Steam app 221380 is the 2013 HD Edition of Age of Empires II, renamed Age of Empires II (2013) in August 2019 and Age of Empires II (Retired) in January 2024. It has received no updates since Definitive Edition shipped on 14 November 2019, and the store page states plainly that it will not be updated further. If you are buying Age of Empires II today, buy the Definitive Edition: this page is for people who already own HD and want to know whether it still runs.
Starting Age of Empires II (Retired) can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Age of Empires II (Retired) is a strategy game built around A build frozen since 2019 and 31 civilizations across three expansions. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Britons | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Franks | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Mongols | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Aztecs | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Vietnamese | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Franks. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Vietnamese as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn A build frozen since 2019
Development stopped when Definitive Edition launched on 14 November 2019, so HD sits permanently on its last patch. Nothing added to Age of Empires II after that point exists here, including every new civilization, balance pass and quality of life change.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how A build frozen since 2019 works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Arabia
The open, sparse default competitive map where walls are expensive and early aggression is standard. HD's older pathing shows itself here first, because army movement across open terrain never stops.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Throwing Axeman: it's the most accessible early upgrade. The Franks unique unit, ranged infantry whose axes ignore the usual archer armor class. Franks are better known for free Farm upgrades, cheaper castles and Knights with 20 percent more hit points.
Step 4: Understand 31 civilizations across three expansions
The 2013 base release shipped 18 civilizations. The Forgotten added five on 7 November 2013, The African Kingdoms added four on 5 November 2015, and Rise of the Rajas added four more on 19 December 2016, taking the full HD roster to 31.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Black Forest
Dense forest with narrow chokepoints, the classic map for booming behind walls for forty minutes. Games routinely reach Imperial Age with full trade lines running.
Essential Mechanics Explained
A build frozen since 2019
Development stopped when Definitive Edition launched on 14 November 2019, so HD sits permanently on its last patch. Nothing added to Age of Empires II after that point exists here, including every new civilization, balance pass and quality of life change.
31 civilizations across three expansions
The 2013 base release shipped 18 civilizations. The Forgotten added five on 7 November 2013, The African Kingdoms added four on 5 November 2015, and Rise of the Rajas added four more on 19 December 2016, taking the full HD roster to 31.
Steam multiplayer lobbies and Workshop
Multiplayer runs through Steam rather than the original 1999 matchmaking, so lobbies, friend invites and Steam Workshop mods all still function. The population is a small fraction of Definitive Edition's, so expect to arrange games rather than queue for them.
Original Age of Kings and Conquerors campaigns
Every single player campaign from The Age of Kings and The Conquerors is present in its original form, including William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Saladin, Genghis Khan, Barbarossa and Attila the Hun. Definitive Edition rewrote and re-recorded several of these, so HD is the closest thing to the 1999 and 2000 releases on modern hardware.
Pre Definitive Edition unit pathing
Unit pathing, formation behavior and hitboxes are all the pre 2019 versions. Large groups of siege and cavalry snag on terrain in ways Definitive Edition specifically fixed, and that is the most noticeable difference in an actual match.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Buying HD as a first Age of Empires II purchase
Definitive Edition has more civilizations, fixed pathing and a live population, and it is the version Microsoft actually supports.
2. Assuming HD and Definitive Edition players can play together
They are separate Steam apps with separate multiplayer and nothing crosses between them.
3. Following modern build orders
The civilization reworks that came after 2019 never reached HD, so guides written for Definitive Edition give you wrong timings and wrong bonuses.
4. Buying only one expansion and then finding half the lobby cannot host what you wanted
DLC ownership has to match across every player in the game.
5. Expecting the Definitive Edition civilizations
Burgundians, Sicilians, Poles, Bohemians, Bengalis, Dravidians, Gurjaras, Romans, Armenians and Georgians were all added after HD stopped being updated and will never appear here.
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand A build frozen since 2019 and 31 civilizations across three expansions
- Choose Franks as starting build
- Clear Arabia main content
- Acquire Throwing Axeman or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Black Forest
- Check whether you already own HD before spending anything. Definitive Edition sits at app 813780, is still patched, and goes on sale regularly, while the $19.99 HD listing buys a build that stopped receiving updates in 2019.
- Everyone in your lobby needs matching DLC. A player without Rise of the Rajas cannot join a game where someone picked Vietnamese, and there is no graceful fallback.
Tips for New Players
- Check whether you already own HD before spending anything. Definitive Edition sits at app 813780, is still patched, and goes on sale regularly, while the $19.99 HD listing buys a build that stopped receiving updates in 2019.
- Everyone in your lobby needs matching DLC. A player without Rise of the Rajas cannot join a game where someone picked Vietnamese, and there is no graceful fallback.
- The multiplayer population is small. Public lobbies can sit empty for a long time, so treat HD as a game for a specific group rather than a matchmaking queue.
- Expect 2013 pathing. Large groups of siege and cavalry snag on corners in ways Definitive Edition fixed, so move armies in smaller stages rather than one enormous blob.
- The original campaign scripting is intact. William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Saladin, Genghis Khan, Barbarossa and Attila play the way they did in 1999 and 2000, before the Definitive Edition rewrites.
- Steam Workshop still works here. Roughly a decade of user made campaigns, data mods and terrain packs installs the same way as any other Steam game, and almost none of it was ported forward.
- Saves and mods do not carry over to Definitive Edition. If you switch, treat it as a fresh install rather than an upgrade path.
- HD balance froze with Rise of the Rajas in December 2016. Tier lists and build orders written after 2019 describe Definitive Edition civilizations and will mislead you here.
- Metacritic scored HD at 68 back in 2013, largely for shipping the 1999 game at a higher resolution and not much else. The three expansions are where most of the added value ended up.
- If you only want the campaigns, the base game covers it. The expansions add civilizations and new campaigns but are not needed to replay Age of Kings or The Conquerors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still play Age of Empires II (Retired)?
Yes. It installs and launches, Steam multiplayer lobbies still work, and Steam Workshop mods still install. It simply has not received a patch since Definitive Edition arrived on 14 November 2019.
Should I buy this or the Definitive Edition?
The Definitive Edition, app 813780. It has far more civilizations, fixed pathing, ongoing patches, a much larger player population and frequent sales. HD only makes sense if you or your whole group already own it.
How many civilizations does the retired version have?
31 with all three expansions installed. The 2013 base release had 18, The Forgotten added five, The African Kingdoms added four and Rise of the Rajas added four more.
Are the campaigns different from Definitive Edition?
Yes. HD keeps the Age of Kings and Conquerors campaigns as they shipped in 1999 and 2000. Definitive Edition rewrote several missions and re-recorded the narration, so the two versions are not the same experience.
Why is it called Retired?
Microsoft renamed the Steam listing to Age of Empires II (2013) in August 2019 and to Age of Empires II (Retired) in January 2024. The store page itself says the product will not be updated further.
More Age of Empires II (Retired) Guides
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Age of Empires II (Retired) Overview
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Best Builds
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Tier List
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Walkthrough
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Tips & Tricks
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Weapons Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Combat Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Boss Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Maps & Locations
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Crafting Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Classes & Characters
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