Ranking updated
Best space strategy games for iPhone in 2026
For a single-player space strategy board game with dice, claims, cargo, research and changing markets, playable offline, Orbital Empire. For commanding a starship and crew across an open, procedurally generated galaxy, Star Traders: Frontiers. For terraforming planets and moons step by step in an idle simulator rooted in real science, TerraGenesis. Full breakdown below.
How we picked: we read each game’s own App Store description for what you manage, how a session plays out, and whether it plays offline. We do not quote prices; check them in the store for your country.
Space strategy on a board
Orbital Empire is a single-player space strategy board game: you roll dice around a living orbital board, claim mineral-rich worlds, deploy extraction crews, sell cargo, research new technology, hire officers, build facilities and take loans or deposits, all to grow a vulnerable outpost into an orbital empire. Credits, reputation, upkeep, shifting market prices and unexpected events are yours to balance. It is designed landscape-first for phones and plays offline with local saves.
Captain a starship
Star Traders: Frontiers puts you in command of a starship in an open universe with procedurally generated galactic maps. You can fly as a merchant, pirate, smuggler, spy, explorer or bounty hunter, choosing among 26 jobs, customize your ship from 45 hulls and more than 350 upgrades, and assign talents and gear to every crew member. Factions remember your choices, your crew changes with the way you play, and you can use save slots or turn on permadeath for a classic roguelike run.
Terraform a world
TerraGenesis - Space Settlers is an idle planet-building simulator rooted in real NASA data: you join one of four factions, build pressurized habitats, manage air pressure, oxygen, sea levels and biomass, melt ice caps into oceans and seed life. You can settle planets and moons of our solar system, dwarf planets, fictional and Trappist-1 worlds, design organisms from 26 phyla and 64 genes, and choose between peace and conquest with alien civilizations. For other games that run without a connection, see offline games for iPhone.
| Game | What you run | How it plays | App Store age rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orbital EmpireCensuusApp StoreGoogle Play | an outpost growing into an orbital empire | dice-driven board strategy, single-player, offline with local saves | 4+ |
| Star Traders: FrontiersApp Store | a starship and its crew | open-universe RPG with factions, jobs and ship upgrades | 12+ |
| TerraGenesisApp Store | planets and moons you terraform | idle planet-building simulator based on NASA data | 4+ |
Frequently asked questions
Is there a space strategy game I can play offline?
Orbital Empire is a single-player space strategy board game that says it plays offline with local saves.
Which space game lets me command a starship and crew?
Star Traders: Frontiers lets you captain a starship as a merchant, pirate, bounty hunter or more, with 26 jobs, 45 ship hulls and a crew you train and equip.
Is there a terraforming game for iPhone?
TerraGenesis is an idle simulator where you terraform planets and moons using real NASA data, from Mars and the Moon to fictional and Trappist-1 worlds.
Is there an idle space game?
TerraGenesis calls itself an idle planet-building simulator, and a Stats Summary page tracks your civilization’s idle progress.