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By Trese Brothers - get on iPhone and iPad

A tense sci-fi strategy game about building a team of metal-played squad mates, before sending them off into a labyrinthine to mow down waves of xeno hunters. Like Space Hulk, but with far less cardboard.

We said: "A top quality blend of tactics and role-playing, with enough customisation options for enormous replay value"

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By 2K - get on iPhone and iPad

XCOM is about the hear and now, as you command tiny squads to tactically clear out alien dens. But it's also strategy on a far grander scale, as you manage your base of operations and deal with diplomatic relations around the world.

We said: "XCOM: Enemy Within adds some wonderfully inventive new toys, but making it a separate app means only those who truly adored Enemy Unknown should double dip"

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By 2K - get on iPhone and iPad

Sid Meier is usually making strategy games about the entire world, and the entirety of human history. But his best work on mobile is a quirky dogfighting game where ace pilots (with ace facial hair) take turns to dive, barrel roll, and blast each other.

We said: "Though Ace Patrol and Pacific Skies's core systems are pretty much identical, the latter's shift to a more technologically advanced conflict and thoughtful enhancements make it every bit the worthy sequel"

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By Stoic - get on iPhone and iPad

You might get distracted by this game's gorgeous hand-drawn visuals, or its stirring soundtrack. But behind the gloss is a tricky, compulsive tactics game about careful positioning and judicious use of abilities.

We said: "A dark, strange, tough, and beautiful tactical RPG-cum-interactive story with one of the richest settings you could hope for. Banner Saga is an iOS game to savour"

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By Ndemic Creations - get on iPhone and iPad

Games like XCOM have you saving the world. Plague Inc, on the other hand, has you ending it. Your job is to make a super bug capable of jumping past jabs and paracetamol until everyone is dead.

We said "The most fun you can have destroying civilisation without becoming a government MP, Plague Inc. refines the Pandemic formula into a streamlined combination of strategy and twisted bio-horror"

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By Risky Lab - get on iPhone and iPad

Warbits wants to be Advance Wars. That's no secret. From the colourful graphics to the chunky tile-based movements, this cute tactics game is as close as you can get to Nintendo's forgotten strategy series on your phone.

We said: "There's a lot to do in Warbits, and you're going to have a lovely old time doing it"

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By Fireflame Games - get on iPhone and iPad

This weirdo game seems to defy genres. It's part roguelike, part RPG, part puzzler, and part boardgame. It's not as complex as it sounds, but there's a thick vein of gooey strategy goodness running under this elegant exterior.

We said: "I Keep Having This Dream mashes together a bunch of ideas, and while they don't all come off, it's still an entertaining journey"

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By Grapefrukt - get on iPhone and iPad

Rymdkapsel is an RTS stripped to its bare essentials. Just the DNA of the genre: collect resources, train troops, defend from attacks. But there's something wonderfully elegant about the game that makes it easy to play again, and again, and again.

We said: "You might not be able to say Rymdkapsel, but its brilliance is clear enough for all to understand"

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By Rodeo Games - get on iPhone and iPad

If we judged games by the number of words in their title, Tyranid Invasion would be a strong contender for game of the year. Probably better to judge it for its strategic gameplay though, where this Hunters-like game also wins big time.

We said: "A squelchy blast of gothic turn-based violence that ticks the right boxes for 40K fans, and offers enough for everyone else too"