Top 15 turn-based games for mobile devices
Updated by Ivan Spasojevic on February 14th, 2024 - swapped two titles
What is considered to be a turn-based game? Why there are so many people who enjoy this particular style of play? And more importantly, which are the top 15 best turn-based games that you can play on your mobile device?
What are turn-based games?
First things first. What exactly is a turn-based game? Let's try to make this really simple without getting too technical about it. Let's use the one that pretty much everyone knows as an example, say chess.So in chess, player A goes first and only after they complete their move Player B can play. Simple right? I go, you go and so on. That kind of thing. We could say that a turn-based game has a certain structure that controls the flow of the gameplay and is split into phases.
When it comes to video games, we use the term turn-based, to describe a wide variety of titles that follow this simple concept. It can be anything, from card games, simulators, board games, RPGs and the list goes on and on.
Below you'll find a list of the top 15 best turn-based games for mobile devices. As always, we've tried to make our list as diverse as possible so that anyone can find a title of their liking to play on the go!
Let's get right into it!
1
Another Eden
Another Eden The Cat Beyond Time and Space follows the story of a young boy named Aldo in his adventure to rescue his sister Feinne from the Beast-King. When a distortion in space-time occurred, Aldo found himself 800 years in the future. This turn-based mobile game mostly plays as a side-scrolling JRPG, and it involves travelling through the future, the present and the past.
There are more than 80 chapters and a variety of characters that you can recruit through gacha mechanics to make your party stronger. Take a look at our tier list of the best characters in Another Eden if you decide to give it a go.
2
Marvel Strike Force
In Marvel Strike Force 5, you can collect heroes and villains from the Marvel Universe, create powerful teams, and go up against Ultimus' legions in turn-based battles.
There are various modes that you can participate in, such as Campaign, Blitz, Arena, Raids, Challenges, Alliance War and even Real Time Arena if you enjoy PvP. The battle mechanics are rather simple and easy to understand.
Even though it was released back in 2018, several new characters are often released to keep things fresh.
3
Legends of Runeterra
Legends of Runeterra is a collectible card game inspired by Magic: The Gathering where players face each other in one versus one battles. Both players start the match with the same number of health points, and the first to fall to zero loses.
All the cards are inspired by the League of Legends universe, and many main characters from the popular MOBA are featured as Champion cards.
Everything about it looks great and polished, and the overall quality is simply incredible. If you are a fan of deck-builders, Legends of Runeterra is a mobile turn-based game that you will enjoy.
4
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
Master Duel is the digital form of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game that's been going strong for over 20 years now. Build your very own deck and duel against other players from all over the world. Win prizes by participating in special events and tournaments, or try to climb the competitive ladder in ranked duels. Of course, you can always just play for fun against your friends or even AI. Try to come up with new strategies and combos that will give you the edge over your opponents and make you the number one duelist!
Check out the best meta decks to climb the competitive ladder!
5
Battle Chasers: Nightwar
As we've mentioned previously, the turn-based games category is wide, and it includes titles from various genres. Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a single-player J-RPG adventure featuring deep dungeon diving and a turn-based combat system. The story follows Gully's quest to find her long-lost father, a famous hero named Aramus who suddenly disappeared one day. A party of five rather unlikely heroes, each with their own unique abilities and style, will help Gully on her adventure.
6
Dungeon Maker
Dungeon Maker is a strategy game that blends elements from tower defence, deck-builders and rogue-like games.
Create your own dungeon and try to come up with unique strategies to survive against hordes of enemies. Carefully place the traps and monsters that you have at your disposal, and unlock more elements the longer you survive.
Each turn you can decide if you want to rest, fight, or upgrade the dungeon by picking fate cards. There are over 260 monsters and heroes and more than 240 relics you can collect along the way and many special events.
7
Dragonheir: Silent Gods
Dragonheir was released in 2023 and got a massive following right away for being different from other similar gacha games. First of all, you'll wander freely through the world, and then most of your actions have a chance instead of just clicking through the content randomly and succeeding in everything that you try. The dice roll will remind you of the tabletop D&D, which is nice.
Another awesome element is the number of heroes, as you can pick over 200 of them! Of course, we made a tier list of Dragonheir characters to help you pick the best ones since it's a tedious task for some. Now, once you pick your characters, combat is turn-based, and you'll have to position them and use their abilities accordingly. Graphics are super detailed, and you'll love how everything looks, from heroes that you will lead to the world around you.
Claim free prizes by redeeming some of the Dragonheir codes in case you decide to give it a go, they should give you a nice advantage!
8
Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle
You don't really have to be a Dragon Ball fan to enjoy Dokkan Battle. But if you are a fan of the legendary franchise, and you are looking for a turn-based game for mobile, then this title should be on the top of your list.
Since its release in 2015, Dokkan Battle has created a huge online community that's still going strong to this day, with more than 350 million downloads and over 3 billion dollars in revenue worldwide.
Its unique gameplay blends elements of card, board games and even tile-matching. There are hundreds and hundreds of cards with all the fan-favourite characters from the Dragon Ball universe, as well as others that are less popular. To keep things fresh, new cards and events are being added all the time. We have a Dokkan Battle tier list to help you out, in case you decide to give it a try.
9
The Battle of Polytopia
4X are some of the better turn-based strategy games for mobile. The four Xs are actually abbreviations for eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate, all key gameplay elements in this genre.
In The Battle of Polytopia, you can select one of the available tribes and develop it into an empire that will rule the world. Of course, it won't be that easy! It requires a lot of strategy and planning. Fight against enemy tribes, discover new technologies and explore new lands. The auto-generated maps feature makes each game a unique experience. It can be played in single, or multi-player modes.
10
Hoplite
If you are looking for something different, Hoplite is an old-school single-player roguelike dungeon crawler that was released back in 2013. Still, after all these years, it remains unique and really enjoyable.
Hoplite's gameplay is very simple and easy to understand but at the same time very challenging. It requires strategic thinking and planning ahead, almost like a game of chess, as your every decision matters.
The first levels are easy enough to give you the required time and experience to understand the game mechanics, but as you progress, the challenges will become much harder.
11
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Hearthstone is one of the most popular turn-based card games for mobile. It is a collectible card game where you have to create your deck using hundreds of different cards and compete with other players. Hearthstone is a great choice if you need a game to play when you have a few free minutes since the matches are pretty fast.
And if you are a fan of this genre, make sure to check out our list of the best collectible card games on Android. Also, we've got an article on Hearthstone's Valentine's Day update.
12
Through The Ages
When one of the best board games ever created receives a well-polished, quality digital version, the result is nothing short of amazing. This is an excellent adaptation of Vlaada Chvátil’s strategy classic, with tremendous replay value as every round plays out differently, even against the AI. If you are a fan of Civilization-type games, you are definitely going to enjoy this one.
13
Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus
Warhammer 40K has never been more popular than it is now. One of the newest games from this turn-based tabletop found its way to mobile and the hearts of many players. We are talking about Tacticus, a strategy that won the GOTY title at the Mobile Game Awards by the choice of players in 2022. Of course, it's still regularly updated and active with new events being released now and then.
You'll collect characters from different factions, and try to find the best possible synergy for your team. Then you can play various modes, including campaign, PVP Arena, Onslaught and a few others. Combat is turn-based and very tactical, as you'll have to figure out who plays before whom and then act accordingly. A lot of it is up to you, and I played battles that I've previously lost again, and with the right choices, I'd wipe out the enemy team. So, a lot depends upon you, if your enemy doesn't have 2-3 times higher team power.
14
Sid Meier's Civilization VI
Well, the next legendary turn-based game on the list is well-known by any avid gamer. It is a grand strategy where you have to build your empire. In fact, you have to turn a small tribe into a powerful modern civilization. The most efficient way to build your empire is to manage your resources correctly and think a few steps ahead. In other words, it is a perfect game for improving your strategy and management skills.
If that was not enough to convince you to download this beautiful game, make sure to check out our review. If you are already a fan of this complex strategy game but want to try something similar, we have a list of the best mobile games like Civilization for you!
15
Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire brings together two seemingly totally different gaming genres as it blends elements of roguelikes and deck builders. The result is a very fun and addictive gaming experience. The gameplay is simple enough in a way that anyone can grasp, but at the same time, it requires strategic thinking. You feel that every decision matters. Collect hundreds of cards and build powerful combos as you climb the spire! All in all, Slay the Spire is a mobile turn-based game like no other that will keep you entertained for a long time!
Picking the best character in Slay the Spire is not an easy endeavour, so we are here to assist you, as always. There are more guides for it, just look around a bit!
