About strategy games
Strategy games reward planning over reflexes. Build towers, grow a kingdom, manage resources or command units, and win by making better decisions than your opponent.
The opening matters most. Spend early resources on things that earn more resources, and watch how the computer plays before you commit to an attack. Many strategy games here can be paused or played at your own speed, so there is no rush.
Types of strategy games
Tower defense games
Tower defence games give you a path, a budget and waves of enemies. You place towers along the path, upgrade them between waves, and try to stop everything before it reaches your base. The best ones make every choice matter: a cheap tower now, or save for a strong one later?
Chess games
The chess games here follow the standard rules and let you play the computer at different strengths, a friend on the same screen, or online opponents. Several include hints and the option to take back a move, which makes them a good place to learn.
Clicker and idle games
Clicker and idle games start with a single tap and grow into a machine that earns on its own. You spend what you make on upgrades, and the upgrades make the next stage faster. Many save progress in your browser, so the numbers keep growing between visits.
Our picks
- Defend the Castle: Defend the Castle is a tower-defence game with a medieval setting.
- Crash Core: Crash Core puts you in control of a heavy rolling core whose only job is destruction.
- AOD - Art Of Defense: AOD - Art Of Defense is a tower defence game set after an apocalypse.
- Age of Heroes: Age of Heroes is a strategy game across the ages.
- Body Drop 3D: Body Drop 3D is a physics game with a crash test dummy.
Questions
What are the best free strategy games?
Our picks right now: Defend the Castle, Crash Core, AOD - Art Of Defense, Age of Heroes, Body Drop 3D. Each one has a full review with tips on its page.
Are these strategy games free?
Yes. All 553 strategy games on EarnVera are free to play in your browser, with no download and no account.
Can I play strategy games on my phone?
Most games work on phones, tablets and computers. Open a game and press Play; turn your phone sideways for games that play in landscape.