When discussing RTS (Real-Time Strategy) games, no list begins or ends without mentioning the hugely popular classic Age of Empires game series.
This historic game series took the world by storm when it was released way back in 1997, and even today, fans of this iconic game series still remember it fondly and even indulge in it, like it was released just yesterday.
But thanks to Microsoft, the newly remastered versions of the older games, as well as the release of the latest installment in this grand series, Age of Empires 4, only added more excitement around this genre, reinvigorating the fans in the process and giving them an excuse to relive the nostalgia around this series all over again.
But as they say, time waits for no one, and the same can also be expressed in this regard. Since Microsoft released the first installment of this popular franchise all those years back, many other top gaming franchises took notice of the success this game received and subsequently started working on their versions of this very game, with some of those games turning out to be absolute gems.
Hence, today in this article, we’ll look at some of the best games like Age of Empires which gamers can indulge in and have a good time.
Please note that some of these games may not be like-for-like substitutes for the iconic Age of Empires games, but each one of them has definitely ‘adopted’ certain gameplay aspects from them while also adding their very own creative bits to it to entice new, as well as seasoned AOE players to check them out.
So now that we are all hyped up, without any more delays, let’s take a look at some of the best game strategy games like Age of Empires that enthusiastic gamers can look to play and enjoy today to have countless hours of fun.
10 Best Games Like Age Of Empires
1) Northgard
| Release Date | 7 May 2018 |
| Developer(s) | Shiro Games |
| Platforms | PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, iOS, Android |
The first game on our list of best games to lay like Age of Empires is a real-time, strategy-survival game inspired by Nordic mythology in which players take control of a Viking clan leader named Rig, who must not only guide his people and traverse through the unknown but also help them claim the newly discovered mysterious continent of Northgard through devotion to the gods, conquest, trading and more.
In addition to all these responsibilities, Rig will also have to fend off packs of dire wolves and undead soldiers alike to avenge his father’s death, carried out by the hands of Hagen, the leader of an opposing clan known as the clan of the raven.
In this game, players will farm and harvest resources, fight mythological beats and barter with giants, find relics, explore hidden territories, construct structures, and train capable soldiers to try and claim the treacherous terrain of Northgard for themselves, all while trying to survive one of the harshest winters the North has ever seen before in the process as well.
If you are a fan of fast-paced RTS games and are fascinated by Norse mythology like us, you should check out this game.
2) Sid Meier’s Civilization 6
| Release Date | 21 October 2016 |
| Developer(s) | Firaxis Games |
| Platforms | PC, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, iOS, Android |
The next game on our list is a turn-based strategy game in which players control a country of their choice and must guide them through various stages of development to try and become a world ruler through various means or perish trying. The game follows the 4X strategy of explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate.
In this game, players will have access to many countries they may wish to choose from and take control of, but players must be aware that each of those countries comes with its leaders, ideologies, strengths, and weaknesses, which directly or indirectly impact their relationships with other players or AI controlled leaders, in many varying ways.
Players will initially begin the game by settling down and finding a city in a suitable spot. Once that is done, they’ll have to research technologies for production and military purposes and commit to certain ideologies that suit the type of society the player is trying to build, like Hinduism, Islam, or Judaism.
Moreover, players will also farm for food and mine for resources, take part in large-scale battles, engage in diplomatic warfare, and more to ultimately try and become the best country to rule them all and stand the test of time.
3) Rise of Nations
| Release Date | 20 May 2003 |
| Developer(s) | Big Huge Games |
| Platforms | PC, OS X |
Moving on to the next game in the list, Rise of Nations is a real-time strategy game in which players take control of a nation and try and guide it to victory by developing military forces, gathering rare resources, and also researching the latest technologies to always have the edge over their competition.
The basic premise of the game is to control territories. To do so, players must first acquire a place and construct the necessary building and resources to claim the ‘territory’ as their own.
Once claimed, next, they must build on it and expand further to push their adversaries back into a corner and overwhelm them to such an extent that they have no place else to go.
Players can expand their nation’s territories in various ways such as constructing buildings and military fortifications, controlling a rare resource deposit with infinite supply, researching technologies through the technology tree, and so forth.
Apart from constructing various useful buildings and training powerful units, players will also be constructing special Wonders during playthroughs like the Colossus and the Pyramids.
To clarify, wonders are impressive structures built to give players various ‘buffs and perks’ in the form of efficient resource mining capabilities, units dealing increased damage to enemy units, the cost of training and managing troops being much cheaper, etc., to name a few.
4) Starcraft II: The Complete Collection
| Release Date | 27 July 2010 |
| Developer(s) | Blizzard Entertainment |
| Platforms | PC, macOS |
Coming to the next game on the list, Starcraft 2 is real-time, science fiction strategy game in which players will play across three stories, namely Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Storm, and Legacy of the Void, and take part in missions spread across the galaxy using species like Terrans (Humans), Zergs (alien life-forms) and the Protoss (Advanced beings with psionic powers), to save the galaxy from the evil faction Terran Dominion, as well as from a powerful unknown force.
The core mechanics across all three games are quite similar in this game series. Players will have to construct a base, mine for resources, research technological advancements and train formidable units to use them in fights and skirmishes against their foes in a more inter-galactic setting.
In the initial campaign, Wings of Liberty, players will take control of a Terran named Jim Raynor, a hard-drinking mercenary and leader of the Raynor’s Raiders, who is determined to bring down the currently dominant leader of Terran Dominion, Emperor Arcturus Mengsk.
Players will play through 29 missions, with two missions becoming accessible after selecting certain dialogue choices in-game and 1 is a secret mission.
In the next campaign, this game is a continuation of the first part, Wings of Liberty, and focuses on the story of Sarah Kerrigan, now Zerg Queen, and how she tries to regain control over her brood of Zergs and her quest to exact revenge and fight the evil Emperor Arcturus Mengsk. In this campaign expansion, players will play 20 main and seven additional missions with new features.
In the last campaign, although it was released as a standalone expansion pack, it still acts as the third and final part of the trilogy of the story.
This expansion focuses on a Protoss character, Artanis, and his quest to unite all Protoss against Amon, a fallen Xel’Naga.
5) Company Of Heroes 3
| Release Date | 23 February 2023 |
| Developer(s) | Relic Entertainment |
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S |
Moving on to the next game on our list of the best games like Age of Empires, Company of Heroes is a real-time strategy game in which players take control of Allied forces during their invasion of Italy and the opposing Axis forces.
In this game, players will take control of allied forces like the British, the U.S., and the Soviet Union, as they play across the game’s North African campaign, set during World War 2.
Although certain aspects of Age of Empires are absent from this game like resource collection and researching technologies, gamers will still find a lot of similarities and fun as far as the combat in these games is concerned.
This game takes most of the good elements of the previous games in the series and tries to further enhance them by adding quite a few major game-changing features into the game that includes but is not limited to, a tactical pause system feature, a new destruction system, a new auto-vaulting system, a formation spacing mechanism, a new tactical pause system, etc.
In the tactical pause system, for example, players can now freely choose to pause the battle at any point and queue up commands to be given to the soldier before they resume the game.
The new destruction system on the other hand adds a new layer of realism to the game, as now, instead of the entire building or structure falling apart, a few pieces of debris will crumble from the building first before it gradually disintegrates into the dirt completely.
6) Stronghold 2
| Release Date | 18 April 2005 |
| Developer(s) | Firefly Studios |
| Platforms | PC |
The next game on our list is a real-time strategy game called Stronghold 2 in which players must take control of a lord and manage his medieval castle, managing anything and everything that goes on it. Players will have complete control over how they wish to run their castle. They can choose to be a kind, warm-hearted ruler or a ruthless, merciless dictator.
In this game, players will have to build a self-sustaining castle while regularly coming under siege from a warmongering rival lord known as Lord Barclay.
To build a thriving castle life, however, players will have to farm, harvest and manage resources, and construct essential structures for various needs and purposes like military, civil, economy, entertainment, and production.
One cool feature this game has implemented better than the AOE series, according to users on Reddit and Quora, is that players don’t need to micro-manage their civilians or workers by assigning them to workplaces manually anymore, as now they join places that require people to function, taking away a sense of tedium from the game.
Additionally, from one cool feature to another, this game also has its own crime and punishment system that players must use if certain civilians in their kingdoms resort to crime and unruly activities, which tries to give the game a very realistic feel.
If you prefer to play games like Age of Empires but with a more castle-simulation type of feel, then you must try this game out for sure, as you’ll find many similarities between them.
7) Surviving The Aftermath
| Release Year | 16 November 2021 |
| Developer(s) | Iceflake Studios |
| Platforms | PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
The next game on our list is a post-apocalyptic survival, a colony-building game in which players must try to build a thriving colony in a hostile world by making the most of whatever resources they can scavenge from the surrounding wastelands.
In this game, players will have to establish a settlement in a procedurally generated post-apocalyptic world and scavenge for resources by exploring a wide-open world and recruit survivors with unique skills who are subsequently attracted to your growing settlement.
As their settlement grows in reach, players will have access to new technologies and will also be able to construct new structures to harvest more resources that were inaccessible before, radio communication with nearby settlements for help, access to resources like electricity, etc., to help their colony thrive.
Players will also have to deal with random events, which occasionally occur throughout the game, bringing new challenges that the player’s settlement will have to face.
Some of the challenges include people in need, merchants bringing rare goods for purchase, attacking bandits, defending against wildlife, etc., which may have varying outcomes on the morale of the settlement based on how the players choose to deal with them, so players are advised to take decisions only after considering both the pros and cons of every situation before acting.
8) Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3
| Release Date | 28 October 2008 |
| Developer(s) | EA Los Angeles |
| Platforms | PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, OS X |
Coming to the next game on our list of best games like Age of Empires, Command and Conquer Red Alert 3 is a real-time strategy game in which players will play through campaign missions based on an alternate timeline in history.
In this game, players will control three opposing nations during the fictional setting of World War 3, namely the Allies, the Soviet Union, and a third power from an alternate timeline, the Empire of the Rising Sun, commonly known as the Japanese Empire, as they fight for world power.
Just like the AOE games, players will need to gather and harvest resources here as well to be able to construct important military structures to train units to engage, either on land, air, or sea, and also production-focused structures to process the harvested resources so that they may be used to aid the development of the nation, as well as their troops, to ultimately be able to compete with the might of the other rival countries.
Players can take part in the campaign missions in either online or offline mode. In the online mode, players can play co-op with their friends during missions, whereas in the offline mode, players will be assisted by AI teammates.
Seasoned players of the Age of Empires games will find a lot to love about this game as apart from its slightly advanced alternate setting, the mechanisms used in this game are not too dissimilar from the AOE games series.
Also Read: Are you a fan of turn-based strategy games? Check out this post to learn about the release date of Civilization 7.
9) Dawn of Man
| Release Date | 1 March 2019 |
| Developer(s) | Madruga Works |
| Platforms | PC, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
The next game on our list is a survival, city-builder game in which players take control of the very first modern humans and must guide them through more than 10,000 years of human evolution by not only trying to survive the untamed wilds and exploring the vast, undiscovered terrain but also evolving into more civilized beings in the process as well.
In this game, to begin with, players will need to construct a settlement fit enough for the pre-historic citizens, which will provide them safety and shelter.
Moreover, players will need to provide their settlements with various necessary resources like stone, flint, wood, water, berries, meat, and hide from wild animals, grow crops, tame animals like sheep and cows to harvest resources like milk and wool, through hunting, farming, mining, etc., to help their settlements to thrive and grow ultimately.
Over time, however, as the player’s settlement thrives and becomes more advanced, players will be able to improve upon it further by adding more facilities like defense structures and centers to manufacture weapons, to battle the unknown threats they will inevitably cross paths with.
Additionally, players will also need to research new technologies as their settlements grow and advance through the stages of evolution, like how to harvest resources efficiently and how to increase the population capacity of their settlement to be able to maximize the resources they have at their disposal.
However, Each new technological advancement brings challenges that the settlement will have to face, so players must implement them with caution.
10) Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
| Release Date | 13 November 2001 |
| Developer(s) | Lucas Arts, Ensemble Studios |
| Platforms | PC, macOS, macOS X |
Moving on to the next game on our list is a real-time strategy game set in the Star Wars universe in which players will play across campaign missions for the Trade Federation, the Gungans, the Galactic Empire, the Rebel Alliance, and the Wookie.
Players also have access to the clone wars camping expansion missions featuring two main playable factions: the Confederacy of the Independent Systems and the Galactic Republic.
In this game, players must use the worker units at their disposal to gather essential resources like food, carbon, Nova Crystals, and Ores to help them progress and unlock new features like new structures and buildings, offensive combat units like soldiers, and also more workers, to help accelerate the resource-gathering process.
Carbon in this game is equivalent to the use of wood in the Age of Empires games and is used to build structures like buildings and artillery, whereas the ores are used to construct defensive structures. The Nova crystals, on the other hand, are used to craft more advanced weaponry and units, but only when combined with a special collectible called ‘holocrons’.
In terms of the advanced military structures players can construct, the troop center is used to produce early game units like the grenadier, the shipyard produces strong naval units like the cruiser, the heavy weapons factory produces units like the assault mechs, the airbase produces air units like the fighters and bombers, and so forth.
11) Ancestors Legacy
| Release Date | May 22, 2018 |
| Developer(s) | Destructive Creations |
| Platforms | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch |
Ancestors Legacy is another real-time strategy video game where players need to build their empires and fight enemies.
Players in this game have the option to choose from two game modes which are single-player campaign and multiplayer mode. In both modes, players can choose to play as one of the four civilizations namely Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Slavs, and Teutons.
Players can even team up with their friends and enjoy the game or simply progress further with the single-player campaign. The game was pretty good and was loved by gamers worldwide, If you’re a fan of Age of Empires then you would surely love this game.
12) The Settlers Online
| Release Date | October 21, 2010 |
| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Blue Byte |
| Platforms | Web Browser, PC |
The final game on our list is Settlers Online which is a strategy game inspired by “The Settlers” that can be played using web Browser.
Players need to build their empires and keep upgrading them as well. The game is quite similar to Age of Empires and many players worldwide still enjoy it. If you enjoy playing Age of Empires then we’re pretty sure you would love this game as well.
Conclusion
So there you have it! These were some of the best games we could find for you today that play a lot like the games from the iconic Age of Empires series, and if you’re someone who’s a fan of games like these and is looking to play something similar, you must give some of these games a try at least once.
As mentioned earlier, none of the games on this list are exact copies of AOE games in terms of their gameplay styles and features, and although it is clear to see that they do share certain similarities with the iconic Age of Empires series, each game on this list has made sure to add their unique features into their games to help them stand out from the crowd.
Please keep coming back to this post from time to time as we’ll be sure to update it with newer titles from this genre, as and when we learn about them.
