15 Amazing Strategy Games Like StarCraft You Should Play

StarCraft is one of the most popular RTS games series there’s ever been considered the most challenging Real-Time Strategy games and also being one of the longest esports of all time.

StarCraft, created by Blizzard Entertainment is an RTS game set in a fictional sci-fi universe. It is feature-rich. It has multi-layered gameplay designed that challenges the human intellect. 

StarCraft changed the world of gaming forever and soon it became the most played and the most critically acclaimed video games of all time.  For a game being this great why would not anyone want to look up games that are known for the same reasons StarCraft does. 

Best Games Like Starcraft To Try Out 

In this article, we have a curated list of amazing strategy games that you’d love if you loved playing StarCraft.

1. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn war 

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of war is marked out as a ‘military science fiction video game’.  Developed by Relic Entertainment Warhammer will become one of your absolute favourites if you have played StarCraft.  

The Warhammer Series games are set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Warhammer universe is a dystopian vision of how the future could be after humanity has forged a galaxy-spanning empire. 

The Imperium persisted in a state of constant war with ORKS, Eldar, Tyrranids, Dark elders etc, and human servants of chaos along with direct forces are desperately fighting to save the human race from extinction.

The Warhammer 40,000 series is not free to play. It plays on Mac, Windows, Linux, Wine and Steam.

Developed By: Relic Entertainment.

Features: Single-player, Multiplayer, RTS.

2. Age of Empires 2: Definite Edition

Age of Empire Game series is a popular one for a genre of Historical, real-time strategy games series. It is an epic real-time strategy game spanning 10,000 years.  Spanning over to the iron and stone age era, where the players have to build a civilization. 

While playing this strategic game the players are supposed to be guiding spirits in the evolution of small stone-age tribes.

Game players have to win the gameplay taking over several tasks of world domination by conquering enemy civilization, exploration of the known world and economic victory by accumulating wealth.

All versions of Age of Empires (I – IV) are available on Mac. 

Developed By: Ensemble Studios.

Features: Historical Battle, Single Player, RTS, Control Troops.

3. Command and Conquer 3: Terbium War

Command & Conquer another RTS video game franchise. Terbium War is developed by EA Los Angeles.  Command & Conquer series has returned with Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium wars to set standards for RTS gaming once more. 

Terbium war has new ways to attack where you can cleverly build flying battleships, wielding the power of the most terrifying Ion storms and form powerful, never before seen super units. 

Its Adaptive AI would certainly match your style of playing and is here to give you the highest level of challenge. 

It has 35+ single-player missions. The game is ultra-responsive, smooth as it can ever be. Its High-definition, live-action video sequences seamlessly tie the game’s epic story together. 

Command & conquer support platforms Mac, PC and Xbox 360.

Developed By: EA Los Angeles.

Features: RTS, Multiplayer, Single Player, Medieval, Open API.

4. Age of Mythology 

With 14 other amazing RTS games alternatives, the Age of Mythology is based on building towns, creating armies, gathering resources and destroying enemy units and buildings. 

You can get Age of Mythology on a number of platforms including Windows, Mac, Steam, and Linux. 

Age of mythology is one of the most liked games like StarCraft that is both free and open source.  You can also play Age of Mythology if you loved playing Age of Empire, Warcraft III and OpenRA.

Developed By: Ensemble Studios.

Features: Multiplayer, RTS.

5. Company of Heroes

Another perfect game that is the same as StarCraft, Company of Heroes is an RTS game set in World War II that brings back life with full cinematic effects, to the greatest was known to mankind. 

The company of heroes has redefined war-ravaged environments and dynamic battlefields to life. Players lead squads of Allied soldiers into battle against the war machines.  Saying that it is a beautiful game would be straight unfair coz the company of heroes if known to be frugal. 

Company of Heroes is the best alternative if you are looking for a game like StarCraft coming with overwhelmingly positive reviews. It will keep you in endless fun for hundreds and hundreds of hours.

Developed By: Relic Entertainment.

Features: RTS, Single-player, environmental strategy..

6. Xcom: Enemy Unknown

Get ready to be placed into a secret paramilitary organization called XCOM. The player as an Xcom commander will defend against a very terrifying global alien invasion by making meaningful decisions. 

XCOM has been widely titled as one of the best games ever developed and re-imagined by Firaxis Games.  Enemy Unknown has expanded on the legacy as it has come up with a completely different invasion story, advanced technologies to fight aliens and defend the earth. 

Coming with Strategy Evolved: Enemy Unknown copulates gameplay with packed action sequences and on-the-ground combat.

Overall, Enemy Unknown has the reviews to be the most engaging and visually stimulating take on turn-based Strategy game making it topping the charts and adding it into our recommendations of games like StarCraft. 

Developed By: Firaxis Games.

Features: RTS, Evolved Strategy, Tactical Combat, RTS.

7. Halo Wars

Halo Wars’s another real-time strategy video game published by Microsoft Game Studios. Halo Wars is set in a science-fiction universe in the year 2531.

It has been said Halo Wars’s gameplay is similar to that of Command & Conquer titles. 

The player goes on into the battle set between human soldiers aboard the warship spirit of fire in an effort to stop an ancient fleet of ships from falling into the hands of the genocidal alien covenant. 

While Halo Wars does present a simple interface, it still has many traditional RTS functions. For the franchise of HW, the HW games have aged well.

They have smooth and well-made visual upgrades. 

Developed By: Ensemble Studios.

Features: RTS, Multiplayer (some modes), Single Player.

8. Master of Orion II

Master of Orion: Battle at Antares has introduced players to another level of advancement over the least original version. In every way, the game has been improved and detailed to an amazing unreasonably improved degree. 

Meant for the RTS players, Master of Orion has the best 4X games ever created on the market. Master of Orion has the most addictive gameplay with the powerful “just one more turn” factor where you cannot stop playing it endlessly. 

It has near perfect balance of features if not perfect.

Master of Orion was released 20years ago and to this day gamers prefer playing the game for the number of options, events and challenges the game has. 

Developed By: Simtex.

Features: RTS, Multiplayer (some modes), Single Player.

9. Supreme Commander: Forger Alliance

Coming with a new playable faction feature, Supreme Commander is available in multiplayer games, unlike many other RTS games. It is one of those games that actually live up to the “strategy’ part of ‘real-time strategy’ games. 

Supreme Commander game series hands down is the best RTS. It has the pros like, 1000’s units, simulated projectiles that can hit multiple things, bubble shields, grand scale in both unit variety, firepower and map size.

The game has great graphics, especially for the game that was released more than a decade ago. It has four unique factions, four tiers of technology (which is great for an RTS game), an excellent intel system etc.

Developed By: Gas Powered Games.

Features: RTS, Single-player, Multiplayer.

10. Rise of Nations

Spanning all history, Rise of Nation starts with a single city in an ancient age where the player has to build infrastructure, research technologies, even construct the world’s wonders while also expanding their military across the worlds with multiple nations, multiple soldiers within a great economic system. 

It has extended editions: Rise of Nations and Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots.

The new extended version has improved visuals, full streaming integration (giving you multiplayer with ranked matches), trading cards and cloud saves. 

The Rise of Nation is suited for windows, Mac, Linux, BSD, iPad, Android, PlayStation etc.

Developed By: Microsoft, Big Huge Games, Skybox Labs Games.

Features: RTS, Strategy game, Multiplayer, Turn-Based, Trade, Single Player, Open API, portable. 

11. Total War: Warhammer II

Total War: Warhammer II is another game developed by Blizzard Entertainment.  It is one of those games where you have to try before you cannot stop playing it limitlessly. 

Warhammer II is a part of the Total War Warhammer series. This fantasy strategy game has combined an addictive turn-based campaign of empire-building with colossal, explosive, real-time battles set in the vivid and incredible world of Warhammer Fantasy Battles. 

In the current years, Total War: Warhammer II is an incredible achievement as a massive strategy game that is challenging and deep as any other of its competitors and clearly Warhammer II has excelled through.

Total War: Warhammer II is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

Developed By: Blizzard Entertainment.

Features: RTS, Strategy game, Multiplayer.

12. Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos

Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos was remastered as released with; fully remodelled characters and animations, remastered maps and campaigns, upgraded user interface and world editor and was reforged In 4k resolution while it was released in November 2018.

This game is known for its fast-paced, engrossing epic fantasy story making the Warcraft universe truly come alive.

Improving on the original game but the core play games have left unchanged which is loved by its fans. 

While you gather resources to build your base, train units, improve structures, expand military borders and continue wiping out enemy units it could be hours when you’d realised you have already spent hours playing. 

Developed By: Blizzard Entertainment.

Features: RTS, Multiplayer, single-player Strategy game.

Also Read:12 Best Games like World of Warcraft You Can Play

 13. Crusader Kings III

Crusader Kings III is a grand strategy game set in 2 epochs of history, first being the period of the Viking invasions in 867 AD, or just before the first crusade in 1066. 

This game is the sequel to the long legacy of historical grand strategy games in the Crusaders Kings legacy. The game requires the player to attempt at leading their region/ demesne across four centuries while also managing several familial, military, economic, religious and political affairs and stability. 

This game only has a paid version. But it is one of the best RTS games that reviews extremely good which makes it a worthy StarCraft alternative.

Developed By: Paradox Studios.

Features: Strategy games, RTS, Single Player.

14. Hearts of Iron IV

Hearts of Iron IV is not the simplest RTS game that you would want to play. This game will test your ability to lead your nation. 

It is another game that is set in an environment of World War II.  Calling the game as featuring a total strategic war with authentic real-time simulation. 

Hearts Of  Iron is not free to download/ install. But you can always purchase this game and its DLCs are on the sale. 

Developed By: Paradox Development Studio.

Features: Strategy game, RTS, Single-player, cross-platform multiplayer.

15. 0 A.D

 0 A.D is an open-source, cross-platform real-time strategy game of ancient warfare that is free to be played. 

0 A.D I s historically-based war game where the players have to keep reliving and rewriting the history of Western civilizations. The game is based on the historical years between 500 B.C and 500 A.D. 

0 A.D has is popular for its highly ambitious and involving state-of-the-art 3D graphics. It has excellent detailed artwork, amazing sound, and a powerful custom-built game engine with rude flexibility and AI that is difficult to beat even in an easy setting. 

You can play this game over Mac, Windows, Linux and BSD.

Developed By: Wildfire Games.

Features: RTS, Multiplayer.

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Conclusion

That was our list of top picks for games like StarCraft. If you are a fan of strategy games you should be familiar with all if not most of the games enlisted. 

Let us know your favourite picks or recommendations in the comments.  Comment below your favourite real-time-strategy games for you are planning.