The Next Age of Strategy: Finding Your Next Favorite RTS
For a generation of players, myself included, Age of Empires II isn’t just a game; it’s an institution. For well over two decades now, Age of Empires II is still the gold standard of real-time strategy, defined by its perfect blend of history and historical progression, satisfying base-building, crisp combat and unit control, and a timeless art style that’s immediately identifiable, even by players who are not familiar with the real-time strategy (RTS) genre. But if you’ve conquered every campaign, mastered every civilization, and are searching for a new challenge that captures that same strategic magic, you’re in the right place. The real-time strategy genre is rich with other games that offer a similar experience, whether through their historical scope, their base mechanics, or their epic real-time battles. This article is your guide to the best RTS games that feel like a spiritual successor to Age of Empires, providing familiar strategic depth while also introducing exciting new mechanics. Get ready to find your next favorite RTS.
10 – Empires: Dawn of the Modern World
Here’s a bit of trivia for you. Did you know that one of the members of the team behind Empires: Dawn of the Modern World was the designer of Age of Empires and Empire Earth? Well, Empires: Dawn of the Modern World is a historical RTS that feels like a mix between the two, with the game’s main draw being its massive historical scope, spanning from the Medieval era to World War II. Its nine distinct civilizations feel genuinely unique, each with its own units and playstyles. The single-player campaigns are a particular highlight, offering a more story-driven and cinematic experience than most games in the genre. The game was created by Stainless Steel, who also went on to create the singular and beloved Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War before going under and handing over the game to Midway Games.
9 – Cossacks 2
Of all the real-time strategy (RTS) games in this list that I consider to be similar to Age of Empires II, I don’t think I have played any other as much as I did the Cossacks series of games. If you love the historical setting of Age of Empires but crave larger-scale battles and wish that AoE II had “realistic” battles, Cossacks 2 is the perfect game for you. While it shares the same base-building and resource management mechanics, its main selling point is its ability to field thousands of units on screen at once, order them into formations, and have some of the biggest fights ever. In Age of Empires II, you had a unit limit of 200, but in Cossacks, a single regiment could have well over a hundred units. Remember, this was before Total War: Rome became a mainstay title, so it was quite impressive back then, and it’s still an amazing experience today. The game introduces a complex morale and fatigue system that makes troop formations and tactical positioning crucial for victory, providing a more challenging and authentic military experience for those of you who crave that.
8 – Tzar: The Burden of the Crown
For the longest time, Tzar: The Burden of the Crown had been a hidden gem, mainly relegated to Eastern European circles of gaming and a couple of gaming communities that managed to get their hands on the few available physical copies that exist. I, for example, never saw one, but have a group of friends that did and loved the game in the early 2000s. Tzar is essentially Age of Empires II with a captivating fantasy twist to it. Its gameplay loop of gathering resources, building a base, and training a military is nearly identical, but the addition of magic, mythical creatures, and a unit leveling system gives it a distinct identity. The game also introduces a fascinating technology system where you must choose between four distinct paths—Religion, Magic, War, or Trade—which changes your strategic options each game. For a classic RTS with a fresh, magical theme, Tzar is a great option, and it’s now finally available to everyone through digital distribution by GoG.
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