Age of Wonders 4 continues the legacy of the beloved series from Triumph Studios. Having stepped outside the box with Planetfall, Triumph has returned to its tried-and-true formula in Age of Wonders 4. Everything from the third game is here, with plenty of new features added in.
One thing that has carried over from the third Age of Wonders game is multiplayer. Players can still join each other’s games to conquer procedurally generated realms or fight against one another. Players will be delighted to know that they can still use Hot Seat Multiplayer to play long-term games conveniently.
How to Set Up a Multiplayer Lobby in Age of Wonders 4
In order to play together, players need to join a lobby they can use to customize the game settings. There are a few ways to get into a lobby together. To start, one player needs to take on the role of host. To host a session, that player must select Online Multiplayer from the Main Menu and then Host Session.
The first selection the host makes when they create a lobby is to choose the realm in which their epic struggle for strategy supremacy will take place. They can choose to customize it now or wait until the other players are on board. After selecting the realm, they must select Host Public or Host Private to establish the game’s multiplayer restrictions. Now the lobby is ready, and players can join in.
How to Join a Multiplayer Lobby
Lobbies can be set up as Private or Public. Public lobbies are joined by selecting Online Multiplayer from the Main Menu and then switching to the “Available Sessions” tab. There, players can select from a list of games with room for them.
Joining a Private multiplayer match is a little more complex. After the host has set up a lobby, there are a couple of ways for them to invite players. Here are the methods for putting together a Private multiplayer group:
- The host can add the other players as friends. They’ll need those players’ Paradox IDs, which can be found on the bottom right of the Main Menu screen. After adding them all as friends, the host can select Invite Friends from the lobby and manually invite each player.
- The host can copy the Join Code at the top of the screen in the lobby. They can then send that code to prospective players. Those players can navigate to the “Available Sessions” tab in the Online Multiplayer menu and select Join With Code to enter the code and join the game.
Hot Seat Multiplayer
Campaigns can run for many hours, and most players won’t have the time to sit through a game from beginning to end. One feature Age of Wonders games have always had is the Hot Seat Multiplayer functionality. This means that players can leave the game when it isn’t their turn and return when it is. Age of Wonders 4 even has a notification system to email players when it’s their turn. The options can be found in the “Online” tab of the Settings Menu.
One thing to note: in testing, it appears that if the game is set to use “Simultaneous Turns,” the host can advance the turn without needing other players to finish their turn. Using “Classic Turns” doesn’t function this way, so it might be better for players if they intend to play the game as a Hot Seat campaign.
Cross-Platform Multiplayer
Age of Wonders 4 isn’t just for PC players. Consoles players can enjoy a good strategy game too. However, it doesn’t support cross-platform multiplayer yet. However, Triumph has firmly stated that they’re working on it. Apparently, they plan to implement cross-platform multiplayer within the first few weeks after launch.
Age of Wonders 4 is out now for PC, Xbox Series X | S, and PS5.