Introduction

An area where I’m a true expert is introducing people to strategy games. I have brought in hundreds of people in real life, and possibly thousands online, with Strategy and Wargaming. While looking for new articles to write, I realized that despite having done an article on the most accessible wargames, I never did one for the more general public that might want to start strategizing with lower complexity games. To correct that, I have put together this list to help newcomers navigate the real-time strategy (RTS) genre, which at times can feel daunting for complete beginners, as steep learning curves, complex micro-management, and high-speed execution often create a barrier to entry.

Fortunately, the best gateway strategy games strip away frustrating economic bloat and replace overwhelming mechanics with intuitive tutorials, engaging story campaigns, and rewarding tactical gameplay. Besides, I went out of my way to make sure this list includes only games that can be considered 9 out of 10!

Age of Mythology: Retold

Age of Mythology: Retold is a classic on its own right (like all other games in this list, really), but the reason why it’s a perfect fit for aspiring generals is its amount of helpful features and clean design. Let me explain: Age of Mythology features a massive campaign that teaches players the RTS basics like building, resource gathering, army management, and research, and slowly but surely introduces more and more complexity as time and missions move on. Soon enough, you’ll go from defending a town to laying siege to Troy, start fighting with your mythical creatures, and learn how to use your God powers, all in the context of Arkanto’s story, and things will culminate in a high-stakes mission that I won’t be spoiling here.

The game also draws heavy inspiration from Age of Empires II (made by the same team), a title that introduced millions of new players to real-time strategy, myself included, which is also another point in its favor. Combat is also relatively straightforward, as it follows the classic rock-paper-scissors style of counters, except with the addition of Heroes and Myth units. Each faction is also distinct, making learning them a ton of fun. This is all helped by the fact that the game’s technical state is exceptional and the game runs smoothly on pretty much any machine, making it a perfect entry-level title for pretty much everybody.

Red Alert 2

Red Alert 2 was indeed released more than twenty years ago, but there’s a reason why I wanted to include it, and it’s more than just an historical oddity. Having played RA2 when I was a kid, say 10 years old at most, and not knowing how to speak English at the time, I think that its straightforward design still holds up very well for anybody who wants to learn strategy but wants a fun and crazy twist that’s not historical. Here’s why I think the game is fun to learn: Missions start slow and steady and will give you access to a growing number of units as time goes on, allowing new players to gradually learn how each individual unit works, what they excel at, and realize how they can put them to greater use before adding more complexity.

Then there’s the simple economic aspect. Unlike Age of Empires 2 or the previously mentioned Age of Mythology, in Red Alert 2 there’s only one resource, and everything can be built using it. There’s also no research tech, just a research center that instantly unlocks new units. The game’s core is combat, and that has a ton more variety, with bombing blimps, gun-toting GIs, laser-firing prism tanks, and squeezing soviet squids. Things are faster-paced than other RTS games in its combat, but that’s compensated for by a lack of extra complexity on the macro-economic side.

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Age of Empires II stands as one of the ultimate benchmarks for gateway strategy games, pairing classic historical warfare with modern quality-of-life enhancements. First off, the game uses intuitive real-world logic, because unlike sci-fi or fantasy RTS games where unit interactions require memorizing fictional lore, AoE 2 relies on real historical counters (spearmen beat cavalry, archers counter spearmen, and cavalry counters archers). The economics of it are also loosely based on world logic, with wood, stone, gold, and food being reflected in the buildings and units you want to build.

All of AoE 2 civilizations share a core tech tree and base mechanics, unit roster, and economic foundations. But they also have their own unique units and buildings that make learning them and making the best out of them a fun experience that can be slowly learned.

Finally, but certainly not least, I have to mention the “Art of War” campaign that teaches the core RTS skills that every armchair commander must learn. In case you want to hone your skills before diving into multiplayer, the game has one of the biggest libraries of RTS single-player campaigns and skirmish maps and modes that you can play for hundreds of hours until you feel comfortable enough to face another human, if that’s your desire.

Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition

With Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition being a more elaborate version of any other RTS on this list, why have I placed it in here? Well, I think that if you played all the other titles but want something that shows how RTS games can approach the same genre in different ways, I think that Stronghold Crusader is a great place to start. The original Stronghold too, but if you can only pick up one, this has a lot more meat on its bones once you learn it, and the pricing is the same. If Age of Mythology and Age of Empires will teach you the basics of RTS, then Stronghold will let you take those basics and start to build small production chains, with its more elaborate, but not overwhelming, economic macro-strategic layer. Defenses can be manned and modularly built, and sieges are no longer just a matter of bombarding walls until their HP bar reaches zero. There’s a lot more nuance, and units are a lot more specialized in Stronghold Crusader.

The game’s campaign also allows players to gradually come to terms with the great complexity of its systems, like making sure there are stockpiles of food, enough raw materials to make weapons (some can use more than just one), and that your people are happy enough that they don’t just abandon your keep. It’s a satisfying journey of learning that will give you more complexity on your way to playing other games. In my personal experience, I played Stronghold after Age of Empires II and Red Alert 2, and it all felt like a natural progression, so I’m hopeful this will be the same for you.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

StarCraft II didn’t become the world’s premier esports game out of luck. Here lies a title that has exceptional engine fluidity and unit responsiveness, meaning that unlike some other titles (not the case of any on this list), SC2 is famous for instant unit compliance, paired with excellent pathfinding that doesn’t lead to frustrating situations where units get stuck on the game’s geometric or awkward chokepoints.

Like most games on this list, the campaign of StarCraft 2 is also a masterclass in providing a slow, steady drip of units, mechanics, and complexity. Rather than dumping a full tech tree at once, each mission introduces a single new unit type and builds the mission’s objective around its strength. Most of the early missions also provide a low-pressure learning environment to learn about resource management, army composition, and base defense, with a narrative setting that’s universally loved.

The game also features the ultimate accessibility option, and that’s the fact that StarCraft 2 is free to play online, and the Wings of Liberty campaign is also part of that free package. That alone makes StarCraft 2 my number one suggestion for a game that’s a high bar to beat in almost every other aspect, and it’s also free, so you can download it right now. And the game also runs on pretty much any modern hardware without so much as a hiccup.

Conclusion

Stepping into real-time strategy games doesn’t require decades of experience or lightning-fast reflexes. I’m living proof of that. I was just a kid who didn’t even speak English at the time. All I needed were some intuitive experiences that led me down the right path. Hopefully, this guide will act just like that for you! All the while you learn the ropes of RTS, you’ll also be playing some of the best games in the history of the genre. Win-win!

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