Choose Age of Wonders III
Choose Age of Wonders III if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 4,560 Steam reviews back the pick.
Age of Wonders III vs Lords of Magic: Special Edition
Age of Wonders III and Lords of Magic: Special Edition both land in Strategy, RPG 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 share Strategy, RPG on Steam. Age of Wonders III (2014) is 1 year older than Lords of Magic: Special Edition (2015). Lords of Magic: Special Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (92.9% positive) than Age of Wonders III (82.1% 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 Lords of Magic: Special Edition
Choose Lords of Magic: Special Edition if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 92.9% positive across 448 reviews.
Both Age of Wonders III and Lords of Magic: Special Edition sit in Strategy and RPG on Steam, 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 Wonders III |  Lords of Magic: Special Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2015 |
| Genres | Strategy, RPG | Strategy, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82.1% positive (4,560 reviews) | 92.9% positive (448 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Triumph Studios | Impressions Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, RPG on Steam.
- Age of Wonders III (2014) is 1 year older than Lords of Magic: Special Edition (2015).
- Lords of Magic: Special Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (92.9% positive) than Age of Wonders III (82.1% positive).
- Lords of Magic: Special Edition is currently ~83% cheaper on Steam than Age of Wonders III (4.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Age of Wonders III has co-op; Lords of Magic: Special Edition does not.
- Age of Wonders III is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Lords of Magic: Special Edition has no Deck rating yet.
Age of Wonders III vs Lords of Magic: Special Edition — FAQ
- Which is better, Age of Wonders III or Lords of Magic: Special Edition?
- On Steam reviews Lords of Magic: Special Edition scores higher (92.9% positive) than Age of Wonders III (82.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Lords of Magic: Special 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 Wonders III or Lords of Magic: Special Edition first?
- If you want chronology, Age of Wonders III (2014) came out before Lords of Magic: Special Edition (2015). 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 Wonders III and Lords of Magic: Special Edition similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, RPG 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.
- Does Lords of Magic: Special Edition have multiplayer like Age of Wonders III?
- No. Age of Wonders III supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op), while Lords of Magic: Special Edition is listed as single-player only.
- Does Age of Wonders III run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Age of Wonders III is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Lords of Magic: Special Edition doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.