Summary
- Age of Empires 4 is a must-play for RTS fans with a documentary-style campaign.
- The game offers a hub for mods, including Dire Wolves and Mountain Pass With Walls.
- Fan-made mods like Permanent Bodies and Royal Rumble enhance gameplay with unique features.
Age of Empires is one of the most legendary RTS series of all time, with all of its games being celebrated by the masses as some of the very best in the genre. The first two games are quite famous, with the third game having its fair share of fans, too. After what felt like eons of waiting, the fourth game was released to positive reviews, even if some people felt like it was trying to emulate the success of Age of Empires 2 a bit too much for their liking.
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Regardless, Age of Empires 4 is a must-play for RTS fans, with its campaign taking on the form of a documentary as players wage historic battles and achieve landmark successes that are huge for their time. Players who want to make this game more enjoyable can do so with a wealth of great Age of Empires 4 mods. These fan-made pieces of content cover numerous verticals and will go a long way in ensuring that most people aren't fatigued after playing this game for too long.
Updated on February 26, 2025, by Mehrdad Khayyat: Age of Empires 4 or almost every other RTS game with a skirmish mode provides unlimited hours of fun and playtime aside from the main campaign. However, diversity is something needed at some point, and what could diversify an RTS better than mods?
The good thing about Age of Empires 4 is that the developers have dedicated an exclusive hub for mod creators, allowing them to share their latest ideas with the community, and also letting the players download and install the mods through an easy and safe process.
19 Dire Wolves
Subscribers: 29,634
Dire Wolves is a small but impactful mod recommended to players who look for a more challenging and less forgiving nature. The mod specifically focuses on the pack of wolves lurking around the map, making them hard to deal with and giving them more power.
The mod increases the damage output, size, and health bar of the wolves, which means players need stronger units to deal with them, while they will also fight back with deadly attacks. The total appearance of the wolves on the map remains unchanged, though.
18 Mountain Pass With Walls
Subscribers: 92,248
- Creator: Arosek
- Download Link
Most of the Age of Empires 4 mods feature custom-made maps with unique gimmicks that players can use to make a multiplayer session all the more engaging, and such is the case with this mod, which is pretty self-explanatory. Players who love using strategic advantages to get to an enemy's base to wreak havoc will love what this mod brings to the table.
Players must use sound strategies to break through the wall that gates the passage to an enemy's region while ensuring that they don't get outmaneuvered tactically by other players. It's easier said than done, and players will likely want to play a few practice games on this map to figure out the best approach before playing a competitive game where they must secure victory at all costs.
17 The Tunnel
Subscribers: 56,143
- Creator: fizBuzz
- Download Link
Small passes that narrow down the enemy forces trying to make their way to a base will leave them vulnerable to an enemy counterattack, which is why players should make it a point to prepare beforehand for this contingency before playing on a map that involves such bottlenecks. Such is the case with this Age of Empires 4 mod, where players must work around these claustrophobic areas to secure victory.
Unless players have a massive army that can handle some losses, they should try not to go on the offensive too much while playing on this map. Trying to pass through the tunnel in the middle of the map is akin to a death sentence for unprepared players. Veterans will know what to do, but the tide of battle can still turn against them if they get too overzealous and try to mount an early offense that can't handle the wealth of losses they'll incur as they pass through this narrow zone.
16 Permanent Bodies
Subscribers: 45,503
- Creator: esmaperdut
- Download Link
Warfare is a huge part of Age of Empires 4's gameplay loop. Players will form a ton of armies and watch these units go down by the dozen as they strive to conquer bases and take out opposing forces. While the bodies of their fallen soldiers stay on the map for a while, they eventually fade away to not clutter up the map and make it easier to visually discern what's happening. It's a smart solution, but some players may want to see the aftermath of the carnage they've induced on the map.
This Age of Empires 4 mod helps facilitate the same, ensuring that bodies remain on the map permanently no matter how much time has passed. It's a sobering way to show the sheer number of losses that have been incurred in a game, especially if these skirmishes have been going on for so long that the entire map is littered with bodies.
15 The Lord Of The Rings Middle Earth Map
Subscribers: 88,468
- Creator: DoMiGod
- Download Link
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most famous IPs around, and it's easy to see why so many people love the adventures of Sam, Frodo, and the others as they strive to throw the One Ring into Mordor and end Sauron's reign of tyranny once and for all. While Age of Empires 4 may not have the fantasy gameplay people would expect from a Lord of the Rings game, this doesn't mean that players can't pay homage to this beloved fantasy series in their own way.
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There are many great Age of Empires fan-made maps that allow players to have a fun time setting up skirmishes and trying their hardest to develop their economy and take out their enemies in no time. One such mod replicates the environment of Lord of the Rings, making for a great time as players try their hardest to establish dominance on a map that will invoke some great memories.
14 Great Wall Of China
Subscribers: 17,985
For any player looking to challenge themselves in a game of siege, the Great Wall of China is an amazing mod to try out with a little bit of historical authenticity. The map puts the player in a 1v7 scenario, where the player takes the role of the Chinese empire, with a long, sturdy wall protecting it from threats and an abundance of resources available.
On the other hand, seven allied enemies prepare to take over the player's territory while dealing with the lack of resources. This is also a great mod to play with friends, training some siege tactics to destroy the Great Wall, if possible!
13 AoE Battlegrounds
Subscribers: 63,900
- Creator: heart&move
- Download Link
Some people may feel that Age of Empires 4 features gameplay that can be a bit too rigid for their liking. While the reasoning behind this sentiment is understandable, there are still some ways these people can enable fresh and unique gameplay loops for their titles. One great way for players to enjoy Age of Empires 4 in a different way is to check out the AoE Battlegrounds mod.
This mod is inspired by Hearthstone's Battlegrounds and StarCraft's Tavern Battle Mode, making it the perfect mod for players who want to check out something different and engaging. Age of Empires 4 wears its inspirations a bit too much on its sleeve at times, so any mod that helps take both the game and players out of this comfort zone is much appreciated.
12 Battleground
Subscribers: 45,366
- Creator: Tobi
- Download Link
Some of the custom maps players can download for Age of Empires 4 can feel rather uninspired, and many gamers would only want to subscribe to maps that help them make the most of the title's gameplay. One such mod that is perfect for players looking for unique environments to mess around in is Battleground.
Featuring an area with plentiful resources and a mountain pass that's hard to navigate, Battleground is a great mod for players to check out if they want to enjoy fun 1v1 and 2v2 gameplay sessions. Navigating troops is easier said than done on this map, and players must employ every strategy in their arsenal to come out victorious.
11 World Map
Subscribers: 24,311
This is one of those maps that has proven to be quite entertaining in its utmost simplicity! As the name implies, the mod brings the map of the world with all its continents to the game on a smaller scale and turns it into a battleground between the nations of Age of Empires 4.
Despite being a replica of the world's map, the design and the distribution of resources on the World Map mod have been handled excellently to deliver a balanced experience for every part of the map with reasonable challenges to deal with. The map even features the frozen lands of antarctica, which comes with more challenges in finding resources.
10 Gulch
Subscribers: 71,393
- Creator: AoE Official
- Download Link
The fact that the developers themselves release mods for players to check out in the game is a testament to how well they understand the title's passionate community. Most of these mods may be custom maps, but fans won't have any issues with that. After all, the base game maps have probably been played to death by veterans, so playing through carefully curated maps made by other people familiar with the gameplay loop of Age of Empires 4 is pretty appealing.
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The Gulch is a tactical map that requires players to be smart about how they go about with their plans for conquest. The river in the center is what makes or breaks the game, and any player who establishes control on this part of the map will almost guarantee their win. It's a great Age of Empires 4 mod for players looking for a unique competitive map to play in.