10 Best RTS Games on Xbox Game Pass (August 2025)

Looking for the best real-time strategy games on Game Pass in 2025? If so, you're in the right place! We’re counting down from 10 to 1, covering the best RTS games on Xbox Game Pass available right now.

What defines the best RTS games on Game Pass?

It usually comes down to how fun and smart the game feels when you're in control. The best RTS games on Game Pass let you plan, build, and lead in a way that makes every match exciting. Some focus on big battles, while others ask you to think carefully with just a few units. A good RTS game gives you freedom to choose your strategy and rewards you for playing smart.

Picking a Game Pass best RTS game also depends on what kind of challenge you enjoy. Some games are fast and full of action, and others move slower but offer deep planning. What matters most is how each game makes you think, react, and grow with every mission. There’s something for everyone, no matter how new or experienced you are with strategy games.

List of 10 Best RTS Games on Xbox Game Pass in 2025

These are the best strategy games you can enjoy with Xbox Game Pass.

10. Minecraft Legends

Nobody really expected the Minecraft world to turn into a strategy game, but that’s exactly what Minecraft Legends does in a fun and different way. Instead of mining and crafting, the goal here is to lead armies and protect villages from enemies. The player rides a mount across open lands, gathers resources, builds defenses, and commands groups of friendly creatures in battles. Combat includes both leading your allies and jumping into the fight yourself. Unlike most strategy games where players control units from a top-down view, here the action is experienced from a third-person view. Because of that, it plays very differently from other titles. That’s exactly what sets it apart from many of the best RTS games on Xbox Game Pass.

9. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

You can’t have a best strategy games list without mentioning the Age of Empires series, and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is one of the most played versions. It puts you in charge of building your own civilization from scratch, starting in the Dark Age and moving through history. You train villagers, gather resources like food, wood, and gold, and build your town piece by piece. Then you train an army to defend or attack other empires on the map. Each civilization comes with its own strengths and units, which adds a new way to play every time. This game isn’t just about war. Managing your economy, upgrading buildings, and choosing the right time to expand is what makes it one of the best RTS games on Xbox Game Pass.

8. Crusader Kings III

In Crusader Kings III, the main goal is to build a powerful family dynasty over many years. The game is not just about armies and battles. Most of the time is spent making smart decisions about marriage, alliances, land, and power. Every character in the game has traits like greedy, kind, or brave, which affect how they act. If a king dies, control passes to the heir, and the story continues. Politics, betrayal, and planning shape how each story grows. Some rulers start strong, while others struggle with angry nobles or family problems. It stands out from the usual best real-time strategy games on Game Pass because of how personal and story-driven everything is, where relationships and choices matter as much as winning fights.

7. Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition

Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition is another popular game from the long-running Age of Empires series. The core idea is similar — build your town, grow your army, and fight other kingdoms. However, this one shows everything in a more detailed way. Each civilization in this version plays very differently from the others, with special units, buildings, and unique ways to develop your empire. Moreover, the visuals have improved a lot compared to older games, and the armies feel heavier and more grounded. Overall, it brings that classic feel while looking and playing like something built for today.

6. Frostpunk

What if you had to run the last city on Earth during a freezing world crisis? Frostpunk puts you in charge of building and managing that city as temperatures drop each day. You assign workers, manage coal and food, and make laws that decide how your citizens live or die. Coal powers the only heat source, and without it, everyone freezes. There’s no army building or attacking here. It’s about surviving harsh conditions and making choices that determine whether your people live or die. The pressure builds as the cold worsens.

5. Anno 1800

The next game on our list of best RTS games on Xbox Game Pass is Anno 1800, a city-building strategy game set during the industrial age. Unlike most games on this list where the goal is to defeat enemies through battles, this one is more about growing a strong economy and managing a growing city. The game starts on a small island where players build houses, farms, factories, and trade routes. As the population grows, their needs change, and more advanced buildings unlock. To progress, success depends on smart planning, balancing resources, and keeping the people happy as the city expands. Overall, it offers a slower, more thoughtful style of real-time strategy built around development and trade.

4. Aliens: Dark Descent

Aliens: Dark Descent is a real-time strategy game where a group of marines is sent on missions to fight deadly alien creatures. The squad moves together through enemy territory, exploring buildings, and completing tasks without splitting up. Every action happens as the mission plays out, so choices must be made quickly. Enemies can appear at any time, and it’s important to stay alert while moving forward. Every marine has a role and the group must survive together to complete the mission.

3. Halo Wars: Definitive Edition

In Halo Wars: Definitive Edition, the action is seen from above instead of playing from first-person like most Halo games. Players control groups of units like soldiers, vehicles, and aircraft, and give them commands to move, attack, or defend. The goal is to build a base, gather resources, train troops, and fight off enemy forces. Unlike regular Halo games where shooting is done directly, here the challenge comes from planning battles and managing units as a commander. Each unit has strengths, and choosing the right mix during fights is important.

2. Commandos: Origins

What’s interesting about Commandos: Origins is how it plays more like a puzzle than a regular war game. A small squad of soldiers is dropped into enemy territory, and each one has a different skill. One might crawl through tight paths, another might distract guards, and another can take out enemies silently. The goal is not to charge or shoot everything, but to think carefully and act without getting caught. Every mission has guards watching areas, and players need to move slowly, hide, and plan each action. The mix of quiet planning and smart moves gives it a completely different feeling than most real-time strategy games.

1. Age of Mythology: Retold

The final game on our list of best RTS games on Xbox Game Pass is Age of Mythology: Retold. This game is set in ancient times where gods, monsters, and human armies all fight together. Players choose a civilization like Greek, Norse, Atlantean or Egyptian and then build towns, collect resources, train soldiers, and grow their army. What makes this game different is the use of mythology in battles. Gods and myth units are part of your strategy, which gives it a unique style compared to other strategy games.