The real-time strategy genre is a constantly expanding frontier of experimental titles and revitalizations of older classics. Whether players want an in-depth, stat-filled experience or something a little lighter, there are a host of RTS games that will meet that demand.
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A core component of many RTS titles, however, is the base maintenance element, which gives players a foundation of power to build up over the course of a game. But, for newcomers and veterans alike, there is surely some appeal to be utterly unbound, not tied to any one base, able to build armies and wage wars wherever the wind takes you. For players who can’t handle the commitment of a long-term base, these real-time strategy games have no base-building to speak of.
5 Homeworld
A Space RTS Meets A Galactic Voyage
Homeworld
- Released
- September 28, 1999
The Homeworld series finds its way into the hearts of many space strategy enthusiasts thanks to its simple, fast-paced gameplay and design. The first title in this series doesn’t have a base per se, but there is a vital sort of central node to the player’s fleet – the mothership. The mothership is a unit in many ways similar to the other ships players will be constructing their fleet with, save for the fact that it can produce more ships with the right resources.
Homeworld gives players a vitally important ship to manage and take care of, but also lends it the offensive capabilities of other units, and keeps the story dynamic with a fleet that is constantly on the move through the void. No two battles or battlefields are ever the same with Homeworld, and it’s the first in an underlooked but incredibly satisfying series of games.
4 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War 2
A Strike Squad Focused RTS
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2
- Released
- February 19, 2009
There might be some players saying “Hey, a sci-fi RTS focused on coordinating combat with no base-building, that’s cool, but it’d be cooler with more gore, and maybe throw in an oft-misunderstood satirization of fascism, too.” Those players, believe it or not, are in luck. Dawn of War 2 is a strike force-focused RTS set in the Warhammer 40k universe and makes a marked departure from its predecessor title in a number of ways. One of those ways in particular is a move away from the base-building aspect in the original Dawn of War.
As Warhammer games continue to expand into a variety of platforms and genres, this fast-paced RTS stands as a reminder of what tabletop Warhammer games tend to focus on, albeit with a greater emphasis on tight-knit squadrons, as opposed to massive armies. The game is a slick, bloody romp through some incredible 40k Campaigns, good for anyone looking after a faster-paced strategy game set in a well-realized grimdark universe.
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3 Ground Control
A Classic RTS Gem
Ground Control
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows
- Publisher(s)
- Sierra Studios
Ground Control is an excellent army-building RTS set in the 25th century, with a host of warring extrasolar nations to fight alongside or against. Similar to other beginner-friendly real-time strategy games, the campaign and initial levels within it offer a fairly gentle learning curve that slowly introduces all the mechanics that go into building up a collection of squadrons, each with particular units that can be personalized in some way.
Ground Control put a huge emphasis on tactical troop usage, loading up dropships with powerful units was all well and good, but making use of support units and terrain was essential to completing the campaign, especially as the difficulty ramps up. There’s no base building in sight, as units are deployed onto the field at the start of every battle, but using the environment and positioning to the player’s advantage is essential to a successful run.
2 Warno
The Cold War Turns Hot
WARNO
Real-Time Strategy
War
Action
Simulation
Indie Games
- Released
- January 20, 2022
- Developer
- Eugen Systems
- Publisher
- Eugen Systems
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
Warno is a definitive World War 3 simulator focused on maintaining and altering the doctrine of assault for the chosen faction. This title manages to show the shifting front lines of a fictitious, but frighteningly well-realized nuclear conflict between two major superpowers, NATO and the Warsaw Pact. A fantastic title for anyone who doesn’t mind a bit of a learning curve and immersing themselves in military realism, where tactics, air support, and artillery are vital to success.
Similar to Ground Control, this title has battles that begin with deployment, and there’s no permanence in the form of bases that players need to worry about. The objectives are typically to overwhelm the enemy through a frontal assault or widespread bombardment, a grim (but fun!) implementation of a wide-scale “scorched earth” policy.
1 Mechabellum
A Mech-Centric Tactical Wargame
- Released
- September 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Game River
- Publisher(s)
- Paradox Arc
This early access RTS title already shows a lot of promise, and the detailed mechs that define each player’s army each have unique strengths, weaknesses, and counters that make for incredibly tactical play. The goal of this RTS is, simply put, to destroy the enemy’s army of mechs – with no bases to upgrade or defend here. Buildings do assist in giving benefits to the player’s army, but if relied upon too heavily, it all comes crashing down when the enemy destroys them.
Mechabellum teaches players a lot of important lessons early on, like being careful with resources and unit composition. It’s an incredibly strategic army fighter with a huge amount of content already, set to only grow as it continues to develop.
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