Best Real-Time with Pause Games on Steam
Unlike generic lists, our strategy game recommendations use a rigorous analysis of Steam user reviews to identify and feature only the best, community-validated real-time with pause games. For those who prefer not to search, lists of the most played, top deals real-time with pause games are available at the bottom of the page.
Filters & Lists
Void War
Command an ancient starship and fight your way to the heart of a dying Empire. Fend off attacks from demented cultists, craven space pirates, and xenophobic Imperial soldiers. Discover powerful artifacts and use them to build your ship into a fearsome war engine.
House of Legacy
Step into the shoes of a fallen clan leader, starting with nothing but a crumbling estate and a handful of hopes, rising through careful planning, trade, and diplomacy to become one of the most powerful families in the land. Now it’s time to forge a legendary dynasty that leaves its mark on history.
Hollywood Animal
Make movies, even if someone has to die. Take the helm of a major Hollywood studio at the dawn of sound cinema, and guide it through decades of creative achievements and glamor, debauchery and dark deeds, tough choices and unpleasant compromises.
Cataclismo
Design and build fortresses brick by brick to stand against endless hordes of Horrors in this real-time strategy game with resource management, siege defense, and exploration. Lead from the ramparts, push back the darkness, and hold fast against the creatures of the Mist.
Door Kickers 2: Task Force North
Command military Special Ops Teams in gripping tactical combat against a Middle East-based terrorist network. Sequel to RockPaperShotgun's "Best Tactics Game of 2014".
Airborne Empire
Build your sky city while exploring a vast landscape in this Open World RPG City Builder. Combining the methodical construction and management of a city builder; the unique lift, balance, and propulsion needed for a flying city; and the compelling characters, dangers, and adventures of an RPG!
Diplomacy is Not an Option
Diplomacy is Not an Option is a strategy game set in a medieval fantasy world. Build your town and defenses, raise huge armies and fight against massive hordes of enemies. How long can you survive?
Norland
Lead your noble family in this medieval colony sim, facing off against class conflict, religious struggle, and political treachery. Tend to your people’s needs, uncover the lost knowledge of a fallen empire, and engage in nefarious plots against your enemies.
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic
Build a soviet republic from an impoverished country into a rich industrial superpower in a city builder with intricate production chains and a fully simulated global economy. Manage the lives of your citizens from education to work and party loyalty to criminal activity.
Empires of the Undergrowth
Command swarms of warriors at an unprecedented scale of warfare in this blend of RTS and base-building. Lead ant colonies against the many fearsome threats of the insect world, while building intricate nests, developing pheromone-based tactics, and evolving to meet growing dangers.
Great Houses of Calderia
Great Houses of Calderia is a Feudal Grand Strategy game focusing on family dynamics & stories. Use your family strengths to compete against rivals to rise in the ranks of Calderia - produce, trade, scheme, bribe, and battle to build your legacy of power!
Manor Lords
Manor Lords is a medieval strategy game featuring in-depth city building, large-scale tactical battles, and complex economic and social simulations. Rule your lands as a medieval lord – the seasons pass, the weather changes, and cities rise and fall.
Laysara: Summit Kingdom
Build and expand your very own settlements in high mountains! Carefully plan production chains and satisfy various needs of your three-caste society while dealing with mountain hazards such as weather breakdowns and avalanches. Are you skilled enough to make your town thrive?
From Glory To Goo
From Glory To Goo is a Sci-Fi survival RTS set on an alien world. Serve as humanity's bulwark by establishing a colony and supporting your colonists still in orbit. But beware, for The Goo, a relentless and shape-shifting force approaches from all sides, even above and below.
The Universim
Jump straight into managing your own planets as you guide a civilization through the ages. Build the ultimate empire in The Universim, a new breed of God Game in development by Crytivo.
New Cycle
New Cycle is a city building game with focus on survival. After an apocalyptic series of solar flares, human society has been thrown into disarray. Establish a settlement and develop it all the way from humble beginnings to industrial metropolis.
Against the Storm
A dark fantasy city builder where you must rebuild civilization in the face of apocalyptic rains. As the Queen’s Viceroy, lead humans, beavers, lizards, foxes, and harpies to reclaim the wilderness and secure a future for civilization's last survivors.
Dark Envoy
Lead a party of relic hunters in an epic cRPG adventure set in a war-torn Guns N’ Sorcery world. Experiment with a tactical slo-mo and a modern combat system!
Sumerians
Sumerians is a city building game set in ancient Mesopotamia. Attract new citizens and grow by expanding your irrigation system, building walls, palaces, temples and ziggurats. Research new technologies, manage your production, hire workers, and trade.
Hero of Fate
Hero of Fate is a smooth and fun "rougue" game with "survivor" as the core gameplay. You will receive various tasks or meet unexpected events under monsters surrounded, and you can also recruit partners or battle alone. In this fantasy world, go to experience a exciting and unpredictable adventure!
BattleGroupVR
BattleGroupVR is a first person real-time space strategy where you lead a fleet of powerful warships into battle from the bridge of your own flagship. Assemble your fleet, upgrade your load-outs, train your captains, engage the enemy and secure the sector. Try not to go down with the ship.
Minds of Nations
Grand Strategy Game. How does reincarnation affect the evolution of a state ? Control the material well-being of your country with a backbone of spiritual growth. Religion. Economy. Diplomacy. War. Souls. Karma. Ideology. Tech. Stories. Single-Player. MMO.
Phantom Brigade
Phantom Brigade is a hybrid turn-based & real-time tactical RPG with an innovative timeline-based command system. See the future, predict enemy actions, and plot your counterattack on the timeline! Outnumbered and out-gunned, lead the Brigade's campaign to retake their war-torn homeland.
Most played real-time with pause games on Steam
Take a look at the top real-time with pause games that are currently attracting the largest player bases on the Steam platform, as of June 14th 2025.
1. Door Kickers 2: Task Force North
Command military Special Ops Teams in gripping tactical combat against a Middle East-based terrorist network. Sequel to RockPaperShotgun's "Best Tactics Game of 2014". Door Kickers 2: Task Force North is a tactical, top-down and real-time with pause game developed and published by KillHouse Games. Released on February 10th 2025 has received 10,848 reviews of which 10,389 were positive and 459 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.3 out of 10. The game has hit the top spot as the #1 most played real-time with pause game, thanks to its 565 peak concurrent players over the last day.
9.3
10,389
459
565
players
2. Diplomacy is Not an Option
Diplomacy is Not an Option is a strategy game set in a medieval fantasy world. Build your town and defenses, raise huge armies and fight against massive hordes of enemies. How long can you survive? Diplomacy is Not an Option is a real-time with pause, resource management and simulation game developed and published by Door 407. Released on October 04th 2024 has received 9,673 reviews of which 8,217 were positive and 1,456 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.3 out of 10. While seeing 429 players online at once in the last 24 hours, this game is currently ranked #2 among real-time with pause games based on player count.
8.3
8,217
1,456
429
players
3. Europa Universalis III Complete
Europa Universalis III Complete includes the original Europa Universalis III as well as the expansions In Nomine and Napoleons Ambition Europa Universalis III delves deeply into the areas of exploration, trade, warfare and diplomacy. Europa Universalis III Complete is a grand strategy, strategy and historical game developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. Released on February 04th 2009 has received 1,971 reviews of which 1,646 were positive and 325 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.0 out of 10. The game currently holds the #3 spot among the most played real-time with pause games.
8.0
1,646
325
50
players
4. From Glory To Goo
From Glory To Goo is a Sci-Fi survival RTS set on an alien world. Serve as humanity's bulwark by establishing a colony and supporting your colonists still in orbit. But beware, for The Goo, a relentless and shape-shifting force approaches from all sides, even above and below. From Glory To Goo is a base-building, colony sim and tower defense game developed and published by Stratagem Blue. Released on April 02nd 2024 has received 902 reviews of which 865 were positive and 37 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9 out of 10. The game currently holds the #4 spot among the most played real-time with pause games.
9
865
37
36
players
5. Creeper World 2: Anniversary Edition
Deceptively simple... amazingly deep. Creeper World 2 thrusts you into the 14th millennium fighting and enemy that flows and oozes through the terrain. Employ advanced weapons,gravity manipulating repulsors, wormhole like rifts, and your own wit against this never yielding enemy. Creeper World 2: Anniversary Edition is a strategy, indie and simulation game developed and published by Knuckle Cracker. Released on November 16th 2016 has received 459 reviews of which 414 were positive and 45 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.4 out of 10. The game currently holds the #5 spot among the most played real-time with pause games.
8.4
414
45
28
players
6. Original War
An American geological expedition, under a UN mandate, assesses the natural resources in a distant part of Siberia, deep in the trackless steppes of Eastern Russia. But instead of oil, they discover a deposit of a hitherto unknown mineral. Original War is a strategy, rts and sci-fi game developed by Altar Games and published by Bohemia Interactive. Released on January 27th 2014 has received 2,030 reviews of which 1,928 were positive and 102 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.0 out of 10. The game currently holds the #6 spot among the most played real-time with pause games.
9.0
1,928
102
26
players
7. Jagged Alliance - Back in Action
A contemporary remake of the much-loved series of turn-based mercenary-themed strategy games. Jagged Alliance - Back in Action is a strategy, rpg and tactical game developed by Coreplay GmbH and Bigmoon Studios and published by THQ Nordic. Released on February 08th 2012 has received 1,711 reviews of which 1,241 were positive and 470 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.0 out of 10. The game currently holds the #7 spot among the most played real-time with pause games.
7.0
1,241
470
14
players
8. Drakensang
Drakensang is a third-person party-based RPG based on the pen & paper role-play rules of The Dark Eye. Drakensang is the first PC game for over 10 years to be based on Germany's most successful and popular role-play system. Drakensang builds on the pen & paper rules as applied in version 4.0. Drakensang is a rpg, fantasy and party-based rpg game developed by Radon Labs and published by dtp Entertainment. Released on March 09th 2009 has received 735 reviews of which 592 were positive and 143 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.6 out of 10. The game currently holds the #8 spot among the most played real-time with pause games.
7.6
592
143
4
players
9. Polaris Sector
Can anyone build an empire in a place like this? Other factions are naturally suspicious of newcomers and may wage war at the first sign of unidentified craft. Here, a natural death is an uncommon luxury. Polaris Sector is a strategy, simulation and 4x game developed by SoftWarWare and published by Slitherine Ltd.. Released on March 22nd 2016 has received 455 reviews of which 325 were positive and 130 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.8 out of 10. The game currently holds the #9 spot among the most played real-time with pause games.
6.8
325
130
4
players
10. 7,62 High Calibre
7.62 High Calibre is a tactical action game, sequel to Brigade E5. A professional mercenary is in pursuit of a certain Russian "businessman", who stole a large amount of money from his "colleagues". Now he is hiding in a small country of Latin America to avoid an inevitable punishment. 7,62 High Calibre is a strategy, rpg and simulation game developed by Apeiron and published by Fulqrum Publishing. Released on April 30th 2014 has received 455 reviews of which 346 were positive and 109 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.2 out of 10. The game currently holds the #10 spot among the most played real-time with pause games.
7.2
346
109
3
players
Best deals on real-time with pause games on Steam
Discover fantastic savings with the best discounts on a variety of real-time with pause games available on Steam right now, updated on June 14th 2025. Looking for even more deals? Use the search filters to explore a wider range of discounted real-time with pause games.
1. The Dwarves
A few heroes are facing hundreds of foes – are you even able to lead the coolest fantasy people to victory against the dark hordes? Explore a vast world, fight tactical real-time battles, and experience the fantastic story based on the bestseller "The Dwarves". The Dwarves is a dwarf, rpg and fantasy game developed by KING Art and published by THQ Nordic and EuroVideo Medien . Released on December 01st 2016 has received 2,023 reviews of which 1,495 were positive and 528 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.2 out of 10. Featuring a massive 98% discount, this game currently holds the #1 spot in the best deals for real-time with pause category.
7.2
1,495
528
-98%
39.99€
0.90€
2. Aarklash: Legacy
In Aarklash: Legacy take command of a mercenary squad in search of truth and guide it through countless battles.Welcome to Aarklash, a land of chaos where incessant battles between the forces of Light, Destiny and Darkness have lasted since the beginning of time. Aarklash: Legacy is a rpg, strategy and adventure game developed by Cyanide Studio and published by Nacon. Released on September 12th 2013 has received 832 reviews of which 610 were positive and 222 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.0 out of 10. Thanks to its incredible 98% discount, this game is now the #2 best deal in real-time with pause games.
7.0
610
222
-98%
13.29€
0.39€
3. Diplomacy is Not an Option
Diplomacy is Not an Option is a strategy game set in a medieval fantasy world. Build your town and defenses, raise huge armies and fight against massive hordes of enemies. How long can you survive? Diplomacy is Not an Option is a real-time with pause, resource management and simulation game developed and published by Door 407. Released on October 04th 2024 has received 9,673 reviews of which 8,217 were positive and 1,456 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.3 out of 10. Thanks to its incredible 97% discount, this game is now the #3 best deal in real-time with pause games.
8.3
8,217
1,456
-97%
28.99€
0.87€
4. Masquerada: Songs and Shadows
Masquerada is a single-player tactical RPG set in a Renaissance-inspired city of magic, where real-time combat can be paused to set up elemental combos powered by Venetian-styled masks. Come for gorgeous hand-drawn art; stay for the rich lore & a thoughtful, fully-voiced tale of intrigue & tragedy. Masquerada: Songs and Shadows is a real-time with pause, dark fantasy and party-based rpg game developed by Witching Hour Studios and published by Ysbryd Games. Released on September 30th 2016 has received 540 reviews of which 478 were positive and 62 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.3 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 97% discount, this title has earned the #4 position in the best deals for real-time with pause games.
8.3
478
62
-97%
19.99€
0.74€
5. Original War
An American geological expedition, under a UN mandate, assesses the natural resources in a distant part of Siberia, deep in the trackless steppes of Eastern Russia. But instead of oil, they discover a deposit of a hitherto unknown mineral. Original War is a strategy, rts and sci-fi game developed by Altar Games and published by Bohemia Interactive. Released on January 27th 2014 has received 2,030 reviews of which 1,928 were positive and 102 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.0 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 96% discount, this title has earned the #5 position in the best deals for real-time with pause games.
9.0
1,928
102
-96%
9.99€
0.41€
6. UFO: Afterlight
The story is situated on Mars. It starts where UFO: Aftermath left off and runs simultaneously with UFO: Aftershock. While the Laputans on Earth are fighting Wargots and Starghosts and finding out what caused the destruction of their home planet, a small colony on Mars is trying to survive and flourish. UFO: Afterlight is a strategy, tactical and sci-fi game developed by Altar Games and published by Bohemia Interactive. Released on January 06th 2014 has received 517 reviews of which 337 were positive and 180 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.3 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 95% discount, this title has earned the #6 position in the best deals for real-time with pause games.
6.3
337
180
-95%
5.99€
0.33€
7. Star Wolves
Star wolves is a 3D space RPG with deep strategy and tactical elements. The game thrusts players into a world of freelance space hunters in the XXI-XXII century A.D. during a time of political crisis for the all-powerful Empire and the three mega-corporations that control all the known worlds. Star Wolves is a rpg, strategy and space game developed by X-Bow Software and published by Fulqrum Publishing. Released on March 02nd 2010 has received 422 reviews of which 358 were positive and 64 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.9 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 84% discount, this title has earned the #7 position in the best deals for real-time with pause games.
7.9
358
64
-84%
3.99€
0.66€
8. Drakensang
Drakensang is a third-person party-based RPG based on the pen & paper role-play rules of The Dark Eye. Drakensang is the first PC game for over 10 years to be based on Germany's most successful and popular role-play system. Drakensang builds on the pen & paper rules as applied in version 4.0. Drakensang is a rpg, fantasy and party-based rpg game developed by Radon Labs and published by dtp Entertainment. Released on March 09th 2009 has received 735 reviews of which 592 were positive and 143 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.6 out of 10. Currently offered at a 47% discount, this title has earned the #8 position in the best deals for real-time with pause games.
7.6
592
143
-47%
9.99€
5.32€
9. March of the Eagles
“he Who Fears Being Conquered Is Sure Of Defeat.”The war-game March of the Eagles focuses on the dramatic conflicts of Europe during 1805 to 1820. Explore one of the defining periods in European history with this experience crafted by the masters of Grand Strategy, Paradox Development Studio. March of the Eagles is a strategy, simulation and grand strategy game developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. Released on February 18th 2013 has received 374 reviews of which 252 were positive and 122 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.5 out of 10. Currently offered at a 47% discount, this title has earned the #9 position in the best deals for real-time with pause games.
6.5
252
122
-47%
19.99€
10.63€
10. Door Kickers 2: Task Force North
Command military Special Ops Teams in gripping tactical combat against a Middle East-based terrorist network. Sequel to RockPaperShotgun's "Best Tactics Game of 2014". Door Kickers 2: Task Force North is a tactical, top-down and real-time with pause game developed and published by KillHouse Games. Released on February 10th 2025 has received 10,848 reviews of which 10,389 were positive and 459 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.3 out of 10. Currently offered at a 45% discount, this title has earned the #10 position in the best deals for real-time with pause games.
9.3
10,389
459
-45%
24.00€
13.32€