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.
These tips go beyond the basics. They're the strategies experienced players use to play more efficiently, the hidden mechanics most people miss, and the optimizations that compound over a full playthrough. If you're just starting, check our beginner's guide first.
Essential Tips
1. Check whether you already own HD before spending anything
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.
2. Everyone in your lobby needs matching DLC
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.
3. The multiplayer population is small
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.
4. Expect 2013 pathing
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.
5. The original campaign scripting is intact
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.
6. Steam Workshop still works here
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.
7. Saves and mods do not carry over to Definitive Edition
Saves and mods do not carry over to Definitive Edition. If you switch, treat it as a fresh install rather than an upgrade path.
8. HD balance froze with Rise of the Rajas in December 2016
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.
9. Metacritic scored HD at 68 back in 2013, largely for shipping the 1999 game at a higher resolution and not much else
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.
10. If you only want the campaigns, the base game covers it
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.
Advanced Strategies
Build Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive. See our builds guide for full breakdowns.
For Britons (A-Tier):
- Focus on A build frozen since 2019 combinations for maximum output.
- Core gear: Longbowman
- Stat priority: Offensive stats first
For Franks (A-Tier):
- Versatile approach that handles any situation.
- Core gear: Throwing Axeman
- Stat priority: Balanced stats
Mechanic Interactions
Understanding how Age of Empires II (Retired)'s systems interact is where the real optimization lives. Our combat guide covers this in detail.
A build frozen since 2019 + 31 civilizations across three expansions: Development stopped when Definitive Edition launched on 14 November 2019, so HD sits permanently on its last patch. Combined with 31 civilizations across three expansions, the 2013 base release shipped 18 civilizations.
Steam multiplayer lobbies and Workshop + Original Age of Kings and Conquerors campaigns: Multiplayer runs through Steam rather than the original 1999 matchmaking, so lobbies, friend invites and Steam Workshop mods all still function. When paired with 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.
Pre Definitive Edition unit pathing scaling: 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.
Equipment Efficiency
| Equipment | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Longbowman | Static Britons archer lines that outrange the answer | The Britons unique unit, an archer with the longest reach in the game once Yeomen and the elite upgrade land. |
| Throwing Axeman | Anti infantry support behind Frankish cavalry | The Franks unique unit, ranged infantry whose axes ignore the usual archer armor class. |
| Mangudai | Hit and run raiding and deleting enemy siege | The Mongols unique cavalry archer, fast and carrying a bonus against siege weapons. |
| Jaguar Warrior | Countering enemy infantry masses in Aztec pushes | The Aztecs unique infantry, built specifically to shred other infantry. |
| Rattan Archer | Winning archer versus archer fights outright | The Vietnamese unique unit from Rise of the Rajas, an archer with high pierce armor that beats other archers head on. |
Location Efficiency
Arabia (All skill levels, the default 1v1 map): 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.
Black Forest (Casual and team games): 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.
Gold Rush (Team games and free for all): A central gold pile ringed by open ground, which turns the middle into a permanent fight. Whoever holds the center gold usually wins the late game.
Migration (Casual and team games): Every player starts on their own island and has to build transports to reach the mainland. It is the map that most rewards knowing what your civilization's navy can actually do.
Fortress (Team games): Each player starts inside a pre built stone wall enclosure, which makes early aggression expensive. Games settle into siege and trebuchet duels instead of feudal raids.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- 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.
- Assuming HD and Definitive Edition players can play together. They are separate Steam apps with separate multiplayer and nothing crosses between them.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Pro Quick Tips
- 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.
- Start with Franks, switch to Britons when ready
- Invest in Longbowman above everything else
- Clear areas in order: Arabia → Black Forest → Gold Rush → Migration → Fortress. See our maps guide
- A build frozen since 2019 + 31 civilizations across three expansions together are stronger than either alone
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) Beginner's Guide
- 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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