Real-Time Strategy (RTS)

What is Real-Time Strategy (RTS)?

A real-time strategy (RTS) game lets multiple players compete simultaneously as you gather resources, construct buildings, and pit armies against each other. Objectives range from defeating foes in combat to gathering resources and reaching a specific score. In these games, you serve as a tactician who commands troops and builders to execute a finetuned plan.

But there’s more to the genre than this real-time strategy game definition. Naturally, your enemies won’t sit idle and will hamper your progress at every opportunity. As real-time strategy games let everyone act simultaneously, you need to think on your feet and salvage failed plans to outwit your opponents.

While PC real-time strategy games are common, don’t count consoles out. Northgard is a boon Switch. Xbox players have Microsoft to thank for their solid Age of Empires ports.

As you gather resources, you will be able to field troops that can damage enemy structures, troops, and builders/gatherers. These soldiers will either have close-range melee weapons or ranged ones. Others can be used on different terrains like air or sea.

Some single-player RTS titles like Frostpunk focus on survival, with harsh weather conditions and random events to resolve. Online real-time strategy games usually offer multiple races/civilizations that offer unique units, technologies, and strategies.

The best real-time strategy games offer multiplayer and single-player support, allowing players to choose between PvP combat and immersive storytelling. This is evident in modern releases such as Frostpunk, which is one of the best real-time strategy games for PS5, and many other titles available to play right now.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. What is Real-Time Strategy (RTS)?
2. Key Takeaways
3. History of Real-Time Strategy Games
4. How Real-Time Strategy Games Work
5. Types of Real-Time Strategy Games
6. Sub-Genres of Real-Time Strategy Games
7. Features of Real-Time Strategy Games
8. Popular Examples of Real-Time Strategy Games
9. 4 Ways to Improve Real-Time Strategy Game Performance
10. The Bottom Line
11. FAQs
12. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. What is Real-Time Strategy (RTS)?
2. Key Takeaways
3. History of Real-Time Strategy Games
Show Full Guide
4. How Real-Time Strategy Games Work
5. Types of Real-Time Strategy Games
6. Sub-Genres of Real-Time Strategy Games
7. Features of Real-Time Strategy Games
8. Popular Examples of Real-Time Strategy Games
9. 4 Ways to Improve Real-Time Strategy Game Performance
10. The Bottom Line
11. FAQs
12. References

History of Real-Time Strategy Games

1989: It is believed that Herzog Zwei, developed by Technosoft for the Sega Genesis, was the first real-time strategy that would go on to inspire countless titles following its success. Proto-RTS games that were popular beforehand include Utopia (1981) and Nether Earth (1987).

1992: Dune II, from Westwood Studios, introduced many innovations and is considered by many to be the first “true RTS game.” The real-time strategy genre got its name from Dune II producer Brett Sperry.

1994: Following Dune II’s success, Blizzard Entertainment released Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, which incorporated high fantasy elements and introduced appropriate resource management. In this game, you mine gold and chop down trees to build armies. The game would spawn two successful sequels and a massively popular MMORPG afterward.

1995: Westwood Studios returned to the RTS genre when it released Command & Conquer in partnership with Looking Glass Studios. Despite only being a handful of years after Dune II, this game brought huge innovations, such as multi-unit selection, making it easier to control. It also introduced a campaign mode, focusing on the Global Defense Initiative taking on the Brotherhood of Nod. It would later spin off into the alternative history series Red Alert.

1997: It wasn’t long before Microsoft and Ensemble Studios came along to take the genre to the Stone Age with the Age of Empires. With four resources to collect and a waypoint system to move troops on top of the familiar micromanagement, AoE helped the RTS genre find its footing. This series would later produce a total of nine games, remaining incredibly popular.

1998: Blizzard would use its Warcraft pedigree to develop Starcraft (1998) with three asymmetric races and a solid sci-fi blockbuster campaign. This led to the genre becoming a cultural phenomenon, particularly in South Korea, where its tense multiplayer matches kicked off the RTS esports scene.

2004: In the early 2000s, RTS games began to hit the mainstream, adopting well-known franchises. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War was immensely successful when it was released. It was one of the first RTS games in 3D and used the added graphical power to greatly increase the number of units on screen for a more immersive experience.

2006: Developed by Petroglyph Games, Star Wars: Empire at War further pushed the RTS genre to new heights with the immensely successful sci-fi franchise secured. Built on the Alamo engine, the title made use of the technological prowess, offering gamers a total of three game modes with its sandbox-style campaign. Other successful games from this year include Company of Heroes (which later had many expansions and multiple sequels).

2009: Following the success of community-made mods like Defence of the Ancients (Dota), Riot Games emerged with its first big multiplayer game, League of Legends. This game ushered in the era of MOBAs (Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas) that concentrated the experience. As of 2024, there are now over 150 million registered accounts, with over 117 million active monthly players.

2010: Blizzard’s Starcraft 2 debuted to universal acclaim, thanks to its in-depth story mode and complex multiplayer action. The experience later became free to play through the company’s BlizzardNet client. There’s a thriving esports scene for the title, with the RTS game being particularly popular in China, South Korea, Poland, and America.

2012: Developed by Supercell, Clash of Clans brought the traditional RTS gameplay experience to a more casual audience on Android and iOS devices. Thanks to its pleasing art style and pick-up-and-play design philosophy, the game has garnered over 1.4 billion downloads between its Google Play and Apple App Store releases.

2013: Valve backed the development of Dota 2 as a standalone release on its Steam platform. This game evolved elements seen in the original Warcraft mod and added new gameplay features, such as multiple game types, such as “Captain’s Mode.” It is self-described as the “deepest multi-player action RTS game ever made” and has a thriving Esports scene over a decade after launch. On average, there are over 300,000 daily players at any given time.

Present Day: RTS games are bigger and more popular now than they have ever been. Popular franchises, such as Age of Empires 4, Dune: Spice Wars, Company of Heroes 3, and Homeworld 3, are still going strong, and newcomers have entered the scene, like Manor Lords. Furthermore, you can take the action on the go and play at home with the best real-time strategy games for Switch, or play on your Steam Deck; further adding versatility.

How Real-Time Strategy Games Work

While gathering resources to build structures is standard fare in most RTS titles, doing it optimally would grant you an advantage in-game. This made build orders popular, effectively instructions on how gatherers must be deployed to quickly build a strong economy.

In addition to creating units and buildings, you can research technologies to improve the capabilities of your builders and troops. From gaining armor against certain types of damage to buffing troop attacks, RTS upgrades let you improve specific parts of your strategy. As for pitting units against each other, it wasn’t always about the numbers. Some popular real-time strategy games like Age of Empires adopt a rock-paper-scissors kind of counter system where some units are more effective or weaker against other kinds of troops.

Single-player combat tends to be more relaxed, and not every military unit might be available until you progress further in the story. While most games don’t let you tinker with what bonuses your chosen race or civilization will offer, games like Warcraft 3 let you control heroes who gain experience in combat and learn unique abilities. This game’s rich modding scene would eventually lead to the creation of DotA, a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game.

Types of Real-Time Strategy Games

Sub-Genres of Real-Time Strategy Games

Features of Real-Time Strategy Games

Popular Examples of Real-Time Strategy Games

4 Ways to Improve Real-Time Strategy Game Performance

The Bottom Line

Real-time strategy games are entertaining tests of decision-making, particularly when playing against opponents online. Difficulty settings help you make AI foes harder or easier to defeat, depending on your preferences. These games tend to offer a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield, letting you command troops or builders as you see fit. Their single-player campaigns are great experiences, too, as your troops liberate regions or prevent a foe from annexing them. It is one of gaming‘s more complex genres.

While aggressive tactics might seem favorable, RTS games are usually balanced enough that you can counter these measures with your defenses. Misleading your foes is just as effective when it comes to securing a win. With remasters and new games arriving on PCs and consoles, expect more new real-time strategy games set on strange worlds to arrive as time progresses.

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