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Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition vs Rift Riff

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and Rift Riff 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 II: Definitive Edition (2019) is 6 years older than Rift Riff (2025). Both sit near 96% positive on Steam (Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition: 60,009 reviews, Rift Riff: 275). 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 Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 60,009 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Rift Riff

Choose Rift Riff if you want an Action and Indie game with Camera Comfort and Keyboard Only Option. On Steam, it's currently about 63% cheaper on the Steam Store. Rift Riff launched in 2025.

Both Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and Rift Riff sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Adjustable Text Size, Color Alternatives, and Custom Volume Controls, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (95.1% vs 96% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.

Side-by-side comparison

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition vs Rift Riff — Steam metadata comparison
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition — Steam game coverAge of Empires II: Definitive EditionRift Riff — Steam game coverRift Riff
Released20192025
GenresStrategyAction, Strategy, Indie
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows, macOS, Linux
Steam DeckDeck PlayableDeck Verified
Price34.99 USD12.99 USD
Steam reviews95.1% positive (60,009 reviews)96% positive (275 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-opSingle-player only
DevelopersWorld's Edge, Forgotten Empires, CaptureAge, Tantalus Media, Wicked Witch, Feral InteractiveAdriaan de Jongh, Sim Kaart, Matthijs Koster, Franz LaZerte, Professional Panda

Side by side

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

Which is better, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition or Rift Riff?
On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition sits at 95.1% positive (60,009 reviews), Rift Riff at 96% (275). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
Should I play Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition or Rift Riff first?
If you want chronology, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (2019) came out before Rift Riff (2025). 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 II: Definitive Edition and Rift Riff 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.
Does Rift Riff have multiplayer like Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition?
No. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while Rift Riff is listed as single-player only.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition vs Rift Riff · imho.run