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Age of Empires VS FreeCiv

Compare Age of Empires VS FreeCiv and see what are their differences

Age of Empires logo Age of Empires

Age of Empires is the critically acclaimed, award winning Real Time Strategy (RTS) game with a legacy spanning over 20 years and nearly a dozen titles in the franchise.

FreeCiv logo FreeCiv

Freeciv is an open-source, turn-based strategy game based on Civilization II.
  • Age of Empires Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-15
  • FreeCiv Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-10

Age of Empires features and specs

  • Historical Accuracy
    The game provides a rich historical context, allowing players to learn about different civilizations, cultures, and historical events.
  • Engaging Gameplay
    The real-time strategy mechanics offer deep and engaging gameplay that requires strategic thinking and resource management.
  • Visuals and Audio
    The game is known for its detailed graphics and immersive sound design, enhancing the overall experience.
  • Multiplayer Mode
    Age of Empires has a robust multiplayer mode that allows players to compete against each other, adding replayability and social interaction.
  • Community and Support
    The game has a large and active community, as well as ongoing updates and support from the developers.

Possible disadvantages of Age of Empires

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New players may find the game complex and challenging to master, which can be discouraging.
  • Resource Intensive
    The game can be demanding on hardware, requiring a good computer setup to run smoothly, especially on higher settings.
  • AI Limitations
    Some players have reported that the AI can be predictable and not as challenging as expected, which might reduce the thrill in single-player mode.
  • Microtransactions
    Some expansions and additional content require extra purchases, which may not appeal to all players.
  • Repetitive Gameplay
    Despite the variety of civilizations, some players find the gameplay becomes repetitive after a while.

FreeCiv features and specs

  • Cost
    FreeCiv is completely free to download and play, making it accessible to a wide audience without any financial burden.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source means that the source code is available for anyone to modify, which can lead to a wide range of customizations and improvements from the community.
  • Community Support
    There is a robust community around FreeCiv that contributes to its development, offers support, and shares mods and tips.
  • Multiplayer
    FreeCiv offers extensive multiplayer options, allowing players to enjoy the game with friends or other players online.
  • Cross-Platform
    The game supports multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, making it versatile and accessible on various operating systems.
  • Customizability
    FreeCiv lets players customize game settings, rules, and even graphical elements, providing a tailored experience.

Possible disadvantages of FreeCiv

  • Outdated Graphics
    The graphics in FreeCiv are relatively dated compared to modern standards, which may not appeal to players looking for visually rich experiences.
  • Learning Curve
    New players might find the game challenging to learn due to its complexity and lack of in-depth tutorials, which can be daunting.
  • User Interface
    The user interface of FreeCiv can be considered somewhat clunky and unintuitive, impacting the overall user experience.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported performance issues, especially in larger games with numerous units and cities.
  • Limited Support
    Being an open-source project, official support is limited. Players may need to rely on community resources for troubleshooting and assistance.
  • Complexity
    The game can be highly complex and time-consuming, which might not be ideal for players looking for a more casual or straightforward experience.

Age of Empires videos

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition - Before You Buy

More videos:

  • Review - LGR - Age of Empires - PC Game Review
  • Review - Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition Review - The Classic Stuns Yet Again

FreeCiv videos

FreeCiv - (Free Civilization Style Strategy Game)

More videos:

  • Review - Game Review: Freeciv- Redone
  • Review - Isotrident is the best Freeciv cl- ORIGINAL GAME ever made.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Age of Empires and FreeCiv)
Games
66 66%
34% 34
Strategy Games
71 71%
29% 29
Action Games
79 79%
21% 21
Action
42 42%
58% 58

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Age of Empires and FreeCiv

Age of Empires Reviews

10 strategy games like Age of Empires to play today
On this list you'll find 10 games like Age of Empires that you can play today, and they represent some of the best strategy games available on PC and console. Whether you're looking to lose hours in resource management, want to flex your military planning skills, or simply love the act of managing your own civilization, these games like Age of Empires will have you covered.
The best games like Age of Empires in 2023
The Extended Edition has its own improvements on the original and even an expansion that introduces the Chinese pantheon. It’s already a pretty substantial update, and if it ever appears on sale for cheap, it’s a great pick for a strategy game like Age of Empires. That said, you may also wish to hold off on buying the Extended Edition, as next year, we expect to see more of...
18 Strategy Games Like Age of Empires You Can Play in 2023
AoE is based on historical events in Asia, Africa, and Europe right from the Stone Ages down to the Iron Age. Where the game follows the formation and spread of the Roman Empire, its sequel, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, followed the events during the Middle Ages in Europe; it focuses on the expansion of the settlements in history and the conquest of Mexico by the...
Source: alrigh.com

FreeCiv Reviews

We have no reviews of FreeCiv yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Age of Empires might be a bit more popular than FreeCiv. We know about 22 links to it since March 2021 and only 19 links to FreeCiv. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Age of Empires mentions (22)

  • [ROR] All New Custom Campaigns and a Classic Surprise!
    You can find them at the official website (ageofempires.com) or opening the game, going to the mod manager (the gear icon in the top right), and searching the titles. If you look for Filthydelphia you should find them, as well as my many campaigns for normal Age of Empires II! Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Question about new Chieftains effect
    Based on the April update release notes on ageofempires.com: "Chieftains effect now also provides infantry with gold generation while attacking villagers, trade units, and monks.". Source: about 2 years ago
  • What would you think of this idea regarding the leaderboard ?
    While I understand the idea and intentions it isn't practical. Our leaderboard is a 1:1 reflection of the actual game leaderboard (which funnily enough can't be browsed inside the game) that you can also see on ageofempires.com. Source: over 2 years ago
  • i won the 25th anniversary giveaway
    Hey there, I'm the social media manager for the Age of Empires series, sorry to hear that you haven't been able to get in touch with anyone! The official Age forums (on ageofempires.com) and Discord are the fastest ways to get into contact with people on the community team. Source: over 2 years ago
  • i thought i played with the real viper but it was someone spoofing his account and cheating :(
    This happened to me last week. The devs are aware but not sure if that means it's close to being fixed... Needless to say report it on ageofempires.com if you see it. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

FreeCiv mentions (19)

  • Unciv
    Well how about I introduce you to... FreeCiv! https://freeciv.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • We built an entire game with graphics almost exclusively generated by DALL-E 3 (open source)
    There are many other commercial projects similar to this (colonist.io landover.io etc). None of them are open source though. This has been done in the past extensively (see freeciv.org, or Terasology, or 0 AD etc). Source: over 1 year ago
  • C-evo Distant Horizon (Civilization 2 and FreeCiv like opensource fan game)
    While many CivFanatics have probably heard of FreeCiv and Civ2Clone, there is also another freely available opensource indie game inspired by Civilization 2 called C-evo! C-evo aims to recreate the classic mid 90s TBS Civ2 like experience, but with more emphasis on a custom military unit designer, extremely powerful/deadly AI, and careful design of the rules, resulting in a true challenge. The game uses similar... Source: over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Released games built on FOSS engines?
    FreeCiv uses its own FOSS engine[0], can keep you occupied for days. [0] http://freeciv.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Thinking of setting up a private server
    The client and server are separate binaries; they are released together on freeciv.org, but Linux distributions put them into different packages. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Age of Empires and FreeCiv, you can also consider the following products

0 A.D. - 0 A. D. is a free, open-source, historical Real Time Strategy (RTS) game currently under development by Wildfire Games, a global group of volunteer game developers. Download 0 A. D.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI - Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is a Turn-based Strategy, War, Tactical, Single and Multiplayer video game created by Firaxis and published by 2K.

Stronghold - Stronghold Crusader is a RTS game from the series from Stronghold.

The Battle for Wesnoth - The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based tactical strategy game with a high fantasy theme.

ANNO - ANNO is a city-building and economic simulation video game series, with real-time strategy elements.

C-evo - C-evo is a freeware empire building game for Windows