Age of Empires (video game)

Age of Empires (AoE) is a 1997 real-time strategy video game based on the ancient world, developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft, and the first game in the Age of Empires series. The game uses the Genie Engine, a 2D sprite-based game engine. The game allows the user to act as the leader of an ancient civilization by advancing it through four ages (the Stone, Tool, Bronze, and Iron Ages), gaining access to new and improved units with each advance.

The game received positive reviews, and an expansion pack, titled The Rise of Rome, was released in 1998. The game is now generally regarded as one of the best video games ever made. Both the original Age of Empires and the expansion pack were later released as "The Gold Edition". The first sequel, Age of Empires II, was released in 1999. Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, a remastered version of the game, was released on February 20, 2018.