Who would have thought that players would be able to take part in large-scale, real-time strategy battles using their fingertips to command their troops from their smartphones? The days of strategy games only being available on PC are over as gamers can now take part in the action wherever they are in the world.
Some RTS games available for mobile devices are even ports of full PC titles that no one would have ever expected to play on mobile when they were first released. RTS games for Android are a growing collection of titles, with each release adding to an expansive catalog. Players can now avoid predatory pay-to-win titles and experience true real-time strategy on Android devices.
Updated on September 26, 2024, by Mehrdad Khayyat: Mobile games continue to evolve and generate significant stream of income for their publishers and developers, which is one of the reasons why a wide variety of genres are already available on this on-the-go platform to satisfy every type of gamer.
RTS games were once exclusive to PC, but now there are so many of them available on mobile too. Even some of the successful PC RTS titles have considered a mobile port after launch. However, mobile gamers don't really need ports, as they already have access to some great exclusive titles.
13 Power Of Planets - Earth
A Hardcore 4X Set In An MMO Environment
Power of Planets - Earth
- Released
- March 7, 2022
- Platform(s)
- Android
- Developer
- Gábor Auth
Power of Planets - Earth is an MMO RTS game available for Android devices and has an incredibly small but dedicated fanbase. This is a civilization-building game, in the vein of older PC RTS games such as Age of Empire, and it nails that old-school RTS feel, from the graphics and art design to the actual gameplay.
It's not very beginner-friendly, so it's recommended for fans of RTS games who have played older titles before and know the gist of what to do. Gamers will need to master their buildings and achieve economic expansion to build an empire and go up against opposing players.
12 Northgard
Magnificient World-Building And Classic RTS Mechanics Inspired By Norse Mythology
Northgard
In Northgard, players will need to build their Norse city and create an army of Viking troops to survive in the cold, frosty climates of Scandinavia. Northgard is a great RTS title that explores elements of Norse mythology while giving the players the freedom to build a city and create the ultimate Clan of Vikings.
7 Forgotten Viking Games
These titles' glory may have faded, but they've earned an honored place in Valhalla.
Resource management is of the utmost importance, and gamers will have to assign their troops to various roles, such as farmers, warriors, sailors, or even loremasters. There's a lot to be explored here, from a story mode that explores the saga of Rig and his Regal Horn to multiplayer that can include up to six players fighting either with or against one another.
11 Iron Marines
Lead Might Mechas To Conquer Alien Planets
Iron Marines
There are offline and online versions of Iron Marines so it's up to the player which version they would rather download, but they're both great RTS titles regardless. Featuring a cool and innovative art style, Iron Marines allows Android gamers to explore a whole galaxy and go up against powerful space monster hordes in epic real-time strategy battles.
Gamers will have to be sharp and adapt their strategies to overcome their enemies. There are lots of options and customization when it comes to choosing and upgrading troops, recruiting heroes, and changing the roles of troops as battles progress. It's a surprisingly deep and complex system, but a system that works extremely well on mobile devices.
10 Warfare Incorporated
An Accurate Port From PC With Multiplayer And Mission Editor
Warfare Incorporated
Warfare Incorporated is another game that presents itself in a more classic RTS art style, hearkening back to 1990s PC titles. This is a critically acclaimed and best-selling Android RTS game that is completely free to play. There is both a single-player and multiplayer mode, with both spanning across large battlefields that will become overrun with troops.
Warfare Incorporated features over 22 unique unit and structure types, giving players ample opportunity to create their ideal army. There are over 41 built-in missions and the game features a PC client where new missions can be custom-made and transferred over to mobile devices, giving players all the freedom and opportunity they will ever need.
9 Plague Inc.
Create A Virus And Kill The Earth
Plague Inc
Unlike most other games, Plague Inc. Will turn the player into an evil rather than a hero. The game made a name for itself during the COVID pandemic when Earth was indeed dealing with a dangerous, widespread virus.
The overall gameplay in Plague Inc. Is simple. The player chooses a virus with a series of initial specifications and spreads it around the globe. The more kills that the virus gets, the stronger it becomes, and the player can enhance its deadly specifications over time, but the goal is to make the earth empty of humans entirely, otherwise, the virus will eventually lose its power and the humans will strike back.
8 Company Of Heroes
Wage War On World War 2 Sides
Company Of Heroes
- Released
- September 12, 2006
- Developer(s)
- Relic Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
An excellent port of an all-time classic RTS game, Company of Heroes is just as good on Android as it is on any other platform, which speaks wonders for the quality of the port. Players can jump into the Battle of Normandy and lead their troops into a brutal fight for victory, spanning from the pages of history.
Company of Heroes features some advanced tactics that have been perfectly optimized through simple controls for Android devices. It's the same great campaign, with dynamic environments and smart enemy troops, and it's still one of the best RTS games out there.
7 Art Of War 3
A Spiritual Successor To Command & Conquer: Generals On Mobile
Art of War 3
- Released
- May 22, 2018
- Developer
- Gear Games Global
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
Art of War 3 is a futuristic military RTS game on Android that allows players to go up against each other in either 2v2 PVP battles or cooperative action. It also features a huge campaign for each of the two factions in the game which will make gamers feel like they're in charge of an actual army.
It's a nice callback to military RTS games such as Command and Conquer, and it's an overall great RTS game to play on mobile devices, especially for fans of the military-style subgenre. Units can be unlocked and upgraded as players expand their base to take command of the battlefield.
6 Rome: Total War
A Clean Mobile Port From One Of The Best Battle Simulators To Ever Exist
Rome: Total War
- Released
- September 22, 2004
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Tactical
The Total War series is widely regarded as one of the best strategy franchises of all time, so it's great to see a port of Rome: Total War on Android, and it's even better knowing that it's a great game! Players can control large fleets of Roman troops and command them on the battlefield against huge groups of opponents. There is a lot to master here, but it's great that such a vast RTS is available for mobile devices.
The touch controls work well, which is surprising considering how complex the game is, and it's satisfying to scroll and view the battlefield and watch troops travel and fight in real-time. The Total War series is fantastic at capturing a sense of large-scale battles, and Rome: Total War is often regarded as one of the best of the bunch.
5 Civilization 6
An All-Time Classic Coming To Mobile
Sid Meier's Civilization 6
When it comes to Civilization 6, most gamers remember playing it on PC, but it is also available on mobile since 2020. Although the game has never received a new mobile update since 2023, it delivers a comprehensive experience of the original game on PC, with almost all the features, but lacking the post-launch expansions.
Performance-wise, there might be some hiccups when playing the mobile version of Civilization 6, especially knowing that the development team may not release a new update ever again with Civilization 7 in the pipeline. That being said, there shouldn't be an issue for gamers with a great gaming mobile.
Just like the PC version, the player chooses a ruler and then begins to lead a nation from barebones to become a force to be reckoned with in the world.
4 Machines At War 3
Build Bases, Create Armies, And Wage War On Opponents
Machines At War 3
- Released
- September 21, 2012
- Platform(s)
- Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS
- Developer
- Isotope 244
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy, Action, Indie Games
This is a top-down military shooter RTS with over 130 types of units available to build. There's an entertaining campaign with over 21 unique missions and gamers can choose to go up against friends or random players in exciting online battles. There are hundreds of randomized maps to explore and conquer.
Machines at War 3 also features some unique RTS mega units that can turn the tide of a battle. There are infantry, aircraft, naval, and ground forces to be deployed, and gamers can have unlimited amounts of fun exploring the best ways to come out victorious while engaging in real-time battles.