Age of Empires II (Retired) (2013)

Developer: Skybox Labs, Hidden Path Entertainment, Ensemble Studios, Forgotten Empires
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Strategy
Rating: 4.8 of 5, 102,709 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 77 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

You methodically build an economy and military from scratch, then clash with rivals in tense, sweat-inducing real-time battles that reward careful planning and quick reflexes.

methodicalcompetitivestrategicintenseclassicchallengingimmersiverepetitive

What players say

Players adore this as a timeless RTS classic, but a notable split exists: many say the game no longer works because expansions they paid for were broken and the launcher crashes, while others still enjoy the mods and quick skirmishes.

Screenshots

Age of Empires II (Retired) screenshot 1

Age of Empires II (Retired) screenshot 2

Age of Empires II (Retired) screenshot 3

Age of Empires II (Retired) screenshot 4

Age of Empires II (Retired) screenshot 5

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This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.