23 Games Like Command and Conquer
Our collection of games like Command and Conquer (C&C) features a number of warfare focused real time strategy games for C&C and Red Alert fans.
The original Command and Conquer (1995) was one of the the early instalments in the real time strategy genre and for many people was their first taste of strategy gameplay. While the series has evolved greatly since this initial release it has maintained its popularity for the blend of military tactics and storyline that if offers.
While these mechanics have changed with each release the series generally favours parallel storylines that follow the actions of several different factions and the impact of memorable characters within these factions on a single storyline. The games within the Command and Conquer collection of titles have also consistently focused on modern day warfare and units while avoiding the fantasy or science fiction settings of other games in the strategy genre.
The real time strategy games like Command and Conquer here have a similar focus on storylines involving multiple factions or realistic warfare. This page also includes games like Red Alert for fans of the C&C spin-off series.
Age of Empires III
Marking the third game in the highly successful Age of Empires (AoE) franchise Age of Empires III continues the strategic routes of the series while making several interesting gameplay mechanic designs that provide light RPG elements. While Age of Empires III has not seen the longevity of it’s popular younger brother (Age of Empires II) in the multiplayer scene the title has still been rated positively by the community. In terms of single player campaign Age of Empires III focuses in on th...[Read Review]
World in Conflict
World in Conflict is a tactical strategy game that puts you in control of the Soviet Union in a military focused experience which focuses on controlling large mixes of vehicles alongside traditional infantry platoons. The game was launched in 2007 with an ex weapons which were combined together in a Complete Edition release. Set in an alternate timeline branching from 1989 where the Soviet Union decides to pursue a military course to stay as one of the world’s dominating super powers. This adven...[Read Review]
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds takes the popular science fiction Star Wars franchise into the real time strategy (RTS) game genre. With the same engine as the popular Age of Empires franchise (AoE 1 and 2) the adventure has many similarities in design and overall gameplay feel to that strategy series. Released in 2001 Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds was followed by an expansion pack a year later (Clone Campaigns) which add an additional two factions and new campaign content. Campaigns are t...[Read Review]
R.U.S.E.
R.U.S.E. is a multi-platform real time strategy game set deep within World War II as Germany finds itself invaded on all sides by the forces of the Allies. Opting to be a strategy game focused on countering and the use of intelligence it’s different to other RTS titles you may have played previously and is appropriately named after the number of ruses that you’ll employ as part of your strategy to fool or bluff your opponent. In the single player offering the game explores a single s...[Read Review]
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II is set in the LOTR universe and offers a real time strategy experience for Windows and the Xbox 360. A genre rarely explored by film and media franchises this strategy adventure gives players the option to explore both a good and evil campaign as you experience the fantasy game world from both sides of the conflict. With similar core mechanics to the past game in the Battle for Middle-earth series you’ll find a challenge that is compara...[Read Review]
Rise of Nations
Released in 2003 Rise of Nations is one of the most popular and successful real time strategy games of all time with its diverse range of civilisations and solid foundation of RTS mechanics. Being both accessible to newcomers to the genre while offering vast strategic depth Rise of Nations achieved that rare feat that few games have been able to replicate since. This success also led to an expansion pack (Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots) and spin-off game (Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends)...[Read Review]
Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War
Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War combines deep military strategy with a science fiction setting from the popular universe of Warhammer. Based on the tabletop games it has obvious appeal to fans of the Warhammer 40k physical tabletop war game but it is still an attractive real time strategy experience for newcomers to the franchise thanks to the robust mechanics and impressive campaign underneath the sci-fi skin. After the success of the original base game three expansion packs were released to expand ...[Read Review]
Company of Heroes
Company of Heroes (CoH) is a WW2 real time strategy game released in 2006 and brought to mobile devices in 2020. Serving as the first in the series of strategy games players have a number of historic battles to conquer with realistic locations, units and familiar storylines. For the campaign component of Company of Heroes players will be joining the ranks of the US army Able Company in the later stages of the war in 1944. There is still ample combat to see the United States achieve victory thoug...[Read Review]
Empire Earth
Empire Earth (EE) offers delivers a real time strategy experience and is the first game in the expansive franchise released in 2001. Followed up with a 2002 expansion pack (Art of Conquest) Empire Earth has also subsequently expanded to a number of sequels with similar core gameplay. Like the popular Age of Empires II franchise of the day players start from a basic age of technology and advance through to a nano age with time (or the space age with the expansion). Empire Earth allows players to ...[Read Review]
StarCraft 2
StarCraft 2 is a 2010 real time strategy title which expands the Blizzard franchise with new single player campaigns and multiplayer content once again focused around the three races of Terran, Zerg and Protoss. Originally a paid experience released in three parts the base Wings of Liberty adventure and the corresponding multiplayer features went free to play in late 2017. The single player campaign content related to Zerg (Heart of the Swarm) and Progress (Legacy of the Void) are still paid exp...[Read Review]
Warfare Incorporated
Warfare Incorporated is an older real time strategy game that originally released in 2003 for a range of operating software including Palm OS. With the advent of mobile devices the game was eventually ported over to iOS (discontinued) and Android devices to carry over the legacy of the game while also releasing as an open sourced version called Hostile Takeover (available on GitHub). Warfare Incorporated is set far into the future where the world has been reduced to two super corporations fighti...[Read Review]
Age of Empires II
Age of Empires II belongs to the hugely success AoE series of real time strategy games and is arguably the most well known and widely praised from the franchise that continues to be relevant today. Originally launched in 1999 the game saw a revival with a 2013 HD remake and a 2019 definitive edition with a number of expansion packs along the way building on the game content and modernising the graphics. With single player campaigns primarily set around the Middle Ages players have dozens of play...[Read Review]
Empire Earth II
Empire Earth II builds on the popular original and delivers a strong real time strategy experience with plenty of new additions to the epoch based experience that sees you control units from the stone age to the synthetic age. Empire Earth II development was handled by Mad Doc Software who created the expansion pack for the original Empire Earth game so players are in safe hands for this expansion of the series. In Empire Earth II players can complete one of three available campaigns which focus...[Read Review]
Shattered Union
Shattered Union is a turn based game available for Windows and Xbox (Xbox 360 with backwards compatibility) that focuses on the combat side of strategy games with a war themed tactical experience. Primarily a turn based strategy adventure Shattered Union is a challenging title set in the modern day era where you’ll use familiar units across the United States backdrop. Set within an alternate timeline of the real world Shattered Union explores a fractured United States with players able to ...[Read Review]
Halo Wars
Real time strategy games are a rarity on consoles due to the inherent control difficulties players can experience as they attempt to micromanage their own army of units in a tactical manner and build a respectable base. Halo Wars seeks to remedy this drought though with a Halo themed strategy title released in 2009 for the Xbox 360 and subsequently available for Xbox One and Windows players. As a game with the Halo name players can expect the full array of cinematics and lore that the broader fr...[Read Review]
Company of Heroes 2
Company of Heroes 2 is the sequel to the original highly popular CoH game and builds on the fundamentals previously established in this war strategy title. Released in the middle of 2013 you’ll find a familiar core gameplay experience alongside many enhancements that pushes the game to a new level of strategic and visual experience across a base game and several expansion packs. Within the base game players will find a story based around the Red Army who is currently engaged in a brutal co...[Read Review]
Act of War: Direct Action
Act of War: Direct Action is a real time strategy (RTS) that definitely pulls some inspiration from the likes of Command & Conquer with a modern day warfare setting that mixes in some futuristic elements. Featuring some unique mechanics to the genre raise the experience above others in the genre which continues in the expansion pack Act of War: High Treason (available together with the base game as Act of War: Gold Edition). Set during an economic crisis in the near future Act of War explore...[Read Review]
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends
Serving as a spin off title to the popular Rise of Nations title, Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends is a real time strategy game that attempts to blend the worlds of fantasy magic and technology together into one. Despite the change in setting the game stays closely to the original Rise of Nations experience although does shed some of the deeper 4X and turn based elements which purists of the original may hold dear. The game is not just a trimmed down version though and instead uses this space fo...[Read Review]
Supreme Commander
Supreme Commander is a real time strategy title that was been born out of the success of Total Annihilation, an exceedingly popular 1997 strategy game. Centred around mechanical units known as Armoured Command Units (ACU) it’s a futuristic war like adventure that offers a deep level of mechanical strategy for players to utilise in large scale combat scenarios. In this future science fiction inspired setting humanity has not only invented these powerful war machines but also reached a point...[Read Review]
American Conquest
American Conquest is a real time strategy game set within the history of America and gives players the opportunity to play a strategic role in the 15th to 19th century timeframe. In the base game and two stand alone expansion packs players will take part in and influence the first centuries of the American continents. Originally released in 2003 the two additional expansion packs (Fight Back and Divided Nation) were released in 2003 and 2006 respectively and boost the variation of nations and un...[Read Review]
Supreme Commander 2
Supreme Commander 2 is the second game in the Supreme Commander series of real time strategy games that explore modern and futuristic warfare with a focus on vehicle combat. The game takes place in a futuristic setting and is available on Windows, Mac and Xbox 360 with backward compatibility available for Xbox One. Supreme Commander 2 takes you through three different campaigns as you command the United Earth Federation, the Illuminate and the Cybran in battle. Each of these campaigns has their ...[Read Review]
Battle Worlds: Kronos
Battle Worlds: Kronos is an impressive turn based development that grew from a successful Kickstarter campaign into a full release video game with a large amount of single player content. Delivering a strategy experience with a huge amount of units, campaign gameplay and customisation opportunity it aims to be a shining star in a genre that doesn’t receive the same amount of love as the gaming eras of yesteryear. Battle Worlds: Kronos throws players into a militaristic setting as you complete ea...[Read Review]
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance is a stand alone expansion to the original Supreme Commander title that features similar gameplay premise while expanding on some of the notable fundamentals for a new challenge. As a result in this standalone expansion players will find some new gameplay features, additional units and improvements to game performance over the original release that allow the franchise to reach a new level of heights. Set in the same futuristic setting Supreme Commander: Forged ...[Read Review]