If you’re looking for some awesome Chrome strategy games, look no further.
I’ve compiled a list of the top five best strategy games I could find on the Chrome Web Store.
This list is based on my personal opinion and the dozens of reviews I’ve sifted through.
And they’re also all free to play as well. Booyah.
Personally, I’m a big fan of old-school real-time strategy (RTS) games like Starcraft and Warcraft, turn-based strategy (TBS) like Risk, and tower defense (TD) games like Bloons TD.
If you like games where you have to think and plan your next move, you’ll probably like these games.
Anyway, enough rambling already.
Let’s get on with the list.
Last updated: 3/2/23. Updated to include more games by readers.
Game #1: Kingdom Rush Frontiers
Kingdom Rush Frontiers is an awesome tower defense game packed with crazy content.
As of this writing, the game has 129,693 active users and is rated 5/5 with 1744 ratings. That’s impressive.
Update: This game is going strong with constant updates.
The original game was a hit, and this is pretty much sequel to it. You’re in control of an army of troops and you need to guide them through a variety of levels.
The game is known for its multitude of crazy content. It’s really like no other game out there of the same genre because it doesn’t really take on any particular theme. It just jam-packs itself with random stuff and offers a crazy, hectic gaming experience.
But that’s what keeps it fun.
You need to utilize your troops and place them strategically throughout the game’s maps and defend exotic lands from things like giant plants, zombies, dragons, aliens, pirates, and a lot more random enemies. The game packs in over 40 different types of baddies you need to defend against.
You even have to fight epic bosses in each level and they can be pretty hard to beat.
Kingdom Rush Frontiers is different from other TD games because you can command powerful heroes that have special attacks and abilities. These heroes are overpowered if you use them correctly, but can also be very challenging to master.
Personally, I think it adds a nice aspect to the game. You can even customize all the abilities for each hero and level them up in a way. It’s awesome. Each hero plays differently so find the one that suits your playstyle.
As for troops and towers, they’ll be the main defense you use to stop the enemy waves. There are a bunch of different types of towers you can build. Some are fast but weak. Others are fast but strong. If you’ve played any TD game before, you know what I mean. Some towers are very OP, but it takes a lot of time to build them. So it balances out.
They can even be upgraded to use abilities (about 20 new abilities in total) that let you do stuff like steal enemies or unleash pestilence clouds.
Some towers have specialized abilities and can be upgraded to use them. You can stop, slice, and shake your foes. You can use new troops and weapons like Crossbow Forts, Templars, and Earthquake towers. It’s crazy.
You can also use powerups like Reinforcements, Freeze Bombos, Meteor Strikes, and even Nukes that eradicate the whole level.
The environments range from deserts, jungles, Egypt, oceans, forests, and even fantasy levels. And each level has special unique units and environmental features.
If you’re an achievement hunter, the game also has built-in achievements. You can play for over 70 awards that you can unlock. It’ll take a lot of time.
If you’re really looking for a challenge, there are 3 game modes to try- Classic, Iron, and Heroic. They each play differently. And you can pick from 3 different difficulties for each mode.
You have hours of gameplay just trying to beat all the different game types.
There’s even an encyclopedia dedicated to giving you specialized intel on each enemy you encounter. You can read it for tips on taking them out efficiently and get their weaknesses.
The game is rendered in a very appealing pixel art with retro graphics in a 2.5D top-down world. It’s very pleasing to look at. The music, sound effects, and sprites are all very well done and you can tell the developers took their time to create them. Kingdom Rush Frontiers is one of the best and most popular games on the Chrome Web Store.
It’s backed by a bunch of good reviews so it’s definitely worth a try even if you’re not into tower defense games. It’s just that good.
This game will keep you busy for days on end. It’s not a cakewalk as the later levels are pretty cray. You’ll be hardcore focused to get through ’em!
It’s one of the best tower defense games I’ve played on Chrome. It’s a must-try if you like TD games or puzzle games. This game can really get addicting once you get into it. It offers a variety of towers, environments, and enemies to keep you busy for hours and hours.
Get Kingdom Rush Frontiers and build your towers, defend your base, and get epic heroes under your command. Try it out here.
You can watch some gameplay footage and review of Kingdom Rush Frontiers here (heads up: it’s a lengthy video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pln8p4fYf0g
Game #2: Grepolis
Grepolis is a free browser-based game where you can forge a new empire in ancient Greece.
It has just over 84K users with a 4/5 star rating based on over 1K reviews.
You start with a small polis with just a few buildings and workers. Over time, you can transform it into a giant, thriving metropolis. Grepolis offers you 13 different buildings to construct. These buildings are necessary to grow your town.
You can also construct epic monuments that let you change how your empire is influenced. These are things like harbors, timber camps, and silver mines.
They completely change how your empire is shaped and lets you interact with other empires as well. You’ll need to find these epic buildings to expand your polis and they’re critical to winning the game.
Similar to games like Civilization, you can research technologies. Grepolis has about 30 of them and they’re all researched in the Academy building. You can unlock stuff like improved invasion and faster construction. This is another critical point of the game.
This game has gorgeous artwork and looks like a premium game. You’ll be surprised. It’s like freemium quality.
If an attacking army has better gear and research, they’ll probably take down your defenses and raid your city. You have to constantly research improvements for yourself or else you’ll be behind every other force.
You can interact and create an alliance with other players. Although this isn’t really pronounced in the game’s description, you have to form alliances if you want to be able to take on enemy forces. If multiple forces attack you, you need a team to take them on.
People are generally friendly in this game and will easily accept your alliance request provided that you have an established base. As for new players, I didn’t find any trolling. You should definitely look up a wiki guide about the game before diving in just so you know how to get started.
You can also recruit armies and mythical creatures as well. You’ll need to do all of these as they shape the outcome of your empire. These units are generally pretty OP, and you’ll need them to defense or attack other empires.
Building up your polis takes a while and you’ll need to keep a close eye on attacking enemies so you can defend them. You’ll need to use a mix of your heroes, mythical units, troops, buildings, and epic monuments to build and expand your empire and influence.
It plays very similar to Civilization and it’s like a mini version of it. It’s a very addicting game that you’ll spend hours on if you like strategy and planning. It’s also free to play and runs directly in your browser. No downloads required.
Grepolis is a deep strategy game for Chrome. It’s pretty difficult to learn, but once you get the hang of it, it’s very addicting to play. Try out Grepolis on the Chrome Web Store.
Game #3: SparkChess
Okay, I get it. Chess isn’t for everyone.
(Don’t like chess? Need more games? I’ve got a list of games from shooters to puzzlers to platformers.)
But if you like chess, this game is for you. You’ll totally dig it.
It currently has over 329K active users and is rated 4.5/5 stars with over 1K reviewers.
SparkChess is exactly what it sounds like. It’s an online chess game that pits you against your choice of boards. You can choose from a variety of different themes for your pieces to mix it up. You can pick from 2D, 3D, and fantasy boards.
If you’re not good at chess or you’re still learning, you can pick to go against a computer. The AI in this game can be set to easy or hard so anyone can enjoy it. Whether you’re new to the game or you’re a veteran, SparkChess delivers. The interface is very easy to use.
SparkChess is aimed to provide an enjoyable chess experience for anyone with any skill level. I’m not that good at it, but I found myself paired with similar players so it was pretty balanced.
You can choose to play casual or expert games. There’s also a quick game if you don’t have a lot of time but you want to get your chess fix in.
The bulk of this game is for playing against other players. This is where the fun comes in. You take turns and drag your pieces across the board following the standard rules of chess.
The interface is easy to use with animations and arrows dictating where your pieces can go. It’s very easy to use. There are also a ton of other players so you’ll always have a game to play.
The community is very helpful and cheerful. I didn’t find any players trying to troll or give anyone a hard time. You can also chat with others, invite, and interact with them. There’s a set of tools for building a community of friends.
For those who want a little more advanced interface, SparkChess has you covered. You can view the move history, analyze the game, replay moves, and get a nice overview look at the entire board with zoom controls in the premium version. Otherwise, it’s a free online chess game that works wonderfully. You don’t have to pay to win.
The game also has other features like saving and loading a game. You can also edit the board anytime as well to change it up to your liking.
SparkChess also has a spectate feature so other players can watch your game, or you can watch others play to learn new positions or plays. It’s probably the best chess app available for Chrome OS that I’ve come across so far.
I haven’t seen anything that’s more complete and has a huge playerbase.
There’s a leaderboard system that tracks scores, so you can play somewhat competitively as well. You can climb the ranks and watch your name get towards the top.
If you’re a competitive player looking for competitive chess, this is probably your best bet. You’ll have a hard time finding another game that has all these features built-in.
Idle games and the “autochess” genre have blown up recently, and SparkChess makes an excellent game to keep you busy.
If you’re into chess, or you’re interested in learning how to play it, give SparkChess a try.
Game #4: Illyriad
Illyriad is a “Grand Strategy MMO” as stated in their official title. It’s a city-builder game that runs straight in your browser. It’s pretty similar to Grepolis, but it’s also vastly different.
As of this writing, it currently has about 16K users and is rated 4/5 stars by exactly 600 players.
For starters, you can build a lot more instructions- like tons more. You can build over 70 buildings, research over 400 techs, and train or battle against over 700 units. That’s right. There are literally over 700 units in the game’s 100+ factions. These factions are NPCs, but you have a huge variety of different ones to ally with or fight against.
Illyriad at its core is a community-driven game. There’s a market controlled entirely by the players which offer items and resources you can buy, sell, and trade. You can sell your own resources you’ve gathered, or you can trade them for others. You can also buy resources using the income you’ve earned.
The same goes for items. It’s completely controlled by the players and is a free market. There are over 380 items and resources combined. It’s a huge free market.
The game has huge depth that makes it nearly impossible to master. There are just too many different variables and factors to take into account.
You can’t destroy every other empire in the game. The game is set up in a way where you can only build the best city you can, but there’s no guarantee that you won’t be attacked.
It makes you want to think strategically and plan everything out. This adds value to the game because it keeps you on your toes and never becomes stale. You’re always on the lookout for the next improvement- more defense, more research, more weapons, more alliances, more items, etc.
The game is endless and mindlessly addicting (as in you’ll constantly check this game every five minutes like a zombie without thinking about it).
You need to craft, trade, scheme, plan, think, fight, ally, buy, and sell in order to expand your city and turn it into an empire. It’s a huge game. I can’t stress that enough.
Because it’s so deep, it’s not that easy to pick up and play. There’s definitely a learning curve in Illyriad. But if you’re a dedicated strategy gamer, you’ll learn it.
The community is awesome. It seems to be composed of a mature audience who are willing to help out newer players. You can ally and forge alliances with other players (in fact, you have to if you want to survive attacks), and you can also wage war against them. There’s a ton of variety to the game and it requires a lot of thinking and deciding your next move.
I also found that you end up contemplating the future of your city a lot as well. You need to decide if a cheap investment now is worth it, or waiting for a better one. The game throws a ton of decisions at you and you need to decide what’s best for your city.
The game is like a very, very deep version of Grepolis, Risk, and Civilization hybrid. It’s very impressive for just a browser game. I’ve got to say- they’ve come a long way. Some browser games look and feel like actual games you’d buy a digital copy of from Steam or something.
Illyriad also gets frequently updated. The game gets updated constantly over the ‘net. Every time you log in, it’ll probably be getting an update if you play it casually.
The game is free to play and plays right in your browser. With its huge variety of troops, buildings, tech tree, alliances, and research, Illyriad is one of the best strategy games for Chrome OS. It’s an amazing game that’ll provide you hours of entertainment.
You can check out Illyriad here on the Chrome Web Store.
Game #5: Elvenar
And lastly, we have Elvenar. It’s probably the prettiest game on the whole list.
It currently has “over 9000” users and is rated 4/5 stars based on 125 gamers.
Update: As of 2022, it has over 100K ratings and is rated 4/5 stars. Crazy! You’ve seen the ads for it.
It’s another city-builder, but this time it’s set in a fantasy, mythical elven world. And it’s a lot easier to play for casual gamers. It’s also kind of different from the majority of builders like Grepolis, Civilization, and even Illyriad.
This game is one of the few web-based games that’s still growing in number of players. The playerbase is actually still expanding and populating over time, unlike many other one-trick strategy games that disappear overnight.
Elvenar still advertises their game everywhere, which is a sign that the development or marketing team behind it is still getting a positive ROI for their campaign. This is good if you’re looking for a web-based strategy game that’s not going to vanish anytime soon.
The sheer number of players is enough to prove that it’s seriously addicting.
What initially drew me to this title were the graphics. They’re very appealing and pleasing to look at. The game is 2.5D and has a gorgeous top-down view.
All the buildings are very detailed and colorful. And they fit the theme of being in a magical land as well. Since it looked so appealing, I thought I’d give it a shot (and the reviews weren’t half bad either).
In Elvenar, you choose to be either a human or elf (pretty fitting, right?). Just like any other fantasy RPG.
(If you’re into RPGs, I’ve compiled a list of the best ones.)
You’re in some lost world fantasyland and blah blah blah- you’re now in charge of building a small village. You’re the ruler of a small village of your chosen race and all you need to do is help your people prosper and expand the village.
So, you gather resources, upgrade your buildings, and explore the lost world for hidden discoveries. As you explore, you can find other villages, rare items, and powerful relics that help expand your village into a city.
Besides the cheesy storyline, Elvenar has a very nice upgrade system. Every building in your village can be upgraded (all the important ones), and can be “repainted” visually to boost the productivity of it. It’s a really weird concept, but it makes and keeps the game interesting. The building gets “prettier” when it gets upgraded.
This probably explains why the graphics are just so gosh dang gorgeous. When you have a town with fully-upgraded buildings, the game just looks amazing.
The main difference about this city-builder compared to other similar games is the whole race thing. Sure, other games may have factions and guilds, but Elvenar just focuses on humans and elves and drives the point home.
Elves have magical buildings and attacks for their units, and humans use medieval weapons and traditional buildings. And they’re not just for looks. The differences give each race advantages and disadvantages in battles.
The primary buildings like the workers’ huts, residential buildings, factories, main hall, and research buildings all look very different between the two races. Though, besides eye-candy, they function pretty much the same. But it’s the battle and combat system where the races are unique.
The battle system takes place on a hexagonal system similar to a lot of JRPGs. The units are fully-animated in 3D and there are a ton of environments to fight in.
Each unit has its own unique attack and abilities and the two races further extend that uniqueness. That’s not to say the game is unbalanced. But it does give each race a unique strength and weakness to look out for.
There are just over 20 different unit types which just gives enough variety to each battle to make it unique and require some strategic thinking. The divide between the races keeps you on your toes and requires you to plan each attack and counterattack. This is what makes Elvenar a standout game from other city-builder strategy games.
On the map, you can interact with other players and you’ll probably have to. The game isn’t as focused on forming alliances as Illyriad is, but you still need to form a community and have alliances. You can explore the map and hunt for relics, which are very important to building a powerful force.
Research is also important in Elvenar. There are over 200 different upgrade and improvements that can be discovered in your research centers. You’ll need them to expand your city and improve your troops. Without proper technology, you won’t stand a chance against a faction that’s up in the tech tree.
As method earlier, Elvenar is good for the casual gamer. The game runs at a slower pace compared to other hardcore strategy games, but it makes it easier to play and handle everything at once- especially when you have a huge city going.
If you’re new to these type of games, this is a good start. It’s easy to play, easy to learn, and gives you a lot of time to plan your next action. If you mess up, it’s also very forgiving.
The community is also very helpful and encouraging towards new players. I’ve actually met some really cool people on this game and it’s fun to get on Discord and just chat about random stuff while exploring the game.
If you’re looking for an easy strategy game that you can just play right away and just have a good time, try out Elvenar.
Update: Elvenar is still huge and new content is being added to the game. The strategic RPG has a 4.4 overall rating out of 5 with over 80,000 votes on the Play Store.
Here’s some Elvenar gameplay that pretty much goes in depth and teaches you the basics of the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkbQXcIl3zU
Did you like any of these strategy games?
Got game?
That’s my list of my top 5 strategy games for Chrome. All of should work with the Chrome Browser on any laptop, tablet, or desktop. And any Chromebook as well. And they’re all free to play.
I tried to choose a variety of games for all types of gamers- from casual to hardcore. So this list should have something for everyone.
If you like these games, we may have similar taste. I also wrote up another list of some awesome Chrome games I’m personally playing that you may also like.
If you have any other awesome games to suggest, tell me about it in the comments section.
Or if you found this list helpful, let me know about it as well.
Now go ahead and try a few of these games out. Bring some friends with you as well. Tell them about this list and decide on one together.
Thanks for reading.
mogus
good
d
d
d
d
d
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can i play now!
maybe