Play Empire II: The Art of War Online

Empire II: The Art of War came out in 1995 as part of the MS-DOS Classic Games lineup, developed by New World Computing. It was a turn-based strategy title that fit right in with the kind of deep, thoughtful games people expected from that era, offering a detailed look at military campaigns without the flash of real-time action.

You command armies across a hex-based map, managing supplies, terrain advantages, and unit morale, which can drop sharply in poor conditions like rain or snow. The main goal is to outmaneuver and defeat opposing forces through careful planning rather than quick reflexes. Two standout mechanics include the detailed combat resolution, which factors in everything from elevation to unit experience, and the extensive scenario editor that lets you create custom battles, even pitting historical units against absurd matchups. The pacing is deliberate, demanding patience as you assess each move, and the difficulty can be steep for newcomers. It feels like conducting a slow, methodical chess match where every decision carries weight long after you make it.

Each game uses different controls, most DOS games use the keyboard arrows. Some will use the mouse , "Alt" ,"Enter" and "Space bar".