Real-time strategy games have been staples of PC gaming since their popularity first exploded in the late 1990s with games like Command and Conquer, Starcraft, and Warcraft. Considering that these games inspired waves of developers and have sequels themselves, there are more tactical games available now than ever.

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With their often high learning curves or massive tactical depth, it can be difficult to tell what RTS games are going to be a player's new favorite, and which ones are going to sit in their Steam library collecting virtual dust. Luckily, Steam has many RTS games with free demos that allow players to test a game's mechanics while testing their commander skills at the same time.

10 The City Of Fury

Real-time squad combat in a cyberpunk setting.

Demo:https://store.steampowered.com/app/2385660/The_City_of_Fury/

A SWAT team management RTS set in a dark cyberpunk future, in The City of Fury, a villainous mafia controls massive buildings throughout the city, and elite agents of a group called the GEOF are tasked with sweeping and clearing them out.

The player customizes their five squad members with gadgets, weapons, and other tactical equipment, then creates a battle plan for how they want the group to enter and move about the building. Once a mission starts, the game is real-time and changes to the current plan must be made amidst gunfire and chaos.

9 Napoleon: Total War

Large-scale battles in the 1800s.

Demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/34030/Total_War_NAPOLEON__Definitive_Edition/

The Total War franchise has become one of the biggest powerhouses in real-time strategy games. This entry in the hugely popular franchise puts players in control of Napoleon's armies as they battle across the Spanish Peninsula from 1811 to 1814.

Winning the historical skirmishes requires commanding riflemen, calvaries, real-life generals, and even massive fleets of warships in naval combat. It can be a lot to absorb, and players should try out the demo to see if this degree of unit management is their style.

8 Nuke Them All

Humorous retro strategy with cartoon visuals

Demo:https://store.steampowered.com/app/2432940/Nuke_Them_All/

This over-the-top RTS harkens back to classics of the genre like Command & Conquer: Red Alert, while also pulling from modern hits such as They Are Billions. Shown through vibrant cartoonish graphics, Nuke Them All sees the player controlling a massive sci-fi army featuring mechs, spaceships, robot soldiers, and more as they attempt to speedily capture points around the map, killing hoards of aliens, robots, and zombies that are in their way.

The game is a chaotic scramble, with nonstop action and even randomized map events that can change the layout of a battle instantly. However, it does not take itself too seriously, which may turn some players off.

7 Age of Empires III

The classic franchise's most popular installment

Demo:https://store.steampowered.com/app/933110/Age_of_Empires_III_Definitive_Edition/

One of the most popular RTS series of all time, Age of Empires has been around since 1997. The historical war franchise has players command armies from different regions at different times in history. In the third entry, there are 16 different civilizations to play as, with each having their own unique bases, troops, and heroes.

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Multiplayer versus and co-op are staples of the series, and both modes return for this entry, and are even included in the demo version with rotating civilizations to play as. A short section of the campaign is also included, giving players a well-rounded inpression of the full game's feel.

6 From Glory To Goo

Base building and defense ramped up

Demo:https://store.steampowered.com/app/2607060/From_Glory_To_Goo/

This sci-fi survival RTS features a singular, devoted, gooey antagonist. The player needs to establish a colony on a hostile plant, but the dangerous "goo" will be attacking from every direction as soon as they do.

To battle the goo, players can expand their colony and research new troops and weapons. Before long, the map turns into a massive mess of space troopers blasting away hundreds of goo monsters. The whole thing looks fantastic due to colorful pixel graphics bringing the entire planet to life. However, this is by no means a standard RTS, and may not appeal to fans of the genre's more traditional entries.

5 Tempest Rising

A Command and Conquer homage that stands on its own

Demo:https://store.steampowered.com/app/1486920/Tempest_Rising/

Set post-nuclear war, this RTS is about three separate factions battling for control of what is left of Earth. Each faction has their own selection of troops, bases, and technology, and two of them have full campaigns that unfold in different ways.

Despite being fully 3D, the game even pays homage to the retro classics that inspired it, like Command and Conquer, by featuring live-action cutscenes that tell the story between the skirmish-based campaign missions. These cutscenes were once cutting edge, but may now seem dated in the era of in-engine cutscenes.

4 Factorio

Running these factories is harder than it seems

Demo:https://store.steampowered.com/app/427520/Factorio/

This stressful management sim is about building and then managing efficient factories. There is an infinite 2D map to be explored and built onto, but it also hides creatures that would love to destroy the player's factories and supplies.

While there is a ton of planning required to make it far in Factorio, everything moves in real-time, meaning that this factory RTS often feels more high-stakes than any war game. The degree and type of complexity offered here are very different from a more military-focused RTS.

3 Stargate: Timekeepers

The cult classic series returns in game form

Demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1523650/Stargate_Timekeepers/

Stargate: Timekeepers is a story-driven tactics game set in the same universe as the famous Stargate SG-1 television series. It features 14 narrative campaign missions, with characters from the show making appearances.

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It picks up after season 7 of the show, with the player controlling a team of specialists who will need to sneak behind enemy lines to establish bases and unravel a mystery involving a time loop. The gameplay heavily involves stealth, with crafting and planning being the primary focus over direct combat. This game will appeal more to fans of titles like Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun.

2 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3

One of the most popular RTS games of all-time for a reason

Demo:https://store.steampowered.com/app/17480/Command__Conquer_Red_Alert_3/

One of the most popular entries from arguably the most famous RTS franchise of all-time, Red Alert 3 takes place in a world where the Soviets travel back in time and kick off a technologically advanced World War III.

The game features classic base-building and attacking, as well as battles that play out in the air or on the sea. Plus, the franchise's trademark cinematic cutscenes are back, with over an hour of live-action story scenes bridging campaign missions. However, this game is still from 2008, and may not click for fans of modern RTS titles.

1 Empire: Total War – Definitive Edition

Eighteenth century war honed to perfection

Demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/10500/Total_War_EMPIRE__Definitive_Edition/

Another entry from the RTS staple series, Empire: Total War is from 2009 and is often touted as one of the best strategy games of all-time. Players command the armies of the eighteenth century on historical battlegrounds all over the world.

The game has a large focus on naval combat, with ship weight, movement, and collision all being tuned for realism. On the ground, the lack of clear technological dominance means that, regardless of what nation they play, the player will have to truly think through their formations and strategies, making this one of the most in-depth strategy titles available.

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