Summary

  • You can enjoy a variety of real-time strategy games ranging from fantasy to futuristic themes.
  • We've collected some of the most iconic RTS titles that can help you perfectly showcase your strategic brilliance.
  • Whether you're looking for intense historical accuracy or a diverse array of units to control, there's an RTS game here for you.

There are plenty of games to browse while deciding what to play next. From amazing fantasy games to tense puzzle platformers, there's something for everyone, no matter what you like. Sometimes, though, you want a little bit of a mental challenge when you boot up ꧙y🔥our console.

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ꦗFor those moments, ꦑnothing quite beats a strategy game. Of the strategy genre, none are as intense and as clock-oriented as real-time strategy games. It's a sub-genre with various levels of difficulty and settings, but one thing's for sure: they'll definitely test your tactical brilliance. Here are the best RTS games out there.

Updated January 22, 2025, by Zackary Wiggs: There aren't many games out there that match the thrill of a real-time strategy game. A subgenre that balances smart thinking and quick action, they can make you feel like a powerful figure, general, president, or otherwise. Whether you are new to the genre or just want to hit the big names, more and more games have been coming out that fit the bill of being one of the greatest RTS games of all time. Now included are games to test your abilities in leadership and quick thinking, whether you want to change the timeline of WWII, lead an interstellar empire, or just survive an apocalyptic winter.

21 Sins Of A Solar Empire 2 ﷽

War, Space War

Sins of a Solar Empire 2

Released
August 15,🍸 2024 ﷽
Developer(s)
🐽 Stardock Ente🔜rtainment
Publisher(s)
Stardock Entertainment 🃏 ♛
Engine
✅ Iron Engine 3
Multiplayer
Local Co-Op, L෴ocal Multipl💫ayer, Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
Franchise
Sins of a Solar Empওire
Platform(s)
PC
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Sci-fi RTS games aren't a rarity, nor are they in strategy games in general,🌳 so it takes a little bit of effort for a game to stand out in the subgenre. Sins of a Solar Empire does so, and quite﷽ well, actually.

As one of three galactic empires, you can take war to the stars. But it's not just fleet engagements; you have the꧒ ability to get creative with how you wage war, with customizable units ranging from scouts to titans. You can even take over planets to use as bases, with each orbital body and starship rendered in real time.

20 Frostpunk 2 ꦓ

Bring A Pair Of Mittens

4.5/5

Released
ꦓ ♉ September 20, 2024
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Vio🍬lence
Developer(s)
🍎 11 Bit Studios 😼
Publisher(s)
꧒ 11 Bit Studios
Engine
𒁏 U🌳nreal Engine 5
Franchise
Frostpunk
Platform(s)
PC
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Usuܫally, strategizing in a post-apocalyptic game means outsmarting the undead or ruthless aliens, but in the case of Frostpunk 2, the cold is the thing you're strug𝐆gling against. It's part RTS game and part building sim.

Except you're not building the next metropolis or high-rise condo, every choice you make is centered around the geothermic vent that keeps you and your citizens alive in the snowy wasteland. 168澳洲꧃幸运5开奖网:Balancing materials, heat, and happiness is hard enough, but the various moral choices thro🏅ughout the game can have dire consequences.

19 Hearts Of Iron 4 𝓀 🐷

Your Orders, General?

Released
🏅 June 6, 2016
ESRB
🦹 Everyone 10+
Developer(s)
🍌 Paradox Development🦩 Studio
Engine
Cl🌳ausewitz Engine
Multiplayer
ꦬ Online Co-Op ဣ
Number of Players
1-32
Platform(s)
PC
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

There's a long list of WW2 strategy games out there, but t🌌hey usually have you controlling a smaller number of un🎀its. Grander ones do exist, but few exist like Hearts of Iron 4, which has you on the world stage in real time.

You can begin the game as any nation that existed during the Second World War. From there, you balance economics💛, political power, and military strength to either follow along with the actual events of WWII or pave your own way.

Some countries are more dif☂ficult to run than others, so beware when making your choice ♌of whom to play for your first few campaigns.

18 Battle For Middle🌃-Earth 2

You Shall Not Passbattle for middle earth mid battle

While the Lord of the Rings universe focuses on the lives of individuals,💜 you'd be amiss🐠 to ignore the power struggle between the various forces in the mortal lands. That's where Battle For Middle-Earth 2 comes into play.

You can play as a handful of famous armies seen in the books and movies and vie to conquer as much land as yo🎉u see fit, and you may even meet some famous figures along the way, too. As you play, you'll wonder why no one has made🍒 a game like this earlier, because the LOTR universe is a perfect fit for it.

17 🐬 Dune: Spice Wars

The Spice Flows

Dune: Spice Wars
Real-Time Strategy

Released
September 14, 2023 🐻 ♑
ESRB
Teen // Fantasy Violence, Drug Reference 🐎 𝓀
Developer(s)
🙈 Shiro Games ꦯ
Publisher(s)
♚ Funcom, Shiro Games 𒉰
Engine
HashLink
Multiplayer
🍃 🔯 Online Multiplayer
Franchise
Dune
Number of Players
1-4
Steam Deck Compatibility
Playable
PC Release Date
September 14, 2023 ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ ༒
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
ꦑ ♔ November 17, 2022
How Long To Beat
11 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
6.03 GB
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

For those who want a more futuristic look at the RTS genre, Dune Spice Wars has all the strategy you could ever want. Create your own venerable house from scratch and rule Arrakꦺis with an iron fist, or let the spice mélange take hold and do whatever feels best.

There are plenty of choices to make and no wrong way to approach the p♈retty in-depth gam🧸e that Dune: Spice Wars sets up for you. It may not be the easiest game to hop into just because of the depth of the lore and gameplay, but it will reward you if you have the time for it.

This is also a great choice for fans of the extended universe,♊ as it adds some other minor houses to the feud between the A🐠treides and Harkonnens.

16 Dawn Ofꦉ War 💎

There Is Only War

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War
Real-Time Strategy

Released
September 20, 2004 🌳
ESRB
m
Developer(s)
𝔉 𓃲 Relic Entertainment
Publisher(s)
🌺 Relic Entertainmꩲent
Engine
♔ essence engine 🐼
Platform(s)
Microsoft Windows🌃
How Long To Beat
12 hours

The galaxy of Warhammer 40,000 is rife with war, no matter who you are. No game covers the massive escape of these conflicts like Dawn Of War does. With 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:plenty of different armies to busy yourself with, it’s a real-time strategy game that keeps you entertained no matter who you think the best faction is🔯.

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You’ll feel like the best general in the far future as you lead ♏your army against anyone and everyone who comes your way. There are sh💯arper games out there as far as graphics go, but none quite compare gameplay-wise with Dawn Of War.

15 Warcraft 3 ꦉ

Fantasy MMO Meets Strategy

Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Real-Time Strategy

Released
July 3, 2002 ♏
ESRB
e
Developer(s)
Blizzard
Publisher(s)
Blizzard
Engine
🐈 siege engine
Multiplayer
🔴 Local Multiplayer
Franchise
Warcraft
Platform(s)
Microsoft Windows🥃, macOS
How Long To Beat
🎃 💝 21.5 hours
Metascore
92

For longtime fans of World of Warcraft, with its in-depth lore and interesting setting, it only made sen💖se 🔯for the creators to branch out with an RTS game in the same universe, and it has done well considering it's on its third installment.

Orks, Death Knights, and everything in between wait for you in this classic fantasy look at the RTS genre. If you're new to the world, don't worry; the game does a 🌳fair job of making it accessible and fun for newcomers, too.

14 Sid Meier's Gettysburg

Not Your Normal Historical Strategy

You wouldn't think of a historically accurate Civi▨l War game as bei༒ng on a 'best of' list, but leave it to the Sid Meier series to make it happen. Sid Meier's Gettysburg is a game that seems to only come around once every four-score years.

It's a microcosm of a game, with the entir🎉ety of it focusing on the siꦛngle battle at Gettysburg. Move troops through different scenarios and maps across the battlefield with plenty of tables and maps for you to peruse like you're really the general in command.

13 🦄 They Are Billions

So Much In One Game

They Are Billions
Real-Time Strategy
Survival
Management

Released
𒅌 👍 June 18, 2019
ESRB
t
Engine
🍸 Proprietary Engine 💙
Platform(s)
PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer
𒈔 Numantian Games
Publisher
ꦅ Numantian Games, BlitWorks
How Long To Beat
65 Hours

They Are Billions is definite🌜ly a more modern game on this list, but don't let that fool you; it's still just as worth your time as the classics are. It has a little bit of everything: grand strategy, sieges, zombies, and sci-fi.

It's sort of a cheesy concept, in the way the plot works, at least (zombies of the future and all), but it balances that with some pretty tense gameplay. Balance defense with safety and make sure your walls don🐈't fall under the ceaseless real-time hordes, and you have quite the experience.

This is a great choice for those who haven't done much with RTS games buℱt have played their fair share of t🍒ower defense games.

12 🎐 Rome: Total War 🌃

It Wasn't Built In A Day

Rome: Total War
Strategy
Tactical

Released
ꦏ September 22, 2004 ꦕ
ESRB
ಞ Teen // Violence
Publisher(s)
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Activision, Sega, Feral Interactive
Engine
🌺 TW Engine 2 ♛
Multiplayer
Lo🥃cal Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer 😼
Platform(s)
PC, Android, iOS
How Long To Beat
34 Hours
Metascore
92

The Total💮 War series has taken players to important points in history from all around the world. While everyone has favorites, and there's no wrong answer as to♌ which one to play, few of their games were as well-received as Rome: Total War.

The plight of the Roman armies is a classic one that fans of history and strategy games can't get enough of. Rome does a good job of considering the subterfuge and policy of the Roman governments as well as the combat. I෴t may be a lot to balance, but the game eases you into it rather well.