The Command and Conquer series established the bases for real-time strategy games in 1995, with the first installment in the franchise. And together with Age of Empires, it drove the golden age of RTS games in gaming history.

While their mechanics have been evolving significantly throughout the series, the core gameplay remains, which blends very well with the storyline that Command and Conquer offers. That's another reason why people loved C&C, as it has a unique take on war storylines, a serious tone with its main line, and a more comedic and over-the-top with the Red Alert series.

The Command and Conquer series inspired many great RTS games and was the gateway for many developers to take a foot in the strategy game genre. But sadly, even after the Remastered collection success, Command and Conquer are being shelved with no new games in the future.

That's why we will give you a list of the best games like Command and Conquer, to see who got to carry the torch for the RTS genre that Westwood Studios left. The list features games with World War II settings, futuristic, and even medieval environments where the RTS game style lives on.

• Developer: EA Los Angeles
• Release Date: October 28, 2008
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC
• Metacritic Score: 82

The final entry of the Red Alert series. The end of this storyline takes place in an alternate universe, where the Western Allies are waging war against the Soviet Union past World War II. 

In this weird and entertaining storyline, the Soviets go back in time to assassinate Albert Einstein, a key component of the Allies' victory over the Russians. However, this had its consequences, as it led to the creation of a third empire, the Japanese Rising Sun. Now, the three world powers are waging war against each other.

It is the last Command and Conquer game on the Red Alert series, introducing the futuristic Japanese faction, which is an interesting choice considering that in this storyline, everything used to revolve around the Western (mainly US and UK) against the Soviets. Nonetheless, it keeps the classic Command and Conquer gameplay and the fun campaign with many Hollywood stars acting in their cutscenes.

You can get Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 Origin CD Key at a discounted price in the RoyalCDKeys store.

• Developer: Creative Assembly and 343 Industries
• Release Date: February 21, 2017
• Platforms: Xbox One and PC
• Metacritic Score: 79

Halo Wars is at the top of the best RTS games on consoles. The first itineration, made by Ensemble Studios, simplified the controls, so you can manage your units as smoothly as having a mouse and keyboard. 

Creative Assembly and 343 Industries respected that and expanded on the same mechanics. They’ve also provided players with more missions, fast-action-packed combat, massive battles, and an expanded storyline that precedes the events occurring during Halo: Infinite. 

You can purchase an Xbox live CD key in the RoyalCDKeys store at a discounted price. You can also get the Ultimate Edition of Halo Wars 2.

• Developer: Relic Entertainment
• Release Date: June 25, 2013
• Platforms: PC
• Metacritic Score: 80

Relic Entertainment has printed its mark on the real-time strategy genre, implementing squad and experience points for their units (although this XP mostly acts as a stat boost rather than unlocking new abilities, like a Warcraft hero).

With Company of Heroes 2, they enhanced this style even further, focusing more on unit management and strategy on the battlefield, but without leaving behind what buildings you should make. Manage your squads, use cover, take civilian buildings to create a forward base, capture strategic points for resources or field hospitals, and plan everything ahead of time. 

It is an excellent depiction of World War II through gameplay. But if you want to use the Company of Heroes 2 to explore war stories, you might end up disappointed. The main criticism this game receives is how Russians – the campaign's protagonists – are depicted in this game.

To summarize, if you are looking for an RTS game with a strong multiplayer mode or to play some skirmishes against the AI, Company of Heroes 2 is brilliant. But, if you want to relive a World War II story through a single-player mode, you might skip it this time.

For those interested, you can get a Steam CD key of the Ultimate Edition (which has all the DLCs) at a low price in the RoyalCDKeys store.

• Developer: Gas Powered Games
• Release Date: March 2, 2010
• Platforms: Xbox 360 and PC
• Metacritic Score: 77

The second main entry in the Supreme Commander series is far different from the first title. The game focuses more on strategic action and combat between factions rather than spending more time on resource collecting and base building. This results in fewer building options to create in exchange for fast-paced and direct action.

The setting is more futuristic than Command and Conquer, but it maintains some present-day weaponry. It has three main factions, the United Earth Federation, the Illuminate, and the Cybran. Each one has its own single-player campaign. This is added to the classic skirmish mode and a multiplayer mode to play against other players.

If you are interested in a more mechanized real-time strategy game, you can get a Steam CD key of Supreme Commander 2 in the RoyalCDKeys store for a low price.

• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
• Release Date: August 14, 2017
• Platforms: PC
• Metacritic Score: 85

There was never a time when the RTS scene got so much attention worldwide as when Blizzard released StarCraft. Few games can compete toe-to-toe against Command and Conquer, and StarCraft is one of them. And some might place it above the rest with good reason.

StarCraft took all the lessons learned from the C&C and Age of Empire series and gave to the gaming industry the N°1 sci-fi RTS, with an easy-to-understand yet (extremely) hard-to-master gameplay, a compelling story, and three unique factions with their own campaigns, further improved with the Brood War expansion. 

The Remastered version improves visual clarity over the original 1998's game, making it more appealing to modern eyes. You should play the StarCraft campaign at least once, which will be much better with the Remastered version of the game. 

You can get Starcraft Remastered Battle.net CD Key in the RoyalCDKeys store at a low price.

• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
• Release Date: July 27, 2010
• Platforms: PC
• Metacritic Score: 88

More than ten years have passed since the first game. With Blizzard focusing more on the Warcraft franchise, and a canceled spin-off, StarCraft fans were craving a new game… and it finally came. StarCraft II made a stellar appearance and improved on many aspects of the combat and base-building systems, yet the core gameplay mechanics remained.

StarCraft II is the long-awaited sequel of the masterpiece of the first game. The storyline is split between three different campaigns (one for each faction) that were expanded with two expansions: Heart of the Swarm, and Legacy of the Void, with the last one ending the main storyline once and for all.

The base game is free on Battle.net, but each campaign must be purchased separately. You can get Heart of the Swarm Battle.net CD Key and Legacy of the Void Battle.net CD Key at a discounted price in the RoyalCDKeys store.

• Developer: Big Huge Games
• Release Date: May 20, 2003
• Platforms: PC
• Metacritic Score: 89

The RTS craze reached a high standard in the first half of the 2000s, and Rise of Nations was magnificent proof of that.

The game is set in the real world, in the age of your choice. Rise of Nations navigates throughout six thousand years of history, beginning from the colonial age to modern warfare and beyond. It is another squad-based RTS game with a unique mechanic where you have to expand your designated territory. In Age of Empires, you can build a tower wherever you want, whereas in Rise of Nations you are limited to your own space, forcing you to make new centers or conquer. 

Rise of Nations excels in the single-player game modes, as their campaigns give you different historical settings (like Cold War, WW2, American Civil War, etc.), and you have to complete different missions depending on which faction you choose. But how you engage in the situations is all up to you.

• Developer: Big Huge Games
• Release Date: May 9, 2006
• Platforms: PC
• Metacritic Score: 84

The hardcore fans of the original game might not be on the same side as Rise of Legends fans. Yet, this new entry to the series has its own thing to offer.

It is a modern take on StarCraft, as the classes went down from 18 to just 3 (Vinci, Alin, and Cuotl), some mechanics like borders are missing, and the resources were reduced to only two (just like StarCraft). But, the gameplay experience remains strong, with an appealing futuristic and magical setting, with three distinct races and simplified, combat-focused base management. Rise of Legends is completely different from Rise of Nations, yet it remains a very good game.

• Developer: Mad Doc Software
• Release Date: April 26, 2005
• Platforms: PC
• Metacritic Score: 79

The Empire Earth series shares many similarities with Age of Empires and Rise of Nations. It is a mix of both worlds, combining the gameplay and micro-management that AoE provides, with the expansive technology development of Rise of Nations, and going even further. 

On Empire Earth, you can go from the very beginning of time, building a tribe of cavemen with axes and spears, all the way through to the future, where you can deploy mechs and robots. The change of ages during a match will also influence which resources you need to gather, as some will change depending on the epoch (for example, you will suddenly need Oil to go further into the modern age).

• Developer: Ensemble Studios (original) / Tantalus Media and Forgotten Empires (Definitive Edition)
• Release Date: October 15, 2020
• Platforms: PC
• Metacritic Score: 81

The Age of Empires series and Command and Conquer are a beacon to follow for every RTS game. For many years, Age of Empires II remained a golden standard until Microsoft gave Ensemble Studios the task of making a follow-up title. 

Age of Empires III is way different from the previous two games. The unit management is now squad-based, the stone is eliminated as a primary resource, and there is deck-building where you can use cards to improve your gameplay (calling special units, reinforcements, or more resources). The game is now more focused on combat and claiming territory rather than giving you split attention between unit management and macro strategy.

Despite the many changes, Age of Empires III is another fantastic RTS game of its own. It has a new setting, being more colonial and industrialized. And the Definitive Edition revitalized the game as a whole, getting new DLCs and updates regularly.

You can get Age of Empires III Definitive Edition at a low price on the RoyalCDKeys store. You will also find many DLCs at a discounted price, including the United States Civilization, Mexico Civilization, the African Royals DLC, and the Knights of the Mediterranean.

• Developer: Relic Entertainment and World’s Edge
• Release Date: October 28, 2021
• Platforms: PC
• Metacritic Score: 81

Age of Empires is more alive than ever. Not only did we get back the previous game on the shelves with their Definitive Editions, but we also got a brand new Age of Empires not long ago. 

Age of Empires IV is the last take of one of the "RTS fathers" and another new take of the classic RTS game. Now leaning more toward the second game, Age of Empires IV went back to its medieval roots and gave some "Total War" mechanics to its combat system (like ambush from the woods and placing units on top of forts and towers). 

But one of the main features is making every faction feel completely different. While on AoE 2, the differences are more about which technology you have and their unique unit, on AoE 4, each faction's gameplay is distinct from the other. Nowadays, Age of Empires IV has 10 different civilizations: British, Chinese, Mongols, Delhi Sultanate, French, Abbasid Dynasty, Holy Roman Empire, Rus, Ottomans, and Malians.

You can purchase Age of Empires IV Global Steam CD Key in the RoyalCDKeys store.

• Developer: Relic Entertainment
• Release Date: September 20, 2004
• Platforms: PC
• Metacritic Score: 86

Another Relic Entertainment wonder. And the game that put the Warhammer 40K universe in sight of everyone. 

Dawn of War is one of the best games in the Warhammer 40K franchise that people still play, receiving mods from the community. Keeping the squad-based real-time strategy style, Dawn of War was a great depiction of the tabletop game. It brought many of their great factions to the digital landscape, beginning with the Space Marines, Eldar, Orks, and Chaos Space Marines, and with each expansion adding more classes to their game.

Their single-player campaign is played similarly to Rise of Nations. The main goal is as simple as dominating the world on single skirmishes on undisputed territories while giving you special missions whenever you decide to attack the main base of another faction.

• Developer: Relic Entertainment
• Release Date: February 19, 2009
• Platforms: PC
• Metacritic Score: 85

The Soulstorm expansion left a bitter-sweet taste in fans. While the game remained terrific, the balance aspect became a greater issue moving forward. That kept in its original state as Relic worked on other projects for the next couple of years. And one of them is no other than Dawn of War II.

Warhammer 40K games were back on track. Relic decided to use this new main entry to change the main gameplay, focusing more on the battle and almost completely getting rid of the base building, with only one main base used for producing units. The skirmishes are focused on capturing resource points and the three main points on the map, like a Battlefield game. 

While this could sound like a worse version of the previous game, on the contrary, it gives players even more attention to the battles and strategy. Also, the campaigns were revamped, with a storyline following a Blood Angels campaign against the Tyranids and the dark forces of Chaos. And yes, the Tyranids are finally in the game! It is one of the best RTS campaigns. You will manage your main character and several other hero units, leveling up and providing them with equipment, perfectly mixing RTS with RPG, like on a Warcraft III campaign.

• Developer: King Art Games
• Release Date: September 1, 2020
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
• Metacritic Score: 75

Like in Command and Conquer, Iron Harvest takes place over real-world events and twists them to provide a unique storyline. This time, machines are deeply integrated into many historical events after the end of the Great War. 

Iron Harvest automates the base building and macro-management, making players focus more on other aspects of the gameplay, like resource allocation and combat. 

You can get a Steam CD key of the Deluxe Edition in the RoyalCDKeys store. You will also find an Xbox Live CD Key as well for the Complete Edition.

• Developer: EA Los Angeles
• Release Date: March 2, 2006 
• Platforms: PC
• Metacritic Score: 84

After the massive success of Peter Jackson's movies, there was a stream of Lord of the Rings games that were surprisingly good. Most licensed games are complete trash, but LOTR gave us some shiny gems. This includes Battle for Middle Earth II.

While the first game was a fine surprise, the second game's depth was amazing. A simple squad-based RTS game that can be resumed on knowing each unit counter and reading your opponent's strategy before making a decision. It has six different factions, divided between "Good" and "Evil": the Men of the West, Elves, Dwarves (Good), Isengard, Mordor, and Goblins (Evil). Each have unique units, like Elves deploying Ents as siege units, and you can use some Hero units in battle like Gimli, Saruman, the Witch King, etc. Plus, the campaign gives you an expanded view of the events of the movies, allowing you to choose between the forces of Good and Evil, and each one gets its own storyline.