The best real-time strategy games, according to hackers
24 real-time strategy games recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.
- Most recommendedBeyond All Reason76 people recommend it
- Built to lastAge of Empires II: Definitive Editionowners report a median of 25 years
- Least regretWarcraft II: Tides of Darkness51 recommend, 2 criticize
All real-time strategy games
- Beyond All ReasonA free, open-source real-time strategy game in the Total Annihilation style, praised for depth, quality-of-life features and fun multiplayer. Critics mainly warn about a toxic player base.76recommend
- Warcraft II: Tides of DarknessRecommended for its deep, varied real-time strategy gameplay, memorable soundtrack and strong nostalgia. Critics note the races feel nearly identical and the game is unbalanced against humans late on.51recommend
- Total AnnihilationClassic real-time strategy game people recommend for its large-scale battles, 3D terrain and queued orders, plus a rebuilt version. Critics note dated controls, weak balance and poor AI.48recommend
- StarCraftSci-fi real-time strategy game praised for its balance, deep competitive play, voice acting, and a long-lived multiplayer community; critics cite clunky controls and heavy micro demands.36recommend
- StarCraft IIRecommended for its deep strategy, strong campaigns, lasting competitive play and free-to-play multiplayer. Critics cite demanding execution, always-online requirements, and a small current player base.32recommend
- 0 A.D.A free, open-source real-time strategy game with polished music and formations, often compared to Age of Empires. Common caveats: lag with many units and desync or forking after disconnects.30recommend
- Warcraft IIIPraised for tactical depth, strong RPG storytelling and a mod community that kept it alive for decades. Critics say the Reforged remake was poorly received.29recommend
- Age of Empires II: Definitive EditionRecommended for deep strategy, long-lived balance and strong siege play. Most common caveat: multiplayer and LAN need an online Steam or Xbox account.28recommend
- OpenRAFree open-source engine recreating Red Alert 2 with multiplayer; people say it plays better than the original. Common caveats: slow loading, recent bugs and online toxicity.26recommend
- StarCraft: Brood WarPraised for balanced races, deep tactics and a long-running map scene, with critics noting clunky controls and weak play against humans.25recommend
- Red Alert 2 browser portFans say the browser port runs well and keeps the fun of the classic strategy game. Critics note it needs existing game files and installing it often fails.21recommend
- Command & ConquerRecommended for its enduring strategy gameplay and community mods; critics flag security problems and unbalanced factions.17recommend
- Command & Conquer: GeneralsFans recommend the Apple-device port of this classic real-time strategy game for its nostalgia and replay value. Critics say it crashes, especially in Safari, and runs poorly on modern systems.17recommend
- Supreme CommanderDeep real-time strategy with economy, controls and scale that many still rank among the best; critics note it is dated and slows late in games.16recommend
- HomeworldRecommended as a classic 3D space strategy game that people remember as magical and artful, with its 3D ship control praised.12recommend
- Command & Conquer: Red AlertPeople recommend it as a fun, nostalgic real-time strategy game with a memorable soundtrack and quirky mechanics. Critics say it was a bad game even when it came out.12recommend
- Zero-KFree open-source RTS on the Spring engine, praised as a polished StarCraft and Supreme Commander blend; critics say cheaters and racists hurt its community.9recommend
- Dune IIBrowser-playable remake of the 1992 real-time strategy game, praised for bringing back memories and playing well. Most common caveat: it is still limited in features.8recommend
- UnDUNE IIFree reimplementation of Dune II that runs impressively on a small handheld screen, with controls people say beat the original.8recommend
- Warcraft IFans recommend its strong campaigns, lore-rich manuals and role in pushing the medium forward. Critics find it childish-looking and less original than they remembered.6recommend
- Supreme Commander: Forged AlliancePeople recommend it as a near-perfect real-time strategy game and the stronger follow-up to the original Supreme Commander.6recommend
- Emperor: Battle for DunePeople recommend it as one of the best real-time strategy games of its era that still holds up, praising its gameplay, soundtrack and campaign missions. The most common caveat is uneven balance between the five sub-factions.6recommend
- Age of Empires IVPeople recommend this polished real-time strategy game for smoothing out Age of Empires II's quirks, but critics note online lag and unhappy updates.5recommend
- Planetary AnnihilationFans call it a spiritual successor to Total Annihilation with interesting ideas. Critics say spherical planets add too much overhead and rank it below Supreme Commander FA.5recommend