Free RTS Games For PC Windows 7/8.1/10/11 (32-bit or 64-bit) & Mac

While this wasn’t strictly speaking the first real-time strategy game, it was the first prevalent one and cemented specific mechanics. Dune II paved the way for the Command & Conquer and Warcraft series. It is very dated now, and the individual battle screens feature simple 2D artwork and a tile system. However, despite its age Dune II still works nicely and has touches of brilliance. It was first released in 1992, giving you an idea of how far the RTS genre has come.

Total War

Total War Arena is one of the latest and best real-time strategy games. It allows its users to play in multiple modes and complete each level with a combination of various skills learned in the previous classes. In the game, players can control three different units of a warrior at a time.

Homeworld Deserts of Kharak

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is yet another fantastic RTS game. The game takes the players to the dying world of Kharak to uncover the mysteries surrounding an anomaly to restore Kharak. Its gameplay is no different than any combat game. The game is one of the best real-time strategy games and supports Microsoft Windows 7/8.1/10/11 and Mac OS X.

Soldiers

Soldiers Arena is one of the most innovative RTS games. It has a gameplay that resembles the combined gameplay of the three best real-time strategy games – World War 2, Faces of War, and Men of War.

The game has a plot of World War II. In short, the game offers its players tanks, vehicles, infantry, and various weapons to run a bloody war game. The game offers fantastic graphics and can be played on PC.

Battlefleet Gothic Armada

If you want to taste both single and multiple-player games, then Battlefleet Gothic: Armada can be the best choice for you. The game allows its players to experience life in space while battling against enemies. It has unmatched graphics and combat skills to overthrow any real-time strategy games. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is available to be played on Windows 7/8.1/10/11 systems.

Total War Warhammer

Warriors, monsters, and heroes all put together in the fantastic RTS games are included in Total War: Warhammer. The game has all four major elements the Empire, the Greenskins, the Dwarfs, and the Vampire Counts. The game is available to play on Windows 7/8.1/10/11 and Mac OS X.

Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty

Wings of Liberty: If you like sci-fi elements in RTS games, you will surely enjoy Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty. The game is a sequel to the StarCraft game released in 1998. The game offers almost all elements of epic battles, colonization, and power battles. It has excellent gameplay to enjoy. The game can be played on Windows 7/8.1/10/11 and Mac OS X devices.

Ashes of the Singularity

Ashes of the Singularity by Oxide Games is a multiplayer, real-time strategy game. The game can be played and enjoyed by as many as 16 players. The game allows players to build armies, research the latest technologies, and destroy enemies. The game has various innovative features that make it one of the best real-time strategy games to enjoy. The game is exclusively available on Windows 7/8.1/10/11.

Cossacks 3

The game is a sequel to Cossacks, launched in 2001. The game takes one to a historic era between the 17th and 18th centuries. And offers 12 nations to explore with 70 different types of troop units, hundreds of tech-savvy equipment, and many historic structures. The latest features and graphics make it the next-gen RTS game. There are 5 single-player campaigns to choose from, and they can be played on Windows 7/8.1/10/11 only.

Offworld Trading Company

Offworld Trading Company is one of the best multiplayer RTS games available on Windows 7/8.1/10/11 and Mac OS X. The game has sci-fi elements, non-violence, PvP battles, and much more.

Warcraft 3

Warcraft 3 is a real-time strategy game for battles between Orcs and Humans. It has a fictional universe that supports the struggle between single and multiple players.

Those, as mentioned above, are some of the RTS games that should be tried at least once in . Real-time strategy games are evergreen and most popular in all game genres.

Command & Conquer Gold

This was a viral RTS game in its day and spawned many similar titles. To celebrate the 12th anniversary, Electronic Arts decided to release the Gold Edition of the original game for free. Although the visuals are dated, this is still an enjoyable game. The gameplay has been developed further because the series continued, and many other developers took the same basic mechanics. Still, if you want to check out one of the most influential early RTS games, you must play Command & Conquer Gold.

Guest

This is an RPG-themed 3D RTS game that is entirely free to play. It was first released in 2004 and is visually impressive for a free game. Since the game engine is also designed to be modifiable, there are several alternative versions of the game to try out. It is set in a fantasy world with tech and magic factions. This open-source game was never a commercial product, so it lacks polish, but the gameplay is decent.

Warzone 2100

This real-time strategy game emerged in 1999 as one of the first to offer RTS gaming in 3D. It was made accessible in 2004. The game has a typical post-apocalyptic backdrop with epic warfare and a camera that can rotate and zoom. There is also plenty of technology to research. Warzone 2100 is another game that has been heavily modded, so you’ll find various alternative versions to try, and they are entirely free.

Ground Control

This game was released in 2000, and it is another 3D effort. It dispenses with resource gathering all together, and you can’t build or summon reinforcements during the gameplay, so you have to select the proper force beforehand. Tactics are a vital component in this game and offer a fun futuristic warfare experience. It was released for free when the sequel, Ground Control 2, came out in 2004.

Spring

This is an open-source RTS game engine, and it is also sometimes called Total Annihilation: Spring because it is a 3D remake of the original Total Annihilation game. Many mods are available for this game, offering big 3D battles on attractive maps. The Star Wars: Imperial Winter mod is especially worth checking out.

UFO: Alien Invasion

You’ll love this title if you’ve ever played the X-Com series. It blends turn-based with real-time strategy and puts you in charge of Earth’s defenses in the face of an alien invasion. You must develop your base, research new technology and build an army capable of stopping foreign invaders. In the Tactical Mode, you’ll control the encounters and battles. This free game is still being developed.

Globalization 2

This is another open-source RTS game that can be downloaded for free. It doesn’t look great, but the gameplay is exciting, and it has taken a leaf from Majesty’s book by dispensing with direct control over individual units. Instead, you assign several teams to a task and can then focus on your strategic approach. It is quite quirky and very different from the usual RTS. The battle for supremacy allows you to kill, convert or starve your opponent.

BOS Wars

This was known as Battle of Survival, an open-source RTS released in 2007. It is a straight-up battle for supremacy, and your forces are fuelled by resource gathering. There is no technological research aspect. It looks like C&C, with a typically futuristic backdrop, and it plays like it too.

Saga

This is billed as an MMORTS and set in a historical fantasy world. You have to gather resources to raise armies and take on various quests. While this is a free-to-play title, the free account does limit you in multiple ways and doesn’t offer the most enjoyable gameplay experience. If you want access to the whole game and decent units, you’ll have to spend at least $20.

Free PC Games

There are other free RTS options out there that you can uncover with a bit of digging. You can also check out our articles on free PC games and free browser games for some alternative genre ideas. This blend of freely released commercial real-time strategy titles and indie-developed games should be enough to keep you busy for a while though.