Strategy board game with wooden pieces and dice mid-play
Strategy & tower defense

Free tactics games, field-tested & ranked.

nordelions plays through lesser-known free-to-play strategy and tower defense games on Google Play, then ranks the ones actually worth your time — no chart-topping filler.

See the top games How this stays free
6games ranked this week
100%free-to-play, price $0
0ads that move a rank

Top of the board · this week

The three worth installing first

Out of everything we played this week, these three earned the top of the board. Start here, then browse the full ranking below.

  1. 1 Titan Rush app icon Rush strategy

    Titan Rush

    Rating Game

    4.7
    Open in Google Play
  2. 2 Stick Hero: Tower Defense app icon Tower defense

    Stick Hero: Tower Defense

    Unicorn Studio

    4.6
    Open in Google Play
  3. 3 Lands of Jail app icon Base strategy

    Lands of Jail

    Just Game

    4.5
    Open in Google Play

This week's ranking

Six free tactics games, ranked

Each title is free to download on Google Play and built by a smaller studio. Ratings come from each store page; the ranking and take are ours, from actually playing them.

#1 Titan Rush app icon Rush strategy

Titan Rush

Rating Game

4.7

Line up your squad and rush the enemy titan in fast, tactical bursts. Easy to pick up, with just enough planning to keep every run tense.

Open in Google Play
#2 Stick Hero: Tower Defense app icon Tower defense

Stick Hero: Tower Defense

Unicorn Studio

4.6

Tower defense with a stickman twist — place towers, upgrade lanes and hold the line against relentless waves. Clean, quick and satisfying.

Open in Google Play
#3 Lands of Jail app icon Base strategy

Lands of Jail

Just Game

4.5

Build, defend and expand an outpost in a light survival-strategy loop. Juggle resources and fend off attackers as your base grows.

Open in Google Play
#4 Galaxy Defense: Fortress TD app icon Sci-fi TD

Galaxy Defense: Fortress TD

CyberJoy Games

4.4

Defend your fortress across a sci-fi galaxy, mixing turret placement with steady upgrades. A tidy TD for short tactical sessions.

Open in Google Play
#5 We Are Warriors! app icon Merge & battle

We Are Warriors!

Lessmore

4.4

Merge units, grow your army and smash enemy camps in bite-sized battle strategy. Simple to learn, oddly satisfying to optimise.

Open in Google Play
#6 Raid Rush: Tower Defense TD app icon Tower defense

Raid Rush: Tower Defense TD

Panteon

4.1

Rush-style tower defense where quick calls beat slow planning. Stack your defenses fast and survive escalating raids.

Open in Google Play

Transparency

How nordelions stays free

We're an independent guide to free-to-play tactics games. Reading the rankings costs nothing — here's exactly how the site pays for itself.

  • Promoted placements. Some game links are paid promotion, always pointing to the real Google Play page — clearly part of our picks, never disguised as a ranking.
  • Ad-supported games. The titles we recommend are free and earn through their own in-app ads — the standard Play4Free model. We may earn from referring installs.
  • Rankings stay independent. Money never moves a rank. Our order is our own — see the terms for the full advertising disclosure.

Why trust nordelions

One rule behind every ranking: play it, then rank it

Field-tested

Every game is installed and played through real waves and rounds before it earns a rank. No store blurbs pasted as reviews.

Ranks over ads

Advertising keeps the site running but never buys a position. Paid links are labelled, plainly.

Clear about the catch

Free-to-play means ads and optional purchases. We flag what to expect before you install.

From readers

What players say about the rankings

"The ranked list saved me hours. I trust it more because they say up front which links are promoted."
TB Tomas B.
Tower defense regular
"Finally a strategy site that skips the mega-hits and digs up smaller games. The rankings feel earned."
RL Renée L.
Strategy fan, Montréal
"Concise write-ups, honest ratings, and a top-of-the-board that actually reflects how the games play."
HN Hassan N.
Weeknight tactician

FAQ

Questions, answered

Yes, completely. Reading the rankings and reviews never costs anything, and every game we cover is free to download on Google Play.

Through advertising: some placements are paid promotion, and the free games we recommend earn from their own in-app ads. Advertising never changes a rank — details are in the terms.

Every game listed is free to install (price $0). Like most free-to-play titles they include ads and optional in-app purchases, which we note where relevant.

We play each game, weigh how it feels alongside its Google Play rating, and order the board on merit. We're independent and not affiliated with Google or the developers.