Best Games in Steam RTS Fest – Free Demos, F2P, & Upcoming

Every year, Steam’s Real-Time Strategy (RTS) Festival invariably sparks enthusiasm, and this year is no exception with a variety of strategy games on offer. There’s an abundance of demos, free-to-play options, and exciting new releases too. To make your exploration smoother, we have compiled a list of 10 games for each category below.

The annual Steam RTS event always gets people excited, and this year is no exception with many strategy games to choose from. There are lots of demos, free games, and new titles coming out as well. To make it easier for you, we’ve grouped together 10 games in each category that you can check out below.

Best upcoming games in Steam RTS Fest

TitleDescriptionRelease Date
Tactical WarfareThis real-time strategy game features an interstellar conflict between Earth’s defenders and a parallel world’s refugees. There are unique factions, tactical planning, and multiple game modes for you to enjoy.January 2025
Welcome Back, CommanderIn this game, you take charge as a military leader with the task of uncovering the mystery of the deadly plague in the Sun Stone City. You have to manage resources, lead combat with your strike team, and make decisions to shape the story and replay to discover various endings.February 10, 2025
Towers & Goblins: The Last StandA simple tower defense game where you fight off waves of gobluns. You build towers, upgrade them, and unlock newer ones while protecting your kingdom.February 21, 2025
ERA ONEA space-themed RTS game where you can build bases, design starships, and fight space battles. The game has a deep resource management system with a lot of customization options and a good story to keep you going..February 21, 2025
DawnfolkIt’s a survival city-builder game where you have to reclaim the kingdom lost to darkness. You will have Lueur, a companion, to help explore areas covered in the shadows. In the game, you manage resources, build cities, play minigames, and make decisions to complete the game.February 12 2025
KAISERPUNKThis is a city-building and grand strategy game similar to Frostpunk. It’s set in the 20th century, where you build and manage a city, from production chains to expanding your empire through various means.February 27, 2025
Grey GalacticIt’s another RTS game in space, and this time, you colonize planets, build fleets, and wage wars across the galaxy. You can upgrade your shop, discover powerful artifacts, explore battlefields, and fight human and alien factions in the story campaign.February 18, 2025
Stellar outpost commanderIn this game, you lead a space outpost by hiring skilled pilots, researching advanced modules, and building a base. You can also trade with your neighbors, deploy fleets to attack various systems, and protect the ones you want.February 2025
Stronghold Crusader: Definitive EditionStronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is a remake of the original Crusaders, which is one of the first RTS games most of us played. The new game features a new campaign, new units, co-op gameplay, and better visuals.July 15, 2025
Commandos: OriginsIn this historically accurate game, you lead six unique characters across various missions in different terrains, ranging from Arctic tundras to African deserts. The game will require you to combine your stealth approach, strategies, and teamwork.March 2025

Best demos to try in Steam RTS Fest

TitleDescriptionRelease Date
Against the StormAgainst the Storm is a roguelike city-builder game where you lead a diverse range of fantasy races to reclaim the wild from the evil queen. You have to build a network of settlements, adapt to the harsh storms, and progress by completing your expeditions.December 8, 2023
Settlements RisingThis is a medieval city building and management simulation game. There are 35 professions and an intricate resource management system. You have to manage the needs of your villagers, trade, fight back the raiders, and do some exploration for more rewards.January 2025
Tactical WarfareThis real-time strategy game features an interstellar conflict between Earth’s defenders and a parallel world’s refugees. There are unique factions, tactical planning, and multiple game modes for you to enjoy.Januray 2025
Welcome Back, CommanderIn this game, you take charge as a military leader with the task of uncovering the mystery of the deadly plague in Sun Stone City. You have to manage resources, lead combat with your strike team, and make decisions to shape the story and replay to discover various endings.February 6, 2025
Tempest RisingTempest Rising is an RTS game with a classic theme from the 90s and 2000s. There is base building, fast combat, and three factions. Along with that, you get two-story campaigns, customizable armies, and multiplayer mode in alternative Earth.April 24, 2025
Commandos: OriginsIn this historically accurate game, you lead six unique characters across various missions in different terrains, ranging from Arctic tundras to African deserts. The game will require you to combine your stealth approach, strategies, and teamwork.March 2025
HyperCovenA unique rogue-lite-RTS hybrid game where you play as the sorcerer king to enslave tribes, collect items, and upgrade your troops. There are various game modes for both single and multiplayer with PvP and co-op.Q1 2025
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed CrewA stealth strategy game in an alternative golden age of piracy. You lead a pirate crew with supernatural powers to infiltrate strongholds and explore islands to claim powerful treasures.August 17, 2023
IDUN – Frontline SurvivalIdun is a tower defense game with a lot of action. Like other RTS tower defenses, you have to place your units, upgrade them, and adapt to the growing numbers of enemies while defending your base.June 7, 2024
Empires of the UndergrowthIn this game, you control and manage a colony of ants to build nests and battle rival colonies. The game is unique, and it delivers a good resource collection system, tactical warfare, and upgrades.June 7, 2024

Best free-to-play games in Steam RTS Fest

November 3. 2020DescriptionRelease Date
Dota 2Dota 2 is the most popular game on Steam and one of the first free games most of us got on Steam. The game has lots of heroes for you to fight in PvP, and what makes it better is that the game is completely free with regular updates.July 9 2013
World of WarshipsThis free-to-play title boasts historically accurate warships from WWI and WWII, which can command for battles, customize, and use your tactics to outsmart the enemies.November 15. 2017
Art of War: Red TidesIn the game, you have to choose your race, set up your troops, and deploy units to destroy enemy turrets and bases. There are over 120 units, which makes it easy to pick, but mastering it requires time.December 22,. 2016
War SelectionWar Selection is a historical RTS game, where you evolve from Stone Age to modern warfare. You choose different cultures and countries, build basses, command your units to battle, and more with various gameplay modes.October 8. 2019
Call of War: World War 2This is a grand strategy game where you lead a nation during the Second World War. The game has a lot going on with air, naval, and land battles. Along with those, you have to build an economy, research for newer weapons, and be diplomatic.October 21. 2017
Supremacy 1914: World War 1Another grand strategy game similar to the entry above. In this one, you lead a nation during WWI. The gameplay here is about managing resources and armies, building alliances, and doing real-time battles.July 16. 2019
SpellForce 3 Versus EditionSpellforce offers both free and paid experience. You get most of the good things like multiplayer, various factions, and the story campaign for free. In the game, you fight AI or human enemies in Skirmishes with different factions like Orcs, Humans, Elves, etc.July 9, 2013
Galcon 2: Galactic ConquestGalcon 2 is a simple yet complicated game with a lot of strategy involved. You can pick it up and easily master it, but as you play more, you will master the smaller details to dominate your opponents in fast multiplayer battles.December 5. 2014
StormgateStormgame is a next-gen game from StartCraft II and Warcraft III veterans. You can command your factions in battles, do co-op missions, and play ranked. The game is fun with great visuals and addictive gameplay.July 30. 2024
Hades’ StarIn this game, you build and grow a space empire. You can explore different star systems, form alliances, and do co-op or PvP battles across different starts, each with its own challenges.November 3. 2020

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2025-01-21 20:51