IMHO.

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition vs Age of Empires: Definitive Edition

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires: Definitive 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. Both released in 2019. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% 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 II: Definitive Edition

Choose Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition if you want the Online Co-op, LAN Co-op, and Adjustable Text Size side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.1% positive across 60,009 reviews.

Choose Age of Empires: Definitive Edition

Choose Age of Empires: Definitive Edition if it's currently about 43% cheaper on the Steam Store. 5,952 Steam reviews back the pick.

Both Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires: Definitive Edition sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and LAN 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 II: Definitive Edition vs Age of Empires: Definitive Edition — Steam metadata comparison
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition — Steam game coverAge of Empires II: Definitive EditionAge of Empires: Definitive Edition — Steam game coverAge of Empires: Definitive Edition
Released20192019
GenresStrategyStrategy
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows
Steam DeckDeck PlayableDeck Playable
Price34.99 USD19.99 USD
Steam reviews95.1% positive (60,009 reviews)83% positive (5,952 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-opMulti-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer
DevelopersWorld's Edge, Forgotten Empires, CaptureAge, Tantalus Media, Wicked Witch, Feral InteractiveWorld's Edge, Forgotten Empires, Tantalus

Side by side

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition vs Age of Empires: Definitive Edition — FAQ

Which is better, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition or Age of Empires: Definitive Edition?
On Steam reviews Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition scores higher (95.1% 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 II: Definitive Edition is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
Are Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires: Definitive 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.