Age of Empires is one of the most popular and groundbreaking real-time strategy video games ever created. The game was developed by Ensemble Studios and released by Microsoft for the PC in the late 1990s. It features a historical theme, which encompasses the buildings, units, and technologies introduced in the game. Here we will see what the game brings along in terms of gameplay, features, and, of course, cheats and codes.
Age of Empires Premise
In Age of Empires, players assume the role of a deity-like leader of a civilization. They can control the units, both villagers and military, the technologies researched, and the buildings established on the map. The game starts with humble hunter-gatherers that can only do simple tasks and collect resources. Resources are essential for advancing, and the villagers are needed for harvesting minerals and collecting wood.
As players acquire more resources and advance their civilization, more options become available. The advancement of technology opens up new Ages, as the player goes through the Stone Age, the Tool Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. With Each Age comes new structures and more advanced units that allow players to impose their strength on competing civilizations.
Perhaps the most important choice in the game is the choosing of a civilization. All civilizations are different and come with distinct capabilities, attributes, and units. One might be stronger with mounted archers while another might excel with heavy infantry.
Age of Empires Characters
As Age of Empires is a real-time strategy game, there isn’t a lot of time to focus on the singular characters. Instead, the core of the game revolves around civilizations. These factions are the foundation of the gameplay and include a thematic aspect. They also determine what type of units the players are able to train throughout the Ages. The original game came with 12 civilizations with an additional four introduced in the The Rise of Rome expansion pack. One was also introduced to the Age of Empires mode within the Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, the Lac Viet.
Here are all the civilizations from the original Age of Empires and its expansion pack:
- Assyrians: Assyrians are known for their fast-firing archers and good siege units. The bonuses include faster-moving villagers and less expensive upgrades for siege units and faster Siege Workshops.
- Babylonians: A defensively oriented civilization with stronger walls and towers. It has quicker stone mining with more carrying capacity for stone and more affordable market technologies. Also, priests rejuvenate a little bit faster.
- Carthaginians (The Rise of Rome): Specialists in elephant and camel units with strong naval forces. The Carthaginians start with a resource boost and have good academy units.
- Choson: Focused on infantry and towers with better range. Also has good infantry units (including Axemen, Short/Broad/Long Swordsmen, and Legionaries) and its Storage Pit technologies cost less.
- Egyptians: Experts in chariot warfare and religious rites with their enhanced priests. The priests come with both better range and improved pierce armor. The Egyptians also benefit from cheaper farms and efficient gold mining.
- Greeks: Have quicker naval units and infantry from the Academy. The Greeks also get faster-working Town Centers from the Tool Age and increased movement for academy units. The Greeks get Polytheism and Astrology for free, although it still requires a Temple.
- Hittites: A civilization skilled in archery and siege warfare. The Hittites get a +1 attack for archers and extra range for warships (except Fire Galley). The cost and research time of Wheel is halved.
- Macedonians (The Rise of Rome): Macedonians have great infantry and units with extended lines of sight. The Macedonians are also more resistant to religious conversion.
- Minoans: Renowned for their archers and naval strength with cheaper ships and extended range for Composite Bowmen. Farmers also work slightly faster.
- Palmyrans (The Rise of Rome): A trading civilization specializing in camels, their villagers work faster (and have armor) albeit at a higher cost. Trade units return a better profit.
- Persians: Experts in elephant warfare and naval strength. The Persians have fast-moving hunters that carry more food and improved Scout Ships.
- Phoenicians: Also known for their elephant units and naval prowess with better firing capabilities for Catapult Trireme and Juggernaut. The Phoenicians also get faster and more efficient woodcutters.
- Romans (The Rise of Rome): Infantry specialists with cheaper buildings. Their swordsmen strike 50% faster and some of their siege weapons have more range. The priests of Romans heal also 50% faster.
- Shang: Focusing on economic strengths and cavalry units. The villagers (builders) cost less food and the Shang are excellent at protecting themselves with much cheaper walls.
- Sumerians: Another economically strong civilization with farms providing more food. Their siege weapons fire faster, villagers are tougher, and camels have better armor.
- Yamato: Yamato specializes in cavalry and naval units with more efficient fishing boats and cost-effectively mounted units.
Age of Empires Cheats
Age of Empires is from an era in video games that appreciated cheat codes. Like many of its fellow 1990s video games, Age of Empires also comes with a built-in cheat code system that supports various cheats. These include creating units out of thin air, adding resources, instantly winning matches, and even controlling the animals on the map.
Entering cheats in Age of Empires is as easy as it gets. Simply start a game, and open up the chat console by pressing Enter. Then submit the desired cheat code and enjoy the results.
Here are all the available cheat codes:
- BIG BERTHA: Turns all Stone Thrower and Catapult units into a more powerful version, called the Big Bertha.
- BIGDADDY: A car unit called Winsett’s Z. It is super-fast and has a strong attack. Requires a Town Center to use.
- BIG MOMMA: Same Winsett’s Z, except white instead of black. Requires Town Center to use.
- BLACK RIDER: Turns every cavalry archer unit into a unit called Black Rider. However, this doesn’t affect the stats.
- COINAGE: Immediately adds 1000 gold to the stockpile.
- CONVERT THIS!: Spawns a Saint Francis unit. This unit has a range of 10 and an attack power of 200 with the lightning spells it uses. Upgrades at Temple affect this unit too, however, the cheat HOYOHOYO doesn’t. Requires a Temple to use.
- E=MC2 TROOPER: Spawns a unit called Nuke Trooper. The unit looks exactly like Laser Trooper but has a super powerful weapon with a range of 88 and 300 attack power. Requires Town Center to use.
- FLYING DUTCHMAN: Turns all Catapult Trireme and Juggernaut units into Flying Dutchmen. The units can now move on land and it has 200 hit points and an attack power of 40.
- DARK RAIN: Turns all your Bowmen units (current and upcoming) into Stealth Bowmen. Stealth bowmen turn into trees when they’re not moving. They have a range of 7 and attack 10, and they can walk on water.
- DIEDIEDIE: Instantly destroys all other civilizations and wins you the game.
- GAIA: Gives you control over animals and you lose control of your civilization. However, fish and birds (or dragons) cannot be controlled, only animals that are not in constant motion, like tigers, elephants, and other land animals.
- GRANTLINKSPENCE: Turn all animals into Alpha versions of themselves.
- HOME RUN: Wins you the game instantly. Effectively the same as DIEDIEDIE.
- HOYOHOYO: Priests get a massive speed increase and 600 hit points. This is also further affected by technological research. Requires a Temple to use.
- HARI KARI: Not only loses you the game but destroys all your units and buildings, as well.
- ICBM: Change the range of Ballista and Helepolis units to 100. This doesn’t change their Line of Sight and thus doesn’t help attacking units that are beyond the range of visibility.
- JACK BE NIMBLE: All Catapult units now throw either villagers or cows. Changing the direction of firing, the animation changes. In one direction the villager is in a Superman pose, in another the villager is replaced by a cow.
- KILLX: Kills player X, where X is the player number. The order of players can be seen on the Diplomacy window. Note that one can kill themselves and lose the game with this cheat.
- KING ARTHUR: All birds turn into large dragons that are much larger and move much faster.
- MEDUSA: All Villagers, both current and upcoming, turn into units called Medusa. One exception is a unit that is selected while applying the cheat code. They can now survive death twice, first turning into Black Riders and then into Heavy Catapults. The third time they die for good. Medusa cannot gather resources, and thus cannot attack animals even though they have an attack power of 3, one less than Villager turned Hunter. Requires Town Center to use.
- NO FOG: Removes the fog of war and reveals the position of all units. Doesn’t reveal the map further than already explored.
- PEPPERONI PIZZA: Immediately adds 1000 food to the stockpile.
- PHOTON MAN: Spawns a unit called Laser Trooper wearing a spacesuit and wielding a rifle. Has 100 hit points, an attack power of 15, an armor of 10, and a range of 15. Requires a Town Center to use.
- POW: Spawns a unit called BabyPrez. It’s a baby riding a fast tricycle armed with a long-range “daddy’s shotgun.” Has 500 hit points, an attack power of 50, an armor of 10, and a range of 15. Requires Town Center to use.
- QUARRY: Immediately adds 1000 stone to the stockpile.
- RESIGN: Immediately lose the game.
- REVEAL MAP: Reveals the entire map, including ruins, animals, resources, and enemy units and buildings.
- STEROIDS: All players, including computers, can now make units, build buildings, gather resources, and add upgrades instantly. Doesn’t remove the cost of building.
- STORMBILLY: Spawns a unit called Zug 209. This is a robot that has long-range lasers. Has 100 hit points, 20 attack power, 10 armor, and 15 range. Requires Town Center to use.
- UPSIDFLINTMOBILE: Upgrades the attack speed and movement speed of Chariot Archers massively.
- WOODSTOCK: Immediately adds 1000 wood to the stockpile.
Age of Empires FAQ
What is the difference between Age of Empires and the definitive edition?
Age of Empires is the original game from 1997, while Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is a re-release published around twenty years after the original title, in 2018. The new edition features several updates, including to the user interface and graphics. It also has some new content and gameplay tweaks.
Can I play Age of Empires on consoles?
The original Age of Empires was only released on PC, with no console ports made. While you cannot play the original game on consoles, the Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is available on Xbox.