Real-time strategy was once one of the most popular genres. Due to its attachment to mouse and keyboard, the genre never made the big breakthrough on consoles, but many PC gamers still enjoy it today. Good control is definitely important when you send your armies across the battlefields with pinpoint accuracy and feel like a real general. It doesn’t matter whether you’re leading aliens, orcs or humans into battle. The genre has numerous classics to offer, while the core concept of the games works as well today as it did in the 90s, when numerous well-known series saw the light of day. But what are the best real-time strategy games you can currently get? Here’s our list:

Age of Empires 4 (2021 – PC)

After many years there is finally a new Age of Empires! Part four was developed this time by the strategy experts from Relic (Company of Heroes) and they definitely succeeded in this endeavor. Age of Empires 4 convinces on the one hand with its gameplay and on the other hand with its storytelling, which is made possible by documentary-style cutscenes that visually illustrate things.

Age of Empires 4

Four campaigns with a total of 35 missions are available at launch, covering more than 500 years of history. In addition, you can play with and against others in various PvE and PvP modes, while tools for creating user-generated content are also planned for the year 2022. All in all, after many years, a more than worthy sequel.

Interested? Age of Empires 4 is available on Steam for PC.

Total War: Rome Remastered (2021 – PC)

In 2021, Total War Rome Remastered, a classic of the genre and the Total War series, returned in a modernized form. Not only the main game is in here, but also the contents of the expansions Alexander and Barbarian Invasion. So it’s a jam-packed package that has been optimized for 4K resolutions and ultrawide monitors. Numerous visual improvements have also been made, for example to buildings, objects and environmental effects.

The improvements are not limited to the visual area alone. The camera has been optimized, heat maps and icon overlays make the work in the areas of diplomacy and security easier. In battle, the new tactical map shows you the unit status and you have access to a total of 38 playable factions. Not only if Total War Rome has always been your favorite, this one might be worth it.

Interested? For PC there is Total War Rome Remastered on Steam.

World in Conflict (2007 – PC)

When the Cold War suddenly heats up… The Third World War has begun with a surprise attack on the USA by an army led by the Soviets and you are in the middle of it in World in Conflict. In the main game you try to stop the Soviet advance on the side of the US army, while in the expansion The Soviet Assault you take on the other side.

The fronts in the game are based on real cities and suburbs of America, Europe and the Soviet Union. To put the enemy in their place, you’ll have to wisely combine air, tank, infantry and support units. On top of that, you’ll use special attacks like artillery bombardments and napalm – and when nothing else helps, you’ll fire a tactical atomic bomb. Definitely a classic of the genre.

Interested? For PC you can get World in Conflict as Complete Edition at GOG.

Grey Goo (PC – 2015)

The name Grey Goo may sound like a random name at first, but there is a real doomsday scenario behind it. This theme is also taken up in the game, where mankind has to deal with a mysterious life form that tries to consume everything it encounters. And of course it won’t stop at you, unless you stop it.

The game is backed by Pertoglyph Games, whose founding members were formerly employed by Westwood Studios. In Grey Goo, you can play both the humans and the alien Beta, as well as the enigmatic Goo lifeforms. The game is played either in the campaign or against others, as befits a strategy game. At the same time, you can create your own battlefields using the map editor. If you’re looking for a good science fiction strategy game, you’ll find an interesting representative of this genre here, which often flies under the radar compared to other big names.

Interested? Grey Goo is available on Steam for PC.

StarCraft + Brood War (1998 – PC)

Without question one the Classic of the genre. In the last millennium (and not only then), the science fiction universe created by Blizzard thrilled millions of players. Primarily it is about the struggle between three different factions: Humans, Zerg and Protoss. The Zerg are an insect-like species, the Protoss technically advanced – but in the end they are more than equal.

In addition to this, the humans have to deal with internal disputes, which is also further addressed in the Brood War expansion. Here, the ultimate goal is to prevent the aliens from finding their way to Earth, in terms of story, Brood War thereby begins two days after the end of StarCraft. I don’t know about you, I spent many, many hours in this RTS classic back then, which even today has lost little of its appeal of base building, resource gathering, unit production and combat.y

Interested? For PC there is Star Craft (Remastered) in Battle.net.

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection (2020, PC)

Hach, Command & Conquer… definitely one of my favorite RTS series. Not quite the first representative of this genre, but one of the reasons why its popularity literally exploded over 20 years ago. Westwood’s (RIP) title skillfully combined excellent gameplay with pre-rendered cutscenes and mission briefings with real actors. Incredibly immersive, and not just by the standards of the time.

Every fan of the genre should actually know the GDI and the Brotherhood of Nod, their leader Kane, the ion cannon. And if not: damn, what are you waiting for? Catch up! The Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is without question the best opportunity to do so. Part one as well as Red Alert in a remastered version with all expansions, modernized interface, remastered soundtrack and and and. Should not be missing in any game library of a genre fan!

Interested? For PC there is Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Steam.

WarCraft 3 (2002 – PC)

Yes, WarCraft 3, not WarCraft 3: Reforged! That was more or less a shot in the oven and not a remaster worthy of the original. In that respect: if you have the option, better reach for the original, where night elves, undead, orcs and humans fight with each other. And it’s still as exciting as it was back then.

The predecessors aren’t worse per se, but WarCraft 3 is the undisputed pinnacle of the series, letting you experience key moments from Azeroth’s history from these four different angles. Together with the expansion The Frozen Throne, there are over 60 solo missions to complete, so you’ll have a while to gnaw on them. And of course, there are also cutscenes in the usual Blizzard quality. Reforged may be prettier than the original, but it’s still very playable.

Interested? For PC you can get WarCraft 3: Reforged (including the original) in Battle.net.

StarCraft 2 (2010, 2013, 2015 – PC)

Simply put, StarCraft 2 could be described as WarCraft in space. And that wouldn’t be wrong. Hey, Blizzard is behind it too, what do you expect? Of course there are differences, just in the technologies and gameplay due to the three StarCraft factions of Terrans, Protoss and Zerg. But at its core, it’s a classic RTS. StarCraft 2 is also representative of the entire trilogy, consisting of Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void.

Together, this adds up to more than 70 exciting missions, in which the three parties lively fight each other. Sci-fi nerds will definitely be happy with this, basically you have a space opera here, in which you yourself are the commander of an army. Excitingly told, first-class staged – one of Blizzard’s strengths – and definitely an enrichment for every collection.

Interested? For PC there is StarCraft 2 in the Battle.net

Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition (2019 – PC)

Age of Empires 2, another true classic of real-time strategy. And one whose Definitive Edition more than deserves this designation. 35 different cultures, masses of campaigns, and there’s still new content coming for it. The remaster presents the original, released in 1999, in a chic new shine, without losing any of its aesthetics or charm.

Unlike the previous games on the list, Age of Empires 2 deals with real human history, taking you through over 1,000 years of wars and intrigue, while promising over 200 hours of gameplay with all the content. If you don’t want to play anything else for a while, you’re in good hands here. And the advantage of Age of Empires is that you also learn about the culture and history of different peoples. An interactive history lesson, if you will. And where else do you have something like that? In very few games. An exceptional title!

Interested? For PC there is Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition on Steam

Company of Heroes 2 (2013 – PC)

While we were on the subject of human history, let’s just continue with it. This time, however, a little more modern, because Company of Heroes 2 sends you as a commander into the Second World War. Relic’s strategy game doesn’t place quite as much emphasis on base building as other representatives of the genre, but the battles are nerve-wracking until the end. Tactics play an even more decisive role here; you don’t command huge armies like in other games, but rather smaller, more concentrated battle units.

It’s a little more intimate, if you will. Things like suppressive fire need to be considered if you don’t want your soldiers to become easy prey for enemies. You’ll capture strategically important control points to secure more resources and produce supplies, or replenish your troops if you lose them. Class instead of mass is basically the motto of Company of Heroes, which the game conveys well in its battles. These were tough battles in World War II, and Relic’s title conveys this feeling very well.

Interested? For PC there is Company of Heroes 2 on Steam

Homeworld Remastered Collection (2015 – PC)

Homeworld, meanwhile, handles things in a different way than all the games mentioned so far. While the action there takes place everywhere on two-dimensional battlefields, Homeworld still incorporates the third dimension in space. Your mothership is your base here, and gradually increases your fleet as you bring in the necessary resources. And with the Remastered Collection you get the full load, namely part one and part two in an improved version with nicer graphics, revised soundtrack and more.

However, nothing has changed in the core of the gameplay. Typical for the genre, Homeworld also follows the rock-paper-scissors principle. Depending on the situation, certain types of units will help you more than others. In addition, you’ll use different formations and have yours attack from all possible directions, for example, to surprise the enemy by hitting them from a direction they don’t expect it from. The inclusion of the third dimension definitely makes Homeworld an outstanding real-time strategy game and demands even more attention from you.

Interested? For PC, there’s Homeworld Remastered Collection on Steam.

Iron Harvest (2020 – PC, consoles to follow)

If you like Company of Heroes, then Iron Harvest should be at the top of your wish list. It’s not set in World War II, but the gameplay is almost one-to-one with Relic. Better a good copy than a bad reinvention, eh? That’s not meant to be a criticism, the game benefits from the proven gameplay and takes you into an alternative universe in the 1920s.

After a great war, a new threat looms that could throw the world into chaos. And it’s up to you to stop this threat. In this you’ll have classic soldiers on the battlefields, but the biggest visual difference is the diesel punk mechs that replace the World War II tanks here. They have wonderfully elaborate designs and have been animated in the game in just as much detail. Especially from a closer view, they are very nice to look at. Just don’t forget to keep an eye on your army and tactics!

Interested? For PC you can get Iron Harvest on Steam

Halo Wars: Definitive Edition (2016 – PC, Xbox One)

You’re more familiar with Halo as a first-person shooter franchise, but the battle between the humans and the Alliance can of course be perfectly staged as a real-time stratagem, as Halo Wars proves. Originally released in 2009, the Definitive Edition brought the game back seven years later with improved graphics and all the DLC from the original. And it’s absolutely worth playing.

At the same time, it’s one of the few RTSs that are implemented really well on console. No wonder, since the game was designed with the Xbox 360 in mind from the start. Apart from that, you send your troops across the battlefield as usual, build up your base and expand your army to overrun the enemy in the end. If you’re a Halo fan and want to experience everything from a different perspective, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to do so. And non-fans will definitely get a good sci-fi strategy game. Everybody wins!

Interested? For PC, Halo Wars: Definitive Edition is available on Steam and the Microsoft Store.

Supreme Commander (2007, 2008 – PC, Xbox 360)

Chris Taylor’s Supreme Commander is a spiritual successor to his previous title Total Annihilation, as well as a true classic of the genre. And here things get big, as you romp around the enormously large battlefields with numerous units. Units that have also been designed with the right size ratio in mind. You’ll notice this especially when the experimental units – like a huge, spider-shaped monster – come into battle and trample smaller troops without further ado.

It’s about three rival parties that are at war with each other, known as the “Infinity War”. You can imagine that it’s been going on for a while. These huge dimensions are definitely Supreme Commander’s unique selling point, and if you want everything to be a bit bigger, take a look at this game. Nowadays it should run smoother than it did back then!

Interested? For PC there is Supreme Commander on Steam

Dune 2000 (1998 – PC, PlayStation)

This looks a lot like Command and Conquer, you think? No wonder, it’s a remake of Westwood’s Dune 2. And gameplay-wise, it’s no worse than the other horse from the Westwood stable. Similar to there, the story is told in FMV sequences and here you have a total of three houses fighting each other on the desert planet to see who gets the most Spice. If you enjoyed Command and Conquer and are not averse to the Dune universe, you’ll get a good real-time strategy game here.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (2004 – PC)

And another sci-fi war. In the 41st century, alien races and humans battle for dominance of the universe. Your task is to take over the elite Blood Ravens order and protect humanity from the threats that lurk in the Warhammer 40K universe. And there are quite a few, from Orcs to Chaos to the Eldar.

Dawn of War is excellent real-time strategy from the Company of Heroes makers at Relic. And they know their craft more than well. Dawn of War puts as much emphasis on tactical aspects as it does on cover, squad-based combat and morale in battle. It’s definitely more than just building as many new units as possible and sending them into the skirmish. And once you’ve mastered the Humans, you can also play Orks, Chaos and Eldar themselves, all with their own abilities, weapons and technologies. If you’re a Warhammer 40K fan and are looking for an RTS, this is right up your alley.

Interested? For PC you can get Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War on Steam.

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