Top ten greatest rts games

It is very dated now and the individual battle screens feature simple 2D artwork and a tile system. However despite its age Dune II still works nicely and has touches of brilliance. It was first released in and it gives you an idea of how far the RTS genre has come. You can download Dune II for free. This was a fantastically popular RTS game in its day and it spawned many similar titles. In order to celebrate the 12th anniversary Electronic Arts decided to release the Gold Edition of the original game for free.

This is still an enjoyable game to play although the visuals are dated. It was first released in and it is visually impressive for a free game. Since the game engine is also designed to be modifiable there are several alternative versions of the game to try out. It is set in a fantasy world with tech and magic factions. In this prequel to the interstellar series of space strategy games, you take on the role of the scientist leading an expedition into the harsh and unforgiving deserts of Kharak to recover an ancient artifact that will come to be the salvation of your people.

In the game, players fight for survival on a planetary oasis by commanding one of three factions: the defense-oriented Humans, the versatile Beta, or the all consuming Goo. The game caters to a myriad of play styles, including the ability to turtle, by offering players the ability to construct impenetrable walls, dominate from strategic outposts—or become the Goo and overrun your enemies.

Set during the Dark Ages against a background of famine, disease, and war, a new power of steppe warriors rises in the East that threatens to overrun the fallen kingdoms of the classical world. The warrior king approaches, and he has his sights set on conquering Rome.

Planetary Annihilation can be best described as the spiritual successor to Total Annihilation. Within the game, players can colonize solar systems, lay waste to entire planets, and crush their foes in epic battles with multiple players and thousands of units in the field.

The game is made even bigger with the release of the Titans expansion pack. It features a huge single-player campaign, cooperative play and a host of standalone expansions allowing players to go head to head in cooperative online mode.

Dune 2: Battle for Arrakis is the game that started it all. As the patron of your house, you commanded armies to march across the face of Arrakis to conquer the flow of spice—for he who controls the spice, controls the universe. Warzone was set in the aftermath of a technological apocalypse that left humanity in tatters. You play one of the remaining human factions who attempts to reunite the survivors and bring peace to the wasteland, and discover the cause of the apocalypse.

Although it played very much like every other RTS on the market at the time, it contained a persistent single-player campaign that allowed you to salvage the technology of enemy units to incorporate into your own armies and use as an edge against enemies. Ground Control is one of the earliest RTS games that put players in control of a set amount of units in each mission instead of getting players to construct buildings or worry about build queues.

Instead, you were given a set of units in each mission that you had to use to properly defeat your enemies without taking too many losses, as losing your dudes early on severely handicapped you later in the mission. The game was very much a tactical challenge. What Ground Control started, World in Conflict perfected.

Set in a scenario in which the Cold War became very much a Hot War, seeing both Europe and America invaded by the Soviets, World in Conflict puts players in the role of an American commander who must take charge of the remnants of the US army and drive back the Soviet invaders—first by activating the nuclear arsenal and then through ground-pounding force.

Yet, this streamlined experience can also be attributed to the simple menu screen and vibrant, clear-cut map layout. The mechanics are both detailed and tight, allowing players to micromanage and tend to various city tasks in seconds. These include reward buildings like casinos, Bowser attacks, and a coveted Mario statue granted following "megalopolis" status.

Though it made a name for itself for decades on the PC front, it just may have found a home on Nintendo 's hybrid console. Even moreso than the Wii, the Switch allows for a particularly brisk, intuitive style of play. This is thanks to its sharp motion controls and touch-screen abilities. The latest rendition of Civilization nicely incorporates these functions, especially in handheld mode.

This RTS odyssey is epic in scale - featuring tons of scenarios, structures, and units, comprising a whopping hours of gameplay for completionists.

Lack of online play aside, this is one of the strongest RTS efforts on a home console. Nintendo fans were intrigued when iconic designer Shigeru Miyamoto unveiled a peculiar strategy game involving hordes of small, anthropomorphic plants. This turned out to be the distinctly fun Pikmin series, which saw its most enjoyable, lavish rendition yet on Wii U.

The game takes advantage of the Wii U's Gamepad, functioning as both a controller and an extension of the game itself. With tons of strategic gameplay that's both focused and detailed, this series still shines as an example of how to do an RTS right on a console. With recent reports that this may be getting the "deluxe" treatment on Switch, gamers will seemingly be able to experience this blissful, vibrant alien world again.

Who would have thought one of the strongest console exclusives on the would be a LOTR real-time strategy game? Building on the foundation of its predecessor, this sequel ups the ante in terms of mechanics and scope. Like Spore , Amoebattle also allows you to mutate your tiny creatures into more powerful units. You can collect a variety of units that will help you devise appropriate strategies in your battle against rival amoebas.

In Amoebattle 's excellent touch-based control system, players tap, drag and drop, and use other standard touch-based gestures to control the game. This game is best played on an iPad, though you can try it on an iPhone. Your goal is to destroy enemy nations.

As you progress, you will be able to unlock new opponents and nations, which will open the doors to chaos and destruction. But the single-player mode boasts decent AI, which makes the game quite challenging. Your set of tasks before the penultimate missile launch includes researching new technology and building new missiles. Launching missiles serves more than one purpose—to destroy a country or shoot down incoming missiles.

Every decision you take affects the entire scenario, so think twice before researching new technology or deploying nuclear weapons. Fans of you-become-the-villain type of games will enjoy every gameplay moment. With battles of epic proportions, this game provides a solid RTS gameplay experience on your iOS device. The best part of the game is the random maps it offers to its players. Every new map has a totally new terrain and features, making battles more exciting and challenging.

You can enjoy a good strategy game against clever AI opponents at the level of difficulty you prefer. This compensates somewhat for the lack of a multiplayer option. But all in all, LAS is one of the best iPhone real-time strategy games, with its large-scale land, air, and sea battles, great graphics, and random maps. You will need to take advantage of each of the four classes to fend off enemies.

Battling enemies will require proper planning, including setting up defensive positions, securing abandoned weaponry, and using grenades and futuristic weapons, which is fun. The tactical leeway given in this game makes it somewhat easier to defeat enemies.

Brilliant graphics, an interesting plot, and the medieval Japanese setting are some of the highlights of this top-notch strategy title. A key feature of Total Wars: Battles is the inclusion of puzzle-like features in many missions.

While building your base, the game will force you to try different layouts in order to defend it. TW: Battles is not exactly like its PC counterpart and does make you feel a bit constricted for space and unit management. There are plenty of combat tactics to employ.

The visuals in TW: Battles are top-notch. Developers might have devised a grid pattern just to make it a bit easier for players to place their units and construct buildings. The troop animation is amazing, and each unit class has a unique set of animated battle actions. You can zoom in to watch these tiny soldiers fight their hearts out.

Looks very impressive, I must say. Total War: Battles is an engaging game that offers interesting tactical play and is worth the money. Warlords RTS is a mobile real-time strategy title set in a Tolkien-esque fantasy universe.