Age of Wonders
1999
- role-playing (rpg)
- strategy
- turn-based strategy (tbs)
- fantasy
- 4x (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate)
- single player
- multiplayer
The story
Welcome to Age of Wonders, the authentic turn-based fantasy strategy classic that started the hit series. Age of Wonders’ intimate atmosphere with painterly graphics still shines today. The game’s fully patched up, start building your fantasy empire today! The Age of Wonders, once a time of magic and peace. An age swept into the ravaging gale of chaos by the arrival of a single, uninvited race: the Humans. The fragile balance that existed between the ancient races, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and others, has changed into a struggle for power and survival in the wake of the turmoil the Humans have brought to the land. Prepare for a strategy adventure where you will uncover wondrous ancient artifacts, awesome magical power, and the secrets of a shattered empire. Ally with the forces of light or darkness to determine the fate of the world in the Age of Wonders!
What it’s like
Painterly hand-drawn maps and sprite armies in soft, muted palettes, with snowfields, forests and dim dungeon interiors rendered in a storybook style. The sound is restrained, with ambient wind and quiet music that rises and falls with each turn. Play moves at a deliberate, unhurried tempo: you survey a grid-based world, expand a fantasy empire, raise heroes, and resolve tactical battles square by square, with fallen units left lying as corpses on the field. Its mood is intimate and contemplative, a patient, slightly melancholy calm broken by sudden clashes. Violence is moderate fantasy combat, with no gore or sexual content, and the fear is strategic rather than frightening. It suits a rainy afternoon, a long evening at the desk, or a slow game played in short sessions over many days. It is for players who enjoy building and planning, who like to watch a small kingdom grow, and who find satisfaction in careful micromanagement and quietly earned victories.
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