Age of War

Age of War merged two genres that seem different at first glance, tower defense and simple real-time strategy, into one straightforward Flash package that became popular in 2010 mainly thanks to its historical arc. Studio Louissi designed the game so that the player's base progresses from the Stone Age through antiquity and the Middle Ages all the way to a sci-fi future, with new units, towers and abilities added with each era, while the older ones become obsolete.

The gameplay principle is simple - the player sends units against the opponent's base on the other side of the screen while also defending their own, investing points earned from destroying enemies into advancing to the next era. This system of gradually unlocking content gave the game a pleasant pace, since the player constantly felt a sense of progress and of the battlefield transforming, from clubs and stones to tanks and lasers. The simple two-dimensional graphics and clear interface meant the game ran smoothly even on the weaker computers of the time and became a regular fixture on portals like Newgrounds or Kongregate.

Age of War inspired a number of similar clones, and its concept of advancing eras appeared in later strategy games as well, though the title itself remained more a short, simple diversion than a deep strategy game meant for long sessions. That's precisely why it became a typical example of a game people would fire up for a few dozen minutes between other work. Today it's only accessible through Flash emulators, since Adobe Flash Player is no longer supported in browsers.

Why play it: For players who want a quick strategy session without unnecessary complexity and enjoy watching the battlefield's visual transformation across historical eras.