StarCraft may be one of the highest-rated real-time strategy games of all time, but where does one turn when they’re a little bored of all those Terrans and Zergs? Here are the best games like StarCraft.
Company of Heroes
If you’re okay with ditching the hard sci-fi world for something a little more historical, then you can’t get much better than Company of Heroes. An incredible campaign that tasks players with delving into two of the most hotly contested fronts of World War II, Relic Entertainment delivers moments of explosive action, gripping holdouts, and satisfying strategy. While it may look like a generic WW2 RTS game, there’s a lot of heart in Company of Heroes.
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There’s also an exceptional amount of depth in its mechanics, which help bridge the gap between the single-player and multiplayer modes. There’s a reason people are still flocking to CoH for 1v1 matches, and while it may not have the visual flair of StarCraft, there are so many angles to consider in terms of terrain, unit management, vehicle deployment, and base building that even the most light-hearted game will feel tactically intense.
Halo Wars
If the sci-fi setting is nonnegotiable for you, then Halo Wars could go a long way to satisfy your StarCraft cravings. While it may be mechanically light when compared to Blizzard’s monolithic RTS, there’s enough under the hood that it’s able to deliver plenty of satisfying moments in terms of its campaign and multiplayer suites. In typical Halo fashion, it also has some wickedly polished cinematics that lend a real weight to a narrative that feels, admittedly, a touch threadbare.
Halo Wars isn’t winning any awards for innovating in the RTS genre, but it does provide something just as valuable: Reliability. With a great spread of available units to mess around with and plenty of decent maps that push players to strategize in unique ways, you won’t walk away feeling disappointed with your time. Sometimes, it’s just nice to sink into some familiar mechanics and enjoy them for what they are.
The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth II
One of the older entries on this list, Battle for Middle-earth II is considered by many to be the best game adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world. It’s a visual treat with units that all sport looks ripped straight from Peter Jackson’s iconic film trilogy and environments that truly capture the look and feel of Middle-earth. Did I mention the wide spread of heroes and unlockable abilities? Nothing beats summoning Tom Bombadil to skip around the fields of war, sowing destruction.
What makes BoMe II even better is its War of the Ring mode, which allows players to steadily build up their forces and stake their claim on Middle-earth. Missioning around the make and warring for specific territories adds an extra layer of complexity to an already deep game. It may be difficult to get your hands on this particular Lord of the Rings game, but if you manage to track down a copy, you’re in for a treat.
World in Conflict
An underrated and criminally overlooked gem, World in Conflict is defined as much as its streamlined mechanics as it is its truly exceptional story. Exploring an alternate history where the Cold War heated up more than it ever should have, it’s a strangely personal tale of people doing their best to survive in desperate times.
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It has pushed forward with RTS mechanics that strip away a great deal of the cruft included in its competitors. Base building isn’t your concern, as players instead acquire points to deploy bigger and stronger units. With the emphasis on faster, more tactical battles, you’ll never have moments spent simply waiting for buildings to grow or currency to accrue. Just drop a fleet of tanks and advance on the enemy. Here I go again on my own!
Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II
Arguably the closest to StarCraft in terms of its tone, even if it does lean heavily into the grim-dark aesthetic, Dawn of War II is an incredible refinement on its progenitor that, much like World in Conflict, emphasizes faster, more explosive combat. Players are presented with an unprecedented amount of content in terms of factions, campaigns, and units, all of which is bolstered even further by a dedicated modding scene that has kept the game alive for nearly 15 years.
It may not be the flashiest RTS game, but Dawn of War II has garnered a reputation for its gigantic scale and impassioned player base. You could also check out the original Dawn of War or the more recently-released threequel, but neither has the adoration of the second game. If you want an RTS multiplayer game that can utterly take over your life, this is the place to look.
Warcraft III
This one might be cheating since it’s also made by Blizzard Entertainment, but frankly, if you’re looking for an experience that’s mechanically very close to StarCraft, you won’t find much better than Warcraft III. Regarded by many as the greatest RTS game of all time, not only is the multiplayer scene still incredibly active decades after its release, but its single-player campaigns are epic in terms of its scale and narrative ambition.
Split into three different stories, players will take on the roles of Arthas, the Crown Prince of Lordaeron, as he succumbs to the corruption inside him, as well as Thrall, an Orcish leader desperately looking for a home for his people. It’s capped off with the tale of Tyrande Whisperwind, the leader of the Night Elves, who has to contend with both Orcs and Humans invading her land. It’s genuinely a thrilling tale of high-fantasy betrayal and the dangers of absolute power. If you can, try and play the original Warcraft III rather than 2020’s Reforged remaster. Trust me on this – you don’t want that kind of disappointment hanging in your heart.
And those are all our picks for the best games like Starcraft.
