What We Liked..
Clean user interface
Rich gameplay
Animated villagers and artwork
.. and what we didn't
No sound or music
Slow progression
Ikariam is an animated, historically-themed 2D browser-game that features a rich strategy game experience involving resource management, multiplayer PVP and empire building. The game advances in real time and while progression is slow, the gameplay offers plenty of choices for the player when it comes to being the ruler of their township on an island that is ripe for any plans of expansion.
Graphically, Ikariam is pleasant to look at with good graphics and surprisingly has animated motions of villagers getting to work and constructing buildings or collecting resources. Unfortunately, the lack of in-game sounds and music may be an immersion buzzkill for some players.
Ultimately, Ikariam is a great strategy game that players can play for no cost, even in the presence of an advantageous cash shop.
What We Liked..
User friendly
Excellent war and resource sim
Exciting social PVP gameplay
.. and what we didn't
Slow progression rate
Lack of graphics and visuals
No sounds and music
Developed and published by Gameforge back in 2000, OGame is a web browser and text-based sci-fi war simulator and MMO that many consider to be the "lite" version of EVE Online.
With no visual animations and sounds, the game functions using only texts and graphics. At the beginning, players are thrown into the game and will own a single planet, and they will have to master the concept of resource management and empire building in order to progress and become a force in the galaxy. The game's learning curve is steep but there are plenty of tutorials and guides within and outside the game to assist players.
The main objective of OGame is to be the most dominant emperor in the galaxy with a strong space empire spanning multiple planets and a large armada of ships as an army. The game features exciting PVP with other real players and they have the option to form alliances with a group of players to strategically co-ordinate raids and defenses.
For a veteran browser game, OGame is still going strong as the community is still large and the game is regularly updated with more content expansions being released. There is a cash shop to buy premium currency but there isn't a dire need to get them.
Overall, OGame is a simple and strategic game that can offer space war fans with weeks of enjoyment, especially with friends.
What We Liked..
Light and relaxing gameplay
Variety of quests and mini-stories
Charming tropical setting
.. and what we didn't
Energy limits restrict playtime
Grind-heavy progression later on
Exploration becomes repetitive
Taonga: The Island Farm is a browser and mobile-based farming simulation game that blends the classic appeal of farm builders with tropical island exploration and casual adventure. Developed by Volka Entertainment, the game throws players into the role of a shipwreck survivor who finds himself on a mysterious archipelago, where farming is just the beginning of his island life.
At its core, Taonga is about building a vibrant, self-sustaining farm, harvesting crops, raising animals, crafting goods, and trading with other islanders. But unlike many farming sims, Taonga spices things up with a semi-narrative structure. As you level up, you unlock new islands filled with secrets, quests, and characters that give a little bit of flavor to your otherwise zen gameplay loop.
What makes Taonga stand out is its exploration system, which adds layers of progression beyond the traditional “plant, harvest, upgrade” cycle. While energy management limits how much you can do in one session (a common mechanic in freemium games), there’s enough to keep you coming back for your daily island fix.
A bright, colorful art style keeps things visually pleasant, with intuitive UI and relaxing sound design making it a comfy experience.
What We Liked..
A well-crafted world
Convincing artworks
Lots of things to take care of
.. and what we didn't
Same core dynamics of all browser games
Genre: strategy, war, managerial, simulation
Setting: historical
Graphics: animated artworks
PvP: guild or factions PvP
Anocris is a real-time strategy game that takes you into the world of ancient Egypt. Here you will experience the heyday of this mysterious civilization and start your own Egyptian settlement. Will you be able to turn it into a mighty empire and take control over the Nile?
What We Liked..
Original setting
Magic rituals!
.. and what we didn't
Graphics could be improved
Genre: strategy, war, managerial, simulation
Setting: historical
Graphics: animated artworks
PvP: guild or factions PvP
Tentlan is a strategy real-time online game played in the times of the pre-Columbian Americas. Starting off with a small settlement in the heart of the rainforest, the players continuously increase their power and influence till they end up developing great empires.
What We Liked..
Plenty of popular heroes to collect
Very accessible
Decent graphics
.. and what we didn't
Cash shop reliant to bypass grinds
Dark Genesis is a free to play browser-based idle MMORPG which lets you collect popular demigods as heroes: if you've always wanted to see Loki, Shiva and Anubis battle side by side against hordes of enemies, then Dark Genesis is the game for you.
Its party battle system will let you unlock and collect a large variety of popular entities that span across different fantasy icons, cultural heroes and more: you'll form a party of these heroes and challenge opponents in PvE and PvP battles through a series of map stages.
Outside of battle mode, the sky castle map is your home base which unlocks new features as you level up, letting you get access to new buildings and infrastructures that will make you progress faster-
As an added bonus, there's a charm to the game with its decent graphics and easy accessibility
What We Liked..
Classic top down simulation overview
Easy to navigate user interface
Turn based strategy adds an extra dimension to the game
.. and what we didn't
Advanced building options take ages to complete
Graphics are very basic
Players may not be familiar with tile-based combat
Genre: strategy, war, managerial
Setting: city, historical, present
Graphics: animated artworks
PvP: guild or factions PvE PvP
This free to play browser-based game allows you to create your very own empire, starting in the early Bronze Age and advancing towards the Industrial Age and beyond (if you can).
Forge of empires is not just a city building simulation; as your city expands you must fend off other players who attack mercilessly in an attempt to plunder your resources. Cunning, strategy and economic balance all come into play to make Forge of Empires a challenging and enjoyable game.
The free to play model works well here and it is completely possible to experience all features of the game without having to purchase "extras" in order to succeed. A real benefit with Forge of Empires is that game play is really easy-going and there are no lengthy downloads required to play, which is even more reason to give it a try!
What We Liked..
Simple to learn
Great for casual gaming
Lovely cartoon style
.. and what we didn't
Lacks some depth
Probably more suited for a mobile audience
Hero Wars is a browser-based RPG adventure game by Nexters, also available on mobile devices.
It's a casual free-to-play game with over 100 million downloads in the Android and iOS App Store, and also one of the most popular Facebook games in 2023.
But why is it so popular?
One thing we appreciated about Hero Wars is its easy-to-learn gameplay.
You simply follow the storyline or campaign and get to battle with unique and strong heroes: most of the combat will happen automatically, but the player can make a difference by using each character's special skills at the right moment.
The game has pretty good graphics: playful, colorful and eye-catching.
The artworks of the characters are quite different from other similar casual games, and the skill effects used by each character were relatively impressive.
In Hero Wars, you collect over 50 unique heroes to make your team strong. You can obtain these characters by playing the campaign, where you will be rewarded heroes at certain stages. However, you can only use the five strongest heroes in battle.
There are 13 campaigns with 190 missions, and the farther you go, the stronger the enemies become. But don't worry, as you complete each mission, you will receive good and rare loot equipment.
In addition, you can equip each hero with suitable equipment for your class, and level up your heroes by giving them XP brews or sacrificing 10 weaker heroes. The higher the grade of the heroes, the higher their level can be.
Each stage/mission has three stages inside, and the last stage is where you will face the boss. You can also join a guild and start guild battles with your friends.
What We Liked..
Great graphics
Interesting Company System
Addictive gameplay
.. and what we didn't
Repetitive missions
The cash shop unbalances the game
Audio hiccups
Watch the trailer:
Dark Orbit is a free to play browser based MMO with a heavy focus on ship battles, resource collection, and clan interaction.
Developed by Bigpoint, Dark Orbit (now dubbed Dark Orbit Reloaded), aims to replicate the likes of Eve Online, within the confines of and top down isometric browser game.
Bigpoint creates a wholly enjoyable experience with very few hang ups.
Select between one of three different companies to earn glory and fortune for both the player and the employer by completing quests, collecting resources and killing space baddies.
This gameplay loop, along with some solid sound design and interesting ships to create and customize makes for a very enjoyable browser game. However the repetitive quests, over reliance on grinding, and difficulty may grate on some players’ nerves.
Graphically speaking the game is top notch: we’ve rarely seen browser games as visually impressive.
The sound design is good, however some audio sounds compressed and low quality.
If you’re a fan of browser games or have a rig that doesn’t allow for more intensive titles, Dark Orbit may be an excellent choice for you.
What We Liked..
Stunning graphics and 3D world
Fun companion system
Plenty of servers
.. and what we didn't
Textures sometimes don't load
Heavy cash store influence
Rise of Angels is a browser-based MMORPG that's free to play, features isometric action based combat and a companion collection system that requires players to obtain, upgrade and look after Goddesses who alters your combat skills and stats for the better. The game offers both PvE solo and group content as well as PvP arenas and guild wars for competitive gameplay. The game world is incredibly stunning due to the ability to zoom, rotate and inspect closely the finer details of textures and aesthetics that's almost unheard of for a browser MMORPG. While the content is very predictable and might come across as a carbon copy of most other games, it's aesthetics wins out and makes you pick this title of the next. There is a heavy reliance on the cash shop but it's largely forgettable if you're taking your time playing through the game's lengthy main story.