Tank games are great fun and come in a variety of different styles. From fun arcade games to realistic recreations, the best tank games will appeal to anyone who loves grand canyons.
With that in mind, let’s explore the best tank games you can play right now on a variety of different platforms.
1. World of Tanks
This giant of mechanized warfare is the best tank game due to its great popularity. World of Tanks has over 100 million registered players and set at least two Guinness World Records for the largest number of concurrent players on a single server.
World of Tanks takes an arcade approach to the tank genre. Vehicles have HP bars and lose health regardless of where you hit them. Despite this, it still has some intricate mechanics under the hood to keep things interesting.
For example, hitting a tank perpendicular to its armor is better than hitting it at an angle, since the latter has the possibility of bouncing. Each tank has its own armor thickness values, so it’s worth learning where your enemies’ weak spots are.
There’s a lot to take in, but World of Tank’s unique respawn design means you can quickly queue up again after a loss. World of Tanks also promotes mastery of one or two individual tanks, which means practice makes perfect.
World of Tanks is available for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PS4. However, the PC version is updated more, as the console versions are restricted by the hardware of the 360. Still, it is still one of the best tank games on PS4 and Xbox.
To download: World of Tanks for PC / Mac The | Xbox The | PS4 (Free in-app purchases available)
2. Steel Armor: Blaze of War
If you want to know what it’s like to enter a tank cabin, Steel Armor is one of the best tank games to play.
Steel Armor comes in two different parts. The first part plays as an operational strategy game, where you will deploy, supply, and repair units on the battlefield.
The second part is a close simulation of tank warfare. You can move between gunners, drivers, and command stations to take on different tasks. From the command station, you can issue orders to the rest of your troops.
There is no campaign here, and it is not an MMO like World of Tanks; however, you can create your missions and play in one of the four operational areas. Each battle rewards you with experience points that level up your units.
As a result, you’ll have to balance map-based tactical warfare with the demands of controlling a single tank to reach the top, making it one of the best tank games to simulate the real thing.
To download: Steel Armor: Blaze of War for the personal computer ($ 29.99)
3. War Thunder
By combining the realism of Steel Armor with the competitive online nature of World of Tanks, you get War Thunder. This is a free game that allows you to take control of planes, tanks, and ships in a variety of different combat scenarios.
War Thunder has an arcade mode, which is good for casual play; however, War Thunder players gravitate towards realistic and simulation modes. These two modes are where War Thunder stands out as one of the best tank games for realism.
Realistic mode eliminates enemy gauge on hostile tanks but keeps allied flags. This means that you need to carefully detect and explore to find enemy tanks, but you know where your teammates are.
A simulation model, on the other hand, forces you to an “in-tank” view, eliminates enemy indicators and teammates, and allows friendly fire. In short, it is better that you know your IS-2 from your Tiger II if you plan to play War Thunder in sim mode.
Damage calculation in War Thunder is different from games like World of Tanks. Instead of a health bar, each tank has an interior similar to its real-world counterpart. Everything from crew positions to engine location to ammo racks is recreated, which you must damage to get a tank out.
Unlike other tank games, War Thunder takes the focus away from individual vehicles and expands it into a specific nation’s arsenal. For example, while other games will allow you to fight in a Sherman, War Thunder allows you to recruit and complete an entire American lineup. Once a tank explodes, place the next one in its lineup.
To download: War Thunder for PC / Mac / Linux The | PS4 The | Xbox (Free in-app purchases available)
4. World of Tanks Blitz
Blitz is the mobile version of World of Tanks, which received a PC port not too long ago. The app reduces complexity but maintains accelerated combat to make it the best tank game for Android and iOS.
Choose one of the 250 tanks and participate in 7v7 battles with players from all over the world. There are many tanks to unlock and crew upgrades that allow you to customize the way you play.
Although the game was designed with a touchscreen interface in mind, it can be difficult to play this on a phone screen. Advancing to a tablet will make it a little easier, although many people play on their phones with no problem.
World of Tanks Blitz is a great addition to your library. Like its PC equivalent, it is free to download and play.
To download: World of Tanks Blitz for PC / Mac The | iOS The | Android (Free in-app purchases available)
5. Armor Age: Tank Wars
If you like the sound of previous games, but prefer to control your entire tank team instead of driving just one, try Armor Age: Tank Wars. This plays similarly to games like World of Tanks but allows you to control the entire team.
The main focus of Armor Age is the single-player campaign. You collect a collection of tanks from different nations, each of which acts as one of the four classes. You must play with the strengths of each tank and position them properly to make the most of each one.
While there is an extensive campaign to sink your teeth, the game also has a PVP mode. You pilot up to five tanks against another person in a mini-battle. Despite being a mobile game, PVP is surprisingly tactical and worth a try.
To download: Armor Age: Tank Wars for iOS The | Android (Free in-app purchases available)
6. Panzer body
Panzer Corps is one of the best tank games for strategy. Instead of controlling a single tank, you will take control of an entire legion of them and guide them, through a turn-based strategy, to victory.
There are 26 scenarios for you to advance through, as well as a multiplayer mode that pits your skills against other people.
To download: Panzer body for iPad ($ 19.99) | PC / Mac ($ 29.99, Gold edition)
7. Pocket tanks
Pocket Tanks may not be as realistic as the previous posts, but it’s still fun for any fan of tank games.
In Pocket Tanks, you face an opponent on a 2D map. Mountains and pits stand in your way, so you must tilt your shot and select the correct ammunition to hit your opponent. With over 100 types of ammunition including napalm, a ground motor, a fission bomb, a lightning bolt, and gravity well, you have a lot to experiment with.
It’s a silly game, but if you want to throw crazy projectiles at one of your friends, you can’t go wrong with Pocket Tanks.
To download: Pocket tanks for iOS The | Android (Free)
8. Tank Hero
Over the years, there have been different variants in the “tank arena” game. Players fight in a simple arena with some walls as obstacles, bouncing shots off the walls.
Tank Hero is the smartphone version of this game. You drive your tank through different environments and game modes, bouncing shots from the walls to be the last one standing. Even though the gameplay is simple, scratch that game-loving itch that keeps you moving. It is also one of the few offline tank games that you can play without using data.
To download: Tank Hero for iOS ($ 0.99) | Android (Free)
Expand your library with more war games
There are plenty of tank games, but only a few really stand out. These are the best tank games that money can buy, from the most realistic to the most arcade.
She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.