The launch of RTS giants like Age of Empires 4 brought a wave of excitement for fans of the genre. And the best games to get the first Real-time Strategy experience are numerous. RTS games (or real-time strategy Games) are a very fast-paced version of their progenitors, strategy games. RTS games force the players to adjust and respond in a real-time scenario, unlike normal strategy games. This makes each game very fast-paced and dynamic.
With the genre producing a few mainstream releases, newcomers might be interested in taking the plunge, but the difficulty of learning in a competitive culture can deter many. Thankfully, there are plenty of RTS games for beginners to jump into.
Updated on October 1, 2024, by Mehrdad Khayyat: The ability to lead a group of soldiers or people toward victory gives anyone a joyful sense of power, and Real-Time Strategy games are pretty good at implying that feeling to their players. Making the right decision at critical moments when the player doesn’t have much time to think is one of the major challenges in any RTS game.
Based on the complexity of the game, there are multiple factors to consider when playing an RTS game, which could be quite overwhelming, especially for newcomers to the genre. However, there are indeed some classic RTS experiences where the developers keep mechanics simple and let the players enjoy the flow without putting a lot of pressure on them.
18 Rise Of Nations
Feel The Sense Of Progression Through Ages
Rise of Nations is one of the greatest RTS games that unfortunately never received a sequel or a remake. The game allows players to choose from a span of 18 nations at the beginning of the game, then start progressing from the ancient ages to the modern times.
Players start an empire barebones with all the ancient tools, but as time passes, they expand their knowledge and invest in science, allowing them to enter new ages and feel the true sense of progression. From the Ancient Age to the Copper Age, and from the Copper Age to the Internet Age, players start to build an army with blades and swords, but in the end, they unlock missiles and ships when enough time has passed.
While progressing through the ages might seem a bit complicated, the gameplay mechanics in Rise of Nations are quite simple, which makes it a fascinating game for RTS rookies.
17 Wargame Series
A Great Starting Point For Combat-Focused RTS
For those who value combat in RTS games more than anything else, Wargame titles could bring a lot of joy. While the Total War series nails it in simulating gigantic wars with old weaponry like swords and arrows, Wargame almost does the same with modern wars where tanks, missiles, and long-range guns dictate the fate of the battles.
While Wargame might seem a little bit complicated in the beginning, it is a good starting point for players who want an all-out warfare simulation without the need to care about people’s happiness or any similar side factors. The depth of combat in Wargame titles is magnificent and it will reward players who pay attention to the details.
16 Age Of Empires Series
A Legendary RTS Series That’s Always Been Beginner-Friendly
Age of Empires is a classic franchise in the RTS genre and fans of the series were elated to hear news of a fourth entry. Some people feel like it emulates Age of Empires 2 a bit too much for their liking, but this was a small gripe for what was otherwise a brilliant title in every way.
Age of Empires is one of the rare franchises in gaming that delivers top-notch experiences with every single iteration. The game always depicts medieval-era battles with quire simplistic mechanics and controls that feels easy to learn for every newcomer, as there are not too many factors to deal with.
15 Empire Earth
Familiar Age Of Empires Gameplay On Steroids
The gameplay loop of Age of Empires is pretty by-the-numbers and easy to understand. Empire Earth emulates this for the most part, making it easy to see why beginners will find it quite easy to jump into this legendary RTS.
What helps this title stand out is the sheer number of ages players can progress through in the game. People start in the prehistoric age before moving on to medieval times, but that’s not it. Players can progress to modern times before progressing to the future too.
14 The Pikmin Series
A Cozy Strategy Game That’s Designed To Be Approachable
Despite labeling itself as an RTS, Pikmin doesn’t feature a gameplay loop that most people would expect from this genre. Still, despite its unique presentation, it’s one of the easier strategy games to get into.
The release of Pikmin 4 was a source of great celebration for fans of the series. The combination of platforming, puzzle-solving, and strategy makes for a great time as players gather more of these adorable critters to do their bidding across a series of levels.
13 The Lord Of The Rings: The Battle For Middle-earth 2
The Combination Of A Popular IP And Simple Yet Engaging Gameplay Makes This An Easy Recommendation
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth 2 is a particularly great choice for RTS newcomers if they’re already fans of the Lord of the Rings franchise, as the familiarity that they’ll have with units, maps, and movesets will come in handy.
However, Battle for Middle-Earth is also a good pick for those not previously interested in Tolkien’s universe, as the game is accommodating to beginners with tutorials that impressively manage to be detailed without being overwhelming for those who have never even tried a real-time strategy game before.
12 Sins Of A Solar Empire
A Few Playthroughs Are All It Takes To Understand How To Rule The Galaxy
Sins of a Solar Empire is one of the best-named sci-fi games of the last decade, and despite its hard-sounding title, it’s actually one of the best RTS for beginner s. Its gameplay is straightforward and reminiscent of Civilization. It’s well-balanced and built with easy-to-grasp progression systems, though it might take some getting used to all the technobabble.
It’s an older game, too, having been released nearly a decade and a half ago in 2008, and it is likely to run perfectly on just about any modern system.
11 Northgard
A Viking-Focused RTS That’s Easy To Learn But Hard To Master
Northgard is a beginner-friendly but hard-to-master recent entry in the RTS genre. It puts the player in control of a clan of Vikings looking to secure their dominance in a newfound world. The colorful (and almost cartoony) graphics make it stand out amongst similar fantasy strategy games.
Most RTS games have a basic campaign mode, like in Starcraft 2 and Halo Wars, and Northgard is no exception. However, there’s a lot more to the game than the narrative, and it’s as replayable as it is a feast for the eyes.
10 Stellaris
An Excellent Grand Strategy Game Set In Space That’s Not That Hard To Get Into
Stellaris is an incredibly deep sci-fi RTS that centers around building a galactic empire from the very beginning. Like many RTS games, Stellaris features a progression system that changes over time, offering players new technologies, powers, and attributes as they continue to expand.
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Stellaris combines watertight strategic gameplay with a wonderful sense of exploration to create a thrilling and engrossing spacefaring grand strategy title.
As complex as the game is, it features great tutorials and a variety of difficulties to get to know how the mechanics of Stellaris work. It’s by no means a difficult game to grasp, but there are a lot of things going on that can take a little while to properly learn.
9 Total War: Warhammer Series
The Combination Of Total War’s Gameplay Loop With The Warhammer Franchise Makes For A Delectable Combination
The Warhammer franchise is one of the biggest expanded game verses that spans many genres and forms of media. Thus, it is only fair for newer players to be wary of this title. But players can rest assured that Creative Assembly and Sega’s brainchild, Total War: Warhammer 2, is one of the easiest titles for the first RTS experience.
Not to forget the easy entry it gives players into the extensive Warhammer fandom. This series is perfect for all RTS beginners, especially Warhammer fans. The third installment, however, adds a bit more complexity to the gameplay by introducing hero-style leaders that can be upgraded throughout the campaign. So, it might be best to begin with the first iteration.
8 Warcraft 3: Reign Of Chaos
Blizzard’s Popular Story-Driven RTS That Eases Players Into The Game With Each Campaign
This title not only holds credit for being one of the pioneers of this genre but also the sole reason for the existence of yet another. Launched originally in 2002, Blizzard’s Warcraft 3 is the original fantasy RTS. It is also the first to introduce heroes and hero abilities to the genre. Its easy-to-understand nature has made sure that its player base is growing to this day. In fact, a custom map called Defense of the Ancients gained so much of a fan following that Valve took upon the idea years later and created DOTA 2.
Warcraft 3: Reforged is the modern remake edition of the game, which is being regularly updated and fine-tuned. It is a fine place for any new players to start, be it through the offline campaign or with the robust multiplayer community, though it has been criticized for a variety of reasons.
7 StarCraft 2
A Legendary RTS Set In Space With A Compelling Gameplay Loop
Speaking of multiplayer communities, Blizzard’s StarCraft franchise, or more specifically StarCraft 2, has been dominating the competitive RTS scene for over ten years and shows no signs of stopping.
Highly tense multiplayer matches are the key feature of this title. With a very diverse yet sharp multiplayer experience, StarCraft 2 sits apart from the others on the list. The StarCraft series has also made many RTS games like “Zerg Rush” and “Base Race” famous.
6 Company of Heroes Series
A World War 2 RTS Where Players Will Understand How To Boss The Opposition In No Time
Not all the best RTS for beginners are set in make-believe settings. In fact, Relic Entertainment’s Company of Heroes series prides itself on quite the opposite. With both parts of the series set in World War 2, players are given control of both sides of the war depending on the mission as they get in various iconic operations like Operation Barbarossa and the liberation of France.
Bringing a more realistic and gruesome take on RTS games, Company of Heroes is sure to be the game for those who enjoy learning about the history of the Second Great War. The third entry released in 2023 garnered a mixed reception for the most part, although its predecessors are still highly regarded.
5 Halo Wars Series
A Great Beginner-Friendly RTS Set In Rich World Of Halo
Newer players might be afraid of jumping into RTS games because they do not know any IPs. And the solution to that problem is 343 Industries and Creative Assembly’s Halo Wars series, especially Halo Wars 2 that comes with improvements over the original game as it focuses on the core features of the RTS genre instead of shiny mechanics.
The title is packed with vehicular action and iconic Elite units and is bound to get players’ blood rushing. Moreover, the title’s storyline canonically precedes that of Halo: Combat Evolved and continues from its predecessor. This game serves as the portal for any Halo enthusiast to jump into the genre.
4 Command And Conquer
A Combination Of Compelling Lore, Fun Live-Action Cutscenes, And Fun Gameplay Make This Title Great For Beginners
If any RTS franchise could be said to have it all, it is the Command and Conquer franchise. With games set in environments ranging from the setting of the famous IP of Dune 2 to a hyper-futuristic Sci-Fi setting, and with availability from Mobile Phones to the most expensive consoles, this series has not once failed to satisfy RTS fans over the 25 years of entertainment it has provided. And with the recent launch of Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection, entry into the IP could never be easier.
So, regardless of whether one is a fan of vintage games or the latest media, and regardless of whether they play on their mobile phones or their highest-end Desktop, Command and Conquer is the IP for anyone wanting to get into RTS. Oh, and did we mention the live-acted cutscenes instead of the usual rendered kind?
3 Stronghold: Warlords
Players Will Quickly Learn How To Manage Strongholds And Establish Economic Superiority
Not all players aim to defeat their enemies in RTS using aggressive unit micro-ing and hyper-managed troop deployment. Some players wish to out-value opponents with superior resource management and structural advantage. And for such kinds of players, Firefly Studio’s Stronghold: Warlords is the game.
The Stronghold series has been famous ever since the first iteration for its gritty approach to war. More often than not, war is not fought by battles but by attrition; the title is lauded for how close it has come to stimulating this reality. The Stronghold series even provides access to such an RTS experience on both PC and mobile.
2 Machines At War 3
A Fun Game With Futuristic Units and Relatively Simple Gameplay
There are multiple franchises with Mobile playable variants available, yet none of these hold a candle to Machines at War 3 as far as mobile accessibility is concerned. This RTS lets the player command a warring kingdom.
This game is easily the best option for primarily mobile phone gamers. The game looks and feels amazing to play, with the random map generator letting players sink a ton of hours into this game without breaking a sweat.
1 Total War: Three Kingdoms
A Great Total War Game Set In China That’s Easy To Learn But Hard To Master
Total War: Three Kingdoms is an RTS set in the 3-kingdom period of China. Players can choose a faction out of 12 to push to the top and unify China. The title offers unit-group-based gameplay, meaning that any player can have only specific units on the battlefield at a time. This slower approach to RTS allows newer players to get a hold of the game a bit more easily.
The game features two game modes. One of them is a bit more story-like, while the other focuses on historical authenticity. Players can choose famous generals from history to command and exploit, and each general, in turn, comes with specific units unique to them.
