Total War: EMPIRE is a premium grand-strategy game for iOS, porting the desktop 18th-century historical simulation to mobile devices.
Product velocity
Steady
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#53
▲2Games · paid
Sentiment
4.8
3k reviews
Nemesis
Rise of Kingdoms
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Strategy gamers hire this title for high-fidelity, complex tactical warfare that casual mobile titles fail to provide, justifying the premium upfront cost.
For Strategy gamers and existing Total War fans seeking a high-fidelity, complex 18th-century simulation on mobile and tablet devices.
Key features
Unlocks 44 playable factions and two additional campaigns via in-app purchase
Redesigned interface for 18th-century tactical battles and empire management on mobile hardware
Tactical sea battles featuring wind-direction mechanics and broadside management
How much does it cost?
Paid model anchored at $19.99, utilizing a premium upfront cost to gate the full desktop experience on mobile.
Velocity
Steady developmentShow more...
5 versions in history. Development pace: steady.
Who built it?
Feral Interactive
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GRID™ Autosport Custom EditionUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
The recent review mood reads excited. Users appreciate deep strategic gameplay mechanics provide high replayability for mobile strategy enthusiasts and successful transition of complex pc strategy titles to mobile touch interfaces.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Deep strategic gameplay mechanics provide high replayability for mobile strategy enthusiasts
- Successful transition of complex PC strategy titles to mobile touch interfaces
- Performance degradation and device overheating during extended mobile play sessions
49 of 49 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Excited overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 1 more frustration theme and 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Total War™: EMPIRE
How's the Games market?
Total War: EMPIRE occupies a niche premium strategy slot, currently ranking #60 Paid in the US. The volatility in regional rankings, such as the #95 Paid rank in Greece, suggests the $19.99 price point faces significant resistance outside of core strategy markets.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By Lilith Games
Dominates the mobile grand strategy space with a massive, highly active user base and frequent content updates.
- Utilizes a persistent, real-time world map that encourages continuous social interaction and alliance-based warfare.
- Aggressive live-ops cadence with nine major releases in six months keeps the meta-game constantly shifting.
- Monetization model relies on high-velocity hero gacha mechanics rather than the premium upfront purchase model.
Unlock the deeper market read.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Total War™: EMPIRE
Where is it heading?
The mobile strategy market is consolidating around high-velocity, free-to-play titles, leaving premium ports like Total War: EMPIRE exposed to retention risks from technical friction. Success in the coming quarters depends on stabilizing the core experience, as the current thermal and save-file issues threaten to alienate the very power users who drive the premium revenue model.
- Thermal management issues during long sessions erode the daily active habit, which compounds the rating drag already visible on modern hardware.
- The latest expansion content successfully drives high-intent conversion, proving the premium-strategy audience remains willing to pay for deep, complex content.
The SWOT
- Touchscreen interface adaptation establishes category authority
- 44-faction expansion drives high-intent conversion
- Implement granular graphics settings to mitigate thermal issues
- Expand campaign map to include Asia and South America
Next best moves
Implement granular graphics settings because thermal issues are a top-cited complaint → increase average session length
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The $19.99 price point is not a weakness…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
Persistent real-time world map (available in Rise of Kingdoms but absent here) +1
Since the last report: The report transitioned from a high-level overview to a detailed competitive intelligence profile, highlighting specific technical retention blockers and market positioning against free-to-play strategy titles.
Bottom line
Total War: EMPIRE succeeds as a high-fidelity port, but technical instability threatens its premium-price value proposition, so the team must prioritize performance optimization to prevent churn among its core strategy audience.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 2 market threats, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is Total War: EMPIRE worth the $19.99 price?
Does the game have offline mode?
How does this compare to Rise of Kingdoms?
Report last updated