What Age of History 2: Definitive Edition is
This is a grand strategy wargame where you lead a civilization across the full sweep of human history, from the dawn of civilization to the distant future. You pick any civilization, from the largest empires to the smallest tribes, and run a campaign that reshapes the fate of humanity. The goal is straightforward: use military tactics and cunning diplomacy to either unify the world or conquer it. The map is the biggest it has been, with 13,892 provinces, historical borders, varied population and terrain types, and province names printed directly on the map so you can read the world at a glance. Armies recruit and move faster than before, and the AI behaves smarter, so the opposition keeps you honest.
Playing together
The game supports hotseat multiplayer, where you play with as many players as there are civilizations in the session. Everyone takes turns on the same map, so a group can split the world between them and run rival empires turn by turn. Steam also lists Remote Play Together, which lets friends join in over a connection. Diplomacy is where the group play gets interesting: the expanded system includes actions like Enforce Peace, Intervene in War, Join War, Send Volunteer Army, Host a Diplomatic Summit, Impose Sanctions, Share Technology, Request Loan, Offer Debt Relief, Ask to Become a Vassal, Transfer Vassal, and Propose Union. Wartime capitulation means a losing side can be forced to the table, and you can spread propaganda, provoke rebels, or recruit mercenaries to tilt a conflict.
Before you start
Expect a game that is simple to learn but hard to master, with a lot of moving parts under a simplified, responsive UI. Turn-based play means nobody is rushed, but wars still take planning: regroup all armies, control AI armies on or off, and use mass province actions to invest, build, or assimilate across every province in one click. The Definitive Edition adds 32 new religions, new civilizations, new scenarios, new government types, new wonders, atomic weapons, and notifications to keep you informed. There are also built-in editors — Scenario Editor, Civilization Creator, Flag Maker, Wasteland Editor, Map and Province Editors, Growth Rate, City and Terrain Editors, plus custom diplomacy colors, alliances and continents — and full Steam Workshop support for mods. End-game timelapses show your empire's rise once the campaign wraps up.