10 best RTS games of all time, ranked

Which are the best real-time strategy games of all time? Ask that in the right circle and you’ll trigger an explosive debate that can go on for days. The RTS genre may be a small niche in the overall gaming ecosystem today, but there aren’t many communities that are more passionate. It’s also more fragmented than the anti-Roman resistance groups in The Life of Brian – and that’s saying something. The big split manifests itself primarily in two questions. Firstly, should micromanagement or macromanagement be emphasized? Secondly, how mechanically deep can the game be?

For some players, the RTS genre is at its best when you can spend an hour calmly building an army in an AI skirmish and then have it wipe out the enemy with a single attack move. For others, however, this is mind-numbingly boring and fast-paced battles against human opponents, where speed and precision are as important as tactical understanding, are their RTS essence. It is often difficult to reconcile these ideas. An important aspect of a truly great RTS game is finding a place for both groups.

This line-up will take that into account, as well as the cultural influence of the games and the general consensus in the community. There is one rule: each series will be represented only once, to give a broader representation of the diversity of this genre. Alright then: collect your maps, tap into the mineral reserves and get ready for the ten best real-time strategy games of all time.