Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a 1996 real-time strategy game developed by Westwood Studios. Set in an alternate history where a change to the timeline erases Hitler and sparks war between the Soviet Union and the Allies, players harvest ore for credits, build bases, and command distinct armies across two separate factional campaigns with unique units like the Soviet Tesla coil and Allied naval and air power.
Building on the original Command & Conquer, Red Alert delivered fast-paced base-building and combat, memorable campy full-motion-video cutscenes with live actors, and a strong emphasis on multiplayer skirmishes that helped popularize competitive RTS play over modems and networks. Its accessible controls and Cold War fiction earned it huge popularity and a devoted following.
The game and its acclaimed sequels remain landmarks of the genre, and it has been made available again through remastered collections that update its visuals while faithfully preserving the classic experience.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Command & Conquer: Red Alert, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
OpenRA
FreeA free, open-source engine that modernises Red Alert with online play.
OpenRA runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Steam Deck.
War Selection Indie
FreeA free indie RTS spanning the ages of a growing civilisation.
War Selection runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Sudden Strike 4
€ 19,99Base-free real-time World War II tactics, for when you want Red Alert's scale with modern controls.
Sudden Strike 4 runs on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Men of War II
€ 44,99A hybrid of RTS and direct unit control set in the same alternate-history war era.
Men of War II runs on PC, Linux. Not available on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Untested.
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection
€ 19,99Includes Red Alert remastered in 4K with the full campaigns.
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Untested.
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