Age of Empires (video game)
A 1997 real-time strategy game set in the ancient world.
Age of Empires, a real-time strategy game set in antiquity, launched in 1997. Developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft, it kicked off the Age of Empires series. Players guide an ancient civilization through four ages—Stone, Tool, Bronze, and Iron—unlocking better units at each stage. The game runs on the Genie Engine, a 2D sprite-based system.
The game was well received, and an expansion, *The Rise of Rome*, followed in 1998. Both were later bundled as *The Gold Edition*. A sequel, *Age of Empires II*, arrived in 1999, and a remastered *Definitive Edition* came out on February 20, 2018. Today, it’s widely considered one of the greatest video games ever.
**Gameplay** Players start with a handful of hunter-gatherers and build up to an Iron Age empire. Victory requires gathering resources—wood, food, stone, and gold—to pay for units, buildings, and technology. Resources are finite; cut trees don’t regrow. Twelve civilizations are available, each with unique attributes and technologies, so no civilization has access to everything. Advancing through the four ages happens at the Town Center, each step bringing new tech, weapons, and units.
**Modes** The game has four single-player campaigns, each a linear series of scenarios based on Egyptian, Greek, Babylonian, and Yamato history. A demo campaign covers the Hittite Empire. There’s also a random map mode that generates a new map each game, plus variations like the resource-heavy “death match.” Multiplayer supports up to eight players online or over a network, though lag and disconnections were common. Microsoft Gaming Zone hosted multiplayer until June 19, 2006, when it dropped support for most CD-ROM games, including *Age of Empires* and its sequel. The Scenario Builder lets players create custom scenarios and campaigns; it’s simpler than modern editors but less powerful. Ensemble Studios used it to make the included campaigns. Unofficial sites host custom content. In late 2005, players discovered that modifying data files could unlock beta units—like a spaceship and a hero that changes ownership—and alter unit placement rules, enabling new design possibilities. Other finds included new terrain templates, a mode to triple unit hitpoints, and a tool to edit map sizes.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Age of Empires
- Developer
- Ensemble Studios · Definitive Edition: / Forgotten Empires / Tantalus Media
- Publisher
- Microsoft · Definitive Edition: Microsoft Studios
- Director
- Bruce Shelley
- Designer
- Brian Sullivan / Rick Goodman
- Composer
- Stephen Rippy / David Rippy
- Programmer
- Angelo Laudon · Matt Pritchard
- Artist
- Brad Crow
- Engine
- Genie
- Released
- NA · October 13, 1997 · UK · October 23, 1997
- Genre
- Real-time strategy
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Age of Empires requires the player to develop a civilization from hunter-gatherers to an expansive Iron Age Empire. The player gathers resources to pay for units, buildings, and technology, with resources being finite—trees cut down do not grow back. Twelve civilizations are available, each with unique attributes and technologies, and no civilization possesses all technologies. A major component is advancing through four ages: Stone, Tool, Bronze, and Iron, researched at the Town Center, each bringing new technologies, weapons, and units.
The game features four single-player campaigns following the Egyptian, Greek, Babylonian, and Yamato civilizations, plus a demo campaign set in the Hittite Empire. A random map mode generates different maps each game, with variations like death match. Multiplayer supports up to 8 players online or via network, though lag and disconnections often occur; Microsoft Gaming Zone supported multiplayer until June 19, 2006. The Scenario Builder allows creation of user-made scenarios, with simpler tools than modern editors but fewer capabilities. Data editing can unlock beta units like a spaceship and a hero that changes ownership.
Players choose from 12 civilizations: Assyrians, Babylonians, Choson (Koreans), Egyptians, Greeks, Hittites, Minoans, Persians, Phoenicians, Shang (Chinese), Sumerians, and Yamato (Japanese). They are sorted into four architectural styles: East Asian, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek. Technology is researched at specific buildings, covering military, economic, religious, and infrastructure upgrades, with more advanced technologies becoming available as basic research is completed. Some technologies are unavailable to certain civilizations.
Reader's Guide
Age of Empires is significant as the foundational title of a major real-time strategy series, noted for its ancient world setting and four-age advancement system. The game received positive reviews and is generally regarded as one of the best video games ever made. Its expansion, The Rise of Rome, was released in 1998, and both were later bundled as The Gold Edition. The first sequel, Age of Empires II, followed in 1999. A remastered version, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, was released on February 20, 2018. The game's legacy includes its influence on the genre, particularly through its resource management, civilization diversity, and scenario editor. The article notes that the game facilitated online play but with less sophisticated networking than modern games, leading to lag and disconnections. The Scenario Builder, while simpler than modern editors, was used by Ensemble Studios to create the shipped campaigns and allowed user-generated content. The game's technology system, where balancing workforce across resources is crucial, and its inclusion of walls strong enough to form a feasible defense, are highlighted as key strategic elements.
Did You Know?
- The game uses the Genie Engine, a 2D sprite-based game engine.
- Trees cut down in the game do not grow back, as no new resources become available.
- The game features a unit called a priest that can convert enemy units to change allegiance.
- Through data editing, a spaceship unit from beta versions can be made available in the editor.
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