When it comes to strategy games, there’s a certain type of player who’s never content to merely conquer what the developers set before them. For the creative strategist inside every fan of the genre, the scenario editor is sort of like the main course.
Games To Play If You Like Age Of Empires
Fans of the Age of Empires franchise looking for great similar games to try should give these strategy titles a shot.
Whether it's because fans want to replicate the achievements of their favorite generals from history or conjure up devious meatgrinders so that their friends can inevitably fail, the following strategy games possess some of the best scenario/campaign editors on the market. Each of these titles gives players plenty of tools to invoke their inner Alexander.
StarCraft 2
A Toolkit That Features Arcade Publishing
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
Blizzard has always understood that the real fun begins when players are let loose with the tools. StarCraft 2’s editor is legendary, to the point where it’s spawned entire sub-genres. The Galaxy Editor for StarCraft 2 is a behemoth, offering scripting, triggers, cinematic tools, and nearly limitless customization of units and mechanics.
Beginners might find it intimidating at first, but the wealth of tutorials and robust community support smooths out the learning curve. The best part is that if players put in the effort, they can create a fully-functioning new game mode, complete with custom UI, win conditions, and narrative arcs. For fans who want to do more than move marines and zerglings around a map, StarCraft 2’s editor is essentially a game development bootcamp in disguise.
Panzer Corps 2
Granular Control & Fun What-Ifs
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Strategy
Wargame aficionados know that Panzer Corps 2 is a spiritual successor to Panzer General. Nevertheless, its scenario editor represents the creative playground grognards. The in-game editor lets fans sculpt every aspect of a battle: map layout, unit placement, weather, victory conditions, and intricate event scripting. Panzer Corps 2’s editor is built for both historical accuracy and wild what-ifs. Want to see what happens if Italy invades Norway in 1939? Players are welcome to try!
There’s a thriving modding community constantly churning out alternate history campaigns and ultra-difficult challenges, many of which are very well balanced and difficult. The UI is refreshingly modern, making it easy to whip up a custom scenario without a 300-page manual. In short, Panzer Corps 2’s editor is the best sandbox this side of the Eastern Front.
Warcraft 3: Reforged
A Fantasy Lover's Dream
Despite its controversial launch, Warcraft 3: Reforged maintains the old magic when it comes to scenario editing. The World Editor is the star of the show, responsible for spawning mods that became full-blown phenomena (like Defense of the Ancients). Warcraft 3’s editor features intuitive scripting with triggers and the ability to customize everything from unit abilities to weather effects. It's simple enough for beginners to bang out a decent map in an afternoon, yet deep enough for obsessive creators to spend months crafting a new campaign or custom game mode.
The Best Games To Play If You Like World Of Warcraft
Looking for something similar to World of Warcraft? Then check out these RPGs.
The visual upgrade means that maps look better than ever, and Blizzard’s continued support has kept the editor alive (like the 1.35 patch, which reintroduced custom campaigns), even as the base game’s reputation took a few hits. If fans ever wanted to remake their favorite Lord of the Rings battle, set up an elaborate RPG with dialogue trees and quests, or see what happens when 100 Tauren are pitted against 1,000 Footmen, this is the editor for them.
Age Of Mythology (Extended Edition/Retold)
Freedom Mixed With The Divine
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Violence
- Genre(s)
- Strategy
Age of Mythology’s editor is a lesser-sung hero compared to its Age of Empires sibling, although it’s arguably more versatile. The editor’s event triggers and cinematic tools allow players to craft wild mythological adventures with scripted gods, monsters, and environmental cataclysms. The Extended Edition and Retold versions add new quality-of-life features, better compatibility, and improved Steam Workshop support (for the Extended Edition; the Retold version uses an in-game mod browser), so sharing custom campaigns is easy.
The editor has a playful, experimental vibe. It's the perfect choice for would-be demigods who want to create their own legends, or just see what happens when an army of villagers has access to every god power at once!
Wargroove 2
A Very Accessible Map Builder
While the turn-based tactics of Wargroove 2 are approachable, players owe it to themselves to check out the campaign and map editor. Players can build custom skirmish maps and entire branching campaigns, complete with dialogue, cutscenes, and complex victory conditions. There's so much freedom that some users have managed to make Wargroove 2 into a puzzle game, a stealth adventure, or a light RPG - right inside the scenario editor!
The interface is designed for accessibility, letting first-timers complete a viable map in minutes, but the depth is there for those who want to create a saga worthy of Nintendo’s classics. Best of all, there's a library of user-made content and a friendly Discord to help troubleshoot one's most convoluted storylines.
Combat Mission Series
Plenty Of Campaign Tools For History Buffs
Battlefront's Combat Mission series is not for the faint of heart. The built-in scenario editor is granular: players can tweak every parameter, from terrain elevation to weather to the morale of individual squads. Custom scenarios can be strung together with persistent forces and branching outcomes, making it perfect for constructing multi-stage operations.
32 Games Set In World War 2
Call of Duty: Vanguard isn't for everyone. Luckily for history buff gamers, World War 2 is a popular setting for shooters and strategy titles.
The payoff is in the level of control players get over every aspect of the battlefield. There’s a small, dedicated community producing a steady stream of high-quality user campaigns, each pushing the limits of the game’s engine and AI. If you’re someone who thinks in fields of fire and logistics, Combat Mission is worth a look.
Men Of War: Assault Squad 2
Leverage The GEM Editor For Cinematic Battles
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy, War & Military
Men of War: Assault Squad 2 is known for its brutal, almost sandbox-like WW2 combat, and also implements one of the most flexible scenario editors in any strategy game. The GEM Editor lets players create custom skirmishes, cutscenes, scripted events, and set pieces. The editor’s learning curve is as steep as the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, but the sheer power it gives is worth the initial struggle.
For the detail-obsessed, players can hand-place each sandbag and fence post for maximum immersion. The Men of War community is very prolific, churning out everything from historically accurate tank battles to “what if” scenarios starring aliens and zombies.
Heroes Of Might & Magic 3
The Adventures Never Have To Stop With This Editor
- ESRB
- E For Everyone // Violence
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based Strategy
This map editor is a classic, offering a deceptively simple interface that hides its fair share of complexity. Fans can design sprawling adventure maps, set custom victory and loss conditions, and write elaborate quest chains and story events. Some community-made campaigns are straight-up remakes of the original game’s best moments. Others are full-blown RPGs or puzzles that twist the rules in unexpected ways.
With the HoMM3 HD mod and the Horn of the Abyss community expansion, the scenario editor is even more powerful. The player who wants to dream up a tale of betrayal worthy of song, loot, and dragons, or just design a tiny island where everyone starts with a thousand Titans, Heroes of Might & Magic 3 makes it possible.
Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition
The Modernized Classic
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
The king of historical RTS has only gotten better with age, and so has its scenario editor. The Definitive Edition preserves the original’s much-loved map-making tools and also supercharges them with modern features, better scripting, and quality-of-life improvements that make custom campaign design a lot of fun. However, the secret sauce lies in the event triggers and AI scripting, which allow for story-driven scenarios and head-scratching challenges.
There’s an active community producing everything from historical epics to meme campaigns about ducks and trebuchets. Plus, the Mod Manager integration means players can share their creations or download others’ maps for inspiration in the blink of an eye.
8 Great Kingdom Building Games To Try Out
Players who dream of running their own kingdom need not look any further than these fantastic kingdom-building games.