Town Center

The foundation of empire, where villagers are born and ages are defined by choice.

The Town Center is the fundamental structure for every civilization in Age of Empires IV, serving as the starting point for all gameplay. It functions primarily as an economic hub where villagers are trained to gather resources and build the settlement. Unlike its predecessors, advancing through the four ages—Dark Age, Feudal Age, Castle Age, and Imperial Age—does not happen automatically at this building for most factions. Instead, players must construct specific Landmarks to progress, a mechanic that defines the strategic flow of the game from 750 AD onward.

Quick Facts

First appears: Age of Empires IV (2021)

Lore & Background

In Age of Empires IV, the Town Center represents the administrative heart of a kingdom, yet its role in progression varies wildly across cultures. For most of the 23 civilizations available, including those introduced in expansions like The Sultans Ascend or Dynasties of the East, the Town Center is merely the starting anchor. To advance from the Dark Age to the Feudal Age, players must choose and construct one of two unique Landmarks. This design forces a strategic divergence early in every match, shaping the civilization's path through history. However, the lore takes a sharp turn with the Knights Templar. This variant civilization, added in the Knights of Cross and Rose expansion, breaks tradition entirely; they possess only a single landmark, their starting Town Center. For them, advancement is not about building new structures but researching upgrades directly within this original hall, making it the sole vehicle for their historical progression.

Reader's Guide

In Age of Empires IV, the Town Center is your primary tool for training Villagers and managing population limits. However, you cannot simply click to advance ages here unless you are playing as the Knights Templar. For all other civilizations, including the base game factions and those added in expansions like The Sultans Ascend (Byzantines, Japanese) or Dynasties of the East (Golden Horde), you must construct a Landmark. Upon reaching the Dark Age limit, you choose between two options to unlock the Feudal Age. These landmarks are special buildings that define your civ's bonuses for the next stage. The Town Center itself remains essential for training workers and storing food. If playing as the Abbasid Dynasty, Ayyubids, or Golden Horde, note a different rule: they build a single landmark (House of Wisdom or Golden Tent) where advancement is researched through that specific building rather than constructing multiple options. Always protect your Town Center; it is the only place to train villagers for most factions, and losing it cripples your economy.

Did You Know?

Most civilizations in Age of Empires IV must construct one of two selectable Landmarks at the Town Center's location (or nearby) to advance through the Dark, Feudal, Castle, and Imperial Ages.
The game features four ages identical to Age of Empires II: Dark Age, Feudal Age, Castle Age, and Imperial Age, but progression is driven by Landmark construction for most factions.
The Chinese civilization can construct both of their landmarks simultaneously to enable a specific Dynasty mechanic.