Total Annihilation
Total Annihilation is a 1997 real-time strategy game developed by Cavedog Entertainment. Set in a galaxy-spanning war between the human Arm and the machine Core, it pits players against each other in massive battles of tanks, aircraft, ships, and towering robotic units built from a single continuous economy of metal and energy that flows in real time rather than being stockpiled in discrete lumps.
The game broke new ground with fully 3D units on varied terrain that affected line of sight and projectile trajectories, real physics for shots and wreckage, and support for hundreds of units on screen at once, an unprecedented scale for its time. Streamlined controls, queued build and movement orders, and radar and reclaiming mechanics rewarded industrial planning. Its acclaim and passionate community, sustained by free downloadable units from the developer, kept it alive for years.
Designer Chris Taylor later revisited its ideas in the spiritual successor Supreme Commander, and the original remains available through digital storefronts for modern strategy fans.
Where can you play Total Annihilation today?
Device by device, which of the 5 alternatives below you can play on it.
- PC
- Beyond All Reason (Free), Zero-K (Free), Planetary Annihilation: TITANS (€ 29,99) and 2 more.
- Mac
- Beyond All Reason (Free) and Planetary Annihilation: TITANS (€ 29,99).
- Linux
- Beyond All Reason (Free), Zero-K (Free) and Planetary Annihilation: TITANS (€ 29,99). All 3 on Linux
- iPhone
- None of the alternatives to Total Annihilation runs on iPhone.
- iPad
- None of the alternatives to Total Annihilation runs on iPad.
- Android phone
- None of the alternatives to Total Annihilation runs on Android phone.
- Android tablet
- None of the alternatives to Total Annihilation runs on Android tablet.
- PlayStation
- None of the alternatives to Total Annihilation runs on PlayStation.
- Xbox
- None of the alternatives to Total Annihilation runs on Xbox.
- Switch
- None of the alternatives to Total Annihilation runs on Switch.
- Steam Deck
- Planetary Annihilation: TITANS (€ 29,99).
Games like Total Annihilation
Modern alternatives to Total Annihilation, 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.
Beyond All Reason Indie
FreeA free open-source large-scale RTS in the Total Annihilation lineage.
Beyond All Reason is also an alternative to 2 other classics
Beyond All Reason runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Steam Deck.
Zero-K Indie
FreeA free open-source RTS built on the Total Annihilation engine lineage, with hundreds of units.
Zero-K is also an alternative to 1 other classic
Zero-K runs on PC, Linux. Not available on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Unsupported.
Planetary Annihilation: TITANS Indie
€ 29,99A planetary-scale RTS by veterans of Total Annihilation.
Planetary Annihilation: TITANS is also an alternative to 1 other classic
Planetary Annihilation: TITANS runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Total Annihilation
€ 6,99The classic large-scale RTS, packaged for modern systems.
Total Annihilation runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Unsupported.
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
€ 9,99By Total Annihilation's own designer: enormous armies, real streaming economy and zoom-out maps.
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Unsupported.
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