Sometimes you want a game that lets you outwit your opponents. Real-time strategy titles let you do just that, giving players the ability to build elaborate bases and massive armies to overwhelm human or AI enemies. If you’re looking for the best RTS games that you can immerse yourself in for countless hours, these are our all-time favorites.
The best real-time strategy games of all time: our top 10 picks
One of the hallmarks of a great RTS game is that it can be deceptively simple to learn, but takes hours to master. Unlike most strategy games, these titles constantly advance in time, which means you need to act fast or you’ll find yourself at a disadvantage for the rest of the game. It can be quite stressful, but it also means you can have multiple projects going on at the same time. If you’re good at spinning multiple turntables, these games might be for you.
Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition
Image via Xbox Studios
Listen, we have a thing for the classics, but can you blame us? This genre-defining remaster of 1999’s Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings was released in 2019 and elevated the original to new heights. With better graphics and some quality of life improvements, it breathed new life into what was still a fantastic RTS experience. The Definitive Edition also includes all previous Age of Empires 2 expansions, as well as a new set of content called The Khans. This includes new civilizations and new campaign modes to compete against. You can easily spend a hundred hours on this game and not even experience half of what it has to offer.
Gothic Battlefleet: Armada 2
Picture via Focus Home Interactive
Bring your thirst for space battles with this excellent real-time strategy game from Focus Home Interactive. Set in the Warhammer 40k universe, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 improves on nearly every aspect of its predecessor, delivering massive space battles that will require precise positioning and careful planning to survive.
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2
Picture via EA Games
Another classic RTS game that still holds up today is Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2. This game features some of the best writing in the genre, with Cold War tropes arriving fast and furiously over its long playtime. Each character is a parody of 1980s spy war movies, with over-the-top patriotism and commands that defy logic. Amidst all the humor, however, is an excellent RTS game that features a huge number of unlockable units and beautifully balanced maps.
company of heroes 2
Image via Relic Entertainment
It took a few years, but eventually Company of Heroes 2 turned into a solid RTS game. With a release riddled with bugs and balance issues, it would be easy to dismiss this title as a minor sequel to its predecessor. However, various fixes and a dedicated community turned this WWII real-time strategy game into an unlikely classic of the genre. Even the first few cards feel like they cut through the skin of your teeth. Many of these features made it to the eventual sequel, but we still have a lot of love for this underdog game.
Northgard
Picture via Nintendo
Vikings are always cool, so it’s great to see an RTS game that delves into their civilization and mythology like Northgard does. You start out as a small colony in an unforgiving environment, surrounded by scarce resources and harsh winters. Players must balance growth with the need to prepare for the upcoming winter.
Shadow Tactics: Swords of the Shogun
Picture via PlayStation Store
Most RTS games allow you to build your forces to overwhelm your enemies with sheer numbers. However, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun takes a different approach. Here, stealth is the goal. Players control a small team of ninjas, samurai, and rogues to sneak into enemy bases and complete their objectives unseen.
steel division 2
Image via Eugen Systems
Real-time strategy games usually feature sci-fi or fantasy elements to help navigate the grim world of war. If you want to forget that and get a more solid and realistic RTS experience, Steel Division 2 is for you. Set during World War II, it places players in command of the Soviet armies as they advance towards the German capital. Each map is carefully detailed and features a 1:1 recreation of an actual location, making it one of the most realistic RTS titles ever created.
are billions
Image via Numantian Games
It is a real-time survival strategy game that pits the player against an endless horde of zombies looking to overwhelm their small haven. There’s a constant sense of dread that comes from not knowing when or where the next breach will occur, so you need to be ready to move at all times.
Related: The best zombie survival games of all time.
Wargame: Red Dragon
Image via Eugen Systems
There are nearly endless possibilities in Wargame: Red Dragon, which takes everything that makes the hobby of wargaming fun and turns it into a more accessible video game. Balance your units on land, air and sea to help repel the Soviet invasion in the West. It’s not as realistic as some of the other games on this list, but the flexibility in how you can approach the game makes it incredibly fun to try new tactics on the fly.
Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War 2
Image via Relic Entertainment
In most Warhammer 40k games, you command huge armies and send them out to conquer the worlds around you. However, Dawn of War 2 takes a different approach. It gives you a handful of Space Marines, each with customizable abilities and gear. Fortunately, these few powerful units are enough to turn the tide of most battles.
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