Many avid gamers have grown up with RTS games as the go-to for a Friday night. It’s no surprise then, that strategy games still hold a special place in the hearts of many current gamers. Here are some of the best strategy games in the sci-fi category right now that are an excellent choice for your next weekend adventure:
10. FTL: Faster Than Light (PC / iOS / Android)
A roguelike that also allows you to play a spaceship simulator, FTL is heralded as a difficult but rewarding game by players. Race to the other end of the galaxy to gather crucial information regarding a rebellion: pick up new crew members, acquire upgrades for your ship, and mount new weapon systems as you travel. Your crew depends on your decision-making skills and the strategic choices you make.
- Each run is randomly generated, so you’ll have a different experience each time, with new challenges and opportunities
- You can choose between different races of aliens to start as, but each come with their own pros and cons
- Learning how each race and weapon interact with one another leads you down a path of rewarding gameplay that makes it engaging and fulfilling to win
- This game lets you play exactly as you want: whether you prefer the real-time combat provided, or want to pause for a moment to reassign crew and reaim weaponry
9. Grey Goo (PC)
A traditional RTS game, Grey Goo adds the element of aliens to this beloved genre. Accumulate resources, build up a base across the surface of this far away planet, raise an army and demolish your opponents for complete control over Ecosystem 9. If you manage to survive long enough, you might just unlock the ability to use your ultimate weapon and dominate the world.
- Play as three different factions in a single-player setting, with an additional faction added in for multiplayer sessions! Each have their own strengths and weaknesses
- The four factions available are Humans, the Beta, the Shroud and the Goo. You’ll get a traditional system when playing the Humans, who excel in defense. The Beta depend on their skycranes to build and transport vital supplies, and must connect their military forces to outposts in order to function. The Shroud are biological machine-like entities fixated on draining all energy from the planet who can build anywhere on the map, giving them a huge territorial edge. Perhaps the most interesting of the three is the Goo, which can morph forms and is extremely mobile, and lacks concrete structures like the other factions
- With unit-altering technology upgrades, you can change how units fight one another and react, making for interesting, changing gameplay
8. Into the Breach (PC / Nintendo Switch)
From the creators of FTL, this strategy game focuses on control of three powerful mechs whose goal is to defend your planet from a hostile alien-bug takeover. With their own unique weaponry in each mech that affects your enemy in a different manner, you will have to make the correct choices when it comes to combat in this turn-based game.
- Knock bugs into one another, cast them into environmental hazards or use your own mech to block a massive attack on one of your cities – there are endless ways to play through this game, and many different interactions between systems
- A cool feature of this game is that it will tell you exactly what your opponent is going to do on their next turn. While you think this would make it startling easy, the true challenge of this game is knowing exactly what’s coming, and defending the cities you are tasked with, while also remaining in the fight. Your mechs are powered by civilian buildings, so defending them is your top priority!
- With randomly generated maps, bug spawns and upgrade locations, every time you play Into the Breach, you will be presented with a new experience. Adaptability is key to learning how to survive!
7. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (PC)
Another RTS game, Dawn of War takes place in the 41st millennium, amidst the brutal warfare of the 40k universe. Command either the Space Marines, Orks, Chaos or the Eldar in a scaled environment with realistic vehicle physics and life-like lighting.
- If you’ve ever played the miniature tabletop wargame (Warhammer 40,000), then you’ll love Dawn of War. While you can’t exactly paint the figures in Dawn of War, you can pit yourself against other players just like in the tabletop
- Highly customizable, you units can be designed with squad colors of your choosing, as well as unique banners and insignias
- Dawn of War features a single-player campaign story arc, in which you command a chapter of the Blood Ravens and serve the Emperor to protect all of humanity
6. Halo Wars (PC / XB360 / XBO)
Taking place during the war between the Covenant and UNSC 20 years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, this RTS will plunge you back into the tumultuous world of the Halo universe. Investigate the ruined planet of Harvest and fight back against the Covenant!
- Most units have a special ability that they can employ in battle. Combat is dictated by a rock-paper-scissors system, which is easy to learn and rewarding to play against
- With scattered lore throughout, you’ll engage with the world of Halo closely as you learn about the different factions and heroes
- Control and command large armies in this simple RTS, whether you’re playing skirmishes or plowing your way through its epic campaign
5. Oxygen Not Included (PC)
You’ll begin this game deep inside an asteroid, with your three colonists who must overcome all odds and survive. Meet their needs, keep them healthy, and expand your colony. However, as the title suggests, oxygen is in fact, not included. You’ll have to provide a means of oxygen production, food production and also a solid source of energy. Your colony is under constant threat, but with the proper planning, it may even thrive.
- This game is all about planning for the future of your colony. With poor planning usually comes the collapse of your base and colonists
- Manage different systems such as heat, energy, sewage and more. All play a part in your colony’s success or failure as you spread outwards and expand
- Each world is procedurally generated!
- With no enemies to engage with, your only opponent is your own planning and the approaching threat of suffocation
4. XCOM 2 (PC / PS4 / XBO)
Earth has come under alien jurisdiction, with alien cities spanning the globe and promising a prosperous future for all of humanity. These new overlords harbor a dark ulterior motive, and will remove all those who oppose them. Mount a planet-wide resistance force to take back the planet and save the human race. The odds may not be in your favor, but the fate of humanity lies with you.
- With open-ended gameplay and an engaging story, you can decide precisely where your strike team hits, and gather backing for your resistance in your own way. Assign them various tasks, such as planting bomb, saving civilians or simply killing aliens
- XCOM features five soldier classes that will allow you to create the perfect soldier for the job. Each comes with a skill tree that is unique to them. Your soldiers are extremely customizable in appearance, making for fun opportunities in which you can insert your friends into the ensuing chaos of this game
- Nearly infinite in its map combinations and mission goals, you will run into new problems and different settings each time you take on XCOM 2
- The aliens both outnumber and completely outgun you, dictating that you need to plan accordingly and play smart lest you fail in your mission. When you lose a team member, you will have to retrain a replacement from the very beginning
3. RimWorld (PC)
Another colony simulator, RimWorld has been praised for its amazing diverse stories and interactions. You’ll have to manage the needs of your colonists while building up a base that can defend itself, feed itself and keep your people safe and happy. Each colonist comes with their own quirks and traits, some of which are… less than favorable. Adapt with them, and go along for the journey!
- Guided and written by an AI of your choosing, your adventure in RimWorld will change drastically with each retelling. Whether you want a casual playthrough or one that defies all logic and sense, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for
- Establish your colony from nothing but the resources available to you on whatever world your escape pods land on. Trade with the local, wage war, and defend yourself from man-eating animals and mysterious alien technology
- Become invested in your quirky colonist’s stories and watch as they thrive or fail, all with your guidance
2. Satisfactory (PC)
Currently in Early Access, Satisfactory is still a work in progress. This doesn’t mean it isn’t a fantastic choice of game to play right now, though. Step onto the surface of an alien world in this open-world game, and build a factory! Dodge alien creatures or befriend them, harvest the riches of the planet and maintain a monolith of industrial progress.
- Construct your factory from the ground up, starting out with practically nothing but the scrap you arrived on
- Automate your factory with sprawling chains of conveyor belts that feed into each process of refining. The title of this game is no misnomer: it’s extremely satisfying to watch your little factory become a completely independent machine of progress!
- The planets available to you are beautifully designed, with unique fauna and flora that provide resources, or become a pest problem
1. Stellaris (PC / PS4 / XBO)
Journey across the stars and carve your own path. Explore newly discovered planets with space stations and science teams, expand your empire across several systems, recover forgotten treasures and mold the galaxy as you see fit. With each escapade into the stars, you’ll find something new that will draw you farther out into the reaches of unknown space.
- With absolutely beautiful graphics, you will become mesmerized by the superb visuals that accompany this game
- Equipped with procedural generation, Stellaris will allow you to come into contact with an almost infinite amount of new races, with their own positive or negative traits, societies and evolutions. The stars are the limit
- Forge alliances through diplomacy or declare war. Play exactly as you want, with precisely the empire you design!
- Stellaris always has free update history, which allows you to keep evolving as the game does. In addition, there’s also exciting DLC packs that can add some extra interest to an already fascinating game
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