Age of New Worlds 2

One strategy game. Two ways to see the world.

Age of New Worlds and Age of New Worlds 2 are being developed side by side.

The original 2D game is not being replaced, abandoned or put on hold. It will continue to receive updates, fixes, balance changes, multiplayer improvements, new gameplay systems and interface work while AoNW2 grows into a 3D version of the same strategy game.

Age of New Worlds 2 is the next visual step for Age of New Worlds, a turn-based 4X strategy game about exploring an unknown world, founding cities, developing an economy, researching new technologies and deciding when diplomacy should give way to war.

AoNW2 is being created as a new 3D way to experience that world.

The goal is not to build two separate games with different rules. AoNW will remain the clear and lightweight 2D version, while AoNW2 will present the same maps, civilizations and strategic decisions through 3D terrain, cities, units, lighting and animation.

The original game will continue to grow

Work on AoNW2 does not mean that development of the first game will stop.

Bug fixes, balance changes, AI improvements, multiplayer work and new gameplay features will continue to be developed for Age of New Worlds. Whenever possible, those systems will become part of both versions.

Developing two different interfaces should also create a useful feedback loop.

AoNW2 can experiment with a more immersive camera, clearer movement previews and new ways of presenting cities, terrain, units and available actions. Lessons learned from the 3D version can then help improve the interface, controls and readability of the original 2D game.

At the same time, the existing AoNW remains the playable foundation on which the second version is being built.

The long-term vision

Both versions are intended to share:

• the same game rules
• the same maps and scenarios
• the same civilizations
• the same units and technologies
• the same economy and strategic resources
• the same combat calculations
• the same balance
• the same AI
• the same saves and replays
• the same multiplayer world

The long-term multiplayer goal is especially important.

A player using the original 2D version should eventually be able to enter the same lobby and play the same match as someone using AoNW2.

One player may see a readable 2D hex map.

Another may see the same world as a fully modeled 3D environment.

The decisions and results should remain the same. Only the way each player sees and controls the world will be different.

This shared multiplayer experience is a development goal, not a finished feature yet.

Build your civilization one turn at a time

The complete AoNW2 experience is intended to bring the established Age of New Worlds strategy loop into 3D:

• explore a hex-based world hidden by fog of war
• establish cities and expand their borders
• improve the surrounding land
• manage production, resources and infrastructure
• research technologies that open new possibilities
• construct roads and connect your territory
• develop an army across multiple historical eras
• trade and negotiate with other civilizations
• fight for territory, resources and strategic positions
• compete against AI opponents or other players

AoNW2 is not intended to simplify the original game into a visual demonstration. The goal is to preserve its strategic systems while presenting them in a more immersive environment.

Current development state

AoNW2 is currently in a very early stage of development.

It is not yet a complete game, and the current visuals should be treated as an evolving prototype.

The project can already:

• load maps shared with the original Age of New Worlds,
• transform those maps into 3D scenes,
• display units on the world map,
• select a unit,
• show reachable hexes,
• calculate a movement route,
• move a unit along the accepted path,
• save and restore a basic local session.

This is only the foundation.

Cities, combat, production, research, diplomacy, strategic resources, AI, the complete interface, final 3D assets, audio and online multiplayer still require substantial work.

What comes next

The first major visual objective is to rebuild the existing Age of New Worlds maps as complete 3D environments.

Development will gradually focus on:

• more natural terrain and elevation
• water, coastlines and landscape details
• vegetation and environmental objects
• visible roads and infrastructure
• modeled cities and tile improvements
• recognizable units from different eras
• clearer movement and combat feedback
• lighting, weather and visual effects
• a complete strategy-game interface
• the remaining gameplay systems
• shared multiplayer support

The intention is to develop these parts gradually rather than hide the project until everything is finished.

Follow the project from the beginning

This itch.io page documents AoNW2 from its earliest phase.

Expect unfinished systems, placeholder assets, visual experiments and frequent changes. Screenshots shown during development may not represent the final appearance of the game.

There is no promised release date at this stage. Public builds will appear when the project reaches a useful and reasonably playable testing state.

Following the page will let you see:

• existing maps being rebuilt in 3
• the first modeled cities and units
• interface and camera experiments
• gameplay systems arriving one by one
• development logs and technical milestones
• the first public AoNW2 builds

Play the original Age of New Worlds

The original 2D version is already playable and continues to be actively developed: Play Age of New Worlds on itch.io

You can also read the detailed development article explaining the shared direction of both projects: Read: One Game, Two Views

The complete project is being developed openly: View the source code on GitHub