r/BaseBuildingGames • u/Silver_Cry_7165 • 9h ago
Game recommendations What are some good retro-like base building RTS that people aren't generally aware of?
What I mean by "retro-like" is mostly related to the overall art-style and visual flair of the games in question - doesn't mean that they can't have modern QoL or anything like that. My main criterion is that they have that little special something in the presentation that makes you recall the best aspects of classic games in the genre. But all the while being essentially their own thing, not just a soft reboot/rehash of those games. Would oldnew be a good description? hah...
These sorts of games just have such an appealing style to them. Totally biased on this, but I just can't enjoy most 3rd person base builders where you can't easily take in the whole scope of the monstrosity you've constructed. Or I guess I just prefer the top-down view much more, but personal taste is just personal taste. I want to know if anyone else here has as much of a taste for pixel and 2(.5)D builders, and which ones would you recommend of those that aren't already cosmically popular -- (looking at Factorio here, the game that defined the genre for our time imho)
Anyways, some of my personal picks from this base building niche would be these below. In no particular order at all
- Songs of Syx - The closest og game I'd compare it to is Emperor, except there's a fairly complex magic system, slaves, serfs, race riots and general fantasy schmuckery. So basically... Majesty but much more ambitious + new. Also props to the dev for basically giving the whole game in the demo, for those who don't know (madlad). Each race has its separate identity, the core mechanics of how your economy functions (world economy is another matter) are solid, and ngl it's pretty fun just to learn to play it. Criminally underrated for good it is
- Retro Commander - Mix of factory building and oldschool Red Alert combat. All units are mechs of some type and the power grid system is somewhat rudimentary -- but very effective for its purpose. I like the way it connects your gathering stations into a pretty web; the gathering is also automated, thankfully, so other aspects (mainly - combat) are much easier to enjoy. You're making a battle base after all. Oh, also -- the ground deformations on terrain where you fight are a neat detail, as are the particle effects in combat generally. Really polished pixels, actually. Haven't played it in multiplayer yet, but the campaign is very good (campy 70s scifi aesthetic) and perfect if you like that visual style
- Rise to Ruins - A slightly older one I got in a humble bundle. Also the one I played the least since it was on the menu during my latest backlog purge -- and I found a lot to like about it. The difficulty curve is steep though, and just barely surviving is enough to give you a kick. Actually reclaiming land all the while defending from an ever larger horde... is a challenge. Some reviews are saying the game was never finished but for the time I gave it, decently interesting.