Forge of Empires

Forge of Empires lets the player build a city that gradually moves through historical eras, from the Stone Age all the way to the modern era, with each era bringing new buildings, units, and technologies to research and unlock. The game combines a city-building strategy with a combat system on a hexagonal map and diplomacy between players, setting it apart from the simpler click-based strategies of the time that focused only on gathering resources. It was released in 2012 by the German studio InnoGames and quickly became one of its flagship and longest-supported titles.

The controls are adapted to the mouse and a clear menu – building construction, technology research, and unit management all happen by clicking through an interface similar to other browser strategy games, so new players find their bearings quickly without a lengthy tutorial. Progressing through the eras over time gives the game a clear sense of advancement and a long-term goal, while cooperation within player guilds and participation in point-scoring competitions add a social dimension that keeps players around for months or years. As a typical representative of the genre, Forge of Empires is built on a free-to-play model with the option to pay for faster construction and other advantages, meaning that without patience the player won't get very far.

Forge of Empires is one of the most successful browser strategy games of all time in the long run, and it remains up and running long after its release, which is an exception among Flash titles of the era.

Why play it: For patient strategy fans who want to watch a civilization progress across the eras, but should expect a free-to-play pace and paid speed-ups.