Relive the tales of the ancients.

Ancient Greece and its mythology have fascinated every generation since its inception, and for good reason. Between epic wars and extravagant gods, what’s not to love? This list features both sides of the coin — games that revolve around both historical and mythological Greece. If you’re a lover of Ancient Greece, video games, or — better yet — both, you've come to the right place !

15. Total War Saga: Troy

Total War Saga: Troy Trailer

In a blend of turn-based strategy and real-time tactics, Total War Saga: Troy takes you to the midst of the Trojan War. Appease the Greek gods, build an army of soldiers and heroes, and collect enough resources to keep your army going. 

The battles are set in large sandbox battlefields — some of the best maps in the entire Total War franchise, in my opinion.

You can play your own way or take on one of the game’s three campaigns. ‘Historical’ takes you through a close-enough depiction of the actual Trojan War. In ‘Truth Behind the Myth,’ your hero is a demi-god and you control human units reminiscent of creatures of myth. ‘Mythos’ goes full fiction;  your army is made up of actual mythological creatures like hydras and harpies. 

Total War Saga: Troy is available for PC, and has multiplayer for as many as 8 players.

14. Age of Mythology

Age of Mythology Gameplay

Three iconic mythological civilizations come head to head in Age of Mythology: the Greeks, Norse, and Egyptians. Two expansion packs, “The Titans” and “Tale of the Dragon,” introduce the Atlantean and Chinese civilizations as well. Each unit and build is directly taken from the myths and legends surrounding each culture.

Age of Mythology is a spin-off of the Age of Empires series and keeps the main gameplay elements. It has features typical of a real-time strategy game: gathering resources, building an army, and conquering your enemies. Its fantasy nature lends to some unique and insanely cool elements, though. For example, in the Titans expansion, you can summon a huge Titan as a unit.

Unlike its predecessors, Age of Mythology only has one campaign, but it’s much longer than those of the other games. It follows a sole Atlantean traveling within the lands of the game’s three base civilizations.

Despite being released two decades ago, Age of Mythology remains a popular classic.

13. Hegemony Gold: Wars of Ancient Greece

Hegemony Gold: Wars of Ancient Greece Trailer

Hegemony Gold: Wars of Ancient Greece is another real-time strategy game that takes you into a time long gone. It centers mainly on Philip II of Macedon’s campaigns as he conquers the smaller city states of Ancient Greece. Some scenarios revolving around the Peloponnesian War were added to the game later.

There are three factions to choose from in the campaigns: Sparta, Athens, and Macedonia. In sandbox mode, however, there are 26 factions to choose from!

Wars of Ancient Greece only has one map, but it’s a huge one — it goes all the way to Persia! It’s praised by many for being historically accurate. If being true to reality is something you value in your games, the Hegemony series as a whole certainly steps up to the plate.

Hegemony Gold: Wars of Ancient Greece was first released as Hegemony: Philip of Macedon.

12. Rise of Titans

Rise of Titans Gameplay

The greatest gods and heroes of worldwide mythology have found themselves trapped in a strange world called Zorocu. The only way to escape is to battle — whether until victory or death. In this multiplayer strategy card game, you play as one of three gods from Greek, Norse, and Egyptian mythology: Atenea (Athena), Ullr, and Isis.

Rise of Titans is a lesser-known game but what it lacks in popularity it makes up for with solid and unique gameplay. The battlefield is a hexagonal grid in a modifiable environment with varying terrain, from mountains to forests to volcanoes. 

Though still in early access, Rise of Titans offers fleshed-out gameplay and 100+ cards to choose from in an interesting take on the strategy genre.

Each god represents a faction, of which there are 7 tribes between them to choose from.

11. Nyxquest: Kindred Spirits

Nyquest: Kindred Spirits Trailer

Though this game is set in mythological Ancient Greece, the main playable character Nyx isn’t the goddess from Greek mythology. She’s an original character — a girl with wings — on a perilous journey to find her friend Icarus (the actual mythological figure, this time). 

In this RPG platformer, Nyx and Icarus receive special abilities from various Greek gods. This gives them the power to manipulate each stage, moving objects and controlling the elements.

In the alpha stages of development, Icarus was the playable character, rather than Nyx. Somewhere along the line, the team felt it would have been more interesting to have a fresh face as the main character.

Nyxquest was originally released on the Wii in 2009, and is now also available on PC and mobile.

NyxQuest was originally called ‘Icarian: Kindred Spirits.’

10. Smite

Smite Gameplay Trailer

Mythological figures ranging from Greek and Norse, to Hindu and Polynesian, and even the Cthulhu Mythos! That’s not even scratching the surface of the 110+ playable characters in Smite. 

In this MOBA, you choose one of many mythological figures (mostly gods and goddesses) and fight it out, in third-person, against other players. NPC characters also get involved in battles, adding a new layer to the combat. 

In addition to its expansive list of characters, Smite has seven game modes. The main and most popular one is Conquest which, in standard MOBA fashion, features two five-player teams battling it out. Smite is highly competitive and has a thriving esports scene, the highlight of which is the yearly Smite World Championship.

Smite has a map based on the Defense of the Ancients map from Warcraft III.

9. Immortals Fenyx Rising

Immortals Fenyx Rising Launch Trailer

If you’re not a fan of the multiple pantheons in Smite, let’s take it back to just Greek mythology with Immortals Fenyx Rising. 

The serpentine giant Typhon has taken revenge on Zeus by stripping him and other Olympian gods of their powers. It is foretold that only a mortal can restore the gods to their former glory. Meet Fenyx, a young shield-bearer who has their own motives for wanting to defeat Typhon: saving their brother and crewmates who have all turned to stone.

Immortals is set in Golden Isle — an open world that is made fully accessible from the start — made up of seven regions inspired by Greek mythology. The land is occupied with various enemies inspired by Greek mythology, from minotaurs and griffins, to Cerberus and Medusa.

Immortals Fenyx Rising was originally called ‘Gods and Monsters.’

8. Persona 3

Persona 3 Trailer

Persona 3 is the fourth game in the Persona series and the less popular older brother of Persona 4 and 5 (sorry, not sorry!)

The story centers around a group of high school students struggling to deal with death around them. They each awaken a Persona (a manifestation of their inner self) and together explore the alternate dimension of Tartarus. Rather than an underworld, Persona 3’s take on Tartarus is a tower containing ‘Shadows.’ Tartarus, the beings that inhabit it, and each person’s Persona are inspired by Greek mythology.

Persona 3 is an action role-playing game with elements of the dating sim genre. You have to spend your time wisely between improving skills and socializing with NPCs. Tartarus is where the combat happens. The tower is rogue-like in the way it generates and fights are turn-based but with twists that keep it interesting.

The full, localized name of Persona 3 in the west is ‘Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3.’

7. Kid Icarus

Kid Icarus Series Gameplay

Let’s bring it back to the 80s! Kid Icarus is a relic and a cult classic, originally released to Western audiences on the NES in 1987. Since then, it’s been ported to the Game Boy Advance, Wii, 3DS, and now Nintendo Switch Online.

Kid Icarus is a platformer with elements from other genres, such as RPGs and scrolling shooters. The protagonist is Pit, a character inspired by Icarus and Eros (perhaps better known as his Roman counterpart, Cupid).

The game is set in Angel Land, a world based on Greek Mythology. It’s divided into three levels: the sky world, the overworld, and the underworld. Between levels, you visit treasure vaults, enemy nests, black markets, and many other kinds of special rooms that give you the chance to buff up Pit.

If you play Smash, you might recognize Pit, though in a much more high-definition version!

6. Okhlos

Okhlos Gameplay Trailer

Have you ever thought about just how truly messed up the Olympian gods' actions were? Your character in Okhlos certainly has and is now fed up with it. 

Set in Ancient Greece ruled over by the Olympian gods, a mortal philosopher decides that enough is enough and rallies a mob to overthrow them. Gameplay is similar to Pikmin, in which you are in control of an entire mob. The game has eight, procedurally generated worlds featuring unique enemies and obstacles.

You’re able to buy and enlist the help of other philosophers, as well as mortal heroes. The death system in Okhlos is interesting: when your player dies, you lose unless you have another philosopher in your party, in which case you continue the game as that character.

The word ‘Okhlos’ is related to ‘ochlocracy,’ which refers to a government ruled by a mob.

5. Zeus + Poseidon (Acropolis)

Zeus + Poseidon (Acropolis) Trailer

Zeus + Poseidon (Acropolis) puts you in charge of building and maintaining a city in Ancient Greece. Can you keep up with the dynamic needs and wants of your city? 

Zeus + Poseidon is the all-in-one remaster of Zeus: Master of Olympus and its expansion pack, Poseidon: Master of Atlantis. It’s part of the wider City Building series, which also includes games based on the Roman, Chinese, and Egyptian civilizations.

The original game was released in 2000 and includes core city-building gameplay, starting you on the shores of the Aegean Sea. Rather than just plain city-building though, you have to keep military and economic management in mind, too. The Poseidon: Master of Atlantis expansion added the lost continent of Atlantis and adventures based on the legend.

Zeus + Poseidon has an Adventure Editor in which you can create your own story from the ground up.

4. Apotheon

Apotheon Action Trailer

Apotheon is a platform game known for its striking art style which draws inspiration from the black-figure pottery of Ancient Greece. Don’t think Apotheon is just a pretty face, though. Its gameplay, with Metroidvania-influenced exploration and combat, is fast-paced and intense.

The game follows Nikandreos, a young warrior, who wakes up to discover that his village has been pillaged by raiders. He fights them off and earns the respect of Hera, who enlists his help in taking revenge on Zeus. What’s the revenge? Personally slaying Zeus and his siblings. Knowing that the gods’ negligence is what caused his village to be raided in the first place, Nikandreos agrees to the daunting task.

Help him battle enemies with an assortment of historical and mythological Bronze-Age weapons, as you make your way through the expansive realm of Olympus.

Several publications named Apotheon’s soundtrack within the top 10 Playstation soundtracks of 2015.

3. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Assassin's Creed Odyssey E3 Gameplay Trailer

There’s a war brewing between Athens and Sparta, and your player character — The Eagle Bearer — stands in the midst of it all. That’s not your only concern, though. You must also defeat the enigmatic Cult of Kosmos and reunite with your family.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the eleventh main entry of the Assassin’s Creed series. Just like the games before it, Odyssey is an action RPG with a focus on stealth and combat, set in an open world — in this case, around 400 BC in Ancient Greece. Compared to previous titles, there’s less focus on the Assassin VS Templar conflict and more emphasis on mythology.

Odyssey is directly connected to its predecessor, Origins, through the secondary storyline of Layla Hassan who is reliving the memories of the Eagle Bearer in the present day.

The specific war taking place in Odyssey is the Peloponnesian War.

2. God of War III

God of War III Launch Trailer

Revolving around a conflict between Kratos and Zeus, the major theme of God of War III is revenge. Playing as Kratos, the former God of War who has been betrayed by his father, Zeus, you search for the goddess Pandora. With her help, Kratos hopes to open Pandora’s box and vanquish not only his father, but all of the Olympian gods.

God of War III is, like the other titles in the series, a hack and slash game. Gameplay features platform and puzzle elements but centers around combat — chaining combos with your weapons. God of War III offers a refurbished magic system, as well.

God of War III was highly acclaimed at its release and still holds up, more than ten years later. It received quite a few awards and is the second best-selling God of War installment.

God of War III takes you from Mount Olympus to the city of Olympia, all the way to Tartarus.

1. Hades

Hades Official Animated Trailer

Zagreus is the Prince of the Underworld but he’s not interested in staying at home — in fact, he’s trying to escape! In his quest to get to Mount Olympus, Zagreus encounters enemies from the Greek mythos and will sometimes receive help from the Olympians themselves.

To be honest, you’ll die often, but this is a feature and not an oversight. Each escape attempt unravels a bit more of the branching storyline. This kind of storytelling works remarkably well with Hades’ roguelike gameplay, in which treasure obtained from previous runs can be used to your advantage in future attempts. Hades’ combat is hack and slash, in which you must chain various weapons and abilities in order to deal ultimate damage upon your foes.

Hades received rave reviews from fans and critics alike, thanks to its narrative, art direction, gameplay, characters, and music.

Hades was awarded Game of the Year, Best Music, Best Writing, and Best Acting at the 10th Annual New York Game Awards.

You may also be interested in:  

- Top 10 Best Greek Mythology Games

- 15 Most Frightening Greek Mythology Creatures

- [Top 15] Mythology Gods That Are Powerful