RTS
It is impossible to emphasise enough how much fun RTS games can be. Few things are as gratifying as amassing a massive army and simply sweeping over your enemies like a flood over stones, wiping them out with the click of a mouse. This list is focused on real-time strategy because you can’t hide behind the security of turn-based strategy’s pace in real-time games. If you’re searching for a list of the best strategy games in general, we have one for you as well.
The genre is mostly defined by Starcraft and Age of Empires, but independent games like Northgard and Driftland have demonstrated that there are many other voices worth listening to. Additionally, there is much to be happy about in real-time but not strictly speaking “RTS” games. The finest building games may also contain some games that you will enjoy.
Over the past ten years, the growth of MOBAs has posed a huge challenge to the RTS scene, but some deserving titles have nonetheless managed to reach the top and secure their spot in the hall of fame. Here are our recommendations for the top RTS games for the PC, although we lean more toward more recent games because, let’s face it, everyone knows how great Homeworld was by this point.
Rise of Kingdoms
In the game Rise of Kingdoms, you can select from a variety of civilizations from around the globe. You have a choice of thirteen kingdoms when you initially construct your character, including Rome, Egypt, and Japan (among others). It’s crucial to choose wisely because each of them has distinctive advantages and strengths based on where they are in the world and the resources they have access to.
It is up to you to pick how you want to develop your civilisation once you have selected who you will play as. You may either work on perfecting your army with a tonne of commanders to unlock, each of whom gives you a different strategy for approaching fights, or you can concentrate on growing your cities, adding new and stunning structures while creating things to increase your might. This is a game that is really simple to be caught into because there is a sizable community of active players for you to engage in conflict with or build connections with.
State of Survival
There are a lot of fantasy and historical RTS games on this list, but you don’t often see zombie apocalypses in the present day as the setting. In State of Survival, you take on the role of a town leader navigating the ravaging hordes of the undead.
The most frequent type of warfare in this game is similar to tower defence in that you have to position your units to be in the best possible positions to defend against those bothersome brain eaters. However, there are other times when you face off against the armies of your rivals, which is a bit more conventional RTS-style warfare. Of course, in the midst of all of this, you’re also in charge of preserving a central base and gathering supplies. For a free-to-play game, it’s really entertaining.
Age of Empires IV
Given that Age of Empires IV is essentially a remake of Age of Empires II, it is probably a little unusual to see two games from the same series on a list like this. The most recent game in the storied RTS series, which has erupted onto Steam, merits a mention in and of itself.
Age of Empires II continues to be regarded as a top-notch RTS game since it has withstood the test of time and continues to receive support, but its most recent brother is by no means a dud. Age of Empires IV is a contemporary Age of Empires game for contemporary strategy gamers, with an improved engine, fresh graphics, and a new approach to civilisation design. Even the way history is presented has been amplified, with hours of actual documentary film detailing both the historical background of the campaigns and particular facets of mediaeval society.
Although it’s uncertain what the RTS community thinks of the multiplayer and faction balance, the campaigns are also rather enjoyable. As well as our Age of Empires IV review, we also have a tonne of Age of Empires IV civilisation guides that you should check out.
Conclusion
The greatest RTS games can test your tactical and management abilities in a variety of situations and environments. The RTS genre is home to games that can provide a rewarding level of challenge, from preserving and intelligently employing your resources to developing civilizations and surviving harsh settings. RTS experiences frequently contain campaigns where you will have to decide the best course of action – whether that be in battle, management, and more. These experiences share some similarities with the mechanics and structure of the finest strategy games and the best survival games available.