Games in the present

CRSED is a grotesque battle royale online shooter that lets you play as one of eight unique hero characters, and each one will offer a different combat style thanks to their skills.

Unlike most generic battle royale games, CRSED has littered its maps with ritual sites offering mythical superpowers and magic abilities (that of course bring advantages to the players who use them), alongside traditional weaponry and... yes, the frying pan.

There's plenty of progression with skill trees for your characters, new seasonal content to keep things fresh, and a cosmetic shop to dress them up when you want to look fancy.

CRSED offers the familiar battle royale gameplay experience with a much-appreciated touch of humour.

➔ Main points:

• Free to play battle royale shooter that feels familiar
• Eight character heroes to choose each with unique skills and progression system
• Plenty of authentic weapons mixed with funny cooking utensils and magic spells
• Decent player base with a steady stream of new content

Cuisine Royal is a refreshing battle royale game that pits players against each other either in solo, duo or squad groups on a large open map. The game features similar gameplay to other battle royale titles such as gearing up through searching houses and other buildings on the map for weapons, and moving to secured locations when the safe timer is up. Cuisine Royale stands out by letting players use kitchen utensils like cooking pans, pots and chef knives as part of the equipment players can fight with.

For a free to play game, Cuisine Royale offers some limited character progression through its crafting system that lets you earn cool looking rewards like masks and outfits. While there are three sever locations currently, the player base fluctuates and it can be hard to find matches off prime time hours.

➔ Main points:

• A battle royale game made unique thanks to its kitchen inspired theme of gear and weapons
• Three server locations including NA/EU and Eastern Europe
• Free to play with limited lootbox microtransactions

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!

➔ Main points:

• Completely free to play browser based strategy game.
• No download required to play, simply sign in via a webpage and away you go!
• Resources and experience are plentiful, making the cash shop almost unnecessary.
• Easy going and non-demanding game play.

Overview

If orange is the new black, then farming is the new popular app. With games like Farmville and Hay Day, players can immerse themselves into the artificial pleasures of farming. This includes things like growing crops, raising livestock, and delivering goods and services to awaiting customers. Like Farmville, Township got its start on the Facebook platform and evolved into a standalone app. But where Farmville and Hay Day focus strictly on farm-building, Township expands the player's reach into other areas of development, like house-building, factories, restaurants, movie theaters, and even a zoo. It blends farm and city building together into something that's less 'nostalgic farming' and more 'farming metropolis'. The game is also quick to catch on to, with a fairly basic tutorial that relies on simple animated GIFs that show the player exactly how to play, but leaves enough room to let the player explore on their own if they want.

With a fairly basic premise ("Congratulations on inheriting some property!"), a simple-yet-complex gaming structure that keeps you engaged, and amazing graphics, Township remains a top contender in the world-building simulation apps out there.

➔ Main points:

• Blends both city building and farm building together
• Grow your own crops, take care of your own animals, and sell the wares that you make
• Build and grow things in real-time with accelerated speed
• Focus on building your city into whatever you want it to be!
• Game shop allows player to use real money to advance your level faster

Generals: Art of War is a free to play browser-based strategy game. Set in a modern-day period in which authentic military elementsdoesn't look modern but if that's not your concern, then gameplay will feel very familiar to veterans. New players can ease their way in thanks to a good tutorial, and the community is large enough to support engaging alliances that is a core feature for team-play in larger warfare. The game does have a cash shop and while beneficial, players can opt to play for free and still make progress.

➔ Main points:

• Free to play modern warfare browser sim
• Intuitive UI design makes it easy to play
• Active playerbase to help with group play
• Heavy reliance on the in-game cash shop

notmycar is a free to play vehicular battle royale game, featuring fast cars and deadly weapons in fast paced matches using familiar battle royale mechanics. The game is in early access beta, meaning that more features and gameplay improvements will be added over time. There are limited game modes available, but players can expect brand new rewards from progression systems like XP levels up, or they can be purchased from the Season Pass and Cash Store.

The game runs very well with excellent graphics and presentation. Gameplay is fluid and fun, but suffers from occasional input lag in which skills don't react fast enough to make a difference in vital moments. The playerbase is also low for a game that's fairly new. Overall, notmycar is a fresh entry into the battle royale genre and one that's worth a look if you enjoy pimping out cars.

➔ Main points:

• Free to play vehicular battle royale game that doesn't feel like a clone.
• Only two game modes available which is solo and group play.
• Progression is rewarding without spending money but it is a grind.
• Very good graphics and game feels fluid and fun.
• Low population for a new game is a worry.

Rise of Cultures is a strategy game for browsers and mobile devices developed by InnoGames. The game takes players on a journey through different eras of human history, starting from the Stone Age and ending in the Middle Ages. Players must build and manage their cities, research new technologies, and engage in battles with other players.

One of the key features of Rise of Cultures is its emphasis on historical accuracy. The game provides players with a detailed representation of the cultures and societies of each era, including their architecture, technology, and military tactics. This attention to detail makes the game both educational and immersive.

In terms of gameplay, Rise of Cultures offers a variety of activities to engage in: you can build and upgrade buildings, gather resources, and train troops, both solo or with your fellow guild companions.

One of the biggest strengths of Rise of Cultures lies in its graphics. The artworks are stylish, beautiful and detailed, and they really bring the historical eras to life. The interface is intuitive and easy to use, making it extremely accessible to both new and experienced players.

Rise of Cultures also features a well-balanced free-to-play model. While it does offer in-app purchases, you can enjoy the full experience without spending any money, for real. This makes it a great option for players who are looking for a high-quality game without breaking the bank.

However, there are also some downsides...
Some players may find the pace of the game to be slow, as it can take time to gather resources and build up a strong city. Also, the multiplayer component is quite underdeveloped as the main emphasis of the game is on PvE: while somebody could consider it as an advantage, those looking for a hard challenge against other human players are going to be disappointed.

Overall, Rise of Cultures is a solid strategy game that offers a lot of worthy content. Its historical accuracy and attention to detail make it stand out from other games in the genre, and its free-to-play model makes it accessible to a wide range of players.

Anime MMORPGs are a rare breed. Good ones anyway, and for use anime and MMO fans, that’s a darn shame. So when a good Anime MMORPG comes around, we play it as long as we can and cherish it more than that all-red Pokeball.

SoulWorker is a refreshing entry into the somewhat sparse Anime MMORPG genre. The art style is just plain gorgeous, and the combat is fast and furious, no Vin Diesel required. And most importantly, the game is fun.

While it lasts at least. The game is still young, but in its’ current state, there just isn’t enough to do. Players will have a blast in the initial hours, but once the serious grinding starts, the fun drops off a cliff. The endgame is pretty nonexistent, and what little there is to do, isn’t very enjoyable. Soul Worker is an instanced based, dungeon hack and slash, and it can get very repetitive very quickly. And the alterations that Game Forge made to the game, make the bad aspects of Soul Worker even worse. In its’ current state, it doesn’t have much in the way of lasting power, but it’s a great way to spend a weekend or two with friends.

➔ Main points:

• Downloadable Hack n Slash MMORPG
• Fast and fun combo heavy combat
• Get repetitive towards late game
• Very little endgame content
• English version of the game is a lot harder and more grindy than the SEA version
• Too much P2W/P2P Elements in the English release
• Lots of server issues

Zula is a full 3D, team-based first person shooter that's been out since 2016, developed by IDC Games. The setting for its matches take place in present modern day era, and players can battle it out on a variety of realistic maps from Turkey to Ukraine, and the battlefield designs are strategic.

The gunplay is incredibly fast-paced and shooting feels excellent as bullet sprays are quick. This means enemy players die quicker, resulting in a hectic and frantic feeling in matches. However, the core gameplay is generic and bland as there are only 5 maps. This is further accentuated by the limited amount of game modes that we've already seen in similar games.

Overall, Zula is a decent free to play first person shooter that delivers fast paced action matches if that's what you crave from your FPS games. It has long haul progression systems for player levels to unlock weapon upgrades, in addition to skins and customization from both in-game and cash store to keep you busy.

➔ Main points:

• Very fast paced gunplay speed that feels incredibly in matches
• Good progression and customization options for players committed to the long grind
• Offers daily missions to diversify daily gameplay offering
• Zero tolerance on cheating and developers take it seriously

Sansar is a free to play virtual universe MMO that allows players to create their own avatars and explore creativity and social activities together. Featuring fully 3D worlds, characters and environments, Sansar is graphically excellent and gameplay involves no combat, instead opting for social interactions. You can manipulate objects to recreate scenes at parties, or get creative and enter its excellent build mode to create your own disco for you and your friends to chill at. The game offers near limitless sandbox social experiences, but suffers from low player count currently.

➔ Main points:

• Free to play virtual online world that looks gorgeous.
• Limitless amount of creativity tools to help players build, explore and create.
• A great marketing and merchandise tool for influencers.
• Plenty of live events to attend hosted by real people.
• Somewhat low playerbase currently.