Best RTS games on Steam
Unlike generic lists, our strategy game recommendations use a rigorous analysis of Steam user reviews to identify and feature only the best, community-validated rts games. For those who prefer not to search, lists of the most played, top deals and best free rts games are available at the bottom of the page.
Men of War: Assault Squad
Men of War: Assault Squad features a completely new cooperative skirmish game mode with access to five different nations (Russia, Germany, USA, Commonwealth and, for the first time ever in the Men of War series, Japan) as well as increased realism and accessibility.Swords and Soldiers HD
Rewrite history as you take control of the brutal Vikings, the devious Aztecs or the crafty Chinese in their global quest to win the favour of the Gods! Swords & Soldiers is a side-scrolling strategy game that lets you control an entire army and lets you wield devastating magical abilities.Star Ruler
Take command of a vast interstellar empire and safeguard your species from total extinction in a procedurally generated 3D galaxy (with the option to flatten it) from 1 System to 10,000+! Prove your species' ingenuity through a deep and intricate combat system where anything (from individual components on ships to the stars themselves)...Cossacks: Back to War
Cossacks: Back to War contains all of the gameplay features of Cossacks: European Wars and Cossacks: The Art of War, this is a complete care package for all current and future Cossacks fans. This add-on contains two new nations: Switzerland and Hungary.Victoria II
Carefully guide your nation from the era of absolute monarchies in the early 19th century, through expansion and colonization, to finally become a truly great power by the dawn of the 20th century. Victoria II is a grand strategy game played during the colonial era of the 19th century, where the player takes control of a country, guiding...Theatre of War
Command a special task force composed of different kinds of units, including tanks, APCs, field guns, mortars, various infantry regiments and will also have an opportunity to call for artillery and air support.STAR WARS™ Empire at War - Gold Pack
Command or corrupt an entire galaxy in the definitive Star Wars strategy collection. It is a time of galactic civil war. Will you take up the reins of the Rebellion, assume control of the Empire, or rule the Star Wars Underworld?Supreme Commander 2
Includes 47 Steam achievements, leaderboards, and stats!Total War: NAPOLEON – Definitive Edition
Complete your Total War collection with this Definitive Edition of Total War: NAPOLEON, which includes all DLC and feature updates since the game’s releaseGratuitous Space Battles
Who needs backstory? Who needs resource-gathering? Diplomacy is so last year. Gratuitous Space Battles cuts right to the chase of sci-fi strategy games, and deals with large, completely unjustified space battles between huge opposing space fleets.SpellForce - Platinum Edition
Included in the Platinum Edition are three titles:SpellForce: The Order of DawnIn a world beyond imagination...In their immeasurable greed and constant thirst for power, the thirteen most powerful Mages of all time doomed the land, hurling it into an endless spiral of chaos and despair.Men of War: Red Tide
Men of War: Red Tide is a sequel to the critically acclaimed RTS Men of War. Red Tide introduces a new story driven campaign based on the writings of Soviet scribe Alexander Zorich, it also includes dozens of new or upgraded units and weapons.AI War: Fleet Command
"You are outgunned. You are massively outnumbered. You must win." These are your orders. Humanity has already fought its war against the machines -- and lost. AI death squads stand watch over every planet and every wormhole, the few remaining human settlements are held captive in orbiting bubbles, and the AIs have turned their...Majesty 2
In the world of Majesty, you are the ruler of the kingdom Ardania. At your service are your loyal and somewhat obnoxious subordinates, who have their own minds about how things should be done. In fact, Majesty is the only game where your heroes decide on their own what should be done and when, leaving you to try to control them through...Order of War™
October 22, 2009 - Update has released free Downloadable Content for Order of War. The DLC will download automatically the next time you launch the game. This DLC contains all the formerly exclusive pre-order items which include: Heavy Bomber Squadrons - Addition of German Arado and Allied B-24 Marauder heavy bomber units to air support...Majesty Gold HD
The High Definition edition of Majesty Gold contains main game, the Northern Expansion Pack as well as 2 new quests and several other graphics and gameplay updates.Majesty is a Real-time strategy game with indirect control – your heroes have a will of their own!Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the acclaimed real-time strategy game that focuses on combat instead of resource gathering. The only two resources you'll need to worry about are mana and souls. Need more units? Capture the souls of your enemy. Cast spells of awesome power.Hearts of Iron III
Hearts of Iron III lets you play the most engaging conflict in world history, World War 2, on all fronts as any country and through multiple different scenarios. Guide your nation to glory between 1936 and 1948 and wage war, conduct diplomacy and build your industry in the most detailed World War 2 game ever made.Tropico Reloaded
TROPICO RELOADED is the ultimate game compilation for hobby-dictators and those dreaming of their own Caribbean island. Tropico combines real-time strategy and simulation elements with a healthy dose of political intrigue and Caribbean flair to create a unique and critically acclaimed game experience.Overlord II
Overlord II, sequel to the critically acclaimed cult hit, sees the return of the chaotic Minions and their new Dark Master. Bigger, badder and more beautifully destructive, Overlord 2 has a Glorious Empire to smash, a massive Netherworld to revive, Minion mounts to mobilize, a trio of mistresses to woo, War Machines to crush opposition...Evil Genius
Everybody wants to rule the world! Achieve global power with EVIL GENIUS, the one and only complete world domination simulator. All the everyday tasks of the deliciously wicked mastermind are available to experience and master from building your ultra-secret base to developing spectacular super-weapons to carry out your nefarious master...Men of War™
Men of War is a stunning Real-Time Strategy game that takes place during the height of World War II. Intense battles span Europe and North Africa as gamers play as Soviet, Allied or German forces across 19 massive single-player missions.Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor
Company of Heroes®: Tales of Valor™ is the expansion to the Game of the Year winner and highest rated real time strategy franchise Company of Heroes®. Featuring new campaigns to overcome, units to command, and battlefields to conquer, Company of Heroes®: Tales of Valor™ delivers evolved gameplay mechanics and 3 episodic adventures...Grand Ages: Rome
As Governor of a Roman Province in the time-honoured Roman Empire, its fortune very much lies in your hands. Choose one of five Roman noble families such as Caesar’s Julii with different abilities to accomplish the comprehensive missions.Most played rts games on Steam
Take a look at the top rts games that are currently attracting the largest player bases on the Steam platform, as of April 19th 2025.
1. Total War: WARHAMMER III
The cataclysmic conclusion to the Total War: WARHAMMER trilogy is here. Rally your forces and step into the Realm of Chaos, a dimension of mind-bending horror where the very fate of the world will be decided. Will you conquer your Daemons… or command them? Total War: WARHAMMER III is a strategy, turn-based strategy and grand strategy game developed by Creative Assembly and Feral Interactive and published by Feral Interactive and SEGA. Released on February 16th 2022 has received 117,985 reviews of which 85,271 were positive and 32,714 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.2 out of 10. The game has hit the top spot as the #1 most played rts game, thanks to its 22,387 peak concurrent players over the last day.2. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
42 Civilizations, 229 Campaign Missions, Singleplayer, Co-Op, Multiplayer, In-Game Editor, Mods, Cross-play...It is good to be the king. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a strategy, rts and city builder game developed by Forgotten Empires, Tantalus Media, Wicked Witch, World's Edge and CaptureAge and published by Xbox Game Studios. Released on November 14th 2019 has received 159,608 reviews of which 151,527 were positive and 8,081 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.4 out of 10. While seeing 19,966 players online at once in the last 24 hours, this game is currently ranked #2 among rts games based on player count.3. Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition
Celebrating its first year of delighting millions of global players, the award-winning and best-selling strategy franchise continues with Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition, putting you at the center of even more epic historical battles that shaped the world. Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition is a strategy, rts and base-building game developed by Relic Entertainment, Forgotten Empires, Climax Studios and World's Edge and published by Xbox Game Studios. Released on October 28th 2021 has received 78,584 reviews of which 67,670 were positive and 10,914 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.5 out of 10. While seeing 9,669 players online at once in the last 24 hours, this game is currently ranked #3 among rts games based on player count.4. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition offers players a trial of this historical single & multiplayer RTS experience. *Note: To unlock all features of the game please see the “Base Game” product. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a strategy, base-building and rts game developed by World's Edge, Tantalus Media and Forgotten Empires and published by Xbox Game Studios. Released on October 15th 2020 has received 47,511 reviews of which 40,165 were positive and 7,346 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.3 out of 10. With 4,144 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #4 spot among the most played rts games.5. Age of Empires II (Retired)
Age of Empires II has been re-imagined in high definition. With the release of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, this product will not be updated further. Age of Empires II (Retired) is a strategy, rts and medieval game developed by SkyBox Labs, Hidden Path Entertainment, Ensemble Studios and Forgotten Empires and published by Xbox Game Studios. Released on April 09th 2013 has received 101,108 reviews of which 96,842 were positive and 4,266 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.4 out of 10. With 2,922 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #5 spot among the most played rts games.6. Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront
Call to Arms - Gates of Hell is a realistic RTS/ RTT game that offers endless replay value. Command all types of troops in historical singleplayer, dynamic campaign, PvP and PvE battles. Are you ready for some serious immersion in World War 2? Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront is a world war ii, strategy and real time tactics game developed by Barbedwire Studios and Digitalmindsoft and published by Digitalmindsoft. Released on June 11th 2021 has received 22,710 reviews of which 18,875 were positive and 3,835 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.2 out of 10. With 2,569 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #6 spot among the most played rts games.7. Age of Mythology: Retold
From the creators of the award-winning Age of Empires franchise, Age of Mythology: Retold goes beyond history to a mythical age where gods, monsters, and humans collide. Age of Mythology: Retold is a strategy, rts and base-building game developed by World's Edge, Forgotten Empires, Tantalus Media, CaptureAge and Virtuos Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. Released on September 04th 2024 has received 16,199 reviews of which 14,578 were positive and 1,621 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.8 out of 10. With 2,556 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #7 spot among the most played rts games.8. Company of Heroes 2
Experience the ultimate WWII RTS platform with COH2 and its standalone expansions. This package includes the base game, which you can then upgrade by purchasing The Western Front Armies, Ardennes Assault and/or The British Forces. More info in the "About This Game" section below. Company of Heroes 2 is a strategy, world war ii and rts game developed by Relic Entertainment and Feral Interactive (Linux) and published by Relic Entertainment, Feral interactive (Mac) and Feral Interactive (Linux). Released on June 25th 2013 has received 109,417 reviews of which 86,397 were positive and 23,020 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.8 out of 10. With 2,516 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #8 spot among the most played rts games.9. Total War: SHOGUN 2
Total War: SHOGUN 2 is the perfect mix of real-time and turn-based strategy gaming for newcomers and veterans alike. Total War: SHOGUN 2 is a strategy, historical and turn-based strategy game developed by Creative Assembly and Feral Interactive (Linux) and published by Feral interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux) and SEGA. Released on March 14th 2011 has received 24,952 reviews of which 22,620 were positive and 2,332 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.9 out of 10. With 2,296 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #9 spot among the most played rts games.10. Northgard
Northgard is a critically acclaimed strategy game based on Norse mythology. Lead your clan, uncover the secrets of a mysterious newfound continent and defeat your enemies to conquer the Throne! Northgard is a strategy, city builder and simulation game developed and published by Shiro Games. Released on March 07th 2018 has received 64,080 reviews of which 55,486 were positive and 8,594 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.5 out of 10. With 2,144 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #10 spot among the most played rts games.Best deals on rts games on Steam
Discover fantastic savings with the best discounts on a variety of rts games available on Steam right now, updated on April 19th 2025. Looking for even more deals? Use the search filters to explore a wider range of discounted rts games.
1. Ancestors Legacy
Ancestors Legacy is a squad-based real time strategy with a strong focus on tactics. Inspired by medieval European history, it brings to life four different nations and their conflicts, usually solved by war. Ancestors Legacy is a strategy, rts and medieval game developed and published by Destructive Creations. Released on May 22nd 2018 has received 8,335 reviews of which 6,569 were positive and 1,766 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.7 out of 10. Featuring a massive 95% discount, this game currently holds the #1 spot in the best deals for rts category.2. Homeworld Remastered Collection
Experience the epic space strategy games that redefined the RTS genre. Control your fleet and build an armada across more than 30 single-player missions. Choose unit types, fleet formations and flight tactics for each strategic situation. Homeworld Remastered Collection is a space, strategy and rts game developed by Gearbox Software and Aspyr (Mac) and published by Aspyr (Mac) and Gearbox Publishing. Released on February 25th 2015 has received 13,513 reviews of which 11,942 were positive and 1,571 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. Thanks to its incredible 94% discount, this game is now the #2 best deal in rts games.3. Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation
A massive-scale real-time strategy game where you command entire armies on a dynamic battlefield. Conquer multiple worlds across several single-player campaigns; or play with your friends in multiplayer combat. Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation is a rts, base-building and pvp game developed by Stardock Entertainment and Oxide Games and published by Stardock Entertainment. Released on November 10th 2016 has received 4,742 reviews of which 3,530 were positive and 1,212 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.3 out of 10. Thanks to its incredible 94% discount, this game is now the #3 best deal in rts games.4. Medieval Kingdom Wars
Rewrite medieval history through bloody siege combat in a fusion of RTS and Grand Strategy genres. Rule, build, and serve your King as a minor lord in medieval Europe. Experience siege, field and naval combat with an unseen degree of brutality. Rogue-like progression, epic towns and battles await… Medieval Kingdom Wars is a grand strategy, rts and medieval game developed by Reverie World Studios and published by indie.io. Released on January 03rd 2019 has received 2,585 reviews of which 1,977 were positive and 608 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.4 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 93% discount, this title has earned the #4 position in the best deals for rts games.5. Stronghold Crusader 2
Stronghold Crusader 2 is the long awaited sequel to the original castle sim. After 12 years Stronghold returns to the desert with a new 3D engine and powerful Havok Physics. Crusader 2 recaptures the original game’s addictive, fast-paced gameplay and authentic castle simulation. Stronghold Crusader 2 is a strategy, medieval and city builder game developed and published by FireFly Studios. Released on September 22nd 2014 has received 16,932 reviews of which 12,215 were positive and 4,717 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.1 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 93% discount, this title has earned the #5 position in the best deals for rts games.6. Cartel Tycoon
Cartel Tycoon is a survival business sim inspired by the ‘80s and '90s narco trade. Expand and conquer, fight off rival thugs and evade the authorities. Earn people's loyalty and strive to overcome the doomed fate of a power-hungry drug lord. Cartel Tycoon is a top-down, rts and resource management game developed by Moon Moose and published by tinyBuild. Released on July 26th 2022 has received 3,514 reviews of which 2,684 were positive and 830 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.4 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 91% discount, this title has earned the #6 position in the best deals for rts games.7. Sudden Strike 4
Sudden Strike is back! The beloved Real Time Strategy series returns, this time with bigger battlefields, more units, better graphics, new scenarios and legendary commanders – making Sudden Strike 4 more tactical and realistic than ever before! Sudden Strike 4 is a strategy, rts and world war ii game developed by Kite Games and published by Kalypso Media. Released on August 11th 2017 has received 7,774 reviews of which 6,056 were positive and 1,718 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.6 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 90% discount, this title has earned the #7 position in the best deals for rts games.8. Men of War: Assault Squad 2
Men of War: Assault Squad 2 features new single player style skirmish modes that take players from extreme tank combat to deadly sniper stealth missions. Commanders can now faceoff against opponents on various new multiplayer 1v1 – 8v8 maps. Men of War: Assault Squad 2 is a strategy, world war ii and war game developed by Digitalmindsoft and published by Fulqrum Publishing. Released on May 15th 2014 has received 44,031 reviews of which 40,178 were positive and 3,853 were negative resulting in a rating of 9.0 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 89% discount, this title has earned the #8 position in the best deals for rts games.9. S.W.I.N.E. HD Remaster
S.W.I.N.E. HD Remaster is the new edition of the challenging classic strategy game S.W.I.N.E! The filthiest of all wars between the Rabbit and the Pig armies is a sophisticated real-time strategy with completely revised textures, detailed unit models, a 16:9 adapted interface. S.W.I.N.E. HD Remaster is a strategy, rts and retro game developed by Kite Games and published by Kite Games and WhisperGames. Released on May 23rd 2019 has received 1,186 reviews of which 1,081 were positive and 105 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 88% discount, this title has earned the #9 position in the best deals for rts games.10. Men of War: Assault Squad
Men of War: Assault Squad features a completely new cooperative skirmish game mode with access to five different nations (Russia, Germany, USA, Commonwealth and, for the first time ever in the Men of War series, Japan) as well as increased realism and accessibility. Men of War: Assault Squad is a strategy, world war ii and war game developed by Digitalmindsoft and published by Fulqrum Publishing. Released on February 24th 2011 has received 4,913 reviews of which 4,313 were positive and 600 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.5 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 88% discount, this title has earned the #10 position in the best deals for rts games.Free rts games on Steam
Check out this fantastic list of free-to-play rts games you can enjoy on Steam right now, updated on April 19th 2025. Looking for even more free titles? Use the search filters to explore a wider range of free to play rts games.