Age of Empires Series Wiki
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Icon of Amazonia, a random map in Age of Empires III

Most common game; you choose the settings and victory conditions.
Age of Empires II description

Random map is the primary game mode throughout the games of the Age of Empires series. In the mode, the player starts out with a map randomly generated for each game. The overall topography of the map remains the same on each map type, with different landscapes and landforms on every corner of the map. The size of the map and the number of players affect the generated terrain of the map.

Age of Empires[]

The original Age of Empires offers four random maps. All maps are square, and can be generated in one of several different sizes.

The Rise of Rome[]

The Rise of Rome introduces four new random maps.

Return of Rome[]

ROR RANDOM MAPS

Random Maps in Return of Rome

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Return of Rome elevates the number of random maps available to 28. Many of the new maps are counterparts to maps from Age of Empires II.<

The new maps are:

  • Alliance
  • Citadel
  • Clearing
  • Dark Forest
  • Desert Ridge
  • Gold Mountain
  • Inside Out
  • Land Nomad
  • Large Islands
  • MegaRandom
  • Muddy Waters
  • Nomad
  • Oasis
  • Ocean Channel
  • Ocean Ring
  • Plateaus
  • River Crossing
  • Rivers
  • Sahara
  • Small Islands
  • Twin Settlements

Age of Empires II[]

Maps in Age of Empires II are of four styles: Standard, Real World, Special Maps, and Custom. For all but the custom maps, they are further categorized in-game. Every map is either a land, water, or mixed map, except for the Battle Royale and Capture the Relic maps and MegaRandom. Additionally, several maps are further categorized as nomad, migration, open, or closed.

All maps are square, and can be generated in one of seven different sizes. Ludicrous size was introduced in The Forgotten and is not available in the original game. The Huge size was known as "Giant" prior to update 107882, with the current "Giant" map being bigger. All sizes in bold are only available since update 107882 with the launch parameter "MORE_MAP_SIZES".

Map size Miniature Tiny Small Medium Normal Large Huge Giant Massive Enormous Colossal Incredible Monstrous Ludicrous
Recommended player count 1 2 3 4 6 8 - - - - - - - -
Dimensions 80×80 120×120 144×144 168×168 200×200 220×220 240×240 252×252 276×276 300×300 320×320 360×360 400×400 480×480

Standard[]

Land Maps[]

Mixed Maps[]

Water Maps[]

Other[]

Real World[]

Note: All Real World maps are mixed, except for Bohemia, which is a land map, and Madagascar and Sea of Japan (East Sea), which are water maps.

Special Maps[]

Land Maps[]

Mixed Maps[]

Water Maps[]

Custom Maps[]

Ensemble Studios created additional custom maps for The Conquerors that were originally available for download on the official website. They were later included with Patch 1.0c, Gold Edition and HD Edition. The filenames for all of maps are prefixed with "ES@" to help players find them during multiplayer.

Notes[]

N means the map is nomadic.
M means the map is migratory.
O means the map is open.
C means the map is closed.

Maps by Game Mode[]

Depending on the game mode, certain maps will be hidden by default (note that any map can be played on any game mode by disabling the "Show Suggested Maps" check box). The standard Random Map and Regicide game modes have every map available, except for the ones exclusive to Capture the Relic and Battle Royale. Additionally, Battle Royale maps are exclusive to the game mode, and the only suggested maps for the game mode are said maps.

Any map not on the table is available in every game mode.

= Available
= Unavailable
Map Empire Wars King of the Hill Deathmatch Sudden Death Capture the Relic Defend the Wonder Wonder Race
Acropolis
Archipelago
Baltic
Black Forest
Bog Islands
Bogland
Budapest
City of Lakes
Crater
Crater Lake
Crossroads
CtR Monsoon
CtR Pyramid Descent
CtR Spiral
Enclosed
Fortress
Frigid Lake
Hamburger
Highland
Hill Fort
Islands
Land Madness
Lombardia
Mangrove Jungle
Marketplace
Mediterranean
MegaRandom
Michi
Migration
Morass
Nile Delta
Nomad
Northern Isles
Oasis
Pacific Islands
Rivers
Sacred Springs
Salt Marsh
Sandbank
Socotra
Steppe
Team Islands
Team Moats
Volcanic Island
Water Nomad
Yucatán

Settings[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.
  • Data mod
  • Game Mode
  • Location
  • AI difficulty
  • Resources
  • Population limit; options are every multiple of 25 from 25 to 250 (inclusive), 300, 400, and 500 (default 200)
  • Game speed
    • Slow (1.0x in-game time)
    • Casual (1.5x in-game time)
    • Normal (1.7x in-game time)
    • Fast (2.0x in-game time)
  • Reveal map; dictates the visibility of all areas outside of each player's Line of Sight.
    • Normal (all areas are black until revealed)
    • Explored (all areas are revealed but in fog of war)
    • All visible (all areas of the map are always visible)
  • Starting Age (includes Post-Imperial Age, starting in an age automatically researches all of the previous ages' technologies)
  • Ending Age
  • Treaty length
  • Victory condition

Team Settings[]

  • Lock Teams
  • Team Together
  • Team Positions
  • Shared Exploration
  • Handicap

Advanced Settings[]

Age of Mythology[]

Random Map menu
Randomrandomaom

Selecting "Random" will randomly set the game in a low-water map

Randomallaom

"Random All" will set the game in a map selected from all available options

Age of Mythology features 23 different random maps, and all can be generated in normal or large sizes. For the first time, maps can differ in shape and dimensions, such as being rectangular instead of square. Age of Mythology: Tale of the Dragon introduces a new giant map size that is not available in the original game.

Two of the maps, Black Sea, and River Styx, were released as preorder bonuses for the game, and are included with Age of Mythology: Extended Edition.

Map size Normal Large Giant
Player count 4 8 Any

The Titans[]

The Titans introduces 6 new random maps, two of which feature new and unique terrain not found on any other map in the game.

Tale of the Dragon[]

Tale of the Dragon introduces 7 new random maps, three of which feature a new terrain type. The Regicide game mode from Age of Kings returns as a map, rather than a game mode.

Age of Empires III[]

Age of Empires III has 17 random maps, with two maps being added to the game through patches. All maps are available in a standard size that scales automatically depending on the number of players, with five specific maps available in a separate large size variant. The Asian Dynasties adds another four maps with a large version.

The map Hispaniola was introduced with patch 1.05, while Unknown was added in patch 1.07. To celebrate Christmas, Ensemble released a bonus map for online download, Winter Wonderland. This map has never been included with any digital or retail release of the game.

Map size Standard Large
Maps All maps Carolina · Great Plains · Saguenay · Sonora · Texas · Deccan · Siberia · Silk Road · Yellow River

The WarChiefs[]

The WarChiefs introduces 8 new random maps. Ozarks was introduced with patch 1.03. Plymouth was released as an online download by Ensemble to celebrate Thanksgiving, and is only included with Age of Empires III: Complete Collection.

The Asian Dynasties[]

The Asian Dynasties introduces 10 new random maps, as well as introducing four new game modes: Regicide, King of the Hill, Treaty, and Treaty No-Blockade.

Definitive Edition[]

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition introduces 23 new random maps.

The African Royals[]

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The African Royals introduces 15 new random maps. Another 13 new random maps were added as part of the updates.

With update 43871, 4 new maps were added:

With update 47581, 3 new maps were added:

With update 50830, 3 new maps were added:

With update 61213, a new map was added:

With update 13.690, 2 new maps were added:

Knights of the Mediterranean[]

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - Knights of the Mediterranean introduces 30 new random maps. More random maps were added as part of updates.

With update 13.12327, 5 new maps were added:

With update 13.18214, 3 new maps were added:

With update 13.27885, a special map that became a normal map was added:

With update 13.58326, 3 new maps were added:

With update 14.43676, 1 new map was added:

Age of Empires IV[]

Age of Empires IV features 27 random maps. Each map can be generated in various biomes.

Biomes[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

Biomes are the visual changes applied on the selected random map, representing various seasons, climates, or even imitating the landscape of specific locations. The selected biome changes the type of trees, the color of the ground and grass, forest distribution and density, map colour filter, and other visual effects. Some biomes also feature unique encounters.

AoE4 japanese spring lobby flavor

Japanese Spring

AoE4 savanna lobby flavor

Savanna

On game release, eight standard biomes were introduced:

  • European Temperate
  • Taiga Summer
  • Taiga Winter
  • Steppes
  • Gobi Desert
  • Asian Temperate
  • Asian Subtropical
  • Chalk Downs

With the release of The Sultans Ascend, two more biomes were added:

  • Japanese Spring
  • Savanna

New ranked seasons sometimes introduce new biomes temporarily, such as:

  • Enchanted Grove
  • Halloween

Trivia[]

  • Ensemble Studios held a random map contest in 2007 for Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs, of which the prize was to have the winning map officially included into the game. The winning map would also feature a special building in the centre that would be named after the contest winner:
    • RF_Gandalf won the contest with the map Dakota Badlands. The contest ended too close to the then-upcoming patch's release for the map to be included with it. But despite Ensemble's assurances that Dakota Badlands would come with a later patch, the map was ultimately never included for unknown reasons. The map file contains disabled code for spawning the special building in the center, but enabling it does nothing as the building itself was never patched into the game.
    • Johnny_Deppig was the runner-up with Sioux Country.
Random maps
Age of Empires
ReturnRome-AoEIcon Age of Empires Coastal · Highland · Inland · Large Islands · Small Islands
RomeIcon The Rise of Rome Continental · Hill Country · Mediterranean · Narrows
Age of Empires Definitive Edition icon Definitive Edition Oasis · Rivers
AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of Rome Alliance · Citadel · Clearing · Dark Forest · Gold Mountain · Inside Out · Land Nomad · MegaRandom · Muddy Waters · Nomad · Ocean Channel · Ocean Ring · Plateaus · River Crossing · Sahara · Twin Settlements
For maps used in high-level tournaments, see liquipedia.
Age of Empires II
AoE2-DLCicon-0 The Age of Kings Random Arabia · Archipelago · Baltic · Black Forest · Crater Lake · Continental · Coastal · Fortress · Gold Rush · Highland · Islands · Mediterranean · Migration · Rivers · Team Islands
Custom Canals · Capricious · Dingos · Graveyards · Metropolis · Moats · Paradise Island · Pilgrims · Prairie · Seasons · Sherwood Forest · Sherwood Heroes · Shipwreck · Team Glaciers · The Unknown
AoE2-DLCicon-1 The Conquerors Random Arena · Ghost Lake · Mongolia · Nomad · Oasis · Salt Marsh · Scandinavia · Yucatán
Real World Britain · Byzantium · Central America · France · Iberia · Italy · Mideast · Norse Lands · Sea of Japan (East Sea) · Texas
AoE2-DLCicon-2 The Forgotten Random Acropolis · Budapest · Cenotes · City of Lakes · Golden Pit · Hideout · Hill Fort · Lombardia · Steppe · Valley · MegaRandom · Hamburger
Capture the Relic CtR Monsoon · CtR Pyramid Descent · CtR Random · CtR Spiral
AoE2-DLCicon-3 The African Kingdoms Random Kilimanjaro · Mountain Pass · Nile Delta · Serengeti · Socotra
Real World Amazon · Bohemia · China · Earth · Horn of Africa · India · Madagascar · West Africa
Special Canyons · Enemy Archipelago · Enemy Islands · Far Out · Front Line · Inner Circle · Motherland · Open Plains · Ring of Water · Snakepit · The Eye
AoE2-DLCicon-4 Rise of the Rajas Random Bog Islands · Mangrove Jungle · Pacific Islands · Sandbank · Water Nomad
Real World Australia · Indochina · Indonesia · Philippines · Strait of Malacca
Special Border Stones · Holy Line · Jungle Islands · Jungle Lanes · Yin Yang
AoE2-DLCicon-5 The Last Khans Random Alpine Lakes · Bogland · Four Lakes · Golden Swamp · Land Nomad · Mountain Ridge · Ravines · Wolf Hill
Real World Antarctica · Aral Sea · Black Sea · Caucasus · Siberia
Special Journey South · Snake Forest · Sprawling Streams · Swirling River · Twin Forests
Battle Royale BR Battle On Ice · BR El Dorado · BR Fall of Axum · BR Fall of Rome · BR Majapahit Empire
AoE2Icon-LordsWest Lords of the West Random Acclivity · African Clearing · Amazon Tunnel · Atacama · Coastal Forest · Crater · Crossroads · Eruption · Frigid Lake · Greenland · Lowland · Marketplace · Meadow · Michi · Mountain Range · Northern Isles · Ring Fortress · Runestones · Seize The Mountain · Team Moats · Volcanic Island
Dawn of the Dukes icon Dawn of the Dukes Random Aftermath · Enclosed · Haboob · Kawasan · Land Madness · Sacred Springs · Wade
AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of India Random Morass · Shoals
For maps used in high-level tournaments, see liquipedia.
Age of Mythology
Aom original icon Age of Mythology Acropolis · Alfheim · Anatolia · Archipelago · Black Sea · Erebus · Ghost Lake · Jotunheim · King of the Hill · Mediterranean · Midgard · Nomad · Oasis · River Nile · River Styx · Savannah · Sea of Worms · Sudden Death · Team Migration · The Unknown · Valley of Kings · Vinlandsaga · Watering Hole
AoM The Titans icon The Titans Highland · Islands · Land Unknown · Marsh · Megalopolis · Tundra
AoM Extended icon Tale of the Dragon Basin · Blue Lagoon · Deep Jungle · Old Atlantis · Open Fields · Regicide · Silk Road · Yellow River
Cut Forgotten City · Golden Fleece
For maps used in high-level tournaments, see liquipedia.
Age of Empires III
3Icon48px Age of Empires III Amazonia · Bayou · Caribbean · Carolina · Great Lakes · Great Plains · Hispaniola · New England · Pampas · Patagonia · Rockies · Saguenay · Sonora · Texas · Unknown · Yucatán · Yukon
3WCIcon48px The WarChiefs Andes · Araucania · California · Northwest Territory · Orinoco · Ozarks · Painted Desert · Plymouth
3ADIcon48px The Asian Dynasties Borneo · Ceylon · Deccan · Himalayas · Himalayas - Upper · Honshu · Honshu - Regicide · Indochina · Mongolia · Regicide · Siberia · Silk Road · Yellow River
Age3DE Icon Definitive Edition Alaska · Andes - Upper · Arctic Territories · Bahia · Baja California · Bengal · Cascade Range · Central Asia · Central Plain · Colorado · Dakota · Fertile Crescent · Florida · Gran Chaco · Guianas · Hokkaido · Indonesia · Kamchatka · Korea · Malaysia · Manchuria · Mexico · Minas Gerais · Pampas Sierras · Panama · Parallel Rivers · Punjab · Texas Frontier · Yamal
The African Royals Arabia · Atlas · Congo Basin · Darfur · Dunes · Dunes - The Eye · Gold Coast · Great Rift · Highlands · Horn · Ivory Coast · Lake Chad · Lake Victoria · Niger Delta · Niger River · Nile Valley · Pepper Coast · Saharan Routes · Saharan Routes - LOST · Sahel · Savanna · Siwa Oasis · Sudd · Swahili Coast · Tassili · Tripolitania
Knights of the Mediterranean Acropolis · Alps · Anatolia · Archipelago · Balkan Mountains · Baltic Sea · Black Forest · Black Forest - Arena · Black Forest - Forest Nothing · Bohemia · Budapest · Carpathians · Caucasus · Corsica and Sardinia · Courland · Danish Straits · Dnieper Basin · England · Eurasian Steppe · Eurasian Steppe - LOST · Eurasian Steppe - Survival · Finland · France · Hungarian Plains · Ireland · Italy · Karelian Lakes · Lithuania · Low Countries · Mediterranean · Muscovy · Pomerania · Portugal · Pripet Marshes · Pyrenees · Rhine · Saxony · Scandinavia · Scotland · Spain · Vistula Basin · Wales · Wallachia
For maps used in high-level tournaments, see liquipedia.
GameIcon-AoE4 Age of Empires IV
Age of Empires IV Launch Altai · Ancient Spires · Archipelago · Black Forest · Boulder Bay · Confluence · Danube River · Dry Arabia · French Pass · Hill and Dale · King of the Hill · Lipany · Mongolian Heights · Mountain Pass · Nagari
One MegaRandom
Three Baltic (Mediterranean) · Forest Ponds · Hideout · Mountain Clearing · Oasis · Prairie · Waterholes · Wetlands
Four Continental · Four Lakes · Marshland
Five Golden Heights · Migration · Volcanic Island
Six Canal · Gorge · Rocky River
Unsorted High View · The Pit · Warring Islands
The Sultans Ascend Six African Waters · Cliffside · Forts · Glade · Golden Pit · Haywire · Hidden Valley · Himeyama · Thickets · Turtle Ridge
Expansion maps are not available without buying the expansion. Maps are sorted according to their expansion (must be bought) and launch seasons.
For maps used in high-level tournaments, see liquipedia.
Game modes in the Age of Empires series
PopularCampaign (II) · Multiplayer · Random map · Deathmatch · Regicide · Nomad · Co-op · D3 · Free-for-all
Battle Royale · Capture the Relic · Castle Blood Automatic · Defend the Wonder · Dominion · Empire Wars · Historical map · King of the Hill · Sudden Death · Treaty · Turbo Random Map · Tycoon · Wonder Race
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