Dark Ages is a turn-based strategy game set in the violent world of an alternate Middle Ages. Vikings against war elephants, musketeers against the Mongol cavalry, ancient phalanx legions against crusaders; the deadliest armies in history clashing in bloody war.
An army without leadership is merely a mob. In Dark Ages, troops follow the lead of their commanders: unique leaders with their own virtues, vices, talents, and weaknesses.
Take the throne of a small kingdom being torn apart by feuds and threatened by militant neighbors, and try to survive the Dark Ages.

Features

• 6 factions with unique generals and squads: the nimble nomads of the Horde, the well-armored and disciplined Imperial soldiers, the mad Sea Barbarians clad in furs, the Union’s guilds wielding gunpowder, the proud knights of the North, and the exotic cults of the Twin Rivers.
• Over 50 types of squads based on real historical troops. No armored bikinis or spiked pauldrons here!
• By surviving battles, your squads gain experience and develop their skills. Fresh recruits have nothing on a seasoned veteran.
• Generals are the linchpin of a squad, and their skills and abilities can drastically change the outcome of a battle. Each general has a unique personality generated at the beginning of each game. Each has their own appearance, character traits, and abilities. It's impossible to predict who will appear the next go ‘round: a brave but simple knight, a talented but greedy tactical genius, or a bloodthirsty barbarian who instills fear in friend and foe alike.
• A pantheon of chosen generals: put your greatest leaders here to re-use them from campaign to campaign, or hire legendary figures feared and revered throughout history, such as Joan of Arc and Genghis Khan.
• The numerous scenarios offer a huge variety of different challenges: win a civil war, fight off nomads, deal with pirates raiding the coast, save a kingdom ravaged by plague, or crush a peasant uprising.
• Battle formations: effective positioning of your troops is half the battle. Tactical tricks, feints, and ambushes are at your disposal. Win your battles through quality, not quantity.
• Terrain and weather: even the perfect army may lose in unfavorable conditions. It’s generally a good idea to lure enemy cavalry into a bog, under your arrows – but remember that rain and fog make your archers useless.
• Upgrade your soldiers’ weapons and armor at the royal forge.
• Study and upgrade artifacts that affect your whole kingdom. You can choose to turn your subjects into fearless fanatics, learn to conjure money out of thin air, or make your enemies flee in terror at the sound of your name.
• The random events system simulates the life of a realistic medieval state. Each turn may bring good fortune or grim tidings.