4 – Age of Empires 2 (1997)
Ask anyone what’s the first game that comes to mind when talking about the best real-time strategy games of all time and I guarantee you that 90% of players will say Age of Empires 2, a game that became the definitive benchmark for the real-time strategy genre, proving that historical settings (Medieval, in this game) could be just as compelling and competitive as sci-fi or fantasy, which were much more prominent back then. While it didn’t invent the genre, it brought the “Ages” progression system, forcing players to manage a delicate balance of four distinct resources while advancing their civilization through a thousand years of history, like something out of Civilization, which was later used by games like Rise of Nations, Empire Earth, and so many others.
3 – XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Yes, I did it. I placed XCOM: Enemy Unknown ahead of the original X-COM: UFO Defense, and I have my reasons for it. While the first X-COM is a remarkable game that had a major impact in the 90s, in 2026, its influence has been overshadowed by its 2012 reboot. And this is a good thing, mind you, I’m always on the lookout for games that dare to do something new and improve, so this is not a dig at the original in any way. XCOM: Enemy Unknown’s influence was so widespread that, in my opinion, it single-handedly rekindled the strategy genre as a whole, showing the industry that there was money to be made, but the formulas of yore had to be reworked to make the experiences a lot more seamless and exciting for an audience that grew accustomed to quality of life improvements, great graphics, and a bigger focus on decisions that matter, instead of having to fiddle around with busywork. To this day, more than a decade after its release, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is still one of the best turn-based strategy games ever made.
2 – Dune 2: The Building of a Dynasty (1992)
For all of you who wanted me to spotlight Dune 2 in my last list about the most influential real-time strategy games ever, here it is! This one was the definitive blueprint for the real-time strategy (RTS) genre as we know it, establishing the fundamental mechanics that titles like StarCraft and Age of Empires would later refine. By introducing the “harvest-build-destroy” loop, Westwood Studios moved the strategy away from simple turn-based to a real-time, simultaneous battle for resources and military domination. It pioneered and refined mechanics like fog of war, base construction, resource harvesting, and the technology tree, forcing players to balance immediate tactical defense with long-term economic growth. Even in 2026, as you guys won’t let me forget how much the game’s influence remains visible in every modern RTS.
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