30 RTS games like Citadels that you should try

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Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentUpdated May 19, 2026How this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

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We filtered the 50 games similar to Citadels down to the 30 that fit the “RTS” category. Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, Defense Grid: The Awakening and Stronghold top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Citadels.

iRank17/ 100

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GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

The best rTS games like Citadels

30 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Citadels. Each one has been evaluated across 14 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

#1Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium WarsClosest overall match

iRank86

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloMeleeTacticalNarrativeHistoricalBase BuildingIsometric

Steam👍 90%· 9.2KRAWG👍 83%· 225MC85IGDB85· 4

Year 2007Dev Electronic Arts Los Angeles · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of tower defense games: real-time strategy, deep simulation and tower defense planning

≠ Its own twist: setting scifi, post-apocalyptic world and multiplayer gameplay, while skipping visual novel storytelling

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is a real-time strategy game developed by EA Los Angeles. It is the third game in the Tiberium sub-series and continues the plot of Tiberian Sun. ###Plot The year is 2047, 17 years after the events of the Firestorm Expansion pack.

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: setting.

Genre100Combat100Tone100Visuals100Progression69Game mode54

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Steam Xbox

#2Defense Grid: The AwakeningClosest on game mode

iRank82

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalIsometricSci-Fi

Steam👍 96%· 5.3KRAWG👍 59%· 106MC81IGDB86· 2

Year 2008Dev Hidden Path EntertainmentPlaytime ~4hOn PC · Xbox · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the tower defense games cluster, with tower defense planning, deep simulation and real-time strategy

≠ Stands apart with setting scifi, while skipping visual novel storytelling

###Microsoft’s tower defence The game is one in the genre of tower defense, developed by Hidden Path Entertainment for PC and Xbox 360. Later it was ported to the Mac, and for other consoles in 2013.

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: setting.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100Combat70Setting0

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalMeleeNarrativeMedievalHistoricalBase BuildingManagementIsometric

Steam👍 96%· 10K

Year 2001Dev Firefly Studios · Take-Two InteractiveOn PC · Mac

✓ Both are tower defense games — sharing deep simulation, real-time strategy and tower defense planning

≠ Its own twist: sandbox freedom, sandbox world and open world exploration, while skipping visual novel storytelling

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: world.

It predates Citadels by 12 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Tone100Progression92Setting90Combat79Visuals77

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Steam

#4Stronghold CrusaderClosest on progression

iRank92

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalMeleeHistoricalMedievalBase BuildingManagementIsometric

Steam👍 98%· 21KIGDB80· 1

Year 2002Dev Firefly Studios · Take-Two InteractiveOn PC

✓ Both are tower defense games — sharing deep simulation, real-time strategy and tower defense planning

≠ Its own twist: sandbox freedom, sandbox world and ranged combat, while skipping visual novel storytelling

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: world.

It predates Citadels by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Progression100Setting90Combat83Visuals80Game mode55

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Steam

#5Stronghold HD (2012)

iRank88

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalNarrativeMedievalHistoricalBase BuildingManagementIsometric

Steam👍 96%· 10KRAWG👍 82%· 310MC81

Year 2012Dev FireFly StudiosPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Same family of tower defense games: deep simulation, real-time strategy and tower defense planning

≠ Stands apart with sandbox freedom, sandbox world and open world exploration, while skipping visual novel storytelling

Stronghold is a real-time strategy game, the first installment in Firefly Studio’s Stronghold series. Gameplay### The game takes place in Medieval Brittan of XI century.

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: world.

Genre100Tone100Progression92Setting89Visuals77Combat68

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalDarkCasualCozy

Steam👍 98%· 152KRAWG👍 93%· 733MC87IGDB80· 1

Year 2010Dev PopCap Games · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the tower defense games cluster, with tower defense planning, deep simulation and real-time strategy

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, survival mechanics and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping visual novel storytelling

This is a casual tower defense game from the PopCap Games studio. The main characters are homeowners who, with the help of plants, protect their garden from the invasion of zombies. The game was ported to all kinds of consoles, including mobile platforms. In Plants vs.

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: tone and setting.

Genre100Game mode100Combat72Tone0Setting0Visuals0

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalMeleeHistoricalIsometric

Steam👍 93%· 14KIGDB67· 2OC71· 29

Year 2018Dev Plausible Concept · Raw FuryOn PS4 · PC · Mac

✓ Same family of tower defense games: deep simulation, real-time strategy and tower defense planning

≠ Its own twist: turn-based strategy, puzzle design and adventure storytelling, while skipping visual novel storytelling

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: tone and world.

Released 5 years after Citadels.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Visuals100Setting60Tone0

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloNarrativeBase BuildingManagementCozy

Steam👍 89%· 1.6KRAWG👍 30%· 20IGDB80· 1OC66· 10

Year 2013Dev Teyon · AGM PLAYISMPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Nintendo

✓ Fits the tower defense games cluster, with deep simulation, real-time strategy and tower defense planning

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, turn-based strategy and cozy, relaxing feel, while skipping visual novel storytelling

Welcome to Unholy Heights, a mashup of Tower Defense and Apartment Management Simulation! The Devil has converted a tenement building into monsters-only housing, and has big plans for the future. Sucker monsters into moving into your building, charge them rent and keep them happy by buying them furniture.

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: world and visuals.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone29World0Visuals0

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Steam GOG PS

#9Gratuitous Space Battles

iRank58

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloMeleeTacticalIsometricMultiplayer

Steam👍 70%· 877RAWG👍 24%· 42MC72IGDB65· 2

Year 2009Dev Positech GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Same family of tower defense games: deep simulation, real-time strategy and tower defense planning

≠ Stands apart with turn-based strategy, sandbox freedom and punishing difficulty, while skipping visual novel storytelling

Gratuitous Space Battles is a mix of real-time strategy and tactics of Tower Defense, altogether featuring a science-fiction setting of space warfare.

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: tone and world.

Genre100Combat100Game mode54Visuals43Tone0Setting0

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Steam

#10Castle StoryClosest on setting

iRank63

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloHistoricalMedievalBase BuildingIsometric

Steam👍 65%· 11KRAWG👍 59%· 27

Year 2012Dev Sauropod StudioPlaytime ~3hOn PC · iOS · Android

✓ Both are tower defense games — sharing deep simulation, real-time strategy and tower defense planning

≠ Stands apart with sandbox freedom, survival mechanics and adventure storytelling, while skipping visual novel storytelling

An epic adventure awaits you in Castle Story, a strategy game where you command friendly creatures called Bricktrons. Have them explore, carve, dig and gather resources from vast, spectacular floating islands, reshaping the voxel-based world to your desire!

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: combat and world.

Genre100Setting100Visuals100Progression58Game mode34Combat0

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Steam

#11AI War: Fleet Command

iRank69

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalMeleeIsometricCo-op

Steam👍 82%· 1.6KRAWG👍 26%· 50MC80IGDB90· 1

Year 2009Dev Arcen GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Same family of tower defense games: real-time strategy, deep simulation and tower defense planning

≠ Where it differs: brings turn-based strategy, punishing difficulty and open world exploration, while skipping visual novel storytelling

###Impulse A real-time strategy developed by independent developers from Arcen Games. The game first appeared on the public in 2009 on the developer's site and the Impulse site, and later appeared on Steam in version 2.0.

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: tone and world.

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Game mode33Tone0Setting0

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalMeleeIsometricSci-Fi

Steam👍 94%· 3.0KRAWG👍 59%· 44MC75OC77· 10

Year 2013Dev Rocket Bear GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the tower defense games cluster, with real-time strategy, tower defense planning and combat tactical

≠ Stands apart with setting scifi, visual topdown and visual 2d, while skipping deep simulation

Command a team of 5 elite soldiers against an alien horde of 100,000. Surrounded on all sides, you must outmaneuver and outsmart the enemy. The enemy is closing in around you. Your soldiers are being flanked and the perimeter is slowly collapsing under a vicious alien assault.

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: setting.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Visuals56Setting0

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Steam GOG

#13Anomaly: Warzone Earth

iRank75

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloMeleeHistoricalIsometricSci-Fi

Steam👍 87%· 4.7KRAWG👍 45%· 226MC80IGDB85· 5

Year 2011Dev 11 Bit Studios · Microsoft StudiosPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are tower defense games — sharing real-time strategy, tower defense planning and melee combat

≠ Where it differs: brings setting scifi and fantasy world, while skipping deep simulation

Anomaly: Warzone Earth is a real-time strategy based on tower defense genre principles. However, instead of protecting your base from waves of enemies, in this game, you try to break into aliens' facilities. The story is set in the near future when an alien spacecraft falls on Earth.

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: setting.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100Combat70Setting40

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Steam GOG Xbox

#14Robowars

iRank46

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalMeleeHistoricalIsometric

Steam👍 46%· 290

Year 2014Dev N-Game Studios · KissPlaytime ~3hOn PC

✓ Same family of tower defense games: tower defense planning, real-time strategy and combat tactical

≠ Where it differs: brings card game strategy, setting scifi and setting cyberpunk, while skipping deep simulation

In the near future, mankind has opened the way to the stars – made possible through the use of droids, able to operate in the hostile environment of the deep space. However, both spaceships and droids are dependent on ‘Neonium’ for their power.

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: setting and visuals.

Genre100Combat100Game mode47Visuals39Setting34

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Steam

#15iBomber Defense Pacific

iRank57

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalMeleeHistoricalCasual

Steam👍 83%· 593RAWG👍 19%· 42

Year 2012Dev Cobra MobilePlaytime ~1hOn PC · iOS · Apple Macintosh

✓ Both are tower defense games — sharing tower defense planning, real-time strategy and combat tactical

≠ Stands apart with turn-based strategy, vibe casual and punishing difficulty, while skipping deep simulation

iBomber Defense Pacific is the sequel to the original iBomber Defense. It is the second part in this tower defense series designed for mobile devices. ###Premise The game is set during the World War II. Unlike the original game, the sequel shifts its attention to the Pacific Theatre.

Where it drifts furthest from Citadels: tone and visuals.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Setting62Tone0Visuals0

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Steam

Complete list of rTS games like Citadels

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Citadels, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.