Best Value RTS Games

The RTS games that stretch a budget furthest: median reviewer playtime divided by current price. Pick your currency in the top bar to rank against your local prices.

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By price

Any priceUnder $5Under $10Under $20Under $40
Median reviewer playtime divided by price. Reviewers tend to sink more hours in than the average owner, so treat this as an optimistic estimate. Free games are excluded because there's no price to divide by.
  1. 1Hearts of Iron IV39 h/$
  2. 2Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition11 h/$
  3. 3Mechabellum9.9 h/$
  4. 4Survivalist: Invisible Strain8.9 h/$
  5. 5Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun6.7 h/$
  6. 6Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition6.6 h/$
  7. 7Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition6.5 h/$
  8. 8ENDLESS Space 26.4 h/$
  9. 9Total War: SHOGUN 26.4 h/$
  10. 10Victoria II6.4 h/$
  11. 11UBOAT6.3 h/$
  12. 12Dyson Sphere Program5.9 h/$
  13. 13Terra Invicta5.7 h/$
  14. 14Mindustry5.7 h/$
  15. 15Rise of Nations: Extended Edition5.3 h/$
  16. 16From the Depths5.3 h/$
  17. 17Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition5.1 h/$
  18. 18Halo Wars: Definitive Edition5.1 h/$
  19. 19Total War: NAPOLEON – Definitive Edition4.7 h/$
  20. 20Age of Empires: Definitive Edition4.7 h/$
  21. 21Rusted Warfare - RTS4.4 h/$
  22. 22Age of Empires II (Retired)4.4 h/$
  23. 23Tower Dominion4.2 h/$
  24. 24Crusader Kings III4.0 h/$
  25. 25Brutal Legend4.0 h/$
  26. 26They Are Billions3.8 h/$
  27. 27Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance3.6 h/$
  28. 28Warpips3.4 h/$
  29. 29Natural Selection 23.4 h/$
  30. 30Stronghold HD (2012)3.3 h/$
  31. 31Total War: THREE KINGDOMS3.3 h/$
  32. 32Lobotomy Corporation | Monster Management Simulation3.2 h/$
  33. 33Age of History 33.2 h/$
  34. 34Clanfolk3.1 h/$
  35. 35Stronghold Crusader HD (2012)3.0 h/$
  36. 36Anno 1404 - History Edition3.0 h/$
  37. 37IXION3.0 h/$
  38. 38STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack3.0 h/$
  39. 39Supreme Commander 23.0 h/$
  40. 40Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront2.9 h/$
  41. 41Tropico 42.9 h/$
  42. 42Kingdoms Reborn2.9 h/$
  43. 43Company of Heroes2.8 h/$
  44. 44Kenshi2.8 h/$
  45. 45Wargame: Red Dragon2.8 h/$
  46. 46Age of Mythology: Retold2.8 h/$
  47. 47Infection Free Zone2.8 h/$
  48. 48Emberward2.6 h/$
  49. 49Banished2.5 h/$
  50. 50Diplomacy is Not an Option2.4 h/$
  51. 51Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic2.4 h/$
  52. 52Company of Heroes 22.4 h/$
  53. 53112 Operator2.3 h/$
  54. 54Sailing Era2.3 h/$
  55. 55Total War: WARHAMMER III2.3 h/$
  56. 56Kingdom Rush Frontiers - Tower Defense2.2 h/$
  57. 57Aliens: Dark Descent2.2 h/$
  58. 58Master of Orion2.1 h/$
  59. 59Gladiator Guild Manager2.1 h/$
  60. 60Against the Storm2.1 h/$
  61. 61Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition2.1 h/$
  62. 62Stronghold Legends: Steam Edition2.0 h/$
  63. 63Going Medieval2.0 h/$
  64. 64Planetbase2.0 h/$
  65. 65Age of Mythology: Extended Edition2.0 h/$
  66. 66Northgard: Definitive Edition1.9 h/$
  67. 67Kingdoms and Castles1.9 h/$
  68. 68Call to Arms1.8 h/$
  69. 69Colony Survival1.8 h/$
  70. 70DG2: Defense Grid 21.8 h/$
  71. 71Command & Conquer Remastered Collection1.8 h/$
  72. 72Outpost: Infinity Siege1.8 h/$
  73. 73Castle Story1.8 h/$
  74. 74Total War: ROME REMASTERED1.8 h/$
  75. 75Dawn of Man1.8 h/$
  76. 76Stronghold 2: Steam Edition1.7 h/$
  77. 77The Crust1.7 h/$
  78. 78Farthest Frontier1.7 h/$
  79. 79ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE1.7 h/$
  80. 80WARNO1.7 h/$
  81. 81Sudden Strike 41.6 h/$
  82. 82Total War: WARHAMMER II1.5 h/$
  83. 83The Wandering Village1.5 h/$
  84. 84Element TD 2 - Tower Defense1.5 h/$
  85. 85Tropico 51.5 h/$
  86. 86Company of Heroes 31.4 h/$
  87. 87Total War: ATTILA1.4 h/$
  88. 88Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 21.4 h/$
  89. 89Dummynation1.3 h/$
  90. 90Men of War: Assault Squad 21.3 h/$
  91. 91Airships: Conquer the Skies1.3 h/$
  92. 92Creeper World 41.3 h/$
  93. 93Door Kickers 2: Task Force North1.3 h/$
  94. 94Ultimate General: Civil War1.3 h/$
  95. 95Empires of the Undergrowth1.2 h/$
  96. 96Age of Darkness: Final Stand1.2 h/$
  97. 97Starship Troopers: Terran Command1.2 h/$
  98. 98War Mongrels1.2 h/$
  99. 99Evil Genius 2: World Domination1.2 h/$
  100. 100Foundation1.1 h/$

How the math works: we sample each game’s Steam reviewers, take the median of their total recorded playtime (lifetime hours, not hours at the time of review), and divide it by the game’s current price in your selected currency. Reviewers usually sink more hours in than the average owner, so the numbers run generous. Free games aren’t listed because there’s no price to divide by, and a game needs playtime data from at least 20 reviewers before it qualifies. All prices are Steam’s own regional prices, never exchange-rate conversions.