Best RTS Games Like Starcraft

The success of the real-time strategy genre has been a cornerstone of PC gaming for decades. Its versatility is part of the secret to its success; the genre has seen WW2 shooters, mythical battles, and historical events. Another popular type of RTS game is futuristic science-fiction, a category that has been dominated by Blizzard Entertainment’s StarCraft series.

The original game, StarCraft, won a multitude of awards upon its launch, including Strategy Game Of The Year by GameSpot and Real-Time Strategy Game Of The Year by PC Gamer. The excitement surrounding StarCraft 2 was one of the more memorable events in gaming history, and the sequel is one of the highest-rated games on Metacritic. For those who love Blizzard’s signature RTS game but want a change of scene, there are plenty of choices for games like StarCraft.

Uploaded on October 10, 2024 by Rhenn Taguiam: With StarCraft 2 securing its status as a game worthy of being in the current esports scene with the likes of the 2024 ESL SC2 Pro Tour Championship, fans might be interesting in sharpening their SC2 skills to compete with the world’s greatest in these tournaments. Although no news of upcoming StarCraft entries were teased by Blizzard, fans of the game’s fast-paced building mechanics and combat can experience similar riveting encounters in some older and newer titles. These include an Eastern-themed RTS depicting a war between clans, an alternate history take on World War 2, and unique takes on the modern military simulator.

30 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

Fast-Paced RTS With A Wild Story

Fans of StarCraft who want a riveting real-time strategy experience will appreciate the fast-paced excitement offered by Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 and the flexibility of its gameplay options. Set in an alternate history where the Soviets launch an all-out attack against the Allies using hyper-powerful Tesla coil technology aided by the psionic army of the psychic Yuri, Red Alert 2 offers equal parts campy FMV cutscenes and challenging encounters.

Similar to StarCraft, gameplay in Red Alert 2 positions players as either the cheap but heavy-hitting units of the Soviets, the expensive but hyper-specialized roster of the Allies, or amass an army through infecting both sides using Yuri’s psychics (in the expansion). Gameplay majorly consists of gathering enough resources to amass enough units for all-out assaults – that is, unless enemies manage to whip out a quick counter-offense to turn the tide. On top of rather crazy stunts in the story, the game offering a lot of creativity in terms of abusing the meta has made Red Alert 2 a lasting classic.

29 Total Annihilation

A Classic Title With Interesting Mechanics

While other modern RTS titles boast incredible graphics and more sophisticated gameplay, Total Annihilation was a surprisingly complex and fluid entry to the genre despite its 1997 release date. Set in the far future where remnants of humanity known as the Arm fight a galaxy-spanning AI-led faction known as the Core, Total Annihilation will have players control towering mechs known as Commanders as they try to out-produce and outgun the enemy using a variety of units and technologies.

Compared to other RTS titles, Total Annihilation has constantly-generating Metal and Power resources, the consumption of which depends on the potency of the constructing unit and the power of the unit being built. Arm units boast sleek builds designed for fast-paced incursions while Core units have more durable bodies, with each side boasting Kbots built to meet specific combat situations. Total Annihilation is also among the first RTS titles to feature a radar system that showed units on the minimap, with the game having a “tech” that can disable enemy radar to make it much harder for them to get information.

28 Battle Realms

Builders Become The Foundation Of Core Units

• Platforms: PC
• Released: November 7, 2001
• Developer: Liquid Entertainment
• Publisher: Liquid Entertainment

Despite its Asia-inspired themes and settings, Battle Realms packs a lot of finesse outside its story of exiled heir Kenji returning to a chaotic land. The Battle Realms campaign takes Kenji to different paths depending on the player’s choice – each battle leads them closer to one of the game’s factions and unlocks heroes or Zen Masters they can call upon in combat. Choosing between the honorable Dragon Clan, the nature-tied Wolf Clan, the technologically-advanced Serpent Clan, and the sorcerers of the Lotus Clan can give players access to a wide array of units they can use in fast-paced combat.

While Battle Realms follows the similar RTS formula of macro-comboing and overwhelming opponents to submission, its gameplay loop offers more flexibility. Matches will see a steady stream of Peasants being produced depending on the player’s population and can be assigned to gather Rice, Water, and Horses – the latter of which can be equipped to units to upgrade them to mounted variants. Peasants themselves act as “base” units who upgrade to more specialized variants through structures, while Battle Gears can buff units to counteract others they’re normally weak against.

27 Ashes Of The Singularity

Thousands Of Units And Giant Maps

Ashes of the Singularity was released by Stardock Entertainment, the team behind the Sins of a Solar Empire and Galactic Civilizations franchises. The RTS game differentiates itself from others in the genre by having thousands of units fighting at one time on enormous maps that make the game feel ahead of its time.

The game didn’t blow critics away when it was first released, but the Escalation expansion redeemed the game when it was released six months later. The expansion was initially released as a standalone product but has since been merged with the main game.

26 War Party

Everybody Walk The Dinosaur

• Platforms: PC, Switch
• Released: March 28th, 2019
• Developer: Rogueside
• Publisher: Rogueside

Think WarCraft with dinosaurs, cavemen, and a dash of StarCraft‘s simplistic sensibilities, and this multiplayer indie might be the result. Studio Rogueside hearkens back to the era of colorful, early Blizzard RTS romps, and applies a fun and cheeky dinosaur overlay in War Party.

The game dabbles with fantasy elements by way of mages, undead, and battle-altering spells — though grounds things more in prehistoric motifs. War Party allows players to pick between one of three distinct factions, not unlike StarCraft‘s human and alien armies, which intertwine and often clash. Players must tackle different missions — typically defeating outposts and bands of foes — while taking care of smaller, secondary tasks.

While more of a mixed bag in terms of refinement and depth, the game stands out for being a rare example of a decent home console port. It offers fairly organized, intuitive controls for Switch, which allow swift multitasking without being overwhelmed by a dozen commands and countless micromanaging.

25 Halo Wars 2

Gunplay, Sci-Fi, and… Card Battles

343 Industries and Creative Assembly manage to polish the formula for their sci-fi RTS based on the iconic Halo series, while adding various bells and whistles that include new modes and card battles. Though simplistic at first, the card fights work surprisingly well, and add an interesting, quasi-Magic the Gathering feel to the experience, in addition to the on-the-nose StarCraft vibe.

The game features an impressively detailed, cinematic campaign that follows the events of Halo 5. This story mode is strengthened by appealing RTS combat that works surprisingly well even on home console, and features a slew of unique missions and challenges.

Multiplayer is another strong suit of the game, featuring both online co-op and competitive matches with impressive customization. While it has a few quirks, and can be tough to find one’s footing at first compared to its simpler predecessor, Halo Wars 2 is a rewarding (and frankly overlooked) RTS on Xbox.

24 Age Of Empires 4

A Dominant Force Of The Genre

Often considered the pinnacle of RTS gaming along with StarCraft, this 2021 classic reinforces this Medieval warfare epic as one of the kings of the genre. While the franchise has been known for being a more in-depth, ‘hardcore’ alternative to Blizzard’s hit, this more polished sequel offers a learning curve that’s at least a tad less steep.

At the same time, this strategy game ups the ante in several ways, with a greater feeling of historical authenticity aided by sleeker visuals, and loads of diverse content. Players can delve into six different solo campaigns, traverse four Ages, and pick between 16 distinct civilizations that range from the Holy Roman Empire to the Ottomans to the Japanese.

As in past entries, gamers must manage their colonies that contain military, economic, religious, and tech-based buildings, all while powering up their empire and toppling rival forces. It’s a highly alluring, rewarding experience that’s done superbly in Age of Empires 4.

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23 Ancestors Legacy (2018)

Real Events As Part Of A Larger Campaign

Like most RTS games that players can enjoy on a historical or nationwide level, the best features of Ancestors Legacy include a historical setting, famous leaders, and accurate army units and tactics. The regions the player can visit include various points in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, either as part of a single-player campaign or against their friends in multiplayer mode.

The playable races include Vikings, Slavs, Anglo-Saxons, and a Catholic Order of militant knights called the Teutons. A DLC called Saladin’s Conquest includes the Saracens. What sets this game apart from other historic RTS games is the clever use of real events as part of a larger campaign, such as the Viking campaign which uses the raid of Lindisfarne’s Monastery as a tutorial.

22 The Great War: Western Front

Realistic World War 1 Strategy

Play as either the Allied Powers of the Americas and Western Europe or the Central Powers of Eastern Europe with The Great War: Western Front. The game includes gathering resources and fight sequences, and in keeping with the historical context, trenches and tanks are an essential part of battlefield management.

The game is designed to be as realistic as possible, so it’s ideal for those keen on historical accuracy. On the other hand, this can be frustrating because stalemates were common during this period, and WWI in particular was notorious for it. The result is a long and expensive battle that essentially goes nowhere, but that’s part of the horror of war.

21 Grey Goo

Distinct Races With Special Powers

Grey Goo has a few details in common with StarCraft, such as the alluring science fiction backstory and the choice between four different races, along with the option between a single player or a co-op campaign. A distinct addition is that each race has its power or perk, like extra speed or the use of teleportation technology, and players have to find ways to use these specialized abilities to their advantage.

The setting is 500 years into the future when humans have ventured into space and encountered the Beta, a race that is developing a wormhole of sorts to return to space after a long hiatus. Unfortunately, an aggressive alien race comes through to attack them and everything else in the galaxy. Fight them or join them and conquer the stars.

20 Rome: Total War

Another Fan Favorite Of The Genre

There aren’t many RTS titles that are as universally known and acclaimed as Starcraft 2, but Rome: Total War is certainly one of them. The game was released almost 20 years ago, yet it’s still one of the most enjoyable strategy games to play today that’s akin to StarCraft.

Rome: Total War wasn’t the first Total War game, as both Shogun: Total War and Medieval: Total War came before it. However, the 2004 game is credited with popularizing many of the features that are now synonymous with the iconic Total War franchise.

19 Empire Earth: Gold Edition

Realistic Settings And Historic Events

The original Empire Earth dates from 2001, and it created a franchise that consisted of four other games before an enhanced Gold Edition was released in 2007. It uses realistic settings and historic events to frame the battles, which is typical of some titles in the genre, but this one adds other features that are often in RP games, like a morality system.

This adds to the immersion and makes the player more emotionally involved in the game’s outcome. Heroes can take the role of Warrior or Strategist, with one choice relying more on planning and intrigue with the other focused more on fighting and brute force.

18 The Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth 2

Real-Time Strategy In Middle-earth

A real-time strategy game set in Middle-Earth always sounded like a match made in heaven, so there was a ton of hype when Sierra Entertainment announced that The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring would be released in 2003. The game failed to impress most, but fans wouldn’t have to wait long before the next RTS Middle-Earth game was released, as EA’s Battle For Middle-Earth hit stores just over a year later.

The game was a critical and commercial success, so a sequel was announced shortly after. The Lord of the Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth 2 isn’t only beloved for its Middle-earth features as a game like StarCraft but also an excellent RTS in its own right.

17 Total War: Warhammer 2

In-Depth Strategy With A Vast Number of Choices

Much like Battle For Middle-Earth, Total War: Warhammer is the sort of game that fans of the franchise will fantasize about but not expect to see in reality. Total War: Warhammer was released in 2016, and a positive reception meant that work quickly began on a sequel.

Warhammer 2‘s fantasy themes are far more than just a gimmick. They offer a unique layer of depth and strategy to a game like StarCraft by giving players a vast range of unique units to contend with and control. The third entry is also a fantastic conclusion to this trilogy.

16 Rise Of Nations: Extended Edition

Turn-Based Mechanics And Long-Term Strategy

Rise of Nations was originally released in 2003 by Microsoft Game Studios, which is known today as Xbox Game Studios. The extended edition title was developed by Big Huge Games, which is also known for its work on the 2012 action RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The game seamlessly incorporates turn-based strategy mechanics like attrition warfare with the RTS genre.

Rise of Nations piqued the interest of turn-based strategy fans back in the early 2000s, as the game’s development team was led by Brian Reynolds, who had previously worked on Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri and Civilization 2.

15 Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition

RTS-Style Gameplay In A Variety Of Periods

The Age of Empires series may be set in a completely different period from the StarCraft games, but it deserves a spot on this list nonetheless for being among the best RTS games ever made. Age of Empires 2 perfected the formula that Age of Empires created and revolutionized the RTS genre.

Age of Empires 2 is set in the Middle Ages and focuses on resource management, base building, and unit deployment. In late 2019, The Definitive Edition was released, providing stunning new visuals to the classic game was released. It includes all the game’s expansion packs and is the best way to play the classic strategy game.

14 Total War: Attila

Battles Set In Late Antiquity

Total War: Attila is an ideal choice for those who like realism and historical accuracy in their RTS games. The setting is late Antiquity, about the 4th century CE, a time when classical Rome was giving way to the medieval era. Battles that would decide the fate of Europe and Asia for centuries were fought during this time, and the player can experience some of that turbulent history through this game.

The title is intended to invoke an image of a certain era as opposed to focusing on a certain person. Attila himself doesn’t become a playable character until about halfway through the game, but there’s still plenty to do until he shows up.

13 Age Of Mythology

Legend, Myth, And Epic Battles

As the title implies, the Age of Mythology is an Age of Empires spin-off. The characters offer a fascinating layer of depth to the classic Age of Empires gameplay. Age of Mythology is a fantastic game in its own right and earns a higher spot on this list of games like StarCraft for its fictional setting.

The game focuses on Egyptian, Greek, and Norse mythology and features key mythological figures like Zeus and Ra. It has similar mechanics to Age of Empires, with resource management, base building, and unit deployment again being key to the gameplay.

12 Company Of Heroes

Immersive Graphics, Effects, And Visuals

Relic Entertainment’s Company of Heroes is rightly considered to be the best WW2 strategy game with its stellar, engrossing sound effects and visuals. THQ’s real-time strategy gem won multiple awards upon release, including IGN’s Best Strategy Game award in 2006.

The gameplay predominantly focuses on controlling victory points. These points are dotted around key central parts of the map and are captured and controlled similarly to the popular domination mode in Call of Duty. There is also an annihilation mode that removes these victory points and simply requires players to destroy all of their opponent’s buildings to win.

11 StarFront: Collision

An Ideal Choice For A Mobile RTS Game

The gaming industry often looks down on mobile games. It’s frequently criticized for its plethora of cash-grab games that are geared toward getting consumers to spend money. Although plenty of these games like StarCraft do exist, mobile gaming does have a few gems.

One of these gems is StarFront: Collision. It’s not just similar to StarCraft in name, as StarFront is also a futuristic sci-fi RTS game that lets players pick from three races to control. These three races play almost identically to StarCraft‘s Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss varieties, so it’s the ideal choice if a player is a dedicated StarCraft fan.