16 Games You Must Play if You Love ‘Age of Empires’

“Age of Empires” is one of the most famous real-time strategy game developed and published by Microsoft Studios. People who love war, diplomacy and strategy games have been enjoying playing this game for over a decade. From building your empire, to coordinating your villagers’ work, and from leading your army to war, to winning through excellent strategy, this game has lots of features that players loved. With several variations of this game out, it has become one of the most talked about games of the past decade.

Here is the list of games similar to Age of Empires that are our recommendations. You can play these games like Age of Empires for Xbox, ps4, mac, android, iphone and even online.

16. Civilization VI

If you are looking for an experience similar to Age of Empires’ tale of ancient kingdoms but in a turn-based strategy format, Civilization VI might be up your alley. The game has both online multiplayer as well as a single-player mode versus AI. However, it is not entirely turn-based as whoever moves a unit first is what determines who gets to attack and who defends. The game involves a lot of diplomacy more than combat, and some games can go on for a really long time. All of the older Civilization games have been great, and the sixth installment is no different. You should definitely try the game out. There are a lot of new ideas that were explored in the title, and we got a number of content updates since its release to keep things interesting for long-term players. While we wait for the next Civilization game to come out, this is the best we’ve got right now and if you casually want to achieve world domination just download the game and go right ahead.

15. StarCraft II

StarCraft II is considered to be one of the games that helped develop eSports into what it is today. It is one of the most well-known RTS games that you can get your hands on. While the game is by no means new, the gameplay and graphics still hold up quite well. The Wings of Liberty version of the game is free while Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void are available as purchases. Whether you see StarCraft II as a trilogy or a standalone game with three parts, each of the three campaigns offers a spectacular experience. When it comes to online play, it is one of the most intense and fun RTS games ever made and quite possibly one of the most challenging as well. If you like difficult RTS games that measure your skill, this is not a title you should skip. Unfortunately, you are limited to PC and Mac only with StarCraft II, and there are no Xbox or PS4 versions available.

14. Command and Conquer: Tiberium Alliances

If you are looking for a great RTS game but do not have the means of investing into a quality title, Command and Conquer: Tiberium Alliances is a solid free-to-play game that you can try out. the game is browser-based so you do not have to download anything at all and can run the game on your PC browser or even on an Android or iOS tablet. The game is quite different from what most of us are used to from the Command and Conquer franchise, but it still manages to be fun and challenging despite its unique nature. The military sci-fi setting does quite well, and you are put in a warzone with the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and Brotherhood of Nod (NOD) going against each other. It is up to you to manage resources and lead your side to glory. There is a lot of micromanagement involved, and you need to think on your feet to get the best out of your limited time. The user interface can feel quite confusing with a wall of text always visible on-screen, but once you get used to the mechanics, it’s a great F2P RTS game that anyone should check out before investing in other titles.

13. Warcraft 3 – Reforged

Warcraft III is considered by many as one of the best single-player experiences ever made. If you have missed out on Reign of Chaos or The Frozen Throne, you should definitely pick up Warcraft III – Reforged. Just like many of the other RTS games on the list, this is a PC-exclusive title with no word from Blizzard if they will be porting it over to consoles. The game started it all and led to the birth of World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and some Warcraft characters even made it to Heroes of The Storm. The storyline and gameplay are truly fantastic. The multiplayer component of the game might not be alive and kicking right now, but once the remastered version of Warcraft III hits the stores, you can definitely expect people to get online for some good old RTS action. It has been almost 20 years since Warcraft III came out and fans have been eagerly waiting for a remaster which is just months away from release.

12. Settlers Online

The Settlers Online is one of the best free to play titles out there for RTS fans who want to try out something fresh without breaking the bank. Developed by Ubisoft, The Settlers online puts you in the shows of a royal leader whose duty is to oversee their empire’s expansion. From gathering raw materials to building the right buildings before enemies strike, it is up to you to be as tactical as possible. You need to explore your surroundings to make terrain your ally, and there are threatening invasions that seek to ruin the harmony of your kingdom at all times. It is truly one of the best RTS experiences available if you are looking for a free title to play online against others. There are no pay-to-win mechanics, and it is a fair experience by any measure as long as you stick to PVE content. When it comes to PVP things, do change, and people with more experience or money to spend will perform better than you.

11. Bad North

Bad North looks quite different from any RTS game you’ll ever see, and it feels like a much more casual game than it actually is. Do not be fooled by the cartoony graphics as the mechanics and gameplay rival even the most hardcore of RTS games out there. You will love the amazing music and setting that make the gameplay experience a joy for any player. When it comes to the storyline, there is not much on offer. You are on an island, and it’s your job to build an army and set up defenses to protect your people. There are Vikings who come raiding, and you need to protect yourself from them. Different islands can be inhabited as your kingdom grows and each map has its own unique strategies which make the gameplay very fun for players. If you are looking for a more laid back yet mechanically challenging experience, Bad North is a great title to pick up.

10. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (2002)

“Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos” is a high fantasy real-time strategy video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Though old, the recent release of the videogame-movie of the same name has once again made this game popular among video game lovers. “Warcraft III” contains four playable races: Humans, Orcs, the Night Elves and the Undead. It is set in the fictional world of Azeroth. Similar to “Age of Empires”, the world of Warcraft also has to be explored. The game takes place on a map of varying sizes, such as large plains and fields, with terrain features like rivers, mountains, seas, or cliffs. There is also an online multiplayer version available.

9. Ultimate Epic Battle Simulator (2017)

“Age of Empires” is not just about strategy development and resource collection. It is also about how one coordinated the army while attacking. “Ultimate Epic Battle Simulator” is a perfect battlefield-simulation game for army coordination and strategy development on the battlefield. In this game, you can have two factions compete against each other. These can be, for example, historical units and personalities (eg catapults, knights, soldiers or Jesus Christ ), movie and comic characters (eg. Chuck Norris or Godzilla ), animals or fantasy creatures (eg. orcs or trolls ) be. These have different abilities and weapons available. The player also has the option of defining the battlefield and the positioning and number of units. Using artificial intelligence, the units fight against each other until no enemy unit remains. One can also assume the role of one of the soldiers to fight the war.

8. SpellForce 3 (2017)

“SpellForce 3” is a role-playing video game with real-time strategy game elements. It is presented in an isometric top-down perspective reminiscent of Diablo. Players control their avatar and a small army. with which to take on quests, explore the world and defend themselves. They can command these forces like an RTS, setting them up to accomplish different objectives and command territory separately, managing a home base while exploring with a few recon squads. Battles can be smaller and more intimate or scale up to hundreds of units while keeping a focus on the core avatar and his party.

7. Total War: Rome II (2013)

“Total War: Rome II” is a strategy game developed by The Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It was released on 3 September 2013 for Microsoft Windows. The game is set between the 8th century BC and 5th century AD – the classical antiquity – period and provides a more complex portrayal of each culture, which in the original game had been portrayed anachronistically. The grand campaign begins in 272 BC and lasts for 300 years. However, the player also has the option to play further, as there are no timed victory conditions.

6. Clash of Clans (2012)

“Clash of Clans” is an online multiplayer mobile game developed by Supercell. It is very much similar to “Age of Empires”. In the recent years, the popularity of this game increased dramatically, with players around the world trying their hand at it. The main motive of this game – very similar to “Age of Empires” – is to build the best “base” of all, and train an army that brings you the most win. Players are provided with a small “clearing in the forest” where they have a TownHall. As the game advances, the players get to add more buildings that serve different purposes, like providing money and elixir. The army also advances as the Town Hall advances to new levels. Players may attack other’s base in order to earn elixir and money by attacking them with their army.

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5. 0 A. D. (2017)

0 A.D. is a free and open-source, real-time strategy game developed by Wildfire Games. It is a historical war and economy game focusing on the years between 500 B.C. and 1 B.C. for the first part, and a planned second part for the years A.D. 1 to A.D. 500. “0 A.D.” features gameplay components of building a base, training an army, combat, and technology research. The game is about economic development and warfare. It will include multiple units and buildings specific to each civilisation as well as both land and naval units. Twelve different civilisations are available. During the game, the player does not advance through time, but from village phase over town phase to city phase, which represents the sizes of settlements in history, and every phase unlocks new units, buildings and technologies, very similar to “Age of Empires”.

4. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III (2017)

“Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III” is a 2017 game very similar to “Age of Empires” in being a real-life strategy game. The campaign begins on the Imperial Knight world of Cyprus Ultima, which is under siege from a massive Ork horde led by Warboss Gitstompa. For reasons unknown, the Imperial Inquisitor Holt has ordered the Imperial Navy to blockade the planet and denies Lady Solaria’s Imperial Knight House Varlock any reinforcements planetside. The Blood Ravens under Chapter Master Gabriel Angelos run the blockade to help Lady Solaria, but not before Varlock Keep is looted by Lieutenant Gorgutz. Gitstompa uses the looted parts to build an enormous cannon capable of defeating the Eldar.

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3. The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II (2006)

“The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II” is based on “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”, and is a perfect game for both J. R. R. Tolkien and “Age of Empire” fans. “The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II” is also a real-time strategy game. The game is set in Middle Earth, an imaginary world where the good and evil fight in order to gain supremacy. Similar to “Age of Empires”, the game requires that the player build a base with structures to produce units, gather resources, research upgrades, and defences. Units are used to attack the enemy and defend the player’s base. Players win matches by eliminating all enemy unit producing structures.

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2. Rise of Nations (2003)

“Rise of Nations” is a real-time strategy computer game, developed by Big Huge Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios in 2003. The inspiration of this game directly from “Age of Empires”. The core of Rise of Nationss gameplay centres around the concept of “territory”. The area near the player’s settlements is considered their territory, and players may only construct buildings within their territory or that of an ally. A nation’s borders can be expanded by the creation and expansion of cities and forts, a technology tree, and obtaining access to certain rare resources. Other technologies and resources cause enemy units within a nation’s borders to suffer attrition over time, which can eventually destroy an unsupplied invasion force.

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1. Age of Mythology (2002)

“Age of Mythology” is a 2002 real-time strategy game developed as a spin-off to “Age of Empires” by Microsoft Studios. The gameplay is exactly like Age of Empires, except for the addition of mythological characters and mythical beings from Greeks. “Age of Mythology” is based on defeating enemy units and towns, building your own units and towns, and training villagers and fighters. In this way, players are able to defeat and conquer rival towns and civilizations. Players advance their tribe through four “Ages”: Archaic Age, Classical Age, the Heroic Age, and finally, the Mythic Age. Each upgrade to a higher Age unlocks new units and technologies for the player, which strengthens their settlement. However, upgrading requires a sum of resources to be paid and a certain prerequisite building to be constructed.

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