Tanks Across the Desert is a free strategy game you can play right here in your browser. The core of it is sandbox & building. No account, no install and no plugins — just the game in a browser tab.
About Tanks Across the Desert
This game simulates the British war effort in Libya, Egypt, and the Eastern Mediterranean. The game uses deck builder mechanics, which is appropriate because Commonwealth forces needed to build an army that could stop Rommel and the Afrika Korps from scratch. Finding a way to get tanks, infantry, artillery, Englishmen, Australians, Frenchmen, and Indians to work together was a major undertaking. It took the Germans the better part of a decade to figure all of this out. The British pulled it off in two years. Intelligence plays a big part in this game: there are ways to see what your opponent will do, and knowing this gives you a big advantage. Good luck!
How to play Tanks Across the Desert
You can work the whole thing out by playing it. On desktop the arrow keys / WASD do the moving; the full mapping is in the table below. The game runs in portrait, so on a phone you can play one-handed, and on desktop it stays centred rather than stretched out of shape. Take the first run as practice and the second one seriously.
Controls
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Mouse | Navigate menus and interact |
| Arrow keys / WASD | Move |
| Spacebar | Primary action |
On mobile: Tap and swipe directly on the screen. The game is built for portrait, so you can play one-handed without rotating your phone.
Why it is worth playing
The reason Tanks Across the Desert holds up is restraint: it takes one idea — sandbox & building — and builds the whole game around it instead of padding it out. The result is something you can pick up cold months later.
At a glance
- Free to play with no account required
- Runs in the browser — nothing to download or install
- Portrait layout, comfortable one-handed on mobile
- Keyboard and mouse on desktop, full touch support on mobile.
- Sandbox & Building gameplay — Build whatever you want
- Added to our catalogue from a 2023 release
Frequently asked questions
Is Tanks Across the Desert free to play?
It is free. There is no trial, no unlock and no sign-up wall on Tanks Across the Desert — the page you are on is the whole thing.
Do I need to download or install anything?
Nothing at all. Tanks Across the Desert runs in the browser tab you already have open, the same way a video or a map does.
Can I play Tanks Across the Desert on my phone?
It works on phones and tablets. Tap and swipe directly on the screen. The game is built for portrait, so you can play one-handed without rotating your phone.
What are the controls for Tanks Across the Desert?
Keyboard and mouse on desktop, full touch support on mobile. Mouse — navigate menus and interact; Arrow keys / WASD — move; Spacebar — primary action.
Can I play Tanks Across the Desert fullscreen?
There is a fullscreen control in the top-right of the player. Press Escape when you want the page back.
What kind of game is Tanks Across the Desert?
Tanks Across the Desert is a strategy game built around sandbox & building. If that is the sort of thing you enjoy, the related games further down the page are picked using the same tags.
