CheckMag | Steam's RTS Fest ends in a day but what is Real Time Strategy?

For those unfamiliar with the RTS genre, the best way to describe it is this: Everyone's turns, computer or not, are simultaneous. Whether you’re fighting a horde of enemies or trying to manage a business, there are no real turns, it’s all real time, the player’s actions affecting the game even as time passes by. If you’re familiar with action RPGs, RTS puts the mechanics of those and goes far beyond that, often having players manage entire cities or armies.

Games like Thronefall will have you defending your kingdom in a desperate gambit, while Manor Lords, a game in early access, has you conquering lands to expand an empire. (If you don’t have a lot of RTS experience, I’d try playing something much more simplistic than Manor Lords, it’s an incredible game, but even as a player with more experience, its steep learning curve can be supremely discouraging at first.)

Although a lot of the origins of RTS come from medieval themes and combat, plenty of the scene has grown into sci-fi and horror themes as well. This can include fighting a plague of zombies or aliens, exploring space, or fighting horrors unknown. One of the most well-known RTS games to pave the way for sci-fi RTS was Starcraft, which was beloved by many and still inspires many modern RTS games to this day. If you’re a fan of Warhammer 40K, some of the games made by the studio (Games Workshop) also overlap with the RTS genre, like Dawn of War. 

RTS can also include tycoon games, life sim games, or city building, and if commanding armies isn’t your thing, then games like Mini Settlers might be more your speed. In those games, you often manage resources to keep a city or business happy.

This week's Steam Sale showcases lots of RTS genre games, from the well-known titles to the hidden gems to outright slops. There’s an overwhelming amount to choose from. Steam has demos to try out for those new to the genre or looking for a fresh take on an RTS game. A game I’ve personally been eyeing is Bad North, where you're not just fighting to conquer or defend a base, but for your very survival. It’s a concept that’s not often seen, and I’m excited to give it a look.

RTS game sessions are often long, methodical, and can be tedious. They require intense forethought before every action, quickly, and almost never let up for more than a few seconds. If you think you’d like the kind of intensity RTS can bring, this genre might just be for you. The RTS Fest ends on January 27th.