Age of Empires II: 2 Open Source Clones Compared
freeaoe is a much smaller, single-developer effort than openage, but it's further along in actual playability: scenarios can already be loaded and played, with working movement, building, attacking, and a history screen, and it runs against the free Age of Empires II trial data files (a full CD is recommended only for higher-resolution UI graphics). The author states the implementation uses no reverse engineering, being based on publicly available knowledge instead. openage has a far larger contributor base and an already-built modding system (its 'nyan' content format plus a Python scripting API), 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
- —
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
- Semi-playable
- Platforms
- Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 4y ago
- Stars
- 237
- Contributors
- 6
- License
- GPL-3.0
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires original Age of Empires 2 data files; works with trial version data from Archive.org.
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- —
| Title | openage | freeaoe |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Semi-playable | Semi-playable |
| Platforms | Linux | Windows |
| Play in browser | No | No |
| Mobile | No | No |
| Project health | ||
| Development status | Active | Halted |
| Last updated | 1d ago | 4y ago |
| Stars | 14,432 | 237 |
| Contributors | 224 | 6 |
| License | — | GPL-3.0 |
| Compatibility | ||
| Requires original assets | YesRequires assets from the original Age of Empires or Age of Empires II games; uses the original game assets. | YesRequires original Age of Empires 2 data files; works with trial version data from Archive.org. |
| Modding support | YesEasily-moddable content format using nyan notation; integrated Python console and API for game scripting. | — |
| Multiplayer | Online | — |
| Preview | | |
Known limitations
- gameplay: Gameplay is currently non-functional; internal game simulation is being reimplemented with simplicity and extensibility in mind.
- features: Random map RMS script parsing and campaign cinematics not yet implemented.
- platform: Does not build on macOS; only Windows and Linux are supported.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Age of Empires II 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 II clones use?
freeaoe (GPL-3.0).
Do I need to own the original Age of Empires II to play these clones?
openage and freeaoe require original game assets to play.
Which Age of Empires II clone is the most actively maintained?
openage is 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 II.