The Polygon report on Ubisoft’s Heroes of Might and Magic III rerelease is one of the strangest launches of the year. The Steam page ships without the game files, buyers download a shell that asks them to bring their own executable, and the community is left to argue about whether the release constitutes a game at all. For anyone who bought Heroes 3 to play Heroes 3 again, seven turn-based fantasy strategy games and one community project already do more of what made the original endure.
Comparison table
| Game | Best for | Platforms | Playable now | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Songs of Conquest | The truest Heroes 3 spiritual successor | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | $29.99 |
| Age of Wonders 4 | 4X with hero units and tactical battles | Windows, PS5, Xbox | Yes | $49.99 |
| Fantasy General II | Modern hex-based fantasy tactics | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | $39.99 |
| Battle Brothers | Mercenary company management with tactical battles | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | $29.99 |
| Warlords Classic | 1990s empire-scale fantasy strategy | Windows, macOS | Yes | $6.99 (GOG) |
| Master of Magic Classic | The Master of Magic re-release | Windows | Yes | $9.99 |
| VCMI | Open-source Heroes 3 engine | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Yes | Free (bring own assets) |
Why the Heroes 3 rerelease disappointed
The Ubisoft Steam release ships a wrapper that expects players to source the original files. Long-time fans read that as an insult to a game they have kept alive for twenty-plus years through GOG, the HD Edition, and community mods. The Heroes 3 experience most players remember, town screens, town portal, Grail hunts, is not what the rerelease actually provides.
The seven picks below are the games and one open-source project that carry that torch better right now.
1. Songs of Conquest, best Heroes 3 spiritual successor
Songs of Conquest is the game that Heroes fans point to when someone asks what to play after Heroes 3. Pixel art on modern-engine strategy, four factions with distinct campaigns, a wielder-and-army system that is Heroes 3 rebuilt with lessons learned. The map generator is generous, and the multiplayer is stable enough for the long turn-based games the community has always played.
Where it falls short: The pace of the middle campaign missions can drag if you optimise turn timings.
Pricing: $29.99. Regular $18 sales.
Available on: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Bottom line: The direct answer to “what is the modern Heroes 3?”
2. Age of Wonders 4, best for 4X with tactical battles
Age of Wonders 4 is where the Heroes 3 hero-army loop meets a full 4X. Custom pantheons, tactical battles on a hex board, a whole diplomatic layer that Heroes 3 never had. The expansions have kept it in Triumph’s rotation, and the tactical battles are more skill-testing than most 4X games attempt.
Where it falls short: The 4X wrapper is a step up in complexity from Heroes 3’s map layer.
Pricing: $49.99 base. Regular $25 sales.
Available on: Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: For Heroes 3 fans who wondered what a 4X wrapper would add.
3. Fantasy General II, best for hex tactics fans
Fantasy General II is a hex-tactics fantasy war game that skips the map layer and focuses on tactical battles with persistent units. Level up your heroes, keep them alive across a campaign, and lean into unit composition. The Onslaught expansion added the survival-tactics mode that keeps players returning.
Where it falls short: No town-building layer. Tactical battles are the whole game.
Pricing: $39.99. Expansions add another $30 or so.
Available on: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Bottom line: The tactics-focused sibling of Heroes 3’s battle screen.
4. Battle Brothers, best for mercenary company management
Battle Brothers is the tactical fantasy game about running a mercenary company through a hostile world. Named characters, permadeath, real economic pressure. The tactical layer is turn-based and the strategy layer is the map you cross, taking contracts, avoiding bandit ambushes. Heroes 3 fans who liked the “keep the roster alive” side of the game gravitate to Battle Brothers.
Where it falls short: Punishing early game. Expect several restarts before a stable company forms.
Pricing: $29.99. Regular $12 sales. Two paid expansions and the Warriors of the North DLC add depth.
Available on: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Bottom line: For the Heroes 3 fan who liked army retention more than town building.
5. Warlords Classic, best for the 1990s empire-scale feeling
Warlords was the 1990s fantasy strategy game that Heroes of Might and Magic borrowed from. Warlords Classic is the GOG re-release of Warlords 1 through Battlecry, and it plays surprisingly well on modern hardware. Take cities, produce armies, march heroes, take more cities. The loop is simpler than Heroes 3 and, for a certain kind of player, more addictive.
Where it falls short: Interface is very 1990s. Prepare to learn hotkeys.
Pricing: Around $6.99 on GOG.
Available on: Windows, macOS.
Download: GOG
Bottom line: The historical ancestor. Still very playable.
6. Master of Magic Classic, best for the pre-Heroes classic re-release
Master of Magic Classic is the classic 1994 Master of Magic re-released for modern systems. Empire-building, spell research, city management, tactical battles. The Muha 2022 remake is fine but the classic re-release plays cleaner if you own the memory of the original.
Where it falls short: No tutorial. If you never played it, expect a friendly wiki tab open.
Pricing: $9.99 on GOG.
Available on: Windows via DOSBox wrapper.
Download: GOG
Bottom line: The other 1990s classic Heroes 3 owes debts to.
7. VCMI, the open-source Heroes 3 engine
VCMI is not a game, it is the open-source engine that reimplements Heroes 3 with modding hooks, quality-of-life fixes, and support for community-made content. Bring your own Heroes 3 assets (the GOG copy works well) and VCMI hosts the game on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android with new features that the Ubisoft rerelease does not.
Where it falls short: Requires legitimate Heroes 3 files. The engine cannot ship them.
Pricing: Free, GPL. Heroes 3 Complete on GOG is $9.99.
Available on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android.
Bottom line: The community-driven Heroes 3 experience the rerelease failed to be.
How to choose
For the closest modern Heroes 3 successor, install Songs of Conquest first. It is the game that most successfully carried the loop into 2026.
Play VCMI in parallel if you own Heroes 3 already. It is the honest continuation of the original game rather than a wrapper.
Age of Wonders 4 is the pick for Heroes 3 fans who suspected the map layer could go deeper. Fantasy General II is for the ones who wanted the tactical layer to go deeper instead.
Battle Brothers is a different game with the same feeling of caring about individual soldiers. Warlords Classic and Master of Magic Classic are the historical picks and both hold up.
FAQ
Why did the Heroes 3 rerelease disappoint fans?
The Ubisoft Steam release ships without the game files, expecting players to bring their own copy. Buyers who did not already own Heroes 3 could not actually play the rerelease.
What is the best legitimate way to play Heroes 3 today?
Buy Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete on GOG, then install VCMI on top for the community-maintained engine and modding support.
Is Songs of Conquest really the modern Heroes 3?
It is the closest current game to the Heroes 3 experience. Pixel art, wielder-and-army, town building, and tactical battles all in the same rhythm.
Does VCMI work on Steam Deck?
Yes. VCMI runs on Steam Deck with the Heroes 3 assets copied over, and community controller layouts exist.
Which of these games has the best campaign?
Songs of Conquest has the freshest campaign for Heroes 3 fans. Fantasy General II has the tightest tactical campaign.
