I never would have considered myself to be a “gamer,” but when my boyfriend mentioned his love for "Age of Empires" (AoE), I was taken back to memories of watching my brother play AoE when I was a little girl. I decided to at least give "Age of Empires" a try, and… let’s just say I can honestly call myself a gamer now. Plus, my boyfriend and I have found that AoE can arguably teach you far more than war tactics and real-time strategy. Here are some “life-lessons from "Age of Empires” we came up with, and we think you’ll agree. After all, who doesn't love more reasons to play?

1. 1. "Started from the Bottom, Now We're Here"

In AoE, you learn the skill starting from nothing to running a thriving, conquering empire.

2. Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade!

The more you upgrade and advance, the better chance you have to wear the victor’s crown. In AoE, upgrades are the key and can make or break a team. In life, we could all benefit from a bit more “out with the old, in with the new.”

3. Knowing the balance of defense and offense.

You may need to be prepared for your opponent to attack your base, but you also need to be aggressive and decide whether or not to go to the opponent's base to start an attack. Such is life when we need to balance protecting ourselves and taking a risk.

4. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.

Working with your ally to mutually benefit from goods, land, trade and war tactics will instill the value of teamwork and its benefits.

5. Protect Yourself

Although not required, building up walls and watch towers makes all the difference in Age of Empires. In life, spending time and money for self-care and protection is important!

6. Don't Make Excuses

We all know the excuses of our AoE computer opponents are ridiculously absurd. Although it wouldn’t be AoE without the lame excuses, it sure will encourage you to take ownership of your demise… you don’t want to be a sore loser like the computer.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this article. Now go forth and game!