The new Age of Empires is a fast-paced, touch-based game for Windows 8

The next entry in Microsoft's Age of Empires series is a fast-paced, touch-based multiplayer game coming to Windows 8. Called Age of Empires: Castle Siege, the new game will hit Windows PC and Windows Phone 8 in September.

Castle Siege lets players choose from several civilizations — including the Britons, Teutons and Kievan Rus — then tasks them with fortifying a castle and surrounding city, training armies and attacking other players' castles. Microsoft says the game is being built with touch devices in mind, meaning players will control their armies with swipes of a touchscreen. The game bears a striking resemblance to Supercell's hit strategy game Clash of Clans, which is available for iOS and Android devices, but Microsoft promises "the strategy and combat Age of Empires is renowned for."

The game will feature cross-play between Windows 8 PCs, tablets and phones.

Age of Empires: Castle Siege is being developed by Smoking Gun Interactive. The developer has worked with Microsoft in the past on Kinect Doodle Jump, Mars Rover Landing, Kinect Adventures and multiple Kinect Fun Labs titles.

The most recent entries in the Age of Empires franchise include Age of Empires 2 HD Edition, which was released on Steam last year, and Age of Empires Online, which was shut down in July.