11 Games Like Age of Empires: Real-Time Strategy Games
11 Games Like Age of Empires: Popular Real Time Strategy Games
Are you a fan of the popular Age of Empires (AoE) game series? Looking for a similar games? This page features a collection of other impressive real time strategy game options that will take you through history and into the future.
AoE has been one of the most commercially successful franchises within the strategy genre and is often considered to be one of the best in the genre, with active communities still available for each title despite the age of the games. Age of Empires is also credited for influencing many games in the genre, and for developing it into its current state through its gameplay innovation.
The original AoE introduced me to the RTS genre. I spent most of my time with AoE2 though, playing with friends in huge, eight-player death matches which were always lots of fun and demanded an ever evolving strategy to be victorious.
This popular genre now contains many other games like Age of Empires which combine different themes and mechanics to offer a unique title. Stop by the comments section to share your own favourite from this list or one not featured here.
All images on this page have been provided by publisher media departments for the purpose of critique.
Which Age of Empires Title Is Your Favourite?
History of the Age of Empires Franchise (Main PC Titles Only)
| Release Date | Main Games | Expansion Packs |
|---|---|---|
1997 | Age of Empires | The Rise of Rome |
1999 | Age of Empires II | The Conquerors, The Forgotten, The African Kingdoms |
2005 | Age of Empires III | The WarChiefs, The Asian Dynasties |
1. The Anno Series
A Popular RTS Game Series With Economic Focus
The Anno series of games offer a great mixture of city building and gameplay. The most recent game in the series is The Anno Online, which is a free-to-play strategy game that can be played in your browser.
There are a number of Anno games available, each offering similar gameplay mechanics and features. Each game in the series focuses on a particular year or period in history.
These games all feature similar gameplay, with the main change being the year in which the game takes place. The games focus on the economy of the settlements that the player creates, with stronger economies leading to more successful settlements.
In each Anno game, the player starts as a small unknown country that must develop and expand within the world while protecting itself from various rivals.
Anno Release Summary (Main Games Only)
| Game (Year of Release) | Platforms | Metacritic Score (PC) |
|---|---|---|
1602 A.D. (1998) | Windows | N/A |
1503 A.D.: The New World (2003) | Windows | 74 |
Anno 1701 (2006) | Windows | 78 |
Anno 1404: Dawn of Discovery (2009) | Windows, Nintendo DS | 82 |
Anno 2070 (2011) | Windows | 82 |
Anno 2205 (2015) | Windows | 72 |
ANNO 1701 A.D. Trailer
The Settlers Online
2. The Settlers Online
A Free and Online Game Option
The Settlers Online brings many real-time strategy elements into the online space, creating a fun, free, and unique game.
In The Settlers Online you can create your empire from humble beginnings, build structures to grow your empire, and eventually conquer the world. The game starts you off with only a small camp and a handful of villagers as you collect resources, complete missions, and eventually start to build your large empire.
The game has ties to the popular Settlers series but brings the game into the freemium and online realm in an impressive way. With plenty to unlock, lots of levels to advance through, bandit camps to defeat, and other players to befriend (or fight), it's a great free-to-play strategy game.
The Settlers Online Gameplay
Empire Goodgame
3. Empire
Another Online Strategic Game
Empire offers an MMO-style of gameplay that is free to play. It's available across a large range of platforms, including browser and smart phones under the title of Empire: Four Kingdoms.
As far as free-to-play online strategy games go, Empire is one of the better medieval options out there. You'll take your little settlement from its very early days to becoming a powerful empire that no other player will dare to challenge.
If you've played a game in this genre before, you'll pick up most of the basics quickly and appreciate the minor details that separate it from others in the genre (such as the good mix of PvP and PvE and the way combat works). New players will have an equally enjoyable experience though, with systems that are easy to learn and well-designed.
With complete control over your units, building placement, and combat strategy, players will enjoy the good amount of depth that Empire works into a free-to-play strategy game.
GoodGame Empire Trailer
Age of Mythology
4. Age of Mythology
An AoE Spin-Off Title
Age of Mythology is a spin-off of the original Age of Empires series, and was developed by the same people. The game is available on PC and Mac, scoring a high 89% on Metacritic.
In Age of Mythology, players build towns, gather various resources, develop an army, and ultimately destroy their enemy (or achieve some other objective). Like the Age of Empire games, players advance their civilization through several ages with each unlocking new technologies.
Age of Mythology offers three unique civilizations for players to experience: Greek, Egyptian, and Norse. Each civilization also has three different major gods that the player can select (each offering different abilities to the player). As players advance through the ages they also gain access to minor gods that offer similar advantages (both defensive and offensive).
