Age of Empires: 4 Open Source Clones Compared
None of these three currently offer a complete, ready-to-play recreation, each for a different specific reason. aoe has only very basic gameplay implemented and only in multiplayer mode — single-player is simulated by hosting a session and adding computer players whose AI just gathers resources until attacked. Chariot's last stated update (2016-07-08) describes only a demonstration of the original assets loading, with no playable game yet. openage has by far the largest contributor base and has already built out a modding system (its own 'nyan' content format plus a Python scripting console), but its core gameplay simulation is currently non-functional while it's being reimplemented from scratch.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Semi-playable
- Platforms
- Linux
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 1d ago
- Stars
- 14,432
- Contributors
- 224
- License
- —
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires assets from the original Age of Empires or Age of Empires II games; uses the original game assets.
- Modding support
- YesEasily-moddable content format using nyan notation; integrated Python console and API for game scripting.
- Multiplayer
- Online
Availability
- Status
- Unplayable
- Platforms
- Linux, OSX, Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 8y ago
- Stars
- 432
- Contributors
- 8
- License
- —
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesFor legal reasons, you'll need an original Age of Empires CD to be able to play it.
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- —
Availability
- Status
- Unplayable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux
- Play in browser
- YesPlay in Browser
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 2mo ago
- Stars
- 128
- Contributors
- 3
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesAn original legitimate copy of Age of Empires or Rise of Rome expansion is required for the game data files.
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- Multiplayer
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Not tracked
- Last updated
- Not tracked
- Stars
- Not tracked
- Contributors
- Not tracked
- License
- Not tracked
- Engine
- Not tracked
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- —
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- —
| Title | openage | Chariot | aoe | 0 A.D. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Semi-playable | Unplayable | Unplayable | Playable |
| Platforms | Linux | Linux, OSX, Windows | Windows, Linux | Windows, Linux, OSX |
| Play in browser | No | No | YesPlay in Browser | No |
| Mobile | No | No | No | No |
| Project health | ||||
| Development status | Active | Halted | Active | Not tracked |
| Last updated | 1d ago | 8y ago | 2mo ago | Not tracked |
| Stars | 14,432 | 432 | 128 | Not tracked |
| Contributors | 224 | 8 | 3 | Not tracked |
| License | — | — | Apache-2.0 | Not tracked |
| Engine | — | SDL2 | — | Not tracked |
| Compatibility | ||||
| Requires original assets | YesRequires assets from the original Age of Empires or Age of Empires II games; uses the original game assets. | YesFor legal reasons, you'll need an original Age of Empires CD to be able to play it. | YesAn original legitimate copy of Age of Empires or Rise of Rome expansion is required for the game data files. | — |
| Modding support | YesEasily-moddable content format using nyan notation; integrated Python console and API for game scripting. | — | — | — |
| Multiplayer | Online | — | Multiplayer | — |
| Preview | | | | |
Known limitations
- gameplay: Gameplay is currently non-functional; internal game simulation is being reimplemented with simplicity and extensibility in mind.
- general: This is a work in progress as of 2016-07-08 with no playable game yet, only demonstration of assets being loaded.
- gameplay: Only multiplayer mode is currently available; singleplayer requires hosting a multiplayer session with computer players.
- ai: Computer players only gather resources and do nothing until attacked.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Age of Empires clones on this page open source?
Yes — every clone catalogued here is an open-source project. Availability, license, and development-status details for each one are listed in the comparison table above.
What license do these Age of Empires clones use?
aoe (Apache-2.0).
Do I need to own the original Age of Empires to play these clones?
openage, Chariot, and aoe require original game assets to play.
Can I play any of these Age of Empires clones directly in a browser?
Yes — aoe has a browser-playable build linked in the comparison table above, no install required.
Which Age of Empires clone is the most actively maintained?
openage and aoe are currently under active development, based on recent commit activity. See the "Development status" row above for every clone's current status.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Age of Empires.