At Chrome Ready, we firmly believe that ChromeOS is great for gaming, and this statement didn’t formulate out of thin air. With the recent arrival of Steam alpha on Chromebooks and the already established presence of the Google Play Store, ChromeOS is gradually making headway in video gaming.
Right alongside the best adventure games to play on a Chromebook, this article will talk about the top picks worldwide in the strategy game genre, thereby catering to a unique audience with its preferences oriented that way. Several high-quality titles have earned a spot on the list, so keep reading until the end for the best results.
- In the meantime: The 5 best video game streaming services for cloud gaming.
Strategy games for your Chromebook
1. Fallout Shelter
Fallout Shelter on ChromeOS
Starting this list with a bang is Fallout Shelter—a spin-off mobile iteration of the world-famous Fallout franchise that packs its fair share of exciting, world-building gameplay. It’s one of the top-rated strategy games you can play on your Chromebook. The best part is that the title can easily be downloaded from the Google Play Store.
The convenience brought forth by such a native integration is nothing but appreciable. Fallout Shelter derives its core gameplay elements from the iconic Fallout series in the sense of putting the player in control of a massive underground area called the Vault. You aim to oversee your community and ensure it thrives and prospers.
A hefty ton of customization options are made available for the player, making it possible to turn useless junk into items of considerable value. The “Crafting” feature will come into play here, allowing one to delve into the numerous possibilities of modifying your Vault and the look of each living character.
With more than 50 million downloads and a stellar 4.7/5.0 overall rating on the Google Play Store, Fallout Shelter is a successful strategy game that’s even free to play. It’s one of the most noteworthy stylized games that impressively utilize simulation, management, and single-player offline game mechanics.
Oh, and if you’d like to know more about the game before getting it right away, check out how to play Fallout Shelter on your Chromebook, on top of step-by-step installation instructions.
2. Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley on ChromeOS
The next best strategy game in line for your Chromebook is Stardew Valley on the Google Play Store. It decorates itself as the #1 top-paid title in the category of role-playing right while featuring terrific strategy elements as well. It’s based on farming, but the game heavily focuses on employing various tactics for your land’s growth.
Once you’re all settled in with the initial build of your farm, you’ll next need to create your own family. The game will also help you in that regard, offering several marriage candidates and allowing you to become a more significant part of the community.
Apart from the strategy-centric gameplay of Stardew Valley, this enthralling adventure of a game will have you exploring vast, mysterious underground caves. However, keep your resources in check as you might encounter vile, vicious monsters aiming to claw you down on sight.
After more details and detailed installation instructions, check out our guide on how to play Stardew Valley on your Chromebook.
3. Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire on ChromeOS
Next up, we’ve got Slay the Spire making waves across the internet for everything it gets right. Right off the bat, it bears noticing that the entry in question is a Steam alpha game that warrants the installation of Steam alpha on a select number of compatible Chromebooks first.
- Find out all you need to know about this in our guide on installing the Steam alpha app on Chromebooks.
With that being said, you’ll find remarkable deck-building mechanics that do a great job of keeping the player content with the gameplay while ensuring no playable routine is repeated. That is to say; this is what sets Slay the Spire apart from its competition in the sense of no guarantee of a definitive outcome every time you embark on a mission.
The versatility of Slay the Spire is what keeps the affair ever so enticingly entangled. From the arbitrary layout of the map and the random placement of unique enemies, we fare this title as one of the best strategy games to play on your Chromebook.
Again, we’ve covered the installation of this game in a separate article, so do check it out for a detailed account of how to play Slay the Spire on ChromeOS.
4. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition
The fourth spot on this list is Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition, a properly outlined through-and-through strategy game. If you purchase the Definitive Edition of the game, you’ll enjoy improved graphics, a remastered soundtrack, more ways to play, and bonus content to keep things strong.
Moreover, the inclusion of the original campaign ascertains that players will continue to receive the core Age of Empires experience. The game can push out more than 200 hours of the mainline campaign, so you’ll be sorted for a fair amount of time without a doubt.
Some other benefits of playing the remastered version of the game include consistent new updates, additional modes, and more than 35 different Civilizations to grow, develop, and partake in. The developers have even incorporated a Battle Royale mode for an immersive playable experience akin to PUBG.
- Purchase Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition from Steam.
5. Sid Meier’s Civilization V
Sid Meier’s Civilization V
The fifth entry on this list is Sid Meier’s Civilization V, and this title holds similar depth and intricate gameplay system as the legendary Age of Empires series. The Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise is tried-and-tested and has been doling out some of the most fun strategy game experiences since 1991.
While the latest iteration in the franchise — Sid Meier’s Civilization VI — is incompatible with playing on Chromebooks, aspiring players can easily download the fifth mainline part of the series on their end via Steam alpha. This is a paid title that costs about $7.99 when writing the article.
The best part is that the game isn’t quite demanding regarding system resource requirements. It can quickly run on Chromebooks right alongside low-powered Windows PCs. Critics and reviewers agree that Sid Meier’s Civilization V is one of the best strategy simulators that one can delve into and never get bored of.
- Purchase Sid Meier’s Civilization V from Steam.
6. Marvel Snap
Marvel Snap on ChromeOS
Marvel Snap is one of the latest strategy game releases of 2022, offering players the dynamic playability of a title painted in superhero colors. It’s a fast-paced card battle game that pits you against your favorite Marvel characters, with the cherry on top being a different feel and grip in every match.
The game even sports an eponymous “Snap” feature that allows you to raise your playing stakes and benefit from double rewards in the wake of it. However, after raising the stakes, you will suffer an equal loss if you lose the bout, so do be wary of this moving forward.
Enjoy the collection of various Marvel heroes and villains to assemble the ultimate squad of elite fighters. On top of that, you’ll receive consistent updates; in daily, weekly, and monthly formats with new cards to keep the content flowing and ever-alluring.
7. Clash Royale
Clash Royale
Clash Royale is a hearty fan-favorite, real-time strategy title from the headquarters of famous Finnish developer—Supercell. The famed mobile game creator is known worldwide for developing Clash of Clans and has now followed up with an even better title.
One of the best parts about Clash Royale is its consistent update schedule and overall maintenance. The developers have relatively recently released a quality-of-life update for the game, thereby bringing an assortment of features requested by the Clash Royale community.
The game plays out just as intended on ChromeOS, featuring full compatibility for the game. However, to enjoy Clash Royale in full-screen mode, you must have a tablet Chromebook that can rotate itself horizontally. That should ultimately do the trick for you and pave the way to a heightened user experience.
8. Bloons TD 6
Bloons TD6
What we have lined up next is a personal favorite over at Chrome Ready. Bloons TD6 is one of the best strategy games you can play on your Chromebook. It boasts highly addictive gameplay mechanics and a system that increases difficulty levels for people to stay hooked to the game.
A browser-based version of it also exists, should you choose to opt for a free-to-play online variant of Bloons TD6. However, it is a paid title on the Google Play Store and will set you back about $6. The game is the #1 top-paid strategy game on the popular Android storefront.
The tower-defense style of Bloons TD6 pits you against a usually harmless entity, but apparently, these appear to be menacing to monkeys. Who knew mere balloons could be such forces of destruction? You’ll unlock different types of powerful monkeys as you tread the mainline missions and explore the full Bloons TD6 story.
9. Into the Breach
Into the Breach
Developed and published by Sunset Games, Into the Breach has found a home on Netflix but is now available on the Google Play Store for aspiring Chromebook users. The game has been titled “2018’s Ultimate Game of the Year” by PC Gamer for all it does right, including futuristic combat and an apocalyptic setting.
Your aim in the game is to build mechanical robots, or mechs, to protect civilians and take down gigantic creatures. A unique mechanic of the game that kicks in as a death animation sequence is that it shows you sending for help back through time to seep into another timeline and carry on your objectives.
The game was revised lately and has since been pumped full of additional content, including advanced weapons, more pilots, mechs, new enemies, objectives, and other awesome stuff. Into the Breach, all in all, is undoubtedly worth the time and effort, especially on a Chromebook. We highly recommend giving it a go.
10. Monster Legends
Monster Legends on ChromeOS
Last, we’ve got Monster Legends topping this list of the best strategy games for ChromeOS. Instead of building cities, towns, and decks of cards, the game in question brings something more unique to the table. It lets you breed, collect, and feed monsters of all sorts and then make them engage in battle in a highly engaging PvP mode.
There are more than 900 monsters, with newer ones coming in weekly. That is to say; the developers keep Monster Legends up to speed with security fixes, bug patches, and more content to keep the game evergreen. Thanks to the real-time multiplayer mechanic of the title, don’t expect a single repetitive moment coming to you.
There are elements of RPG progression and strategy in Monster Legends, allowing you to level up your monsters for battles, boost their powers, and strategize to devise the best possible manner for defeating your foes. So don’t skip out on a game as terrific as Monster Legends.
Conclusion
While these minimal yet highly efficient devices aren’t quite there yet on the level of Windows PCs, Chromebooks are starting to offer some of the best in gaming, including Half-Life 2, Fallout 4, Vainglory, Tekken 7, and even Valorant. The potential of ChromeOS is vastly growing in recent times in this regard.
In this guide, we’ve looked at the best strategy games in town for Chromebooks, ranging from Fallout Shelter to the ever-enjoyable Monster Legends. Make sure to give each of these entries a go on your end to determine all those titles that suit your preferences the best.
Do let us know in the comments section ahead whether you found the write-up useful for your cause. As always, Chrome Ready wishes you good luck!
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