Six plates

The plates

Each plate describes one game the way a field guide describes a species: where it lives, what it eats, how to tell it from its relatives, and what three weeks in its company were like.

Rise of Cultures artworkPlate I

Builders · Historical, peaceable

Rise of Cultures

InnoGames, 2022 · others can attack: no · open-ended

Field marks

  • No player can attack you
  • Something finishes every twenty minutes
  • Runs on an old laptop

Verdict 7.8Full plate →

Big Farm artworkPlate II

Builders · Farm, cooperative

Big Farm

Goodgame Studios, 2012 · others can attack: no · open-ended

Field marks

  • Five-minute sessions
  • Cooperative projects with neighbours
  • Runs on anything

Verdict 7.8Full plate →

Grepolis artworkPlate III

Conquerors · Ancient, naval, alliance-bound

Grepolis

InnoGames, 2009 · others can attack: yes · months, ends with world wonders

Field marks

  • A sea between every city
  • Divine powers as a light card layer
  • Worlds end with Wonders

Verdict 7.8Full plate →

Call of War artworkPlate IV

Conquerors · Twentieth century, round-based

Call of War

Bytro Labs, 2015 · others can attack: yes · 2–4 weeks, ends on victory points

Field marks

  • A round has a beginning and an end
  • Two check-ins a day is the rhythm
  • Readable map, short unit list

Verdict 7.5Full plate →

OGame artworkPlate V

Conquerors · Interstellar, numerical

OGame

Gameforge, 2002 · others can attack: yes · universes run for years

Field marks

  • Almost entirely tables and numbers
  • Fleets can be lost while you sleep
  • Two decades of depth

Verdict 7.4Full plate →

Gladiatus artworkPlate VI

Fighters · Arena, loot-driven

Gladiatus

Gameforge, 2009 · others can attack: arena only · open-ended servers

Field marks

  • Ten-minute visits
  • Instant arena ranked against real players
  • A deep inventory grid

Verdict 7.5Full plate →