TL;DR
If you’re looking for the "educational" game you remember from the 90s, stick to the PC and console versions like Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. It’s a brilliant, history-rich strategy game that rewards patience and planning. However, the recently released Age of Empires Mobile is a completely different beast—it’s a "free-to-play" game packed with loot boxes, "gacha" mechanics (gambling-lite), and timers designed to make kids reach for your credit card.
Quick Recommendations:
- For History & Strategy: Age of Empires IV or Civilization VI
- For Younger Kids (8-10): Minecraft (Survival mode) or The Oregon Trail
- To Avoid: Age of Empires Mobile unless you have strict spending limits in place.
At its core, Age of Empires is a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) series. In the classic games, players start with a few villagers in the Stone Age or the Dark Ages and have to gather resources (wood, food, gold, and stone) to build a civilization. You research technologies, advance through "Ages," and eventually build an army to defend your town or conquer your neighbors.
It’s basically a digital version of those elaborate plastic soldier setups we used to have on the living room floor, but with a much higher IQ. You aren't just clicking to attack; you're learning why the English Longbowmen were a nightmare for the French at Agincourt or how the Mongols used speed to dismantle slower European armies.
There is a massive divide right now that parents need to understand. If your kid says, "I want to play Age of Empires," you need to know which one they mean, because the experience (and the cost) couldn't be more different.
These are the games we love. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires IV are "buy-to-play." You pay $20–$40 once, and you own the whole game.
- The Vibe: High-level thinking, historical campaigns with narrated documentaries, and complex resource management.
- The "Win" Condition: Being smarter and faster than your opponent.
This is the new kid on the block, and frankly, it’s a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It uses the famous name and the pretty graphics, but the gameplay is a "4X mobile battler" (think Rise of Kingdoms).
- The Vibe: Constant notifications, "stamina" bars that limit how much you can play for free, and "hero" summons that look a lot like slot machines.
- The "Win" Condition: Often, it’s simply who has spent the most money on upgrades.
Learn more about the difference between RTS and Mobile 4X games
Despite the mobile version's flaws, the franchise is popular for a reason. About 5-8% of middle schoolers are currently engaged with some form of historical strategy gaming, and that number spikes to nearly 15% in high school as kids get more into competitive play.
- The "God" Perspective: There’s something deeply satisfying about building a city from scratch and watching your little villagers go about their business.
- The History Hook: For kids who are into "Who Was?" books or the I Survived series, playing through the life of Joan of Arc or Genghis Khan is incredibly cool.
- Competitive Depth: On the PC side, the game is a legitimate esport. It requires "APM" (Actions Per Minute) and serious multitasking skills. It’s "brain rot" proof because you literally cannot play it while your brain is turned off.
Ages 10-12
This is the sweet spot for starting the PC versions. The historical campaigns in Age of Empires II are basically interactive history lessons.
- Safety Note: Multiplayer chat can be a bit salty, but it’s generally much more mature and less toxic than Fortnite or Call of Duty. You can easily disable chat or just have them play the single-player campaigns.
Ages 13+
High schoolers might enjoy the competitive ladder. This is where they learn about "build orders" and economic efficiency—skills that, surprisingly, translate well to real-world time management and prioritization.
Check out our guide on the best strategy games for middle schoolers
If your kid is playing the Age of Empires Mobile app, you need to have a conversation about "Gacha." In this game, you "pull" for legendary heroes like King Arthur or Cleopatra. You get a few for free, but the best ones have a tiny percentage chance of appearing.
This is essentially gambling. The game gives you a "rush" when you see the gold light of a legendary hero, and it’s designed to make you want to spend "just $1.99" for one more try. Those $1.99s add up faster than a Mongol cavalry raid.
Stats to Consider: Research shows that nearly 40% of kids who play mobile games with loot boxes feel pressured to spend money to keep up with their friends. In a game like AoE Mobile, being "free to play" often means being "the person who gets crushed by the kid with their parent's credit card."
Mobile games like this use "Dark Patterns"—design choices intended to manipulate users. Watch out for:
- Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): "Limited time" offers that expire in 2 hours.
- Sunk Cost Fallacy: "You've already spent 10 hours building this castle, don't you want to spend $5 to protect it from being destroyed while you sleep?"
- Obfuscated Currency: They don't show you dollars; they show you "Empire Coins" or "Gems." It’s much easier for a 12-year-old to spend 500 Gems than $10.00.
Instead of just banning the mobile version, use it as a teaching moment about the "Attention Economy."
- Ask: "Why do you think the game makes you wait 4 hours to build that barracks? Is it because it's a better game, or because they want you to pay to skip the wait?"
- The Entrepreneurship Angle: If they love the strategy, steer them toward the PC version. Tell them, "In the PC version, everyone starts with the same resources. It's about how well you manage your 'business' (the empire). In the mobile version, the person who pays the most wins. Which one sounds like a real challenge?"
If you want the strategy without the predatory spending, check these out:
- Civilization VI: The gold standard for historical strategy. It’s turn-based, so it’s less stressful than AoE but even deeper on the history.
- Polyytopia: A fantastic, simplified mobile strategy game that is much more ethical with its monetization.
- StarCraft II: If they want pure, high-speed competitive strategy (Sci-Fi themed).
- Total War: Pharaoh: For the kid who wants massive, realistic historical battles.
Age of Empires is one of the few franchises that can actually make a kid excited about the Byzantine Empire or the significance of the printing press. It’s a "Smart Game."
However, Age of Empires Mobile is a different animal. It’s a Skinner Box wrapped in a history skin. If your kid wants to be a strategist, get them the PC/Console version. If they just want something to click on their phone, keep a very close eye on your App Store password and have a serious talk about how "free" games actually make their money.
- Check the device: If they are on an iPad, they are likely playing the "Mobile" version. If they are on a PC or Xbox, they are likely playing the "Classic" version.
- Set a "No In-App Purchases" rule: Or, better yet, give them a set "gaming allowance" and let them see how fast it disappears in a gacha game.
- Play with them: Sit down for a campaign mission in Age of Empires IV. You might actually learn something about the Battle of Hastings together.
Check out our full guide on managing in-app purchases See more "Brainy" games for teens