Free & open source
Download Empire Forge
One file, nothing to install. It needs only Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on the same PC.
GitHub release
The latest version as a single AOE2EmpireForge.exe. No installer — download it and double-click.
- Always the newest release, usually the same day
- The app tells you when a newer version is out
- Windows shows a SmartScreen warning the first time — here's why and what to click
Microsoft Store
The same app, installed and updated by the Microsoft Store.
- No SmartScreen warning — Microsoft signs it
- Updates arrive automatically
- Uninstall from Windows Settings like any other app
Requirements
| Windows | Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Game | Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on Steam or PC Game Pass / Microsoft Store, installed on the same PC |
| Consoles | Not supported — the Xbox and PlayStation versions only allow official mods |
| Mac & Linux | No ready-made app. The source code runs with Python if you're comfortable setting that up |
| Everything else | Nothing — no Python, no modding tools, no account |
First launch: "Windows protected your PC"
The GitHub download isn't code-signed — a certificate is a yearly cost for a free hobby project — so Windows SmartScreen doesn't recognise it yet and shows a warning the first time you run it. It doesn't mean anything is wrong. To continue:
- Click More info.
- Click Run anyway.
Wary of running an unsigned file? That's healthy. Every line of Empire Forge is public on GitHub, and the exe is built from it by GitHub's own servers — you can see each build in the repository's Actions tab. The Microsoft Store version, once it's out, skips this step entirely.
What happens when it runs
A console window opens and, a moment later, your browser opens Empire Forge. The app is a small web page served from your own computer — your civs and your game files never leave it. Close the console window to quit.
Clicked it and nothing happened? Your antivirus may have quietly quarantined it. See the FAQ for the fix.
Next
Read How It Works for the full walkthrough, from first civ to installed mod.
Empire Forge is free, and always will be. If it brought you some joy, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-fi — entirely optional, and very much appreciated.