Real-time strategy games are a convergence of chaos and control. They chuck you into the heart of the action, demanding quick thinking, razor-sharp reflexes, and a knack for outsmarting your foes.

I’ve spent years building empires, commanding armies, and clawing my way out of battles on the fly, and each skirmish feels like a new narrative I create with each decision.

That is RTS. Whether it’s through a nostalgic childhood favorite or a completely new scenario in an outlandish environment, there’s always something so addictive about the challenge an RTS game poses.

These games give you the rush of turning chaos into victory, and the entries below are the perfect place to start if you’re new to the RTS genre.

9 Age Of Empires III Definitive Edition

History, Storytelling, Nostalgia

Systems

Platform(s) PC , Microsoft Windows

Released February 1, 2020

Developer Forgotten Empires, World’s Edge, Tantalus Media

Multiplayer Local Multiplayer

Engine genie engine

ESRB t

How Long To Beat 20 hours

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I’m comfortable admitting that I’m biased towards Age of Empires, especially III; and now we have the Definitive Edition.

More than most games, this one defined my afternoons when I was younger; similar to those old nostalgic Cartoon Network games. Get home from school, fire up AoE III, and dive right into a skirmish.

Teenage Me was the embodiment of a beginner to the RTS genre. If I could hack it as a successful overlord, you could too. It’s pretty simple: collect resources, spawn villagers and troops, and conquer all you see.

If you play a custom game, you can decide whether the winning condition is an all-out war victory, whether the win goes to the empire to build a wonder, or something else.

8 Northgard

It’s Really Cold And Dangerous Here

Nordic winters are never a picnic, but Northgard at least makes exploration and survival fun. This one feels similar to Age of Empires; it just doesn’t take itself as seriously.

You’ll still need to gather resources, battle other clans, and level up your society, but the visuals are cuter. What isn’t cute is the real-time sense of urgency as winter approaches; have you done enough?

Major brownie points for multiple difficulties, game modes—of which Ragnarök is one—and super-intuitive winning conditions. It’s easy enough to grasp, and complex enough to keep you hooked while you learn how it all works.

If you like Vikings and the whole Norse feel, there are tons of amazing Viking-themed games to explore.

7 Bloons Tower Defense 6

Whimsical Ways To Outsmart Balloons

Systems

Released June 14, 2018

Developer(s) Ninja Kiwi

Publisher(s) Ninja Kiwi

Engine Unity

ESRB e

How Long To Beat 30 Hours

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I know, I know; Bloons TD 6 is a tower defense game; it says so right on the box.

I’ll have you know I found this adorable tower defense game to have more than enough essential RTS mechanics to qualify as a decent entry point into the genre.

Resource prioritization—in the form of monkey soldiers, weapons, monkey money, and XP—and positioning are key skills if you want to succeed in this game.

It’s adorable but deceptively tricky as you smash your way through to higher levels. It’s surprisingly tricky to try and outsmart balloons; they multiply, heal, come with built-in defenses, and are generally pesky. Don’t knock this one if you haven’t tried it.

6 Command and Conquer

Classic Base-Building Warfare

Systems

Released June 5, 2020

Developer(s) Petroglyph

Engine GlyphX

ESRB t

How Long To Beat 33 Hours

OpenCritic Rating Mighty

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Ah, the nostalgia; yet another title that defined my younger years. This is the remaster, of course, but the essentials remain the same; they are just dressed up a little nicer.

This is a must-play mix of fast-paced balls-to-the-wall action and timeless base-building mechanics.

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Spamming tanks across the screen still holds a certain satisfaction, and I’ve missed the campy cutscenes. I always reach for Red Alert, but Command and Conquer has a title for every kind of RTS player.

It’s one of the more iconic strategy titles for newcomers. This is also a solid way to get into war games; Command and Conquer opened so many doors for me.

5 Company of Heroes 2

Immersive and Realistic WWII Combat

Systems

Released June 25, 2013

Engine essence engine

ESRB M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence

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World War II, much like The Great War before it, changed society irrevocably.

With a much more serious tone right off the bat, Company of Heroes gives you the inside track on battlefield strategies in the Second World War and doesn’t let you overlook the gravity of each decision.

It’s a good starter because of the slower pace; you have time to learn the ropes. If you’re not a fan of RTS and prefer a turn-based strategy, this could be fun for you, too; it’s an RTS that gives you time to think, plan, and strategize.

This is an awesome stepping stone to more complex titles and well worth the playthrough.

4 Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II

In A Galaxy Far Far Away

This is another one for those who like a slow-burn playthrough. Armada II shoots you into space for a Gothic sci-fi battle with huge hulking spaceships and epic galactic combat.

It has a slower, more deliberate pace, so it’s a kinder way to experience RTS. Take your time, make your decisions, and evaluate your options.

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It’s much less overwhelming than other titles that shove you straight in, but it’s super immersive and lets you dip your toes into the Warhammer universe.

This is a niche pick, but it’s one worth exploring if you want a taste of real-time strategy from a different perspective.

3 Ashes of the Singularity

Conflict On The Grandest Scale

Systems

Released March 31, 2016

Engine game engine

ESRB e

OpenCritic Rating Fair

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I don’t have to love a game to respect it. Ashes of the Singularity is unapologetically massive, throwing battles at a scale that makes most RTS games feel tiny. I prefer to command individual units; here, you’ll command entire armies. It’s a shift of perspective, but a valuable one if you want to fully explore RTS.

Marketplaces are rife with good games with bad opening levels, but this one starts badly in another way. It’s not a welcoming game; it’s an assault on beginners. However, I included it because it forces you to think strategically on a new level and scale.

I’m impressed by the four separate episodes and multiple scenarios, but I could do without the near-endless info dump from Haalee—I see the benefit, though; info is good for beginners. There’s definitely a lot to unpack in this game.

Give the others a shot, then take this one for a spin. It’s a solid springboard for any curiosity about the grander side of RTS. Who knows, you may even grow to appreciate its ambition.

2 They are Billions

Hordes And Hordes And Hordes

I don’t usually let strategy games get under my skin; this one does it anyway.

Confession time: I’m genuinely terrified of zombies. This game is so full of them that it makes my skin crawl. They truly are billions. You’ll want to balance offense and airtight defenses, and even the tiniest misstep could contribute to the downfall of your colony.

It’s another RTS that isn’t forgiving in the least, but it teaches the value of planning ahead. The fact that Nightmare, Brutal, and Apocalypse are three separate levels of difficulty and that there are four ranks before those should tell you exactly how unforgiving this game gets.

It’s not one of the best zombie games in existence—although I’d never put “best” and “zombie” together like that in a sentence—but there’s a sick brilliance in how nerve-wracking it is.

The endless zombie hordes will either keep you glued to your screen or huddled in the corner of a room, hyperventilating into a brown paper bag. Either way, it’s a good time.

1 Iron Harvest

Rewriting 1920s History With Diesel Mechs

Dieselpunk mechs should absolutely have a place in the RTS genre, and Iron Harvest makes that happen.

This title is more approachable than a few of the others; it eases you in slowly with an interesting mix of conventional infantry and mech units.

Here, you’re not spamming units; you need to consider positioning very carefully; the trick is in countering your opponent’s moves.

It’s steeped in an alternate-history setting, rich and immersive. If you’ve got loads of time to sink into a properly good RTS, this is it, at least after you have played all the Age of Empires titles.

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