Words by Conor Woods for Levelhead Gaming
A whole game. In a cereal box. For free. Not a sticker. Not a maze. Not a weird glow-in-the-dark spoon that barely worked.
I’m talking about a full-blown, disc-based copy of Age of Empires, tucked neatly inside a box of Nutri-Grain like it was no big deal.
It wasn’t just a freebie.
It was a portal.
A defining moment.
The greatest cereal box giveaway of all time.
Let’s be real. Today’s gamers have access to a buffet of free titles. Fortnite, MTG Arena, even that oddly addictive indie gem Bring Me That Shwarma.
But back then, every game choice mattered. You didn’t risk your only Christmas present on Beast Wars unless you were ready to live with the consequences.
That’s what made finding Age of Empires at the breakfast table so magical. It wasn’t just a game. It was an event.
Suddenly, kids like me — passed down trousers and all — had access to a cultural landmark.
A game that united us. Not just in battle, but in the collective joy of discovering something that felt impossibly good to be true.
And yes, I made ample use of the “BIGMOMMA” cheat code. I’m sure the empires of old would have deployed a car with a rocket launcher too, if given the chance.
Let’s rewind a bit. In the States, the cereal prize wars had already escalated thanks to Chex Quest — a Doom-style shooter that saw players blasting slime monsters while hoarding crunchy space snacks. It was absurd. It was iconic.
And it completely rewrote the rules. Here in Australia, we weren’t quite there yet.
But Kellogg’s, never one to be shown up (especially in a game they more or less invented back in 1909 with “The Funny Jungleland Moving Pictures Book”), decided it was time to strike back.
Enter Microsoft. Their first attempt? Encarta.
Yes, the digital encyclopaedia. Not exactly thrilling, but it sent a message — the cereal box was no longer just for plastic novelties and puzzles. It was part of the home computing revolution.
Before the disc. Before the empire rose. There was just me, desperate for a family PC.
It was late 2001 when I discovered that Bionicles — the greatest LEGO species known to man — had their own website. The site itself? A bit underwhelming, if I’m honest.
But it lit a fire in me, and I launched a months-long campaign to convince my parents we needed a computer. Eventually they cracked. We got one. And that changed everything.
Oh, and while we’re on the subject of childhood firsts — quick shoutout to my older brother’s mate Harley, who, via MSN Messenger, showed me my first bit of sexual imagery.
A four-frame GIF ... Mum was standing behind me at the time. Cheers, Harley. You absolute donkey-muppet.
It’s 2002. So Fresh CDs are everywhere. Beyblades are flying across schoolyards. And there I am, flipping open a box of Nutri-Grain, not realising I’m about to receive a gift from the gods.
A disc. A real game. Age of Empires. No strings. No microtransactions. No dodgy install wizard. Just pure, strategy-soaked brilliance.
We’d gather around the family computer like it was a wartime radio.
History came to life — even if we didn’t fully grasp how to build an economy or what “loom” meant. We weren’t just kids anymore. We were emperors.
Looking back, it wasn’t just about the game. It was about feeling invited to the world of PC gaming.
You, a kid with a cereal box and a chunky monitor, had access to the same digital battlegrounds as anyone else.
Now we get QR codes and Clash of Clans promos. But that feeling — that moment of this is mine — stuck.
Would I still call it the greatest cereal box giveaway of all time?Absolutely.
It wasn’t just a marketing stunt. It was a shared cultural moment. A brief slice of time when breakfast and gaming collided in the best way imaginable.
So here’s to that magical moment. To Age of Empires. To conquering civilisations before school. And yes — once again — to Harley. Wherever you are, you absolute donkey-muppet...
Intellectual Property Acknowledgment
All trademarks, logos, images, video game characters, screenshots, and other related materials used on this website are the property of their respective owners. Levelhead Gaming is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any game developers, publishers, or other entities unless explicitly stated.
Fair Use Statement
Content presented on this website is intended for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. Articles, reviews, commentary, and other media are created under the principles of fair use, which permit limited use of copyrighted material for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.
Independent and Fan-Created Content
Levelhead Gaming is a fan-driven initiative. Any opinions expressed on this website are those of the individual creators and contributors and do not represent the views or positions of any game developers or publishers unless explicitly stated.
User Responsibility
Visitors are encouraged to respect the intellectual property rights of third parties. Redistribution, reproduction, or unauthorized use of copyrighted material without the explicit permission of the owner may violate copyright law.
Levelhead Gaming Copyright © 2025 - All Rights Reserved.
Mike Loder trading as Rusty Sprocket Films.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.