The best 50 free strategy PC games of all time

The Free Games Utopia top 50 lists the best free-to-play, free full version and liberated video games of all time according to users ratings. The games on this list belong to the whole history of video games; you can find games for DOS, Sega Genesis, Commodore 64 all the way up to more recent systems like Android, iOS, Linux and, of course, Windows.

The concept of "free" game is not very well-defined. All the games on Free Games Utopia do not require any kind of payment to start playing right away, but may OPTIONALLY require payments in the form of subscriptions, upgrades or microtransactions (MMOs, for example).

This top 50 includes games published for many platforms:

  • every PC platform since the dawn of desktop computers: from popular systems (Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Linux) to lesser known ones (Solaris, FreeBSD, BeOS)
  • old microcomputers: Commodore 64, Spectrum, etc.
  • mobile platform: mainly Android and iOS
  • a few popular consoles (and even old ones): Xbox, Nintendo, PlayStation

To be part of the top 50, a single game must have been voted at least three times. Use the button bar to filter the list by genre.

STRATEGY - In strategy video games the player has to think and plan every move to successfully progress in the game and win. In most strategy games, the game world is represented from a top-down or isometric perspective in order to help the player to manage armies, construct buildings, etc. Strategy games often involve exploring, manage the economy of an empire, fight tactical battles. Some of the most popular strategy subgenres are: real-time or turn-based strategy, 4x (eXpand, eXplor, eXploid, eXterminate), wargames.
More strategy games on Free Games Utopia.


# title genre status rating
0ad- 01. 0 A.D.
Windows, Mac OSX, Linux
strategy / real-time strategy
open source
4.06 / 5
battle-wesnoth- 02. Battle for Wesnoth
Windows, Solaris, Linux, Free BSD, BeOS, Amiga, Mac OSX, iOS, Android
strategy / turn-based tactics
open source
4.04 / 5
ur-quan-masters- 03. The Ur-Quan Masters
Windows, Linux, Mac OSX, Amiga, Android, iOS
strategy / space exploration
full free version
3.94 / 5
starcraft- 04. StarCraft Anthology
Windows, Mac OSX
strategy / real-time strategy
liberated
3.83 / 5
retro-commander- 05. Retro Commander
Windows, Mac OSX
strategy / real-time strategy
full free version
3.80 / 5
freeciv- 06. Freeciv
Windows, Linux, Mac OSX, Amiga, Free BSD, UNIX
strategy / 4X
open source
3.80 / 5
freecol- 07. FreeCol
Windows, Mac OSX, Linux
strategy / 4X
open source
3.80 / 5
clonk_endeavour- 08. Clonk Endeavour
Windows, Linux, Mac OSX
strategy
liberated
3.75 / 5
armoured-commander- 09. Armoured Commander
Windows
strategy / turn-based tactics
open source
3.75 / 5
card-hunter- 10. Card Hunter
Windows, Linux, Mac OSX, browser
strategy / board game
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.74 / 5
widelands- 11. Widelands
Windows, Linux, Mac OSX
strategy / real-time strategy
open source
3.73 / 5
atwar- 12. atWar
browser
strategy
full free version
3.70 / 5
savagenewerth- 13. Savage: The Battle for Newerth
Windows, Linux, Mac OSX
strategy / real-time strategy
liberated
3.67 / 5
starfleet2- 14. Star Fleet II: Krellan Commander
DOS
strategy / space combat
liberated
3.67 / 5
the-settlers-online- 15. The Settlers Online
browser, Windows
strategy / MMORTS
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.67 / 5
scorched-earth- 16. Scorched Earth
DOS
strategy / artillery
liberated
3.67 / 5
starcraft-2- 17. StarCraft II
Windows, Mac OSX
strategy / real-time strategy
free, commercial version available
3.60 / 5
hedge-wars- 18. Hedgewars
Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, Free BSD, iOS
strategy / artillery
open source
3.60 / 5
alien-assault- 19. Alien Assault
Windows
strategy / turn-based tactics
full free version
3.57 / 5
lordsawar- 20. LordsAWar!
Linux, Windows, Mac OSX
strategy / turn-based tactics
open source
3.54 / 5
imperia-online- 21. Imperia Online
browser
strategy / MMORTS
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.50 / 5
travian- 22. Travian: Legends
browser
strategy / MMORTS
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.50 / 5
stronghold-kingdoms- 23. Stronghold Kingdoms
Windows
strategy / MMORTS
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.50 / 5
titans-of-steel- 24. Titans of Steel: Warring Suns
Windows
strategy / wargame
liberated
3.50 / 5
hebereke- 25. HEBEREKE!: March! Red Army Girls' Brigade
Windows
strategy
full free version
3.50 / 5
ufo-alien-invasion- 26. UFO: Alien Invasion
Windows, Linux, Mac OSX, Free BSD, Amiga
strategy / turn-based tactics
open source
3.50 / 5
heroes-of-newerth- 27. Heroes Of Newerth
Windows, Linux, Mac OSX
strategy / MOBA
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.50 / 5
command-and-conquer- 28. Command & Conquer
Windows, Mac OSX
strategy / real-time strategy
liberated
3.50 / 5
free-orion- 29. FreeOrion
Windows, Mac OSX, Linux
strategy / 4X
open source
3.50 / 5
legendary-legions- 30. Legendary Legions
Windows, Linux
strategy / turn-based tactics
full free version
3.45 / 5
scorched-3d- 31. Scorched 3D
Windows, Linux, Mac OSX, Free BSD, Solaris
strategy / artillery
open source
3.45 / 5
supremacy-1914- 32. Supremacy 1914
browser
strategy / wargame
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.44 / 5
defender-farm- 33. The Defender: Farm and Castle
Windows
strategy / tower defense
full free version
3.43 / 5
anno-online- 34. Anno Online
browser
strategy / MMORTS
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.43 / 5
league-of-legends- 35. League of Legends
Windows, Mac OSX
strategy / MOBA
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.43 / 5
order-of-battle- 36. Order of Battle: World War II
Windows, Mac OSX
strategy / wargame
free, commercial version available
3.42 / 5
ground-control- 37. Ground Control
Windows
strategy / real-time strategy
liberated
3.40 / 5
japan-mahjong- 38. Japan Castle Mahjong
browser
strategy / mahjong
full free version
3.40 / 5
ufo2000- 39. UFO 2000
Windows, Linux, Free BSD, Mac OSX
strategy / turn-based tactics
open source
3.38 / 5
pixel-town- 40. Pixel Town
Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, browser
strategy / city building
full free version
3.33 / 5
open-liero-x- 41. OpenLieroX
Windows, Mac OSX, Linux
strategy / artillery
open source
3.33 / 5
savage-2- 42. Savage 2: a Tortured Soul
Windows, Linux, Mac OSX
strategy / real-time strategy
free, optional donation
3.33 / 5
lucas-chess- 43. Lucas Chess
Windows
strategy / board game
full free version
3.33 / 5
c-evo- 44. C-Evo
Windows
strategy / 4X
open source
3.33 / 5
realm-grinder- 45. Realm Grinder
Windows, Mac OSX
strategy / idle clicker
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.33 / 5
triple-triad- 46. Triple Triad Gold
Windows
strategy / collectible card game
full free version
3.33 / 5
triplea- 47. TripleA
Windows, Linux, Mac OSX
strategy
open source
3.29 / 5
legends-of-honor- 48. Legends of Honor
browser
strategy / MMORTS
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.27 / 5
demise-of-nations- 49. Demise of Nations
Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, Android, iOS
strategy / 4X
full free version
3.23 / 5
goodgame-empire- 50. Goodgame Empire
browser
strategy / MMORTS
free-to-play, with microtransactions
3.22 / 5
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