Age of Wonders III vs Baldur's Gate 3
Age of Wonders III is an RPG strategy game from Triumph Studios (2014) while Baldur's Gate 3 is an RPG strategy game from Larian Studios (2023).
Quick answer: Baldur's Gate 3 rates higher, 9.2 to 7.2 on the GamingPickz Score, and Age of Wonders III is the cheaper at $29.99.
What each one is
Age of Wonders III is filed under RPG and Strategy. In contrast, Baldur's Gate 3 under RPG and Strategy.
Age of Wonders III is the long anticipated sequel to the award-winning strategy series. Delivering a unique mix of Empire Building, Role Playing and Warfare, Age of Wonders III offers the ultimate in turn-based fantasy strategy for veterans of the series and new players alike!
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a story-rich, party-based RPG set in the universe of Dungeons & Dragons, where your choices shape a tale of fellowship and betrayal, survival and sacrifice, and the lure of absolute power.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Before the events of the first game , the elven court was decimated by humans, an invasive race new to the Blessed Continent at the time. The elves split into two factions. The son of the slain king Inioch, Meandor, led the dark elves and the Cult of Storms, a group that intended to wipe out the humans. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Age of Wonders III received a positive reception on release. Adam Smith reviewing for Rock, Paper, Shotgun called Age of Wonders III "solidly constructed", praising the customization options and map generator for being able to "create interesting and attractive worlds", along with the battle system, calling it "cleverly... integrated". (Wikipedia)
Plot
Baldur's Gate 3 shares its Dungeons and Dragons setting, called the Forgotten Realms , with previous games in the franchise. BG3 and its predecessors take place on the continent of Faerûn , primarily near or inside the namesake city of Baldur's Gate. BG3 occurs over 100 years after the events of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000) and shortly after the events of the D D tie-in adventure , Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus (2019). (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: List of Baldur's Gate characters The world, alongside the player's thoughts and observations, are recounted by the game's narrator (Amelia Tyler), acting as BG3 s dungeon master . While the narrator was originally planned to deliver lines contemptuously, Larian was impressed by Tyler's deadpan delivery. Of the ten companions, six can be chosen as the player character in the character creator. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception According to review aggregator website Metacritic , Baldur's Gate 3 received "universal acclaim" from critics, with 98% of critics recommending the game on aggregator OpenCritic . Critics praised the game's detail and scope, with several comparing the studio to a gracious dungeon master, and describing the game as faithfully emulating the tabletop Dungeons and Dragons experience . The Guardian s Nick Rueben said the game enabled players to… (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Age of Wonders III | Baldur's Gate 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.2/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (80%, 12,811) | Overwhelmingly Positive (97%, 855,414) |
| Critic aggregate | 80/100 | 96/100 |
| Price | $29.99 | $59.99 |
| Install size | 10 GB | 150 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | verified |
| Released | 2014 | 2023 |
| Developer | Triumph Studios | Larian Studios |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Age of Wonders III vs Baldur's Gate 3, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Age of Wonders IIIRPG strategy gameBaldur's Gate 3RPG strategy gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Age of Wonders IIIStrategy, Turn-Based Strategy, FantasyBaldur's Gate 3RPG, Character Customization, Choices MatterThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Age of Wonders IIIScore 7.2 · 80% on Steam · 80 criticBaldur's Gate 3 ✓Score 9.2 · 97% on Steam · 96 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Age of Wonders III12,811 reviews · 3 add-ons · 10 GBBaldur's Gate 3855,414 reviews · 2 add-ons · 150 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Age of Wonders III ✓$29.99Baldur's Gate 3$59.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Age of Wonders IIIPlayableBaldur's Gate 3 ✓VerifiedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Baldur's Gate 3 takes 2 of the marked rounds to 1. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueAge of Wonders III and Baldur's Gate 3 on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Baldur's Gate 3 (GamingPickz Score 9.2)
- The cheaper right now: Age of Wonders III ($29.99)
- Better on a Steam Deck: Baldur's Gate 3 (verified)
- Lighter on storage: Age of Wonders III (10 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Baldur's Gate 3 (855,414 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
StrategyFantasyRPGMultiplayerSingleplayerAdventure
Where they differ
Turn-Based Strategy4XTurn-BasedTacticalDwarfHex Grid
Character CustomizationChoices MatterStory RichTurn-Based CombatDungeons & DragonsCRPG
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Age of Wonders III is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Baldur's Gate 3 is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Age of Wonders III | Baldur's Gate 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | Nvidia GTX 970 / RX 480 / Intel Arc A380 / Qualcomm Adreno X1 (4GB+ of |
| Minimum CPU | — | Intel I5 4690 / AMD FX 8350 / Snapdragon X Elite |
| Minimum RAM | — | 8 GB |
| Install size | 10 GB | 150 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Age of Wonders III · Baldur's Gate 3.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Age of Wonders III and 10 for Baldur's Gate 3. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
If you like one, also try
Common questions
How different are Age of Wonders III and Baldur's Gate 3 in scope?
Age of Wonders III has drawn 12,811 Steam reviews, ships 3 add-ons and installs in 10 GB. Baldur's Gate 3 has drawn 855,414 Steam reviews, ships 2 add-ons and installs in 150 GB.
Is Age of Wonders III or Baldur's Gate 3 better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Baldur's Gate 3 rates higher (9.2 to 7.2). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Age of Wonders III or Baldur's Gate 3?
Age of Wonders III is cheaper right now at $29.99, against $59.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get Age of Wonders III or Baldur's Gate 3?
Baldur's Gate 3 rates higher, 9.2 to 7.2 on the GamingPickz Score, and Age of Wonders III is the cheaper at $29.99. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.