to complete. As a result, in Subterfuge, the theatre of war sees its stage advance slowly.

Although its scope is just large enough to be genuinely rewarding, be aware that it takes a significant amount of effort to get a game going. Even though these super-units have asymmetrical player powers provided by the leaders, they can still be captured and traded.

The bases and subs are nearly identical, with the exception of certain modifiers and specific instances. Position, resources, and force are the only variables in the game, yet they are always changing due to incomplete knowledge and shaky alliances.

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Fallout Shelter

Fallout Shelter, which was released simultaneously with the announcement of Fallout 4, started a mobile publishing practice of sudden game releases that has continued up to the present day and has to be in the list of best strategy games for android.

However, Bethesda has also transformed it over the past few years into a cute little simulation game that features mini-dungeons and seasonal events. In the game, you take on the role of the Overseer of a recently established vault.  The bombs have just dropped, and you must put survivors to work while also scouring the wasteland for treasure.

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The Bonfire 2

You construct a settlement in this RTS survival game, and then you must defend it from nighttime attacks by monsters. As you balance constructing your town and maintaining the defenses to ward off any monstrous incursions, it is somewhat reminiscent of Kingdom: Two Crowns. You may even get in touch with neighboring communities as your town grows and fosters amicable ties.

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Xenowerk Tactics

The turn-based, squad-level strategy game XCOM by Firaxis set the standard for the genre and is still one of the best strategy games on mobile today. The twin-stick shooter Xenowerk's sequel, Xenowerk Tactics, surely won't compete with XCOM, but it's a solid tactical strategy game that uses more contemporary design techniques.

Your assignment is to enter the scene of an experiment gone catastrophically wrong and clean up as the commander of a corporate-owned private military squad. Squad management, base construction, and tactical battles are also available.

While these activities are all hectic and satisfying, they occasionally have an arcade-like feel rather than being pure strategy. The struggle between securing your goal and protecting your resources, especially when those resources are seasoned soldiers, is very intense.

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Egypt: Old Kingdom

With its second installment in its turn-based strategy series centered on various eras of Egyptian history, Clarus Victoria is back. The initial game concentrated on the region's prehistoric past, whereas the current game emphasizes the "Old Kingdom" era, which spanned about 400 years and ended in 2,100 BC.

The nation's capital at the time was Memphis, and it is in this city that the player must endeavor to advance their civilization. As you attempt to integrate the other Egyptian tribes through either diplomacy or military means, resource management is crucial. A breath of fresh air and a great choice for those seeking something a little bit different, it is a niche-style strategy game about a very narrow subject.

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The Battle of Polytopia

Polytopia wins the prize for the best civ-lite because it offers a straightforward but satisfying method for creating civilizations.

The game attempts to miniaturize that genre experience. There are tribes that are divided by a single technology and a terrain that has been condensed to a grid of 256 squares. Units and technology are the same for everyone, but their simplicity results in a smaller number of difficult decision-making options.

Although there is no formal diplomatic system, points rather than conquest are used to select the winner. The game's simplistic interface and blocky, unstructured graphic style make it easy to pick up and difficult to put down. It is unquestionably among the top strategy games for Android.

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Civilization VI: Build A City

Civ VI, a turn-based strategy game from the venerable 4x series, is only accessible on iOS, but it's still well worth a look. Play the part of your favorite historical figure and lead a civilization to greatness by constructing cities, developing new technology, pursuing diplomatic relations, and generally destroying anyone who stands in your way.

Civ VI continues the extraordinary constancy of Civilization's game format that has allowed it to last for so long.

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Fire Emblem Heroes

Building a team of fighters, magicians, and archers to battle foes in turn-based combat is possible with the help of Fire Emblem Heroes, which collects all the most recognizable characters from the renowned strategy series.

The game, which lets you unlock characters from all across the setting and is essentially Fire Emblem's take on the gacha genre, starts relatively simple but becomes increasingly challenging as you play.

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Maze Machina

An Android game called Maze Machina packs a surprising amount of complicated turn-based strategy into a grid that resembles a shoebox and measures four by four squares.

The idea is that the malicious Automatron is testing its miniature robot inventions on a battlefield that is always changing. You are a mouse attempting to survive as best you can.

Each tile on the board gives whatever is standing on it a unique ability, but the goal of each round is to grab a key and make it out. This may be a bomb to throw, a weapon to get all stabby with, or a way to enclose an adversary in a block of ice.

Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower

In this tactical role-playing game, you assemble a band of champions to face the numerous challenges of the Silver Tower, which is situated in the Warhammer universe of Age of Sigmar.

While you can give your heroes armor and weapons, Silver Tower focuses on quick tactical micro battles that let you jump in and out of the action as you like.

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The Ants: Underground Kingdom

Become the supreme Ant King! In this exciting and distinctive setting, you can control your queen, construct your own anthill, raise ants, and form alliances. The Ants: the Underground Kingdom presents an incredibly intriguing environment with challenging gameplay, all while displaying amazing visuals and an impressive level of attention to detail.

With a little perseverance and sound judgment, you will be able to weave a new existence under your feet.

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Pocket City Free

A strategy simulation game like Sim City is called Pocket City. Try saying that quickly three times. Anyway, there are lots of positive aspects to this game.

You combine all the different components to create a city. Players have a variety of things under their control, including money flow, traffic, citizen satisfaction, and more.

To provide some variety, you can also trigger both amusing and terrible occurrences. The game is really straightforward, has no in-app purchases, and functions flawlessly when played offline.

A cloud-saving feature is also available. While the premium edition is free of advertisements, the free version does. Otherwise, they need to play similarly. Another strategy simulator that we heartily endorse is Rollercoaster Tycoon.

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Legends of Runeterra

A card dueling game with some strategic components is called Legends of Runeterra. The creators claim that, unlike many other card collectors, your chances of winning depend more on skill than luck.

Players aim to win as many battles as they can by unlocking cards and using them against other players. Contrary to more predatory games, it doesn't take long to unlock all of the cards, and once you have, the matches are rather even.

You can practice your talents in the PvE mode, and you can test them in the online PvP mode, obviously. It's unquestionably one of the best games in its category, and succeeding at it does require some technique.

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RTS Siege Up

One of the top Android strategy games is Seige Up RTS. There are simply so many things to do that they are mind-boggling. There are 26 missions in the base game, as well as local and online multiplayer.

The multiplayer features an in-game chat feature, a spectator mode so you can watch players engage in combat, and more. It operates mechanically in a very conventional RTS fashion. They attempt to attack you while you create an army and attack their base.

But the community is where this game truly shines. More than 4,000 player-created challenges are available in the game's library.

If you like, you can even create and distribute your own levels. The game also has built-in cheats, support for modding, and more. Sincerity be damned, we could go on, but the feature list is just too big. One of those excellent ones you hear about is this one.

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Unciv

Civilization V's open-source version is called Unciv. It is speedy, compatible with even entry-level devices, takes up comparably little room, and you can even modify it. You may play it without an Internet connection because it also functions offline.

In essence, this resembles the dawn of civilization. World dominance is what you seek. You must expand your empire, conquer neighboring states, and carry on expanding until you are the only entity left.

Although the visuals don't resemble Civilization V, the gameplay is the same. This is being actively worked on by the developer as well, so improvements will be made over time. The best wholly free strategy game for android is also completely free, and it is.

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Bad North: Jotunn Edition

Bad North, is one of the best strategy games for android. It is a wonderful example of how strategy and basic design can work so well together. In essence, the game is a Viking tower defense in which you place your forces to fend against attackers who emerge from the mist to burn the settlement on your island.

You move between these tiny landmasses, gathering gold and stragglers, staying one step ahead of the enormous Viking fleet that is closing in on you.

Risk vs. reward is the foundation of the game's overall strategy. Can I continue to defend an island this turn? If something goes wrong and a unit dies, you lose it forever.

This can eliminate a fairly expensive investment in upgrading and equipping the unit. Additionally, because they are procedurally created, each of the adorable small islands has a house that you must defend in order to earn gold for upgrades, making for a really rewarding gameplay cycle. One of the top strategy games for mobile devices is, without a doubt, Bad North.

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Kingdom Rush: Vengeance

With its placement in this list, the recent installment of the well-known Kingdom Rush tower defense series is certain to continue to stir up controversy.

Your level of annoyance with the game's a little too frequent microtransactions will determine how you feel about them. They are the only faults in what is a fantastic real-time strategy game.

Although fully voluntary and unnecessary, the in-app purchases are a little too intrusive. But if you can get over it, you'll discover yet another fantastic tower defense game that has enough humor and material to keep you entertained for a while.

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Iron Marines

The space-traveling, world-saving Iron Marines are a group of elite teams entrusted with putting out fires and eliminating enemies wherever they are needed.

Starcraft would be the game's elevator pitch, but is it not? There are a few units, other refineries to gain more resources, and a home base that typically needs to be secured and protected.

The game derives a satisfying sensation of micromanagement and scrumptious real-time tension from these straightforward, intuitive aspects.

The adversaries have peculiar skills and combinations, and the game is quite challenging, especially at higher levels. However, the game also features the long-term planning and strategy that Ironclad Studios is known for in its tower defense games.

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Rymdkapsel

Rymdkapsel's specialties include "exploration," some Tetris-style spatial puzzle solving, and the construction and defense of space bases. Its minimalism is not merely decorative; rather, it gets to the heart of each choice, purpose, and course of action.

The ongoing base expansion packing challenge may be the most enjoyable aspect. Any form of the new structure can be erected anywhere the player desires, but it must adhere to certain parameters.

Despite the fact that reaching and researching distant monoliths provides permanent global passive advantages, a tightly knit base may appear to be more defensible. Despite its simple design, the game's logistics and timing challenges require a fairly sharp sense of efficiency and administration.

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Tropico

You're in charge of the fantastic port of the vintage strategy game Kalypso by Feral Interactive. The same locations, strategy gameplay, and sense of humor that the franchise is so well known for are all present in Tropico. Your mobile device is packed with the best of the PC.

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The Escapists 2: Pocket Breakout

Ever wanted to escape from jail or prison? Yes, I don't either. But if you do, The Escapists 2 provides a fantastic opportunity to escape from a number of prison-based sandbox environments. Like the saying goes, "When in jail, do as the convicts do." Roll-call, prison tasks, and recruiting allies will be part of your schedule as you plan your nefarious jailbreak.

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Kingdom Two Crowns

You take on the role of a monarch riding a steed and must travel your realm while defending it from enemies and avarice in this side-scrolling micro strategy game. Kingdom Two Crowns is a stunningly creative game that accomplishes a lot with relatively little effort, especially considering that it is only a side-scrolling game.

In some respects, its lovely simplicity makes us think of Reigns, albeit with a little more of a boots-on-the-ground viewpoint. It is unquestionably among the top Android strategy games.

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Ticket To Earth

Ticket to Earth was a fantastic turn-based strategy game, but a lot of its appeal and potential depended on Robot Circus completing the game's last three chapters. Although it took the creator almost three years, episode four was finally made available in October 2019 as a free update.

The fully completed Ticket is one of 2017's silent stunners since it offers a fresh twist on turn-based strategies, a genuinely compelling narrative, and lots of challenges. If you want to try best strategy games for android, then this game must be on your list.

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The Banner Saga

Although many people would classify The Banner Saga as a strategy game first and an RPG second, both of those elements are crucial to the overall experience. Seriously, the world is dying! Nobody really knows what to do but flee as the sun has stopped rising in the sky and stone monsters are advancing.

You flee, making difficult choices along the way and occasionally engaging in turn-based combat for your lives. The Banner Saga is a superb narrative strategy game with a Norse theme that will put your survival skills to the ultimate test.

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Final Fantasy Tactics: War Of the Lions

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions is a fantastic little turn-based strategy game for mobile, despite being somewhat of an oldie. Mobile got its very own version a couple of years after the original introduction in 2007.

This game is ideal for you if, like in Banner Saga, you prefer narrative RPGs with a heavy emphasis on storytelling with a side serving of tactics-based gameplay, making it a perfect pick for strategy games for android.

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Heroes of Flatlandia

Heroes of Flatlandia is an excellent option if you want a turn-based strategy game with lots of soldiers, a cute little map, and a reliable fantasy backdrop. If you have some spare time, it's a good option because it offers four different playable races, a variety of magic and special powers, and online multiplayer.

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Bloons TD 6

As you create your ideal defense with a combination of fantastic Monkey Towers, upgrades, heroes, and powers, you can join millions of other gamers. This enjoyable, realistic strategy game lets you play with pals in up to four-player co-op, test your mettle by facing off against terrifying boss bloons, and traverse different maps.

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Card Thief

When it comes to the best strategy games for android, the list is incomplete without mentioning Card Thief. It's a hybrid between a card game and a strategy game. Your objective is to move around without being seen. To assist you in dodging the guards and completing the level, you'll have the equipment, stealth points, and other things. It promises a two-to-three minute playtime per play. It is therefore excellent for casual gamers.

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The Escapists 2

There are two fantastic strategy games in the Escapist series. Players plan their prison break while gathering and crafting various tools. You must act the part and behave like a model prisoner in the interim to avoid drawing notice.

There aren't many differences between the first and second games. The second game, however, offers more situations overall and larger and more numerous jails to escape from.

They are somewhat pricey, but they are paid-for games without in-app purchases or advertisements. Additionally, Google Play Pass offers these games for free.

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Motorsport Manager Mobile 2

One of the finest and more recent strategy games for mobile is Motorsport Manager Mobile. You get to start from scratch and create your own racing squad. That entails appointing mechanics and drivers, creating a vehicle, and competing.

The player must adjust to minor challenges like changing weather in the game. The game is kept from getting too repetitive by difficulty adjustments, rule modifications, and a variety of additional features.

It is one of the numerous strategy games for android games. Even those that aren't followers of motorsports will like playing this one because of its sound mechanics.

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Northgard

One of the more recent mobile strategy games on the list is called Northgard. It was released in 2021 for mobile devices and is a port of the 2018 Steam game. With the exception of the touch controls, it is nearly identical to the PC version of the game.

The game combines kingdom-building, strategic, and survival themes. On a recently discovered continent, you establish a settlement. The next steps are managing your resources, raising an army, and defending yourself against enemies and brutal winters.

There are many clans in the game, and each has advantages and disadvantages of its own. It's a bit pricey, and low-end devices appear to have a lot of trouble using it. We only advise using this one if you have a modern, high-end gadget.

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Dungeon Warfare 2

The tower defense strategy game Dungeon Warfare 2 is played online. Additionally, because it is a premium game, there are no in-app purchases or play-for-free features to ruin your fun. You can use 33 different traps throughout the game, and each one has eight improvements.

Additionally, there are 60 levels, five monster fights, 30 adversaries, player skills, and even an item system to level up.

However, the dynamically created dungeons that give the game an almost limitless appeal are what we believe are cool. For more challenges, you can combine and match your difficulty settings. This game just has very few flaws, which makes recommending it simple.

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Rusted Warfare

Real-time strategy game Rusted Warfare has a lot going for it and is done in a vintage aesthetic. It offers a more intense RTS experience without in-app purchases, advertisements, or pay-to-win elements. Additionally, it features multiple fortifications, more than 40 player-controlled units, online and offline multiplayer, and mouse and keyboard support.

The only real complaint we have about this game is that the graphics don't win any awards. Even so, if you like old-school video games, it's not terrible. Even a custom game mode is available for experimentation, practice, and enjoyment with the game's rules. This one ought to be more well-liked.

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XCOM 2 Collection

We're glad to see the return of the original mobile release of XCOM with this release. It was on this list for a very long time back in the day. In the turn-based strategy game XCOM, you take on enemies and attempt to outwit them in order to win. You can choose upgrades, customizations, and other options to improve your chances of winning the game.

The game also comes with four DLC packs that are included in the price and procedural generation so that no two playthroughs are the same. The only drawback is that this one won't operate on less expensive devices and needs a reasonably recent phone.

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Concrete Jungle

Concrete Jungle, a puzzler, city management, and deck-building mash-up, is a vast improvement on the developer's own excellent but largely ignored MegaCity. The fundamentals involve placing structures on a grid strategically with the goal of accumulating enough points to reach a row's goals. The row then disappears, and more building space scrolls into view after that.

A large part of the strategy involves the clever use of cards that have an impact on adjacent squares. For instance, a factory lowers the value of nearby land, whereas an observatory increases it. You rapidly discover that putting down units haphazardly ruins your chances for the future.

Instead, you must strategize like a chess player—even more so when playing against a computer opponent in excruciatingly challenging head-to-head games. It's difficult, but it's also fair; the more effort you put in, the better your chances are. And it's worthwhile to devote a lot of time to this contemporary classic.

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Conclusion

Regularly playing the best strategy games for android strengthens the neuronal connections in our brains, improving our problem-solving abilities over time. Playing strategic games increases output.

According to a study, playing strategy games increases cognitive flexibility and perceptual processing speed. The brain can become more nimble, and strategic thinking can be improved by playing fast-paced strategy video games.