Best Games Like Age of Empires (Series) Top RTS Games & Historical Games like Age of Empires (Series)

Age of Empires is described as 'Historical real-time strategy where players guide civilizations from the Stone Age to Iron Age, manage resources, battle rivals, and explore major eras' and is a very popular RTS game in the games category. There are more than 50 games similar to Age of Empires for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and Android Tablet apps. The best Age of Empires alternative is 0 A.D., which is both free and Open Source. Other Age of Empires like games are OpenRA, StarCraft, Warzone 2100 and Age of Mythology.

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Age of Empires alternatives are mainly RTS Games, but if you're looking for Historical Games or City Building Games you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Mac, Free, iPad, Android, iPhone, Linux and Chrome OS. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Age of Empires.
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Alternatives list

  1. 0 A.D. icon

    0 A.D.

     249 likes
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    0 A.D. is a free, open-source, cross-platform real-time strategy (RTS) game of ancient warfare. In short, it is a historically-based war/economy game that allows players to relive or rewrite the history of Western civilizations, focusing on the years between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D.

    44 0 A.D. alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    0 A.D. screenshot 1
     
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    69
    Comments about 0 A.D. as an Alternative to Age of Empires
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    7

    0 A.D. was originally based off of Age of Empires II and is a /great/ alternative to the series. It includes many advanced features and multiplayer support, and is completely open source! How much better can you get? (0 A.D. is currently in alpha development, so there a a couple of bugs and a few features are missing, but it is still very playable and fun.)

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    randomperson
    Positive
    0

    It works on all platforms and it's free and open-source.

    David
    Positive
    1

    0 A.D. is arguably the closest comparable game to Age of Empires 2. The civilizations and more advanced units within them are obviously different but play-wise and strategy-wise, the two are very close. Meanwhile, 0 A.D. has visuals that eclipse the later 3D graphics of AoE 3.

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    3 of 5 comments
    Age of Empires Icon
    0 A.D. icon

    • Almost everyone thinks 0 A.D. is a great Age of Empires alternative.

    • 0 A.D. is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Age of Empires.

    • 0 A.D. is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Age of Empires.

    • 0 A.D. is Free and Open SourceAge of Empires is Paid and Proprietary
  2. OpenRA icon

    OpenRA

     48 likes
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    OpenRA is an open-source reimplementation of Westwood’s Command & Conquer Red Alert game engine, updated to use the hardware acceleration of modern video cards using OpenGL.

    26 OpenRA alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • .NET Framework
    • Mono
    OpenRA screenshot 1
     
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  4. StarCraft icon

    StarCraft

     122 likes
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    Command the exiled Terrans, the relentless Zerg, and the abiding Protoss, in the world's most longstanding RTS. (Released in 1998.).

    32 StarCraft alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Battle.net
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  5. Warzone 2100 icon

    Warzone 2100

     64 likes
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    Join "The Project" to restore humanity's synaptic-link technology after nuclear war has devastated Earth, rendering it a Warzone 2100.

    27 Warzone 2100 alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Steam
    Warzone 2100 screenshot 1
     
  6. Age of Mythology icon

    Age of Mythology

     23 likes
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    Age of Mythology is based on building towns, gathering resources, creating armies, and ultimately destroying enemy units and buildings. In this way, players are able to defeat and conquer rival towns and civilizations.

    53 Age of Mythology alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Steam
    Age of Mythology screenshot 1
     
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    11
    Comments about Age of Mythology as an Alternative to Age of Empires
    Guest
    Positive
    2

    It is kind of an update to the Age of Empires series also the AOM Titans Expansions is an expanded version of this game

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Age of Empires Icon
    Age of Mythology icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Age of Mythology is a great Age of Empires alternative.

    • Age of Mythology is the most popular commercial alternative to Age of Empires.

    • Age of Mythology is Paid and ProprietaryAge of Empires is also Paid and Proprietary
  7. Empire Earth icon

    Empire Earth

     17 likes
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    Empire Earth, also known as EE, is a real-time strategy video game developed by Stainless Steel Studios and released on November 23, 2001. It is the first game in the Empire Earth series: Empire Earth, Empire Earth II, Empire Earth III.

    42 Empire Earth alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Java Mobile
    Empire Earth screenshot 1
     
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  10. Widelands icon

    Widelands

     37 likes
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    Widelands is a free, open source real-time strategy game with singleplayer campaigns and a multiplayer mode. The game was inspired by Settlers II™ (© Bluebyte) but has significantly more variety and depth to it. Still, it is easy to get started through playable tutorials.

    26 Widelands alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Widelands screenshot 1
     
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    Comments about Widelands as an Alternative to Age of Empires
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    different game play and concept

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Age of Empires Icon
    Widelands icon
    • Widelands is Free and Open SourceAge of Empires is Paid and Proprietary
  11. Stormgate icon

    Stormgate

     Like
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    Stormgate® is a free-to-play PC real-time strategy game set hundreds of years in Earth’s future. Take command of the human resistance, the demonic invaders, or other factions yet to be revealed–solo or cooperatively.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Stormgate screenshot 1
     
  12. MegaGlest icon

    MegaGlest

     24 likes
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    MegaGlest is an open source 3D-real-time strategy game, where you control the armies of one of seven different factions: Tech, Magic, Egyptians, Indians, Norsemen Persian or Romans. The game is setup in one of 14 naturally looking settings, which -like the unit models- are...

    18 MegaGlest alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    MegaGlest screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about MegaGlest as an Alternative to Age of Empires
    Guest
    Positive
    -1

    Similar gameplay. Great graphics.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Age of Empires Icon
    MegaGlest icon
    • MegaGlest is Free and Open SourceAge of Empires is Paid and Proprietary
  13. CaesarIA icon

    CaesarIA

     20 likes
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    CaesarIA is an open source remake of Caesar III game released by Impressions Games in 1998, it aims to expand the possibilities of the classical city-building simulators and to add new features showing the city life. Now the game work with Windows, Linux, Mac, Haiku and Android.

    31 CaesarIA alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Wine
    • Steam
    CaesarIA screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Comments about CaesarIA as an Alternative to Age of Empires
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    different game play and concept

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    I enjoy the city build experience

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Age of Empires Icon
    CaesarIA icon

    • Most users think CaesarIA is a great Age of Empires alternative.

    • CaesarIA is the most popular Android alternative to Age of Empires.

    • CaesarIA is Free and Open SourceAge of Empires is Paid and Proprietary
  14. Cossacks icon

    Cossacks

     1 like
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    Historically accurate campaigns and realistically recreated battles where you can manage up to 8,000 units on the field at once. Cossacks Anthology includes: Cossacks: European Wars, Cossacks: The Art of War, and Cossacks: Back to War.

    8 Cossacks alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Cossacks screenshot 1
     
12 of 51 Age of Empires alternatives