5 Best RTS Games on PlayStation 4 (2023)

Battle games have evolved over the years. No longer do you need to take charge from the frontlines of war. You could also earn your badge of honor in the safe havens of your base, planning and strategizing the ways in which you’re going to win. Often, you’ll command a group of troops across a map, leading them toward completing certain objectives. Perhaps taking over territories or building a base. 

Whichever task is at hand, planning ahead is always a crucial necessity in RTS games. So, what player are you? Do you prefer an active role in battle? Or would you consider putting your wits to the test? Either way, these best RTS games on PlayStation 4 (2023) are a must-try for all gamers based on how unique, challenging, and fun they are. 

5. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

Set in feudal Japan, players take control of five deadly specialists, furthering the new Shogun’s agenda for nationwide peace. Each specialist has unique positive and negative qualities, which you must use to your advantage to fight against the mysterious Kagesama, who wants to overthrow the Shogun.

Despite the Shogun’s peace agenda, players will have no choice but to sneak into the shadows to infiltrate enemy hidden forest camps, snowy mountain monasteries, and mighty castles. All along, setting traps, poisoning them while completely avoiding contact.

It’s a stealth game where your wits will come in handy more than ever. Will you use a sniper to pick off enemies one by one from a distance? Or, will you camouflage through the dark, distracting enemies and placing decoys that assassinate many opponents at a time? 

Each skill will have its own time to shine, so it’s up to you to devise your tactics and execute them flawlessly despite the unfavorable odds.

4. Stellaris: Console Edition

Stellaris: Console Edition is a fully-fledged galaxy RTS game every space lover might want to try. It’s a wholesome expedition through space, from forming allies with alien species or conquering agitated ones to exploring sci-fi wonders and using the interstellar discoveries you make to your advantage. 

Each expedition leads towards something new, thanks to procedurally generated galaxies and new planets you’re yet to see. You’ll also be in charge of managing your ship’s resources. The more cautious you are with your resources, the more likely you will emerge victorious. 

In times when you’re not at war, you still need to strategize your ship’s growth and advance your empire against all others. That’s through finding the best ways to govern your people and paving the path of diplomacy through internal factions, traditions, policies, and more.

All in all, Stellaris: Console Edition is perhaps the most in-depth RTS you’ll find, with an extensive selection of races and captivating storytelling to boot.

3. Frostpunk

Alternate histories are always so much fun to play. In Frostpunk, players take control of a leader in an alternate-history late 19th century. Their task is to build and manage a city that was hit by an apocalyptic global cooling, and the only heat now comes from the generator in the middle of the city. 

Harsh decisions will have to be made, some of which you may not have the stomach for. Not to mention the cost that comes with each decision, some more dire than others. While bearing the cost is relatively easier when it’s just you, this time, each decision made determines the outcome of a whole civilization.

How will you adapt to the cold around you? Which laws, moral or not, will you enact for people to survive? Can you manage to push through the harsh winter while keeping your citizens' hope and happiness alive? 

2. Tooth and Nail

Tooth and Nail’s unique lore is like a magnet that pulls you into the game. It doesn’t let you go, quickly stacking the hours of gameplay you put in with ease. Tooth and Nail features an animal civil war experience in a vaguely Eastern Europe in the 1910s when World War I and the Russian Revolution was in full swing. 

You can tell plenty of creative ideas went into building this game. The premise is simple: build a base, lead an army, and eat your enemies. The animals taking center stage are cute, though ragged, and include skunks, owls, and flamethrowing boars.

Everything from single-player to online competitive play to split screen and replays is featured. The script is quite full of humor, too, all while navigating procedurally generated maps, customizable factions, and fresh “war for meat” battles from start to finish.

1. Desperados III

Set in the brutal Wild West, players control up to five desperados, fighting against ruthless bandits and corrupt officers. Unlike most Wild West adaptations, though, Desperados III encourages stealth action. However, going out guns blazing is on the table, too, as long as you’re ready to fight many foes all at once.

Further, Desperados III tells a compelling story of John Copper joining forces with his runaway bride, Kate, shady Arthur McCoy, giant trapper Hector, and a mysterious lady from New Orleans. Each character has unique stealth skills. Experimenting with each one gives you a greater chance of survival. Tactical thinking comes in handy, too, to help thin the herd enough to bring out the guns.  

Desperados III has interesting doses of variety and references to cowboy movies, which successfully revive the original series for veterans to enjoy. It also feels like a puzzle where thinking ahead pays more. If not, you’re free to also improvise on the fly, especially if a risky plan fails.

Overall, Desperados III delivers a familiar yet fresh experience at the same time. It checks all the boxes for a great RTS game to play, from beautiful graphics to engaging gameplay and a well-written story that keeps you glued to the screen for hours.

So, what’s your take? Do you agree with our best RTS games on PlayStation 4 (2023)? Are there more RTS games on PlayStation 4 we should know about? Let us know down in the comments or over on our socials here.