How to Play Heroes of Might & Magic 3 on Mobile

As a die-hard fan of Heroes of Might & Magic III since its release back in the 90s, I was overjoyed when Ubisoft announced the prequel game Olden Era, promising to take us back to our beloved timeline. However, as a busy modern individual who often finds myself on the go, I yearned to play this classic game not just on my PC, but also on my mobile device.


As a dedicated fan of the Might & Magic series, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of nostalgia with the unveiling of Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era. It’s only natural that my first instinct was to revisit one of the series’ gems – Heroes of Might & Magic III. The allure is understandable given that Olden Era promises to be a prequel set within the original timeline (from I to IV), and it seems to draw heavily from the design elements of III.

As a dedicated fan of the Might & Magic series, I’ve longed for a mobile version of my favorite game in the franchise – Heroes of Might & Magic III. To my dismay, Ubisoft, the rights holders, haven’t released one yet, even after remastering the game in high definition. But fret not! A group of passionate fans have stepped up and developed an emulator to let us enjoy HoMM3 on our mobile devices. This article will guide you through that process as well.

Step 1: Get a Copy of the Game’s Files on Your PC

As a devoted fan, I’d recommend you acquire an authentic copy of Heroes of Might & Magic III for your computer. By that, I mean the original release, not the Ubisoft-created HD remaster. A popular method to achieve this is by purchasing Heroes of Might & Magic III Complete on GOG Galaxy, followed by installing the game onto your personal computer.

An alternative method involves utilizing a Disc Drive extension and playing the game from an original CD version that you might have stored somewhere in your home. This strategy is effective if you still own the physical disc.

Step 2: Move the Games Files to your Mobile Device

The following action involves transferring the entire game folder onto your mobile device. This can be accomplished in several ways: connecting your phone to your computer via Bluetooth or a wired connection, then manually moving the files over; or using online storage services such as WeTransfer, Dropbox, or Google Drive to store the files and download them onto your mobile device.

You’re free to store your game files wherever you prefer, but make sure that all related files are contained within one folder for easy access. If you transfer the folder as a compressed file, don’t forget to extract or unzip it before using the files.

Step 3: Download and Install VCMI from the Google Play Store

Afterward, you need to obtain the VCMI application either from the Google Play Store or GitHub. VCMI is an open-source emulator that reproduces the original Heroes game on Android devices. This app includes a mod manager, as well as several user-friendly enhancements such as quality-of-life improvements. You can toggle these features on and off to personalize your gaming experience according to your preferences.

As much as I’d love to dive into the world of Heroes of Might & Magic III on my Apple device, it seems like a pipe dream at the moment. Unfortunately, the fan-made version called VCMI isn’t accessible through the App Store, leaving us gamers with no official way to play this classic strategy game on our iOS devices.

Step 4: Run VCMI and Verify Files

Ultimately, you’ll need to operate VCMI on your mobile device and check that your HOMM 3 saved files are correctly stored on your phone. Typically, VCMI can automatically locate these files from your phone, but in some instances, you may need to grant the app access to your files or manually find the game folder within your phone’s directory if the automatic process fails to do so.

After the VCMI software has confirmed that the game files are correctly loaded, you can utilize the VCMI launcher to install mods and adjust settings. Once done, simply open the game through the launcher, and you’ll be playing Heroes of Might & Magic III once more on your phone, following this long hiatus.

VCMI’s recreation of Heroes of Might & Magic III is outstanding, boasting numerous enhancements and an intuitive, smooth touch-screen control system. In essence, it offers one of the best and most advisable ways to re-experience Heroes of Might & Magic III. As for what we’ll be up to while waiting for Olden Era’s release in January, well, that’s a secret for now!

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2024-10-01 14:38