15 – They Are Billions
Zombies make for the perfect excuse to build a real-time strategy game around “turtling”. Turtling is the game tactic we all enjoyed as kids of building a massive base with impenetrable defences and then just sitting back and relaxing as the AI send in wave after wave trying to tear down your fortress. Inside, people lived confined but happy lives, in a perfect functioning, self-sustaining economy, aloof to the fact that outside of your city walls lay only death and misery.
They Are Billions is exactly that, a real-time strategy title where your job as mayor is to build defenses so tall and mighty that they must be able to stop hordes of billions… Well, maybe a couple dozen thousand would be more accurate.
They Are Billion is an underappreciated gem that never got the recognition it deserved when it came out in 2019 and mostly vanished from the public conscience.
14 – Rome 2: Total War
More of an honourable mention than anything else, because there’s some enjoyment to be had here, and because Creative Assembly, despite all their failures, has managed to turn Rome II from a terrible, borderline unplayable mess into one of the best Total War titles around. I just personally prefer to go back to the original, and with the remastered edition, there’s no reason not to, as you’ll see further down the list.
However, Rome II isn’t without its merits nowadays, after 10 years of updates and refinement. The campaign is way more developed than the original title, with better building chains and a deeper political system.
What sets it back is how faster battles play out and how the first Rome had a much more robust battle system that took into account unit collision, mass, and experience and simulated all these independently, instead of being based almost exclusively on hard class counters.
13 – Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
Each time the Real-Time Strategy (RTS) genre is brought up, Age of Empires II inevitably makes an appearance and will often steal the spotlight, even more than two decades after its original release.
It has solidified its place since its release in 1999 and continues to be a top choice in 2026. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition offers players the opportunity to construct and oversee their civilization while engaging in battles with other nations. Discover why it remains one of the best RTS in 2026 by experiencing the strategic brilliance of this seminal game.
12 – Age of Mythology
The truest definition of a classic, Age of Mythology originally released 21 years ago by the team that created Age of Empires, Ensemble Studios. It sold over 1 million units in the year of its release, and in 2022, Age of Mythology: Retold was announced!
Age of Mythology revamped the series graphics to 3D and set itself in a fantastical setting where Gods, Men and mythological creatures all co-exist. I cannot put into words how much of this game I played as an 11-year-old kid when I got my hands on it. I played this to the point where the main theme is engraved into my brain, note per note.
What set Age of Mythology apart from Age of Empires was the excellent campaign that spawned all three pantheons (Greek, Norse and Egyptian) as you led Atlantian Admiral and war hero, Arkantos against the forces of Gargarensis. To this day, Arkantos is still amongst my favourite characters of any RTS.
11 – Starcraft 2
Starcraft 2 is synonymous with one thing: Being the best esports RTS title ever created. It left an indelible mark as not just one of the best RTS games you can play today but also earning its place as one of the best RTS of all time, and would most certainly rank higher on this list if I wasn’t a single-player kind of guy. Renowned for its strategic depth, asymmetric factions and nailbiting fights, Starcraft has proven itself to be the epitome of enduring excellence in the real-time strategy genre.
Starcraft’s 2 impact on the gaming world is monumental. Its success in the competitive esports scene has elevated it to legendary status, with a legacy that’s both enviable and near impossible to replicate. The game’s three distinct factions, the Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss, offer players a diverse and balanced strategic experience, showcasing the hallmark of a true classic.
Before Blizzard fell to the dark side and became one of the most hated game developers and publishers, the company was known for making extremely polished games to the point that “Blizzard polish” was something every developer should strive for. Starcraft 2 hails from that period, and that means everything is just so tightly put together that it’s hard to find any gameplay faults. Its nuanced balance between factions and refined RTS conventions doesn’t leave much for doubt as to why Starcraft 2 became an instant classic as soon as it dropped, all the way back in 2010.
In 2017 the game went free to play and allows everyone to play through the original Wings of Liberty campaign. So where’s your excuse?
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