Ancient Wars: Sparta is a real-time strategy game in which the player controls the Spartans, the Ancient Egyptians and the Ancient Persians. The game is divided up into three separate campaigns, one for each of the three cultures, with each campaign divided into multiple missions. The campaigns are independent of one another, and can be played in any order. The missions within each campaign, however, are linear, and each mission only becomes available when the previous one has been completed. Although gameplay focuses primarily on combat, the game also features elements of economic micromanagement, as the player must generate enough resources to build up their armies to the point where they can defeat the opposing forces. Within each mission, the player will usually have multiple primary objectives, and will often have one or more secondary objectives. Secondary objectives are not necessary to complete the mission, but often reward the player with troops and/or resources if fulfilled.