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Top 10 · RTS

The 10 best DOS RTS games

The 10 best DOS RTS games, as the players of dos.games rate them. Command & Conquer leads the list, ahead of Earth 2140 and Z.

Every game on the list plays in your browser, with nothing to install. The order comes from players' ratings and real play time, so it moves as people play.

Updated How the lists are ranked

  • 15DOS RTS games in the archive
  • 10 of 10Play in your browser
  • 3.8Score of #1, out of 5

  2. 2. Earth 2140

    1997 · TopWare Programmy Sp. z o.o. · Strategy / tactics

    3.61 rating

    It's the year 2140, earth is almost completely destroyed after numerous wars and environmental catastrophes, and the people primarily live underground.

    Play now: Earth 2140About the game

  3. 3. Z

    1996 · The Bitmap Brothers · Strategy / tactics

    3.61 rating

    Z is a real-time strategy game in which you fight for control of the sectors, some of which contains manufactories that can gain you additional units.

    Play now: ZAbout the game
Ranks 11–15

More great DOS RTS games

  1. Capitalism — playable in the browserInteractive Magic · Strategy / tactics · 1995Not played yet
    3.2
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activitynobody has booted it here · capped at +0.50+0.00
    Score3.2

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open Capitalism
  2. Horde: The Northern Wind — playable in the browserBuka Entertainment · Strategy / tactics · 1999Not played yet
    3.2
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activitynobody has booted it here · capped at +0.50+0.00
    Score3.2

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open Horde: The Northern Wind
  3. M.A.X.: Mechanized Assault & Exploration — playable in the browserInterplay Productions, Inc. · Strategy / tactics · 1996Not played yet
    3.2
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activitynobody has booted it here · capped at +0.50+0.00
    Score3.2

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open M.A.X.: Mechanized Assault & Exploration
  4. Castles II: Siege & Conquest — playable in the browserInterplay Productions, Inc. · Strategy / tactics · 1992Not played yet
    3.2
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activitynobody has booted it here · capped at +0.50+0.00
    Score3.2

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open Castles II: Siege & Conquest
  5. The Ancient Art of War — playable in the browserBrøderbund Software, Inc. · Strategy / tactics · 1984Not played yet
    3.2
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activitynobody has booted it here · capped at +0.50+0.00
    Score3.2

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open The Ancient Art of War
Keep exploring

More top lists by gameplay

See them all in the catalogue
Questions

Frequently asked

How Best DOS Games are ranked
What is the best DOS RTS game?

Command & Conquer (1995, Westwood Studios, Inc.) is the best DOS RTS game by our players' ratings, ahead of Earth 2140 and Z. The ranking follows players' ratings and real play time, so it changes as people play.

Can I play these DOS RTS games online?

Yes. 10 of the games on this list play free in your browser on dos.games, with no download and no emulator to set up. Press Play on any of them; your progress can be saved.

How many DOS RTS games are there on dos.games?

15. This list ranks the best 10 in full and the next ones below them; the catalogue has every one, with filters for year, studio and more.

Which year had the most great DOS RTS games?

1997. 4 of the games on this list came out that year: Earth 2140, Dungeon Keeper, Command & Conquer: Red Alert - Red Dawn and KKND: Krush Kill 'N Destroy.

How is this list ranked?

With the same score as our Best DOS Games ranking: players' ratings, pulled toward the archive's own rating while a game has few of them, plus a small bonus for the games people actually keep playing. No editor and no sponsor decides a place.