1. Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade
2. Stormfall: Rise of Balur
3. DomiNations
4. The Battle of Polytopia
5. Game of War: Fire Age
6. Total Conquest
7. Age of Strategy
8. Forge of Empires
9. Rise of Empires: Ice and Fire
10. Uciana

First released in the late ’90s, Age of Empires, or AoE is one of, if not the most popular strategy games of all time. At the time of its release, it was called a mix between Civilization and Warcraft, and the product was a game that mixed both combat and strategy into a well-crafted game. The main aim of Age of Empires was to lead a civilization of your choosing through four different ages of progress, including the Stone Age, Tool Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. Because of how popular it was when it was first released and the impact it had on the gaming industry, the market is filled with strategy and 4X (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) games.

In this article, we bring you the ten best Android games similar to Age of Empires, be it in terms of gameplay, genre, or style.

1. Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade (Free)

Created by Lilith Games and released in 2018, the first game on our list of the top 10 games like Age of Empires is Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade A real-time strategy or RTS game, Rise of Kingdoms begins with you choosing one of 12 different options to begin building your civilization and army. The civilizations you can choose from are varied, including British, German, Arabian, Chinese, Ottoman, Spanish, Roman, and many others. Each civilization has a unique architectural style, as well as distinct pros and cons when it comes to warfare, exploration, world-building, etc. If you’re new to the genre of RTS and world-building games, worry not, since Rise of Kingdoms has a comprehensive tutorial system that will take you through all the different aspects of the game, such as managing and training troops, acquiring generals, creating the city of your liking, and learning how to defend it, amongst other things.

One of the best features of the game is that it has true real-time gameplay, especially when it comes to battles and warfare. All battles that happen in Rise of Kingdoms happen in real-time. Players have the ability to join and leave battles at any time, and you can also send your troops to help out allies in defending themselves or defeating a mutual opponent in real-time. This makes playing the game a lot more interesting since all of the strategies applied need to take into account the amount of time it will take to execute it. The game’s map is also worth talking about since it is enormous and has plenty of space for you to try and conquer. Full of rivers, mountains, and other geographical features that act as natural barriers, Rise of Kingdoms’ map also makes the strategy-based gameplay a lot more interesting. It also features an “infinite-zoom” feature never seen before on a mobile game that allows you to see both the world view and the individual city view of the map. When you start off with the game, most of the map will be covered in fog, and you must send dispatches of scouts to uncover these territories. The map is filled with countless treasures, temples, caves, etc. but one must also be careful since these areas are home to barbarian fortresses who will not hesitate to attack at any time.

Rise of Kingdoms has an amazing multiplayer system that allows you to build alliances with players from around the world. You need not worry about not being able to communicate with players who speak languages different from yours since the game has a built-in translation feature, making communication very easy. Members of an alliance can assign roles to their officers and generals, and also coordinate with each other on particular strategies they want to implement on the map. Working with an alliance allows you to conquer more territory, capture mountain passes, and even earn group achievements.

With over fifty million downloads, Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade is rated 4.4 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.

2. Stormfall: Rise of Balur (Free)

Created by Plarium Global Ltd, Stormfall: Rise of Balur is a strategy-based MMO game set in a world of dark fantasy and myths. The context given to the player is this: Starfall, a once prosperous Empires has been ravaged by war and chaos, owing to an ancient evil’s emergence. Warlords and factions across the world join the battle in order to defeat this evil, and you are tasked with defending the land of Darkshire. You must protect the people of Darkshire from the darkness of evil, towards the light of prosperity. As you navigate your path, you can construct a Castle of your own, study the Lost Arts and forge a strong and powerful army to battle the legions of monsters and enemy forces in Balur.

It’s very important for you to build an impenetrable Castle because it will be the stronghold for all the wealth, resources, and treasures you accumulate during the course of the game. The Castle is where it all begins, and it is also the only place where your army and people can seek refuge when threatened by the evil forces of Balur. Next, the most fundamental task in Stormfall is to train legions of soldier units to mobilize an army. These units include the Infantry, Occult, Cavalry, and Bestiary units. Each unit excels in a particular skill set instrumental to winning the battle. This army will have to go up against the demonic horde of Balur, as well as other armies engaged in quests to find resources. Stormfall also demands that you engage in military strategy – not only for battles but also to efficiently gather Hamlets full of resources to ensure the well-being of your people. It’s essential to maintain the cyclical production of resources like Iron, Food, and Gold for the survival and prosperity of your Land and Armies. This requires building farms and mines throughout Darkshire and then using the resources produced by them to assemble a military force. You do not have to strategize alone. In fact, for high-value battles, you will have to collaborate with the other Leagues of Nobles, come to an understanding about military strategy and forge diplomatic relations to support one another in the future. To gain access to more Units and Buildings, you have to discover the Lost Arts. For example, you can upgrade the House of Scrolls to enable quicker discovery of scrolls! It’s important for you to continue upgrading the structures that you’ve built within the game to progress forward. Each player is allotted up to ten raid points, which allows them to carry a raid out up to ten times. In addition to this, you’re also awarded besieging points if you choose to besiege an enemy. 

Stormfall is a free strategy game that’s available on android as a standalone, epic, fantasy adventure with multiplayer mode and breathtaking graphics. The setting is picturesque and vibrant, in fact, the graphics are often compared to that of Age of Empires because of the similar intricacy, attention to detail, and complex city-state structures. The gameplay is simple, but to avoid confusion, you are provided with an in-game tutorial at the beginning, not to mention Lord Oberon, a character meant solely for the purpose of guiding you through the basics of the game. The musical score is one of the best parts of the Stormfall experience and adds to the overall appeal of the game. This is a game that doesn’t allow for monotony, the need for defense, economic planning, construction, and many other tasks keep you invested. Stormfall: Rise of Balur is truly an exceptionally designed MMO strategy game.

With over ten million downloads, Stormfall: Rise of Balur is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.

3. DomiNations (Free)

Created by Big Huge Games and released in 2015, DomiNations is an MMO strategy game, full of bright, colorful graphics and intense gameplay. The main aim of DomiNations is for you to try to develop a tribe from the Stone Age, which is where you begin, to the Modern Age, which is where you hope to reach. Much like Rise of Kingdoms, you have the option to choose between several nations – 8 to be exact – and advance the nation of your choosing through 15 different ages. The options available to you in terms of choice of a nation are diverse, including Roman, Greek, Japanese, British, German, Chinese, French, and Korean. Each nation has its own strengths and weaknesses, and they all have their individual architectural style as well, which will matter a lot since the entire point of the game is for you to expand and build as much as you can. British, German, and French buildings look very different from the buildings of the Greeks, Chinese, or Romans. While the former has a more gothic and cold look, the latter looks warm and rustic, and it depends entirely on you which one you prefer.

Once you’re done choosing your nation you will have to establish your base. In DomiNations, your base is made of three different types of buildings: Defence, Economy, and Army. The Defensive buildings, as one may guess, help to keep your civilization safe from invaders. These buildings include tall tower-type structures such as a Sniper Tower or a Missile Silo, amongst others. Other defensive structures include Barriers such as Gates and Walls and Traps such as Claymores and Landmines. The Economic buildings help accrue resources for your nation so that you can expand your territory and help fund every other aspect of your civilization. The primary economic structure in DomiNations is Resource Building. These buildings store resources but can also be attacked by others for loot. Resource Buildings include Caravans, Farms, Oil Wells, etc. Lastly, you have the Army or Military buildings that generate new soldiers for your army. The Barracks create troops, the Castles or Forts create generals, and the War Academy produces tactics. These three types of buildings are essential to the game, and you must use your resources carefully in order to keep a good balance between the three, or else you are in danger of being attacked and looted or of running out of resources due to over-expenditure.

DomiNations, too, has a multiplayer system that allows you to form alliances with other players online. You can use these alliances to raid players who are exceptionally strong or have expanded very close to your territory and may be about to attack. The combat in DomiNations is great. You can direct your troops to attack particular areas and also send them into the battle unit by unit. Alliance troops and mercenaries, however, are all sent at once. There are particular areas that cannot be attacked and are marked in a lighter shade. To win matches in DomiNations it is essential for you to give importance to tactics and fight smart.

With over ten million downloads, DomiNations is rated 4.1 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.

4. The Battle of Polytopia (Free)

Released in 2016 by Swedish gaming company Midjiwan AB, The Battle of Polytopia is a low poly strategy game based around the 4X genre, which places more emphasis on economic and technological aspects of building a supreme Empires, instead of more militaristic strategies and tactics which we see with other MMO strategy games. Polytopia is very similar to both Age of Empires and Civilization, but offers a bite-sized version of the games, both due to platform limitations, and also because most mobile gaming happens in short spurts of time instead of prolonged periods of play.

The first thing you notice when you load up Polytopia is the game’s graphics. As mentioned, The Battle of Polytopia has low poly graphics, which means all the elements of the game, be it the characters, the buildings, the mountains, and even the clouds in the sky are made up of large polygons, which gives the game a square-shaped unique look, not to be found in other such MMO strategy games. The colors are bright and the character designs are simple yet unique, and you get hooked to the game right from the beginning simply because of the uber-cute graphics. The premise of the game is simple and similar to other MMO strategy games. You must build and strategize to ensure your civilization is the biggest and best out of all the civilizations on the map. Polytopia has three different game modes for you to try out. First among them is Perfection, in which you are given thirty turns to build a better civilization out of all the surrounding civilizations. This is calculated through the scores were given to every civilization after their 30 turns are over. You must achieve the highest score out of all the rival civilizations in order to win the Perfection game mode. The second game mode is called Domination, which, as you may expect, is an all-out war in which each civilization tries its best to expand and conquer as much territory as it can. You must use every trick, tactic, and strategy up your sleeve to eliminate all your rivals and be the biggest and best civilization on the map. The third game mode is called Creative, which is a free-for-all sort of game mode. All you need to do is set the perimeter of the playing area on the map and you’re ready to play however you like. Whether you want to be ultra-aggressive or very defensive, it’s all up to you.

As with other MMO strategies and world-building games, you have the option of choosing between different tribes to start your civilization. There are 16 different tribes available for you to choose from and each comes with its unique combat style and other advantages and disadvantages. Polytopia can be played in three ways: single-player, local multiplayer, and online multiplayer. The modes discussed above are for the single-player game mode. Multiplayer has two other game modes for you to try out: Might and Glory. In Might, you must capture the capitals of as many cities as possible. You need not capture the entire city, only the capitals. The player with the most capitals wins. The Glory mode is similar to Perfection, in which the first player to get to 10,000 points wins the match.

With over ten million downloads, The Battle of Polytopia is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.

5. Game of War: Fire Age (Free)

Released by Machine Zone in 2013, Game of War: Fire Age is most well known for its rollout that was filled with high-profile celebrities such as Kate Upton and Mariah Carey. What people often forget, however, is how great the game really is, which is why Game of War: Fire Age makes it onto our list of the best games similar to Age of Empires. Played from a top-down perspective, Game of War: Fire Age has both players vs. player, and player vs. environment game modes. The main mission of the game is the same as that of all the games discussed previously: create a kingdom, expand it, and conquer as much territory as you can. To do this, the game takes you through a complex net of interconnected activities that will allow you to create a strong kingdom. For instance, in order to strengthen your kingdom’s defenses, you must strengthen the walls that surround your kingdom. To do this, you must advance and strengthen your forges, which, in turn, will only become strong if you have high-level mines. In order to advance your kingdom, you must make sure that every part of the kingdom is functioning smoothly and is well balanced. For example, if you have a lot of raw material but not enough forges then you will not be able to use that raw material effectively.

Another important aspect of Game of War: Fire Age is the alliances you can form in-game. In fact, the game actively encourages you to form alliances so that you can have a better chance at surviving and creating a large Empires. Alliances can have up to 100 different kingdoms and can only be situated within kingdoms that measure 512 by 512 tiles. Combat between alliances is extremely fun and requires you to put all your physical and mental resources to use. But worry not, you will not be thrust into combat as soon as you create a kingdom. In-Game of War: Fire Age, a kingdom needs to be active for several months before it can participate in kingdom vs. kingdom events organized by the developers. This way, you will have enough time to collect resources, grow in strength, and learn about the game before you begin combatting with other players. Similar to Rise of Kingdoms, Game of War’s chatbox supports translations of more than thirty different languages, so you never need to worry about communicating with members of your alliance.

Like any MMO strategy game, Game of War: Fire Age requires you to collect resources and build different structures in order to progress in the game. Building these structures takes time, and the further along you get in the game, the more time it takes to finish building. Fortunately, the time taken for these buildings and structures to get done can be minimized using the game’s in-game currency. Since Game of War: Fire Age is a freemium game, you can also buy this currency using real money and cut down on several hours that you would have otherwise spent waiting.

With over fifty million downloads, Game of War: Fire Age is rated 3.4 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.

6. Total Conquest (Free)

Created by Gameloft SE, Total Conquest is a strategic simulation game set in the Roman Empires. Each player is a Roman governor, tasked with the responsibility of building their own city-state and military forces. Following Julius Caesar’s death, Rome is being targeted by outsiders, your primary objective is now to either create or join a strong Legion, in order to defend your city-state from enemy forces, while simultaneously continuing to strategically control your city to ensure smooth functioning of the kingdom. In Total Conquest, you can easily construct a city-state of your own and you’re tasked with managing it as well. You need to construct it in such a way that you’re able to generate profitable revenue for the kingdom. Your biggest responsibility, however, is defense, because Rome is at risk, and your city needs to be protected from those who conspire to take it from you. This is why you need to build towers, walls, traps, well-trained garrisoned units, and gates. You can choose ten different units to train, each is allotted a specific task and role. 

Total Conquest offers a single-player campaign mode and a multiplayer campaign mode as well. Because it’s a social game, Total Conquest comes with certain elements like the in-game chat, online leaderboards, and a system that enables you to join forces with other players on the battlefield (on the condition that you’ve accumulated the required resources to construct a forum). What makes Total Conquest an interesting game is the fact that it isn’t simply a war game. The creators incorporate realistic elements of what goes into planning and defending a city strategically; for instance, you have to construct villas in order to generate gold, and plant farms to create resources for food. You can also build a Temple to receive the blessings of the gods, and a bunker to protect the citizens from harm in case an enemy legionnaire attacks. All in all, you have to ensure that your city sustains a seamless social economy while also preparing its defense. In fact, for the purpose of defense, you can build barracks to provide adequate training for an army – legionaries, axemen, medics, assassins, and archers; anyone can be trained here. Each building you construct can be upgraded multiple times. As you progress through the game, you can raid enemy bases to gather resources that your people might need.

Essentially, Total Conquest is a fully rounded game, wherein you get to forge a powerful Legion and construct and manage a city. The graphics are astounding, they recreate the splendor of Ancient Rome. The game can be played through a touch screen efficiently. The UI is quite clear-cut, there’s no obstacle while viewing the action, minor special effects, like a spark of light or energy indicate the construction of a new building. The 3D elements are pretty vibrant. The audio-visual experience provided by the game is a treat and the game in itself is an interesting simulation imbued with strategy, socialization, and battle.

With more than ten million downloads, Total Conquest is rated 3.7 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.

7. Age of Strategy (Free)

Created and released by Zero Touch Group, Age of Strategy is a completely free MMO strategy game that is set in the classical and late medieval era. The game is part of a trilogy released by Zero Touch Group, and the other two games in the series are Age of Fantasy and Age of World Wars. While the former deals with fantastical lands and creatures such as orcs, elves, etc., the latter is set in the modern era, where you must choose between different sides and battle it out in a world war.

Age of Strategy has three different game modes available for users to play through. The first one is called the Random or Skirmish mode, in which you must select a map and begin building your Empires. These matches are played against the game’s AI, and you must use strategies and tactics in order to fend off enemies who want to invade your kingdom and take over it. The second mode is called the Campaign or Storyline mode, in which, as the name suggests, you must follow a storyline and see it to its end. The final mode is the Multiplayer mode in which you can play online or locally with other players of Age of Strategy. For online multiplayer mode you must create a separate account, but doing so is definitely worth it since not only do you get to go against other real-life players of the game, but you also get to do it on over 500 different maps. The game also includes historical maps such as the map of the Battle of Troy. There are more than 350 units, structures, and buildings for you to use throughout the game, which makes battle and gameplay incredibly interesting and intense since you never know what your opponent is going to hit you with or what you’re up against.

Since the game is completely free, unlocking new buildings or troops is based on the game’s reward system. When you complete a match or level in any game mode you are rewarded with stars that correspond to gems, based on your performance. One star is equal to one gem, two stars are equal to two gems, and three stars are equal to four gems. These gems can then be used to unlock new troops or buildings. The game has no pay-to-win system so there is no way for a player to buy their way to victory. The game’s graphics are also worth mentioning. Age of Strategy is a top-down, birds-eye-view game, and has 8-bit graphics, harkening back to old-school arcade games such as Tetris or Pacman. This lends a nostalgic charm to the game which is heightened by the soundtrack, and given the fact that the game is completely free to play with no freemium system, it is sure to quickly become any old-school gamer’s favorite strategy game. 

With over one million downloads, Age of Strategy is rated 4.4 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store. 

8. Forge of Empires (Free)

Created by InnoGames and released in 2012, Forge of Empires is another incredible MMO RTS game that is sure to keep you hooked for hours. Forge of Empires doesn’t ask you to pick from a list of different countries or tribes to build your civilization. Instead, you get to pick all of them at once, in a way, since the game has hundreds of buildings and structures, all in different styles for you to construct on your land. The main aim of Forge of Empires is the same as with any other RTS game: build an empire and evolve it through various ages. In the case of Forge of Empires, you get to begin from the Stone Age all the way to the Information Age, in the age of skyscrapers and megapolises. In fact, you even get to go so far as space travel; you “win” the game once you’ve colonized the planet Venus. To get to that point, however, a lot of work must ensue. 

As mentioned, the game has several buildings and structures for you to construct. Each building has a particular function, and it is necessary to create a good balance between the different types of buildings in order to sustain your kingdom and keep it from being razed to the ground by enemies who will ruthlessly try to attack and loot. Houses in your City will provide you with coins as well as a constant flow of population. The production buildings will generate new supplies and goods, while the decoration buildings will generate happiness for your citizens. In order to unlock more buildings, you must also generate Forge Points which can be used for research and will then unlock the aforementioned buildings. Forge Points are filled up in a meter that allows up to ten Forge Points at a time and generates one Forge Point per hour.

Players can join Guilds, which are the same as Alliances. Joining a Guild has several benefits, and you also get additional Forge Points and combat bonuses upon joining a guild. The game also regularly holds tournaments in which different Guilds can go up against one another to win the competition and its rewards. Combat in Forge of Empires is turn-based and works on a rock-paper-scissors type mechanism. The game also encourages you to make trades and alliances with other players if you are not strong enough to take over their Empires or if there is a larger threat looming elsewhere, such as another player twice as strong as you.

With more than ten million downloads, Forge of Empires is rated 4.2 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.

9. Rise of Empires: Ice and Fire (Free)

Created by Long Tech Network, Rise of Empires: Ice and Fire is another excellent strategy game set in the medieval era. The storyline behind Rise of Empires is the invasion of your town by an Eastern Dynasty which has brought with it the Death Harbingers, creatures of legend who have control over the powers of the Dragon, but which have now been corrupted and are out to destroy everything they see. You must attempt to build your Empires from the beginning, overcoming every challenge that you face.

Filled with varying elements, from armies filled with archers, cavalries, and foot soldiers, as well as dragons and heroes, Rise of Empires is a very complex and well-made game that doesn’t allow easy victories or non-strategic warfare. If you expect to win it all simply by virtue of strength then you are in for a surprise. As with other MMO RTS games, Rise of Empires also has a well-made alliance system that encourages players to work together and strategize in order to make the highest possible gain by defeating mutual enemies. The game has realistic graphics and great gameplay mechanics and is sure to keep you hooked for several hours. Every building and character model is unique and full of detail, and the soundtrack only adds to the overall allure of Rise of Empires.

With over ten million downloads, Rise of Empires: Ice and Fire is rated 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.

10. Uciana ($0.99)

Created by Birdshel and released in 2017, Uciana is unlike any of the other games on this list in terms of setting. It is, however, akin to Age of Empires, since it is a 4X game. The only difference is that Age of Empires is set on Earth while Uciana is set in space. Uciana allows you to take over several planets in your galaxy and spread your intergalactic Empires as far and wide as you can. There are several alien races that you will encounter in the game such as the Ameoli, Dargathi, Tarlish, and others. You can also play the game as a different race. Each race has two perks attached to them, and completing the entire game with a particular race also rewards you with an associated achievement.

Since the game features tons of planets for you to colonize and rule over, you will also have to be aware of the different planetary features each planet has such as its unique climate and what the planet produces as a result of this climate. Some examples include the Gas Giants, the Ice planets, the Gem Worlds, etc. You can also change the climate or improve the climate of a planet through a feature known as Terraforming. Terraforming allows you to mold the climate of a planet in accordance with your needs, but you must be aware that Terraforming doesn’t always lead to good results.

Your ship in Uciana will have four different types of weapons that you can use to fend off enemies and keep your Empires safe. These weapons are the Beam, Torpedo, Charge, and Bomb. Combat in Uciana is turn-based and the most prominent type of combat is ship vs. ship. Apart from combat, your Empires will also need to focus on things such as Research, Production, Farming, etc., essential components of any 4X or RTS game.

With over five hundred thousand downloads, Uciana is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.