# RTS

CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rts
Updated: 2026-05-10

## Definition

Stands for real time strategy. A type of video game where you control an army and build a base in real time. Unlike games where you take turns, everything happens at once and you must make decisions quickly.

For teachers: Abbreviation for real time strategy. A subgenre of strategy video games in which players simultaneously manage resources, construct infrastructure, and command units to defeat opponents. The gameplay occurs continuously rather than in discrete turns.

## Examples

- StarCraft is a famous RTS game from the nineties.
- He prefers playing an RTS over a shooter because he enjoys the challenge of managing an entire economy while fighting a war.
- The competitive RTS scene requires players to maintain a high number of actions per minute to effectively balance micro-management of individual units with macro-level strategic expansion.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used as an initialism for 'real-time strategy'; functions as a modifier in the phrase 'RTS game'.

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