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Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era Game Cover
90%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
stability, grinding
90% User Score Based on 2,092 reviews

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Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era Game Cover

About

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a single player and multiplayer tactical role playing game with fantasy, economy and historical themes. It was developed by Unfrozen and was released on April 30, 2026. It received positive reviews from players.

This game is a work in progress. It may or may not change over time or release as a final product. Purchase only if you are comfortable with the current state of the unfinished game. This newest entry in the renowned Heroes of Might and Magic series brings strategic empire building, epic turn-based tactical battles, and in-depth RPG mechanics to a world of fantastical beasts, formidable spellcast…

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Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era screenshot
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era screenshot
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era screenshot
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era screenshot
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era screenshot
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era screenshot
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era screenshot
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era screenshot
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era screenshot
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era screenshot
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90%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,092 reviews
gameplay100 positive mentions
stability10 negative mentions
  • Captures the nostalgic spirit and gameplay depth of classic Heroes of Might and Magic, especially Heroes III, while introducing modern graphics and quality-of-life improvements.
  • Strong tactical combat system with multiple unit upgrades and varied hero skills providing meaningful strategic choices.
  • Active and responsive developer support with frequent patches and community engagement during Early Access.
  • AI balance issues with overly powerful enemy armies early in the game leading to frustrating difficulty spikes.
  • Lack of key features such as co-op/team multiplayer mode and some quality-of-life UI improvements in Early Access.
  • Some players find art style too cartoonish or inconsistent, and the campaign writing and voice acting are seen as weak or immature.
  • gameplay
    327 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this game is widely praised for successfully blending the classic, addictive Heroes of Might and Magic III core mechanics with modern improvements and fresh strategic depth through new systems like faction laws, skill subtrees, and unit upgrades. While it maintains a familiar, nostalgic turn-based strategy loop that appeals to veterans, it also introduces innovative mechanics and customization options that keep the experience engaging and rewarding. Some critiques note occasional complexity, UI issues, and early access bugs, but overall the gameplay is considered solid, fun, and a promising evolution of the classic formula.

    • “The gameplay itself is very fun, and it feels like a more modern version of Heroes 3, with a bunch of extra elements added which are very much appreciated because they add more strategic depth and variety to the game (two different upgrades for units, law points for various bonuses, astrology points for world map spells, being able to upgrade spells and unlock the ones you didn't get when building the mage guild, etc.).”
    • “Everything matters - your positioning, when and how you use your focus (new resource for unit abilities), what hero traits you pick (side perks from leveling skills to advanced/expert level), your army composition, your unit upgrades (with alternative upgrades like in Tote!), which spell to use and thus put on cooldown, etc. I can keep gushing about this game for hours, but I think I can sum up my thoughts on the gameplay in a simple way: I am thinking about what to do every single turn.”
    • “The game is absolutely remarkable so far, both as something that pays homage to the prior instalments of the series and as something that evolves the franchise with new mechanics that add depth to the familiar yet riveting gameplay. I am already addicted and I've only played it for a short amount of time thus far.”
    • “Maybe after some modder work to fix the horrific graphics and some gameplay optimization this at some point might be game worth playing, at the moment is just a mess.”
    • “Its a tedious, slow game with old, monotonous gameplay.”
    • “Dont make me start on campaign, ive never seen less fun/engaging start in any game before, story/dialogues feel like ai generated or written by 35 yo burnout untalented guy who gave up on life and gameplay wise its just frustrating to play.”
  • graphics
    279 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics receive mixed reactions, praised for their vibrant, polished, and nostalgic blend of hand-painted 2D art with detailed 3D models that evoke a modernized Heroes of Might and Magic III feel, while some criticize the art style as overly cartoonish, inconsistent, or reminiscent of mobile/MOBA aesthetics. Visual clarity and readability occasionally pose issues, but overall the graphics are well-optimized and run smoothly even on lower-end hardware, with many appreciating the fresh yet familiar aesthetic despite it not universally appealing to all fans.

    • “It captures that same classic feel and flow, while updating the visuals with beautiful, modern graphics and animations that feel like a natural evolution of the original style.”
    • “The graphics are simply top-notch: it's a beautiful combination of hand-painted 2d art and detailed 3d models that make the map feel truly alive.”
    • “The art styles looks amazing, really cool mix of retro and almost 2d and then when you zoom in you get a retro 3d kind of conversion and both look really good and it's awesome.”
    • “The game immediately began stuttering graphically.”
    • “Artstyle is horrible and it does look like a mobile game made from some stock assets.”
    • “The graphics look fake, plasticky, and overly cartoonish in a way that strongly gives off generative AI vibes.”
  • music
    159 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music, largely composed by series veteran Paul Anthony Romero, is praised for its nostalgic and atmospheric qualities that evoke the classic Heroes of Might and Magic games, particularly titles 3 and 5. While many appreciate the soundtrack's contribution to the game's immersive fantasy mood, some critics feel it lacks the standout, memorable themes and epic intensity of earlier entries, especially in battle music and big map tracks. Overall, the score is viewed as solid and fitting but with room for expansion and polish to reach the heights of the franchise's musical legacy.

    • “I'm glad they got Paul Anthony Romero back and the work here is great, but none of the town or terrain themes have quite reached earworm status outside of the ones that are evoking past series music.”
    • “The music is amazing and fits the game so well which is important in this series.”
    • “The music and sound effects take me right back to spending countless carefree hours on skirmish maps as a kid, watching time fly by.”
    • “The combat music (the one you should hear the most) compared to heroes 2-5 is oddly lackluster (aside from 1 track in 3).”
    • “Hope OST will get expanded, what we have pales in comparison even to heroes 2, a much smaller game with much fewer tools available (and it has some of the best town themes ever in heroes).”
    • “And the less said about the music and sound design, the better.”
  • story
    119 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game receives mixed reviews; some players find the narrative engaging, humorous, and a promising return to the franchise's roots with well-designed missions and branching paths, while others criticize it as bland, rushed, or uninspired with weak writing and inconsistent difficulty spikes. Although the campaign offers some charm and lore, it is often described as short, uneven, and lacking depth compared to classic titles, with many hoping for expanded content and improved storytelling in future updates.

    • “The protagonist is sympathetic (almost reminds me of the nameless hero from Gothic in the way he talks), the story draws you in, the dialogues are credible and full of humour, the missions and side-missions are well-designed and the rewards feel satisfying, and most importantly, the combat is everything you could wish for, almost to the point of being a little bit too much.”
    • “The story is great to follow, and the sidequests are very welcome addition to the game!”
    • “Good story so far, and the campaign does a good job of easing you into all of the game's mechanics.”
    • “Campaign looks like it was made just days before launch, story is uninteresting, maps are horrible in design and computer cheats throwing armies and heroes out of thin air just to be able to counter you, even he should not be able to.”
    • “The campaign is bland and linear - in spite of having multiple choices of mission, maps are bland and you are forced into using only one hero for the first 4 levels of the game at least, dragging the runtime to an excessive degree and removing strategy from the equation in many stages to the point that it just becomes a "go here, get this" chore fest that reminds me of the most tedious levels from homm 3.”
    • “- story writing feels weak, i know it's early access, but comparing to previous games this feels empty”
  • replayability
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is widely praised for its high replayability, driven by diverse factions, multiple game modes, procedural map generation, and extensive customization options such as unit upgrades and templates. Players value the depth, variety, and strategic complexity that keep the gameplay engaging over long periods, making it feel like excellent value even in early access. Overall, replayability is considered a core strength that appeals to both veterans and new players alike.

    • “Olden Era offers excellent campaign design, procedural map generation, template support, and incredible replayability.”
    • “With 15-20 heroes per faction and over 20 builds per hero, the replayability is higher than my cholesterol after a week of 'one more turn.'”
    • “Although I haven't played for very long, I think it has extremely high replayability – different map layouts, resource spawn points, different factions, heroes, and game modes are waiting, and my bizarre ways to fail are incredibly addictive.”
    • “Which is sad, because the choices, the options the campaign offer really gives you the feeling of replayability and agency that has never been in the series before.”
    • “I miss the good old skirmish maps but I think that the team did well to focus on random templates that have higher replayability.”
    • “- replayability -”
  • optimization
    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is generally praised for its strong optimization, running smoothly even on lower-end hardware and platforms like the Steam Deck, with stable framerates and minimal performance issues. Some users note occasional graphical stuttering or high system temperatures requiring settings adjustments, but overall performance is stable and well-optimized, making it accessible and enjoyable across a range of systems. Minor UI and gameplay optimization improvements are suggested but do not detract from the solid technical foundation.

    • “Optimization is top-tier right out of the gate, making it worth every single penny.”
    • “Its so optimized and polished in early access as well (my computer is very bad and it runs well with max graphics).”
    • “The game is very nicely optimized, runs on the Steam Deck well, and maintains a very stable framerate, at least with my hardware.”
    • “The game immediately began stuttering graphically.”
    • “Maybe after some modder work to fix the horrific graphics and some gameplay optimization this at some point might be game worth playing, at the moment it is just a mess.”
    • “Performance issue needs fix, running this game turns my computer fan crazy and temperature high, never had this issue in other games, already put all graphic settings to lowest.”
  • atmosphere
    25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for effectively capturing the nostalgic essence of classic Heroes of Might and Magic titles, blending recognizable music, art style, and magical ambiance with modern graphics and fresh features. The music and visuals especially enhance immersion, evoking fond memories while maintaining a vibrant, polished presentation. While mostly successful, some players note minor bugs and varying degrees of atmospheric impact early in the campaign, but overall the atmosphere is considered a standout, integral part of the experience.

    • “It's a great game that wonderfully captures the atmosphere of the old HOMM titles.”
    • “The atmosphere, the pacing, and especially the strategic depth all feel like a true continuation of the golden age of heroes.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, art style, and tactical gameplay capture what made the older heroes games so special, while still bringing fresh ideas and modern improvements.”
    • “I can't confirm yet for 100% whether this title has the soul of the previous titles; so far I have not felt much of the atmosphere, I only played a little of the campaign (1st mission with Gunnar) and finished the tutorial scenarios.”
    • “I will play more to see if I can find that atmosphere - nothing so far can compare to very first scenarios from Gauldoth's campaign in HoMM4 or Adrienne's from HoMM3; I'm a massive fan of grimdark/apocalyptic vibes and I had plenty of them in previous games.”
    • “Most modern games feel mid lately, but jumping back into this one—the OST, the atmosphere (despite the over-saturated colors), and the flow/challenge once you crank up the difficulty—it really hits that nostalgia spot.”
  • stability
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the games has improved notably compared to earlier entries, with most users experiencing smooth performance, minimal glitches, and rare crashes. While some minor UI issues and occasional multiplayer bugs persist, the overall stability is solid, especially impressive for an early access title. However, prior versions were often criticized for being buggy and unstable.

    • “No glitches so far - very stable in terms of performance.”
    • “Well optimized, runs great on 11700 and RTX 3080 10GB on 4K.”
    • “Does not require an SSD, runs great on HDD!”
    • “I enjoyed the visuals of the last 4 games, but the games were getting progressively buggy to the point where I only put a couple of hours into HOMM 7, which is nothing compared to the hours I must have spent on 3.”
    • “Trying to play the campaign, but it freezes at the same moment every time.”
    • “I've played 'Might and Magic Heroes VI/VII' but honestly those were such buggy and unfun messes that I had lost hope about another good HOMM entry ever coming back.”
  • humor
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is well-received, often described as clever and amusing, ranging from quirky character interactions to funny in-game messages. Players enjoy the lighthearted tone, especially during co-op or hot seat play, which creates memorable and entertaining moments. The humor adds charm and levity to the overall experience without detracting from gameplay.

    • “Like we can't have a cold, distanced undead, no - let's have funny skeletons that argue about a hat, then in the next mission we have some freshly resurrected lady cursing us for damning their soul.”
    • “The campaign is decent and funny and lets you learn the game a little bit.”
    • “I burst out laughing when the second scenario I played popped up a message 'you will lose in 3 days' as the AI had just captured the victory objective, city, space, artifact, or whatever it was in week 3.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is widely described as tedious and slow, evoking a strong sense of nostalgia but also monotony reminiscent of older titles like Heroes 3. The repetitive and linear campaign, limited hero choices early on, and bland maps contribute to a chore-like experience that diminishes strategic depth. While some appreciate the challenge of learning new mechanics, the overall gameplay loop feels outdated and unnecessarily drawn out.

    • “It’s a tedious, slow game with old, monotonous gameplay.”
    • “The campaign is bland and linear - despite having multiple mission choices, maps are bland and you are forced to use only one hero for at least the first 4 levels, dragging the runtime excessively and removing strategy, turning it into a "go here, get this" chore fest reminiscent of the most tedious levels from Heroes of Might and Magic 3.”
    • “The core loop is a tedious ghost of 1995: wander a sterile map, vacuum up generic resources, and slowly upgrade a lifeless castle.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, often tied to nostalgic memories of their childhood and past experiences with the series. The revival and refinement of the franchise evoke heartfelt appreciation, blending nostalgia with a renewed sense of excitement.

    • “I have spent a decent amount of time with the demo and closed tests as well, and seeing the devs refine and improve this game into the tactical masterpiece it is today has been... well, emotional, considering I thought my childhood franchise was completely dead and now the guys at Unfrozen are doing their absolute best to revive it.”
    • “I've been playing the Heroes of Might and Magic series since my college days, and this version hits a very specific emotional and strategic sweet spot.”
    • “I have to admit I was skeptical touching Heroes after many, many years, but it brought back some childhood memories.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users appreciate that the game avoids aggressive monetization tactics like microtransactions, forced accounts, and intrusive launchers, delivering a quality experience without feeling like a cash grab.

    • “After torturing us for years with microtransactions, forced accounts, and this horrible launcher, I can't believe it... we finally got a great game with good gameplay and none of the above-mentioned trash is included.”
    • “A cash grab.”
    • “Not with “look at our monetization system.””
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is widely criticized for being shallow and poorly executed, with bland designs and immature, nonsensical dialogue that fail to convey a believable or engaging narrative.

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10h Median play time
22h Average play time
6-32h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 19 analyzed playthroughs
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Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era hotseat makes me feel like it's 2003 again - and this time, my big brother is going down

May 13 on gamesradar.com

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era sold 250,000 copies and 'broke even on development costs' in 1 day

May 1 on pcgamer.com

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era "broke even on development costs in just one day" as it launches to 90% positive Steam reviews and 250,000 sales

May 1 on gamesradar.com

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era hits early access today with the start of a narrative campaign, six factions, a map editor and multiplayer

April 30 on rockpapershotgun.com

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era isn't a reimagining or a divisive reinterpretation, it's just a brilliant strategy game

April 30 on pcgamer.com

Complete Controls Guide for Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era – Hotkeys to Remember

April 29 on primagames.com

Complete Resources Guide for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era

April 29 on primagames.com

How to Recruit More Units in Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era

April 29 on primagames.com
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Frequently Asked Questions

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a tactical role playing game with fantasy, economy and historical themes.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is available on PC, Windows, Xbox Game Pass and Xbox.

On average players spend around 22 hours playing Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era was released on April 30, 2026.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era was developed by Unfrozen.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Songs of Conquest, Endless Legend 2, Songs of Silence, Heroes of Might & Magic V, Heroes of Might & Magic III: HD Edition and others.