There are a few ways to join a multiplayer match in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, depending on the type of game you’d like to play:

MULTIPLAYER (VS. PLAYERS)

If you want to play alongside or against human opponents, you will want to setup or join a Multiplayer lobby. You can see all available match lobbies by clicking the Multiplayer shield. This will automatically take you to the Lobby Browser where you can view, join, or even create a game. You can also click the other tabs to view other game modes and options:

• Ranked: Allows you to play in a ranked match against players invited to your game.
• Lobby Browser: Lists all available unranked match lobbies.
• Spectate Games: Lists matches where you can spectate and learn from other players.
• Clans: Provides a list of clans, invites to clans, and allows you to create a clan for you and your friends.
• Leaderboard: Displays multiplayer leaderboards and rankings based on different game modes.
• Profile: Allows you to view and edit your multiplayer profile.

To create a new match of your own, check out the section below!

STANDARD GAME (VS. AI)

If you want to play a match exclusively against AI players, you can setup a Standard Game. Click the Standard Game shield to open the match creation screen, set your settings, and then click Start Game to begin your match.

Here are the settings available to you in a Standard Game:

• Data Mod determines whether you want to play the base Age of Empires II dataset, or whether you want to use a community-created dataset from the workshop.
• Game Mode determines what type of scenario you want to play as a multiplayer match. This also determines what other settings are available for you to choose.
• Map Style determines the type of map on which you play.
• Location lets you choose the layout of resources, land, and water for the map you play.
• Map Size determines the distance between players at the start of the game.
• AI Difficulty sets the skill level of computer-controlled opponents.
• Resources determines the amount of wood, food, stone, and gold in each player’s stockpile when the game begins.
• Population determines the maximum number of units each player can create at any given time. (Note that higher numbers may have an adverse impact on game performance.)
• Game Speed determines the how fast units move and game time elapses.
• Reveal Map changes how much of the map is revealed at the start of the game.
• Starting Age sets the age in which the game starts for all players.
• Ending Age determines the maximum age to which players can progress.
• Treaty Length prevents players from attacking each other for a set amount of time at the start of the game.
• Victory determines the victory condition that must be achieved to win the match.
• Time sets a maximum time limit for the game, after which time the score determines the winner.
• Lock Teams prevents players from changing teams after the game starts.
• Team Together determines whether teammates are adjacent to each other or randomly placed on the map.
• Team Positions uses the player color to determine a player’s position on the map.
• Shared Exploration determines whether allies benefit from a shared line of sight.
• Lock Speed determines whether players can change the game speed after the match begins.
• Allow Cheats determines whether cheat codes can be used during the match.
• Turbo Mode speeds up the production of units, resource gathering, building, and other aspects of the game.
• Full Tech Tree determines whether each civilization maintains a unique bonus or gains the benefits of all technologies and units.
• Record Game allows you to record a game for posterity.