5 games to play if you like Age of Empires

Age of Empires (AoE) is a saga of real-time strategy video games that recreates certain events, civilizations, and technologies from the historical evolution of humankind. Among its better qualities, we have unique mechanics for each civilization, the development of campaigns based on historical facts, and the possibility of online matches. There are several games to play if you like Age of Empires with similar historical backgrounds and mechanics, and we have curated them in a list.

Some of these titles are set in the past, borrowing from history or mythology, while others are inspired by sci-fi stories and dare to imagine the future.

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Age of Mythology, Civilization, and three more games to play if you like Age of Empires

1) Age of Mythology

As a spin-off of AoE, Age of Mythology is among the games to play if you like Age of Empires (Image via Microsoft)

The first among the games to play if you like Age of Empires is its spin-off Age of Mythology.

This title revolves around the myths of Egypt, Greece, and the Norse. You can playas these civilizations, and each is under the command of one of the major gods from these cultures: Ra, Zeus, or Odin.

Among the elements that make this game different from Age of Empires, we find mechanics such as the advancement between ages, which occurs at the same time that minor gods are obtained within the chosen civilization (Aphrodite for Greeks, for example). It also adds a resource called Favor, which obtained by showing devotion to the gods. To get this, Egyptians must build monuments, while praying is required for Greeks, and hunting is mandatory for Norsemen.

The most exciting about this game is that it allows you to create strategies influenced by supernatural elements such as "god power," a single-use ability that inflicts great damage on enemies or enhances your own units.

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2) Civilization VI

Civilization is an iconic turn-based strategy game with 30 years in the market (Image via Aspyr Media)

With more than 30 years on the market, Civilization is a must-play if you like Age of Empires. We recommend the sixth part, which has garnered excellent ratings from both gamers and critics.

Unlike AoE, this is not a real-time strategy game but turn-based. However, the plot is very similar since your goal in Civilization is to develop a nation from ancient times to the future. In this aspect, it is able to showcase a broader historical framework that ventures into science fiction territory.

In Civilization VI, the player takes the role of great leaders of history like Mahatma Gandhi. The map maintains the classic hexagonal distribution of the franchise, but unlike previous titles, cities can occupy more space. Mechanics such as combat, research, and cultural development are at the heart of Civilization VI.

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3) Rise of Nations: Extended Edition

A remastered Rise of Nations is one of the best games to play if you like Age of Empires (Image via Big Huge Games)

The Extended Edition of Rise of Nations is a remaster of the original 2003 edition, which is also one of the most compelling games to play if you like Age of Empires.

In this title, players start in the prehistoric age and have the option to choose between 18 civilizations from different continents. The core game mechanics revolve around expanding your territory to increase the number of buildings and upgrading units. The winning conditions are conquest, territorial superiority, wonder victory, and score victory, similar to AoE.

The Extended Edition offers improvements in the quality of textures and lighting compared to the original Rise of Nations. In addition, it has integration with SteamWorks and the possibility of livestreaming using Twitch. As an interesting detail, the rights to Rise of Nations were acquired by Microsoft, who is also behind Age of Empires.

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4) Empire Earth III

The Empire Earth III saga appeared in the years following the release of Age of Empires II, and they share many similarities in gameplay and design. However, with only three parts, Empire Earth was not as successful as Age of Empires.

You start off with a prehistoric settlement in the title and then advance up to 500,000 years. Its basic mechanics are similar to most real-time strategy games, with hunting and gathering being essential for a better economy. The title alos distinguishes itself from Age of Empires by introducing iron as a resource.

In Empire Earth III, players can choose between three major factions: Western, Middle-Eastern, and Far Eastern. The factions contain sub-nations such as China and Japan. Some of the new technology introduced includes nuclear weapons and futuristic robots.

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5) Empire: Total War

Total War is distinguished by its mechanics (Image via The Creative Assembly)

Empire, from the Total War saga, is set in modern times, spanning from the early 1700s to the initial decades of the 1800s. Players can choose from various factions, such as Prussian, Ottoman, or Austrian, for their games. The objective is to conquer territories in Europe, America, the Indies, and North Africa.

An important detail is that Total War combines two modes: a turn-based strategy map for administrative tasks and a real-time strategy battle map for military maneuvers. In addition, the political development of the initial nations can change, as in the case of Spain, France, or Prussia, which went from monarchies to republics.

Total War maintains basic mechanics similar to Age of Empires, such as exploration, hunting, and the gathering of natural resources. In Empire, there are more requirements for the development of a civilization, including research in libraries, schools, and universities.