Free Army Games: 10 War and Strategy Games for Android

Army games are a broad church. Some drop you into a trench with a rifle, some hand you a tank and a map, and some want you to run an empire while your troops march about in the background.

I read the Google Play listings for ten popular free army and war games, noting the developer, installs, the Contains ads and in-app purchases labels, the content rating and any wording about offline play. They're in no particular order.

One thing stood out straight away: nearly all of them are built around online battles against other people. That's worth knowing if you're hoping for something to play on a train with no signal.

Army and war games side by side

Game	Developer	Google Play installs	Ads / in-app purchases	Offline wording on the listing
Lords Mobile: Kingdom Wars	IGG.COM	500M+	No ads label, in-app purchases	'This game requires an internet connection to play'
World War Heroes - WW2 PvP FPS	Azur Interactive Games Limited	100M+	Contains ads, in-app purchases	No offline claim on the listing
Mini Militia - War.io	Miniclip.com	100M+	Contains ads, in-app purchases	'Offline Survival mode'
War Machines: Tanks Battle Game	Wildlife Studios	100M+	Contains ads, in-app purchases	No offline claim on the listing
Boom Beach: War Strategy Game	Supercell	100M+	Contains ads, in-app purchases	No offline claim on the listing
World War 2 - FPS Shooting Games	Edkon Games GmbH	50M+	Contains ads, in-app purchases	No offline claim on the listing
Total Battle: War Strategy	Scorewarrior	50M+	No ads label, in-app purchases	No offline claim on the listing
War Commander: Rogue Assault	KIXEYE Canada Ltd	10M+	No ads label, in-app purchases	No offline claim on the listing
Supremacy: World War 3	Stillfront Supremacy Ltd	10M+	No ads label, in-app purchases	No offline claim on the listing
World War Armies: WW2 Strategy	Hypemasters, Inc.	5M+	Contains ads, in-app purchases	No offline claim on the listing

Ten free games with soldiers, tanks and bases

Lords Mobile: Kingdom Wars

A kingdom-building war game from IGG.COM with more than 500M installs. Its listing talks about recruiting heroes from all sorts of backgrounds, from dwarves to steampunk robots, and it's clear that the game needs a connection. There's no Contains ads label, but it does have in-app purchases.

World War Heroes - WW2 PvP FPS

An online first-person shooter set in the Second World War, from Azur Interactive Games Limited. The listing describes battles against players from around the world, including tank fights in the centre of Berlin. It's rated Teen.

Mini Militia - War.io

Miniclip's cartoon shooter is built for multiplayer battles with up to 6 players online, but its listing also mentions an Offline Survival mode for when you're on your own. The listing's last update date is in 2024, so it's older than the rest here.

War Machines: Tanks Battle Game

A tank battle game from Wildlife Studios with more than 100M installs. Its listing promises you'll command your own army of powerful machines, and it's rated Everyone 10+, one of the gentler ratings on this list.

Boom Beach: War Strategy Game

Supercell's strategy game has you building an island base and attacking enemy bases to free islanders from a villain called the Blackguard. It's rated Everyone 10+ and carries both the ads and in-app purchases labels.

World War 2 - FPS Shooting Games

Another Second World War shooter, this one from Edkon Games GmbH, with more than 50M installs. The listing focuses on multiplayer PvP battles in historic settings, and it's rated Teen.

Total Battle: War Strategy

A war strategy game from Scorewarrior where you build an empire and fight enemy factions across ancient civilisations, magic kingdoms and great empires. No Contains ads label, though it has in-app purchases.

War Commander: Rogue Assault

KIXEYE's real-time strategy game gives you direct control over your army vehicles, with no build times, in a post-apocalyptic world where Europe has become a war zone. It's rated Teen and shows no ads label.

Supremacy: World War 3

A modern war strategy game from Stillfront Supremacy Ltd in which battle tanks, attack submarines and stealth fighters all play a part. It's rated Teen and suits older players who enjoy big-picture planning more than fast reactions.

World War Armies: WW2 Strategy

Hypemasters' real-time strategy game puts you in charge of Second World War armies as an armchair commander, to borrow the listing's own phrase. It's rated Everyone 10+, with ads and in-app purchases.

Fighting as a soldier or commanding the whole army?

The shooters here, World War Heroes, Mini Militia and World War 2 - FPS Shooting Games, reward quick reactions. You're in the thick of it from the first second, and a match doesn't ask for much planning. War Machines sits close to them, with tanks instead of rifles.

The strategy games are slower burners. Lords Mobile, Boom Beach, Total Battle, War Commander, Supremacy and World War Armies ask you to build, plan and wait, and they tend to suit players who'd rather check in a few times a day than sit through one long session.

Getting started in a war strategy game

1. Play the tutorial all the way through, even when it feels slow.
2. Upgrade the building that produces resources before anything flashy.
3. Join an alliance or club if the game has one, because new players get help there.
4. Don't attack the strongest base you can find on day one.
5. Turn off notifications you don't need, or the game will nag you all day.

Which ones work without a signal?

Not many. Of the ten listings, only Mini Militia mentions an offline mode, and Lords Mobile states plainly that it needs an internet connection to play. The rest don't promise anything either way, and since they're built around battles with other people, I wouldn't count on them for a long journey.

If offline play matters more than the uniforms, a board game might suit you better, and my guide to strategy board games has plenty that scratch the same planning itch.

Age labels, ads and the in-game shop

• Rated Teen: Lords Mobile, World War Heroes, Mini Militia, World War 2 - FPS Shooting Games, War Commander and Supremacy.
• Rated Everyone 10+: War Machines, Boom Beach, Total Battle and World War Armies.
• No Contains ads label: Lords Mobile, Total Battle, War Commander and Supremacy.
• In-app purchases: all ten listings show the label.

War games often lean on timers that the shop can speed up, and that's where the in-app purchases label comes in. If a younger player is borrowing your phone, it's worth asking Google Play to require a password before anything in the shop goes through.

Playing with friends and other action games

Many of these games are more fun with people you know. For playing in the same room, see my list of co-op games you can play with mates nearby.

And if it's the fighting rather than the soldiers that appeals, beat 'em up games give the same rush in shorter bursts, with no base to look after.

Frequently asked questions

Are these army games free?

Yes. All ten are free to install from Google Play, and every listing shows the in-app purchases label.

Can I play army games offline?

Mini Militia - War.io mentions an Offline Survival mode. Lords Mobile says it needs an internet connection, and the others are built around online play.

Which army games suit a 10 year old?

War Machines, Boom Beach, Total Battle and World War Armies are rated Everyone 10+. The others are rated Teen. A rating is a starting point, so have a look yourself before handing the phone over.

What's the difference between an army shooter and a war strategy game?

A shooter puts you behind one soldier's gun. A strategy game makes you the general, building bases and moving whole armies.

Do army games have ads?

Six of the ten listings show a Contains ads label. Lords Mobile, Total Battle, War Commander and Supremacy don't.

Are there Second World War games here?

Yes. World War Heroes, World War 2 - FPS Shooting Games and World War Armies are all set in that war.