The fantasy strategy game Age of Wonders 3 features the same turn-based empire-building gameplay, with new features such as customizable characters and a riveting campaign. It has been a hit among fans since its 2014 release. Though part of the appeal of a strategy game can be to strategize how to best complete the game, it can be tempting to cheat the system from time to time.
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Cheat codes have been around for as long as many gamers can remember, and can range anywhere from benign to bizarre. Age of Wonders 3's cheat codes don't break the immersion too much, and there aren't too many of them. Still, fans may still be interested in what exactly developers Triumph Studios left them to play with, or what they might be able to get away with.
Age of Wonders 3, like Planetfall, makes cheats pretty easy to implement. If players would like to activate cheats in Age of Wonders 3, they'll have to go select "run in debug mode" under Miscellaneous at the game's launcher. Once in the game, players should then hold CTRL+ALT and press C.
At this point, players can type in their desired code and press Enter to activate it. All cheats, of course, change the way the game is played. It goes without saying that players should be warned that activating cheats may cause the game to become unstable.
As a good game to jump into for newcomers, knowing just how to spend gold can be the key to success in Age of Wonders 3, or really any turn-based strategy game. Players need gold to spend on keeping upkeep costs, as well as building new buildings in their cities. Fortunately, the first couple of cheats relate to gold and mana.
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- BOSCH: instantly gives players 100 gold.
- REMBRANDT: gives players 100 mana. This can be used for upkeep and building like gold, but also for casting spells.
- THXBRIAN: gives players both 100 gold and 100 mana. It also provides a reveal of the map, as well as all spells and upgrades.
Spells are an important aspect of Age of Wonders 3, so fortunately Triumph Studios took the time to implement some spell cheats. These codes will research or unlock spells and upgrades for the player, allowing them to use magic more freely.
- LEEUWENHOEK - researches the player's current spell or upgrade
- ERASMUS - researches all spells and upgrades
- SPINOZA - unlocks all spells and upgrades
- HUYGENS - makes all spells free
Cities are important to any playthrough of Age of Empires 3, though cheats can make everything easier. These cheats will ease the burden of exploration for the player, as well as make managing cities and the resources they produce much easier.
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- TASMAN - allows the player to explore the map while keeping Fog of War turned on
- BARENTZ - reveals the entire map, including Fog of War
- PHILIPS - creates an instant production of the player's current queue in every city
- GLOOMCITY - gives the selected city an added 1000 happiness
While Age of Wonders 3 may not be the hardest strategy game ever made, using cheats can still make combat much less of a pain. From spawning new heroes to leveling up current ones, as well as instant wins and losses, the following cheats will help players needing extra help to get through battles.
- RUYTER - spawns a new hero
- HAUER - levels up heroes in players' selected army
- NEXTTURN - automatically advances a turn
- HEIN - instant win
- GERARDS - instant loss
- CRUIJFF - free movement for the player