The theme of Age of Empires is the rise of the first great civilizations over the 12,000 years that followed the last ice age. You are the guiding spirit of a tribe that predates one of the great cultures of antiquity. Your goal is to build your tribe into a mighty civilization that can vie for world (game) dominance (victory). You begin the game in the stone age with a small tribe of villagers on an unexplored map. See Age of Empires con't for more information.