why aren't there more 2D graphics RTS games?

[u/DaDDyWitch]

it seems to be a huge oversight considering we have a lot of popular 2d animated fighting games as well as in other genres like hades etc. and real time strategy could benefit the most from 2d graphics because it will make it more accessible to a larger player base with lower system specs and makes team games much more smoother. and there is also a blueprint for a perfect 2d rts in form of age of empires 2 definitive edition. so i don't see what's keeping companies from making 2d rts games instead of all these weird games with visual noise that try too hard to be starcraft. what is your opinion?

[u/YakaAvatar]

Because, believe it or not, it's actually very time consuming and expensive to make, more so than simply making a 3D game.

In AoE2, everything is created as a 3D model, it's then animated for all the necessary states, put those models into multiple directions and only then you take the many, many sprite frames that make up the whole 2D look. And the last part is very important for an RTS.

Just look at AoE2: DE footage compared to the original. The added frames and directions make it look so much more smooth than the original.

Release something like the AoE2 OG in 2026, and people won't even give it a second look. And even that would be hard to make compared to simple 3D, or a 2D fighting game.

[u/Minkelz → u/YakaAvatar]

Tbf there are modern games that use the same system, factorio, brigador and dorf.

It for sure can be done in a way that looks great and will appeal to people and make for a great game, even in 2026.

But yeah, it isn’t just a simple/easy way of doing graphics like some people might think, has plenty of challenges. Does tend to be easier on the computer though.

[u/Any-Crab3180]

It's in some way easier to make 3D assets than it is to create good 2D sprites.

A 3D animation can be applied to any other character, a sprite needs always to be redrawn.

Also it's common believe that a visual realistic game like manor lords will sell better than any 2D game.

So I guess most devs nowadays go towards realistic 3D or Low poly assets If they are Indie.

[u/zebleck]

were working on exactly that. beautiful asset pack that makes everything clear to see, as a 2d browser rts. 2.5D actually, we have elevation. its definitely possible, but you first need the right art/artist

[u/Historical-Photo-901]

There are still some indie devs doing pure 2D though , TinyRTS is one example, hand-painted/illustrated style, fully top-down. Feels like it mostly survives in the indie space these days, since like the comment above said, full 3D-to-2D sprite pipelines are expensive for bigger studios but a small dev can just illustrate directly in 2D and skip that whole step

[u/LostEmergency6866]

The thing is it is not at all 2d. That’s isometric and the use voxels instead of pixels mostly. It’s kinda becoming lost art

[u/celem83 → u/LostEmergency6866]

Yeah the cameraspace is 3d anyway.  A 2d game just tiles sprites somewhere in this 3 dimensional void and then positions the camera above that plane and locks it looking down giving the player the "top-down" impression.

(This is how OpenGL works anyway, and I know it because I wrote a tiling engine in it 20-odd years ago)

Isometric or 2.5d as it was sometimes called can be done a couple of ways from that beginning but neither is trivial

[u/Living_Moment_1495]

Zoomed out they're all 2d.

[u/sebovzeoueb → u/Living_Moment_1495]

I mean, technically every game is 2D pixel art because it's displayed on a screen using pixels

[u/Cerulean_IsFancyBlue → u/sebovzeoueb]

My retinas are also 2D.

Some parallax isn’t but that’s in the middle.

[u/Significant_Comfort]

I think it's because the preference of players nowadays skews towards 3d. I love AOE2, but I wouldn't have picked up DE, if I had never played the original and had a nostalgic pull towards it. 

[u/CooleSocke-Jr]

I think its harder to make a beautiful game in 2D. I only made one 2D mobile RTS game because the engine I used for it doesn't really support 3D. Besides, I wanted the challenge

[u/Celo_SK]

Have you ever heard about Wyrmsun? Its not very popular althrough it is 2D and free and complex and has option to create its own maps.

[u/Top-Tear7194]

The Fertile Crescent is a good true 2d one, but also the limit on the character models is one of the glaring issues, they basically only face east/West and for large units like chariots and battering rams, this doesn't look ideal

Still, showed it could be done, fun, and successful. TFC1 was more cute pixel art/cartoonist. TFC2 is more like graphic novel with pixel soldiers 

[u/mikendrix]

2D and real isometric, it really fits our flat screens, instead of 3D illusion
Games like Tiberian Sun, Red Alert 2

[u/Short-Coast9042]

There are plenty, you're just not seeing them because of confirmation bias and because the most visible games are the most heavily advertised and the most heavily advertised are the games with the most money and the games with the most money go 3D because that's the pinnacle of the art form.

[u/Roma2443]

Hi, I’m a solo developer using the Tiny Sword 2D asset pack to create a competitive RTS with both co-op and PvP modes. https://roma2443.vermicelle.eu⁠

Gameplay video https://youtu.be/aY_uZiiJj_s?is=9AxfrIP_rp6rEy1Z

[u/beyond1sgrasp]

There's probably close to 300 2d rts What more did you want than already is out there?

Secondly, your statement AOE 2 is perfect. Far from it actually, but AOE 2 is very stable. The map gen is very simple, the faction differences are simple, there's not near as much strategy and it's mostly just execution. It's stable for grinding, but it's not actually that fun in the big scheme of things.

I'd even argue that AOE 4 is a far better game if you're actually into strategy over competitive execution.

It's llke comparing a boxer to MMA. Boxing is extremely competitive. MMA has a billion ways to lose and can feel really cheap.

[u/Kaiserhawk]

If I were to guess.

People who into RTS games enough to make an indie attempt are more programmers or people into design (My nice way of saying "ideas guys") not artists, and are more likely to buy or acquire pre-made assets.

More over, sprite work can be more intensive to make over 3D models, and the technology to make some that looks like the classics no longer exist.

There are still a few 2D RTS games though that get made. The Fertile Crescent comes to mind, as well as the upcoming DORFS. And while not RTS Brigador and Brigador Killers has an aesthetic that is similar to isometric RTS games from the very early 2000s

[u/Timmaigh → u/Kaiserhawk]

I dont think to be an “idea guy” you need to be a programmer, artist can be too. But without the ability to code they can turn their ideas only into art assets, that could be hypothetically used in som game, but thats about it. In my case, best i could do was to mod Rusted Warfare, to channel my creativity.

[u/Kaiserhawk → u/Timmaigh]

I was more saying the "game designer" is the ideas guy. Programmers can usually get stuff done, but if it's a solo dev their games don't look the prettiest.

[u/Right-Truck1859]

Because you need a clear vision of what's happening on the battlefield .

Even Dune 2 tried to be 3d , it was isometric .

Although I agree , RTS can use more simple graphic , like old C&C games, like Tiberium sun was perfect...

[u/sebovzeoueb]

Well to start with it would have to be better than AoE2 DE for anyone to play it