The player is matched against one or more opponents, the aim being to defeat them by careful strategic play. Both sides normally start out balanced, especially if the game is multiplayer. The earliest strategy games were all turn-based, the players deciding first what action they wanted to take, and only when the move was finalised was the outcome resolved.

Nowdays, with some exceptions, these have largely given way to real-time strategy games like the Red Alert series. Some turn-based mobile games examples include X-com-enemy unknown, Waterloo, and  Civilization. Some real time examples  for mobile games are Dune, Red Alert, and Warcraft.