Age of Empires

Age of Empires moved real-time strategy out of fantasy and sci-fi settings into ancient civilizations and became one of the founding titles of the historical RTS genre on Windows 9x computers. The player progresses gradually through historical eras from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, builds settlements, gathers resources such as wood, food, gold and stone, and leads one of several ancient civilizations, for example the Egyptians, Greeks, Babylonians or Phoenicians, each with its own units, buildings and small in-game bonuses reflecting its historical character.

The game placed emphasis on historical atmosphere and education - individual campaigns followed real historical figures and events, from Egyptian pharaohs to the Greek wars, which was fairly unusual for the genre at the time and gave the game an educational dimension without detracting from its entertainment value or strategic depth. On Windows 9x computers the game ran smoothly even on less powerful hardware, the graphics were clear and units easily distinguishable by type and civilization, which made it easier to keep track of larger battles with many units on the map. The sound design and orchestral music helped create the impression of a journey across ancient empires and their rise and fall.

Age of Empires from Ensemble Studios laid the foundation for the Genie engine, on which the much more famous Age of Empires II was later built, and kicked off an entire series that remains among the best-known historical strategy games in the world to this day. Even years later, the game is valued as a pioneering title that managed to turn history into accessible and addictive strategic entertainment and inspired numerous other historical strategy games that followed it. The Rise of Rome expansion then added further civilizations and campaigns and showed that there was lasting interest among players in the format of a historical strategy game with real nations, something fully confirmed just two years later by the second installment, which perfected the concept.

Why play it: For fans of historical strategy games who want to discover the roots of the engine on which the much more famous Age of Empires II was later built.