Choose Age of Empires: Definitive Edition
Choose Age of Empires: Definitive Edition if you want the LAN PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. 5,952 Steam reviews back the pick.
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition vs Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition both land in Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Strategy games on Steam. Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (2019) is 2 years older than Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition (2021). Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (86.4% positive) than Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (83% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition
Choose Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition if you want the Online Co-op and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 86.4% positive across 27,761 reviews.
Both Age of Empires: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Age of Empires: Definitive Edition |  Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 83% positive (5,952 reviews) | 86.4% positive (27,761 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | World's Edge, Forgotten Empires, Tantalus | World's Edge, Relic Entertainment, Forgotten Empires, Climax Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (2019) is 2 years older than Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition (2021).
- Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (86.4% positive) than Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (83% positive).
- Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition (19.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition has co-op; Age of Empires: Definitive Edition does not.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition vs Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition — FAQ
- Which is better, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition or Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition?
- On Steam reviews Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition scores higher (86.4% positive) than Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (83% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Age of Empires: Definitive Edition or Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition first?
- If you want chronology, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (2019) came out before Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition (2021). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Age of Empires: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition similar?
- They overlap on Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.