Top 5 best strategy games of 2019 for iPhone and iPad (iOS)
In our last 2019 genre round-up, you could find me griping about how hard it was to define an RPG in the modern age.
Now I've been given the strategy genre to focus on. I wish I hadn't said anything.
What constitutes a strategy game these days? Sure, there's the old twin axis of turn-based and real time strategy, though we don't see as many examples of either as we used to.
But what about card games, board games, and JRPGs that feature tactical manoeuvring at their heart? Do they fit under the strategy banner? Possibly not on other platforms, but here on mobile things tend to be a lot harder to pin down.
The point is, as with the RPG, the strategy term has gotten a whole lot looser as genre boundaries have blurred. So it's not really worth fussing over too much.
All we know is that each of these five games has a strategic heart, even if they look very different from one another.
1
Evolution
Evolution is a board game. Or maybe a card game. Either way, it's a highly strategic one. The idea here is to adapt your species for survival in a shifting, hostile world, and ultimately to dominate your opponents. It's full of agonising tactical decisions, and the player who reads the 'battlefield' best will typically come out on top.
2
Langrisser Mobile
The fact that Langrisser Mobile recently appeared on our 2019 RPG round-up kind of illustrates our point in the intro. This is a highly polished JRPG with beautiful anime visuals and an epic plot. But at its heart is a an involved turn-based combat system based on the interplay between various unit types. It's one of the richer mobile strategy experiences of 2019, even with all the free-to-play gubbins.
3
Revolve8
Here's another glossy mash-up of JRPG and strategy elements. Sega's take, however, has more in common with Clash Royale than Fire Emblem. You build your deck of heroes and send them out into real time multiplayer battles, just like in Supercell's classic. The inclusion of unit skills that can be employed in battle adds an extra tactical edge.
4
The War of Genesis
The War of Genesis is another game that mashes together RPG and strategy tropes. Not that we're complaining. There's a huge, rich, anime-inflected world to explore, resources to scrap over, and a graphically rich action RPG-style combat system to master. It's definitely at the lighter end of the strategy spectrum, but it's no less entertaining for it.
5
Dungeon Warfare 2
The tower defence genre spun off from the classic RTS many years ago, before making its home on mobile. We don't get as many TD games as we used to, but Dungeon Warfare 2 is a brilliant example. It's way more free-wheeling and, well, strategic than something like Kingdom Rush, and there sheer range of tactical permutations as you construct the ultimate death-filled dungeon is impressive.
