5 – Sins of a Solar Empire 2
The pitch for Sins of a Solar Empire 2 is Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, but better in every aspect. This large-scale real-time strategy game blends classic 4X elements with real-time combat, letting players command vast space empires without turns or pauses. Players manage planets, research technologies, do diplomacy, and wage massive battles in space. The combat system for Sins of a Solar Empire 2 is phenomenal: Each weapon system of each ship is simulated, same for each projectile, be those lasers, missiles, tropedos, and all else in between. The game looks amazing, and it earned the moniker of the best real-time strategy game of 2024 in my book.
4 – Company of Heroes 3
In all fairness, any of the Company of Heroes titles could be here, and which game you should pick up will come down to your personal preferences. Do you want a great single-player campaign focused on the Western Front? Go with the first Company of Heroes. Eastern Front? Then go with Company of Heroes 2. Want a Total War-style campaign? Company of Heroes 3 will fit. In my review of Company of Heroes 3, I said that the seminal RTS formula is still very much worth playing in 2025 and that after some substantial updates, Company of Heroes 3 is truly worth your time and money.
3 – Call to Arms – Gates of Hell: Ostfront
If you’re looking for the best World War 2 real-time strategy you can play in 2025, then look no further than Call to Arms – Gates of Hell: Ostfront. This game is by far the most complete experience you can have. Heavily inspired by Men of War, Gates of Hell has thousands of real-life units, belonging to almost every army that took part in the conflict. Major singleplayer campaigns for each of those, dynamic campaigns, skirmish maps, and a solid multiplayer community and modding scenes, keeping the game alive. Despite being and RTS, the game even lets you take control of every unit from a third-person perspective, adding another layer of immersion and a feature players have been asking for decades from other games. The base game itself is super worth it, but if you can, I would advise you to pick up some DLC too, especially the Liberation and Airborne ones.
2 – Crusader Kings 3
From all of the games on this list, I think that Crusader Kings 3 still has the most interesting premise of all. Despite the whole series being really well known by pretty much every player out there. It’s a game built around the idea that you control the figurehead of a dynasty, and you have to scheme, spy, and politicize your way into whatever objective you set out for yourself. Set during the Middle Ages, it’s the perfect game for those of you who loved the complex court politics you saw unfold during the early Seasons of Game of Thrones.
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