Age of Wonders III

About

Age of Wonders III blends turn-based strategy with deep RPG customization. You build and manage an empire across a fantasy world, balancing exploration, resource gathering, and warfare. Six races each offer distinct playstyles, humans prioritize industry, dwarves focus on fortifications, and draconians bring aerial dominance. Customize your leader from six classes like Sorcerer, Theocrat, or Warlord, each with skill trees and unique units. Cities generate resources and recruit troops, while independent settlements add tactical depth. Conquer or negotiate with neutral factions, complete quests for rewards, and adjust your empire’s moral alignment through choices. Combat mixes tactical unit positioning with class-specific abilities, letting you spam spells, manipulate politics, or crush enemies with steam-powered war machines. The game stands out for its hybrid mechanics and 3D visuals, replacing the series’ isometric view with dynamic camera angles. Its dual-campaign mode lets you play as humans or elves in a conflict over expansion and tradition, while random maps and a robust editor extend replayability. With co-op and multiplayer modes, it caters to solo and team play. Launched in 2014, it remains a favorite among strategy fans for its depth and flexibility. Linux and Mac support add to its appeal, proving complex 4X-RPG hybrids can thrive beyond the PC mainstream.

Storyline

Before the events of the first game, the elven court was decimated by humans, an invasive race new to the Blessed Continent at the time. The elves split into two factions. The son of the slain king Inioch, Meandor, led the dark elves and the Cult of Storms, a group that intended to wipe out the humans. Inioch's daughter, Julia, led the wood elves and the Keepers, a group that had no genocidal intentions. These factions and others clashed in the Valley of Wonders, around the ruins of the razed elven court. The High Elf race was founded many years later when Julia married a dark elf and reunited their two races. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Empire began as a joining of races for mutual protection and the sharing of knowledge. Though it set out with benign intentions, once the Empire was through expanding, humans seized power and pushed forward with technology and commerce. The Commonwealth Empire means to sweep aside the old ways and assimilate the world. The Elven Court takes exception to this, and wants to rally the ancient races to stand in defense against imperial ambitions, hence the central conflict of Age of Wonders III.