Play Order
0 / 6 playedMain games in release order.
About Age of Empires
Age of Empires spans stone age to gunpowder with base building villagers. The 1997 original plus Rise of Rome set antiquity, Age of Kings in 1999 plus Conquerors defined medieval play, Mythology in 2002 added gods, Age of Empires III in 2005 moved to colonial decks, and Age of Empires IV in 2021 returns to medieval with modern pathing.
Definitive Editions from 2018 to 2020 rebuild the first three with online matchmaking, while Retold in 2024 rebuilds Mythology. Most campaigns stand alone by era, so release order is a history tour rather than a story chain. New players often start with Age of Empires II Definitive for population or Age of Empires IV for current ranked.
Good to know
Release order shows economies and counters grow, but start with Definitive versions where available. Age of Empires II remains the multiplayer core, Mythology charms with god powers, and Age of Empires IV plays cleanest on modern systems. Campaigns never share saves, so skip eras freely after one full run. Treat Retold as the current endpoint with DLC still arriving.
