Age of Wonders III

I like this game, played it a lot and I like the mechanics and the game play, but oh boy there is a FANTASTIC amount of cheating by the AI.

Superlative, overarching, incredible amount of cheating. Literally in 1 turn, from having no other AI army around, 4 full stacks literally materialise next to my 2 partial stacks. (I have full view of that area, there are no tunnels in the region)

That particular AI player is 30+ hexes away from the closest city. None of the units have stealth, none of the stacks have a Hero. I would play that battle normally and lose if there was any remote chance that the AI player had discovered me normally and had any of those units. but it hadn't. At this point in time I use one of the player cheats and just give the lot of them the middle finger.

Incredible game, turn-based strategy at its best! AoW is consistantly good, this is no exception. Fun story, great DLC's, all around fun game. Very slow, dont EXPECT any quick games. Sometimes very difficult, sometimes fairly simple. Highly recommend.

Amazing story, good mechanics, I like the combined stiles and lore from different games. But this game's campaign is SUPER HARD. Like damn, play on easy if you want to do the missions. It is always a huge map, with a secret outpost that harasses you, with some revolts or independent parties capturing your rear cities. An extremely annoying and lengthy back and forth, and this is on normal difficulty. Play on easy and it should be fine, there is absolutely no shame in it. Stay away from normal and don't even try hard difficulty. Your mental health matters more

Pretty good game for what it is and I had fun. As far as 4x goes, its less like Civ or an Endless game and falls more in line with an odd combination of a turn-based RPG / 4x / chess-like combat game. The game also has a pretty old school feel to it (I know that at the time of writing this review it is 10 years old but I'm talking Heroes of Might & Magic levels of old) which gives it a sort of charm that I think many games just fail to capture nowadays.
Also, in my option you play this game for its turn based combat and RPG-style elements, not the city management; the city management is much shallower than many other 4x games out there (even ones released around the same time), so if you are expecting that you will be found wanting.

⭐ 8/10 – A Masterpiece of Strategy and Fantasy! ⭐
Age of Wonders III is an absolute gem for fans of turn-based strategy and fantasy RPGs. Triumph Studios delivered an incredible blend of deep tactical combat, engaging empire-building, and rich storytelling that keeps you hooked for hours.
✔ Deep Strategy – Every decision matters, from city management to unit positioning in battles. The tactical combat is rewarding, allowing for creative strategies and intense encounters.
✔ Rich Fantasy World – Choose from diverse factions, each with unique abilities and playstyles. The mix of RPG-style hero customization and empire-building adds layers of depth.
✔ Beautiful Art & Music – Stunning visuals, detailed environments, and an epic soundtrack create an immersive experience.
✔ Endless Replayability – A robust campaign, randomly generated maps, and multiplayer make this a game you can come back to again and again.
Whether you're a longtime Age of Wonders fan or new to the series, this game is a must-play for strategy lovers. Highly recommended! 🎮🔥

An improvement on the M&M system, faster than Civilization and easier to play than both franchises. I really enjoy this game and I can even beat a 4 player map in an afternoon. Great time.

A fantastic part of the AoW franchise. The Vanilla experience holds up to this day, and the mods on the steam workshop add hundreds of hours of replayability.