Summary
- Retro RTS games prioritize strategy over speed, making them more accessible to average fans.
- Cataclismo’s modular base-building system stands out, offering accessible gameplay with strategic depth.
- Dune: Spice Wars incorporates 4X elements for slow-burning strategies in a thematic, unique RTS experience.
Real-time strategy games enjoyed a peak of popularity in the 90s and through to the early 2000s with iconic titles such as Warcraft, StarCraft, Homeworld, and Command & Conquer, among others. These games traditionally incorporate base-building, unit production, and resource management, as well as the management of military units.
Related
Although modern RTS games are more accessible, there’s still plenty to love when it comes to these retro classics.
While real-time strategy games are the perfect playground for competitive scenes, as seen with StarCraft 2 at the height of its popularity, the competition often drives away players who cannot play quickly. As a result, many RTS games can be incredibly inaccessible to the average fan. These games, however, feature accessible gameplay that emphasizes strategy over speed.
Updated January 9, 2025 by Harry Ted Sprinks: The popularity of accessible real-time strategy games has continued to rise, especially in the indie scene. The successful 1.0 release of Thronefall and the continued success of Cataclismo have shown a clear want and need for slower-paced real-time strategy games with intuitive gameplay. With these recent innovations, audiences can only hope that more developers will break out of traditional RTS values, perhaps the only way that the genre can revive itself from its ongoing slump.
1
Starship Troopers: Terran Command
A Tactics-Focused Real-Time Strategy Game
Real-Time Strategy
War & Military
Tactical
- Released
-
June 16, 2022
- Developer(s)
-
The Artistocrats
Fans of Paul Verhoeven’s cult-classic film, Starship Troopers, and tactics-focused real-time strategy games will likely get a kick or two out of Starship Troopers: Terran Command. Featuring swarms of the iconic Arachnids and squads of Mobile Infantry, Terran Command is loyal to the source material and simultaneously great for newcomers to the RTS genre.
The game’s focus on tactical positioning over constant micromanagement and high-speed play allows Terran Command to remain an accessible experience. Simply put, players are more likely to spend more time worrying about line of sight than they are flicking their mouse back and forth as they attempt to micromanage their troops.
2
They Are Billions
Base-Defense Meets RTS With A Tactical Pause
They Are Billions
Real-Time Strategy
Survival
Management
They Are Billions combines classic base-defense gameplay with elements of real-time strategy that elevate it above similar titles. Though RTS gameplay is a core component, They Are Billions remains accessible with its tactical pause, allowing players to control the pace of enemy encounters.
The enemies are arguably the game’s greatest strength, with truly impressive hordes of undead being thrown at the player’s colony. Players will need good planning and solid resource management in order to succeed, not to mention the ability to adapt on the fly. However, speed is one thing players don’t need to succeed, keeping They Are Billions an accessible experience.
3
Cataclismo
A Gloomy, Wave-Based RTS With Modular Building Mechanics
Strategy
Simulation
City Builder
- Released
-
July 22, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Digital Sun
This dark and gloomy real-time strategy game features a wonderfully minimalist flat-color art style and an impressive sense of atmosphere. However, despite brilliant art direction, Cataclismo‘s greatest strength is arguably its modular base-building system, which plays like digital LEGO.
Related
Base Defense is a very popular genre for gamers who like to think and plan, and these are some fantastic games to consider playing.
Cataclismo is centered around building and defending fortresses from hordes of monsters, making use of tactical positioning to get the most out of each and every unit. The ability to pause and the wave-based nature of the game ensure players have plenty of time to prepare their strategy, and the game never asks the player to play at a high speed.
4
Kenshi
A Sandbox RPG With Squad-Based Strategy And A Tactical Pause
- Released
-
December 6, 2018
More of a sandbox RPG than an RTS, Kenshi is an expansive squad-based role-playing game with a focus on open-world exploration and player agency. In the game, players are given no set goals and can instead roam the land as they see fit, meeting NPCs and exploring strange locations along the way.
The world of Kenshi is dangerous, however, and players will often find themselves in combat with a variety of enemies. Combat in Kenshi is played in real-time, and this can get particularly strategic when players are controlling multiple characters, but the inclusion of a tactical pause ensures players are never reliant on speed to get the job done.
5
Tooth And Tail
Commanding Units From The Ground With A Unique Rally System
- Platform(s): PC, macOS, PS4
- Released: September 12, 2017
- Developer(s): Pocketwatch Games
- Genre(s): RTS
Sporting accessible gameplay and a somewhat gritty animal theme, Tooth And Tail is a unique real-time strategy game that has players commanding their forces in broad strokes. Players choose their potential army from a variety of unique units before going into battle, where they build up their economy and military might to defeat their opponent(s) in traditional RTS fashion.
Unlike traditional real-time strategy games, however, Tooth And Tail has players roaming the battlefield as a commander, controlling units by rallying them to the flag that they carry. This makes micromanaging units less precise, but much more accessible and less reliant on speed.
6
Northgard
A Norse-Themed RTS That Focuses On Survival
- Released
-
March 7, 2018
- Developer(s)
-
Shiro Games
Featuring a setting based on Norse mythology and slow-paced gameplay, Northgard is a real-time strategy game that’s almost tranquil at times. That’s not to say it can’t be challenging, but players are more likely to struggle due to strategic mistakes rather than simply being too slow.
Related
RTS Games That Are Perfect For Newcomers To The Genre
Jumping into the RTS genre can be pretty overwhelming for newcomers. Here are some games that are beginner-friendly.
Northgard’s gameplay is centered around allocating villagers to appropriate tasks and managing resources efficiently, with some light micromanagement involved in combat but not enough to cause the game to rely on speed. It helps that the game looks great, too, taking on a style somewhat reminiscent of Warcraft 3 but with softer edges and a warm glow about its environments.
7
Thronefall
A Minimalist Combination Of Tower Defense And RTS
- Released
-
October 11, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
GrizzlyGames
Developed by a small team and recently released into 1.0 on Steam, Thronefall is a minimalist combination of tower defense and real-time strategy. The game has players building their kingdom and defending it from waves of enemies, commanding their troops on horseback, and even slaying some enemies themselves.
Thronefall also has players managing their economy, using economic buildings to amass wealth and afford stronger defenses. The game features a variety of fun and challenging levels, as well as a perk system that offers a myriad of potential strategies. What’s more, the game also features a rogue-like mode that adds a great deal of replay value.
8
Dune: Spice Wars
An Ambitious RTS That Tackles Iconic Source Material
Dune: Spice Wars
- Released
-
September 14, 2023
- Developer(s)
-
Shiro Games
Taking place on Frank Herbert’s iconic and incredibly hostile desert planet, Arrakis (or Dune, as it’s called), Dune: Spice Wars is a highly evocative real-time strategy game that incorporates 4X elements that encourage slow-burning strategies over incredible speed. Dune: Spice Wars is centered around controlling territories via capturing neutral and enemy villages, and constructing buildings to maintain a strong economy and military. The emphasis on tactical timing and strategic positioning, as well as political intrigue, allows Dune: Spice Wars to maintain a slow pace.
There are multiple ways to win the game in Dune: Spice Wars, and each faction is better at achieving certain victory conditions. These factions are also tremendously unique, with each faction having its distinct strengths and weaknesses that make it fun to play and encourage unique strategies. Best of all, Dune: Spice Wars is wholly thematic, thanks to its loyalty to the source material and the variety of evocative gameplay mechanics that it ties in with the fiction it’s based on.
More
Best Strategy Games Set In The Desert
The sandy desert can be an inspiring backdrop for video games. Here are just a few great strategy titles set in the heat of deserts.