The 8 best RTS games for Android in 2022

Strategize your way to victory with these fantastic RTS games

Real-time strategy games (RTS) often bring to mind a player furiously tapping and clicking away at their computer, wielding their mouse like a fencer competing for Olympic gold. So when a developer creates an RTS game for Android, they have to get creative as the player usually only has a touch screen to interact with the game. Some developers work to replicate the PC experience with creative UIs and buttons. Other games are built from the ground up with touch screen controls in mind.

There's also the challenge of ensuring that you can get a decent game in on your morning commute. Some of these games solve this by splitting up a massive campaign into bite size chunks, whereas others offer games that last a few minutes. While some of these games include online multiplayer, check out our list of the best online multiplayer Android games if you're looking for a purely competitive gaming experience instead.

1. Rome: Total War

The Total War series is one of the most enduring RTS franchises of all time. Rome: Total War is the third game in the series and was originally released on PC in 2004. The Android port of this game is a beautiful example of a complex RTS adapted for mobile gaming. Commanding hundreds of soldiers from your phone is remarkably easy, and never feels clunky to play.

Rome: Total War puts you in control of one of nineteen factions. Over the course of your campaign, you'll attempt to conquer Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. While the massive RTS battles are the centerpiece of the game, a thoughtful turn based campaign gives the player space to reflect and strategize before their next conquest.

2. Bad North: Jotunn Edition

Bad North puts you in control of an island kingdom under siege by Viking invaders. Attempting to lead your people to safety, you'll hop between a series of stunning procedurally generated islands, fighting off waves of ax wielding marauders as you progress through the campaign. Missions are long enough for victory to feel well-earned but short enough to keep your attention.

Before each mission starts, you'll position your troops around the island and issue orders. No micromanaging here: each unit is smart enough to interpret your orders as they feel best. Don't get disarmed by the charming aesthetic, within minutes you'll be knee-deep in Viking blood as you frantically issue orders to defend your land.

3. Company of Heroes

Like Rome: Total War, Company of Heroes is a PC classic. In many ways, it's the most impressive RTS port on this list, as micromanaging troops while remaining aware of the broader battle is a challenging task for developers on any platform. Company of Heroes isn't just a direct port either, many features are rebuilt for a smoother mobile experience.

Company of Heroes' campaign puts you in the shoes of the U.S. army as they advance into Europe during World War II. Throughout the campaign, you'll interact with a variety of troops and vehicles to complete your objectives. Beyond this, it includes a skirmish game mode, where you can choose your faction to square off in one off battles. Better still, 2022 will see the addition of multiplayer, so you can face off against friends and strangers in skirmish battles.

4. Kingdom: Two Crowns

Kingdom: Two Crowns is a minimalist side-scrolling RTS. It's straightforward to learn and play; a quick tutorial teaches players the essentials of building their kingdom before setting them loose. While brutal at times, it's surprisingly forgiving. Rebuilding your kingdom after each defeat is a significant part of the gameplay loop, so you never feel like you have worked hard for nothing.

Upon starting a game of Kingdom: Two Crowns, you are greeted with the bare bones of a kingdom. After tasking minions to perform essential tasks like hunting and woodcutting, you'll start building up your defenses. Each night comes with a wave of strangely cute baddies called the Greed, whose only goal is to plunder your kingdom for everything it's worth. Kingdom: Two Crowns is a slow burn of a game, ideal for a player looking for a more relaxed approach to the RTS genre.

5. Northgard

Northgard is reminiscent of games like Age of Empires. Gameplay revolves around managing your resources to grow your settlement and send waves of troops to capture enemy territory. The focus here is on careful management of a few units, rather than large scale combat.

While Northgard includes a campaign that introduces players to the main factions, it's multiplayer where this game shines. You can choose whether to play against the AI, or head into online multiplayer to go head-to-head with other players. Each faction provides a fundamentally different approach to gameplay, and while Northgard is easy to learn, it'll take a while before you'll be regularly achieving victory. Don't let the unforgiving nature of Northgard put you off, it's easily one of the most rewarding RTS games available for Android.

6. Plague Inc.

Plague Inc. offers the player a simple goal: wipe out the world's population with a deadly disease. But achieving this objective is a significant challenge. Plague Inc. is a complex game that rewards planning and careful maneuvering to achieve victory. Failing multiple times in a row is a rite of passage for newcomers, but when you finally see the last person succumb to your disease, you'll be itching to do it all over again.

After you choose what type of disease you wish to use, you'll spend the game researching fresh new traits for your disease. These are categorized into transmission methods, symptoms, and abilities. Evolving and implementing new traits must be carefully done. Once your disease is noticed, it's a race against the clock before a cure is developed.

7. Element

Element was designed from the ground up to be quick to pick up and play. While the gameplay follows a classic RTS formula (gather resources to build troops to defeat your opponent), matches are designed to be finished within minutes. But while many games advertise the same benefit, Element's strength lies in its flawless execution.

Element is not an easy game. While the options available to the player are kept to a minimum (there are only four types of building/units to construct in a game), utilizing them properly takes a great deal of practice. While there is a brief period of "peaceful" setting up, the turning point of a game is often reached in less than a minute. And if you fail, it only takes seconds to get started with a new game.

8. rymdkapsel

rymdkapsel is hard to define. It's a base builder, puzzle game, and tower defense in one. But it's not the carefully designed gameplay or relaxing music that got me hooked. Instead, it was when I got upset that one of my anonymous white rectangles got zapped by a flying red triangle. rymdkapsel is elegantly designed, brilliantly executed, and knows you don't need fancy graphics or complex features for a fantastic RTS.

A game of rymdkapsel follows a simple premise: build your base, research monoliths, and defend against murderous triangles. While the focus is on building your base to your liking, your plans will fall to ruin without careful resource management and corridor planning. It's ideal for those who just like to be rewarded for building their perfect base.

These RTS games for Android promise players endless hours of strategizing, base building, and rewarding combat. Check out our roundup of the best Android games of 2022 when you're ready to try something new.