Order of Kings lets you take on real-time 3D strategy in this upcoming 4x release

• Order of Kings is an upcoming 4x and real-time strategy set during the Three Kingdoms
• But it differs in offering real-time battles on 3D terrain with a focus on Total War-style tactics
• That means using the terrain to your advantage and not just focusing on stats

Strategy is a pretty popular genre on mobile for a good reason. It's easy to take your time and hop in whenever you have a moment to check in on your troops. After all, that and the ever-present threat of attack are why Clash of Clans is so popular. But Order of Kings is taking a different approach when it releases in March.

Of course, given this is a Chinese release, you'll probably expect already that this is set during the Three Kingdoms period. A lot like classical antiquity is for the West, the Three Kingdoms period is chock-a-block with interesting personalities to lead your armies, and more importantly, huge forces to clash with.

And that's perhaps where Order of Kings' most prominent selling point is. Rather than more abstract stat-vs-stat style gameplay, you'll be doing things in more Total War fashion, where 3D battlefields affect positioning and tactics. That means archers go on the high grounds and bottleneck your foe. Simple, but effective and surprisingly historically authentic.

A tide of total war

All too often, we get releases and news claiming that someone is developing a real game-changer. And just as often, these changes are, let's say, not drastic enough to really warrant that claim.

But with Order of Kings, it may just be true. I think integrating more Total War-style battles will be a great move, meaning players will forgive a lot of other indiscretions. And with the promise of instant upgrades for home bases (no timers, yay), I'll be keeping my eye carefully on this to see how it holds up to these promises upon launch.

In the meantime, if you want to cut your teeth on some of the other tactical experiences on mobile, be sure to dig into our list of the best strategy games on Android!