Back to Covered Market Row
Behind the counter, out of the rain

Bertie's eight rainy-day tabs
to see out a downpour on the glass

When rain rattles the iron-and-glass roof and the aisles empty out, Bertie pulls a stool up to the counter and opens a browser tab. Here are the eight games he keeps bookmarked for those lulls: kingdoms to settle and trade from, empires to besiege, a Roman arena, a gothic night hunt, a wartime map and a base to drive tanks around. All of them are free to join and run with nothing to install.

8games on Bertie's list
0installers to fetch
£0to sign up to any of them
Travian Kingdoms key art
Bertie's trading pick

Travian Kingdoms

Kingdom-building strategy MMO · Strategy & war

Every player takes a role: a king who claims and guards territory, or a governor who builds villages and keeps the wares flowing. You settle new villages, set up trade routes between them and push your borders outwards over a round lasting months. It rewards anyone who enjoys a well-run supply chain as much as a battle, and an alliance gives every player a clear job.

Good for
Planners who like a defined role and a busy trade network.
Typical session
Short visits, morning and evening
Where it runs
Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Cost
Costs nothing to play; buying things in-game is entirely optional.
Your first session
  1. Decide early whether you would rather rule as a king or work as a governor.
  2. Settle a second village as soon as you can afford to, and link the two with trade.
  3. Join an active alliance in your area so your borders have friends on them.
Play Travian Kingdoms freeOpens kingdoms.com in a new tab

Seven more from the bookmark tin

Imperia Online key artStrategy & war

Imperia Online

Medieval empire strategy MMO

Found a medieval village and grow it into an empire that runs in real time, upgrading farms, barracks and a university as you go. When you are ready, roll out catapults and trebuchets against a rival's walls; beaten neighbours can be made into vassals rather than simply flattened.

  • 15 to 30 minutes
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Good for & first steps

Good for: Strategists who want conquest to carry consequences.

Your first session
  1. Keep the economy buildings ahead of the army in your first week.
  2. Research at the university early; it pays back across the whole empire.
  3. Save your siege engines for walls you have properly scouted.
Play Imperia Online freeOpens imperiaonline.org
Khan Wars key artStrategy & war

Khan Wars

Medieval nations strategy

Choose one of twelve medieval nations, each leaning towards trade, economy or combat, and grow it from a single settlement. Up to 28 kinds of troops are on offer, and a guild lets you pool armies to besiege citadels and hold ground together.

  • 15 to 30 minutes
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Good for & first steps

Good for: Strategists happy to pick a side and build everything around it.

Your first session
  1. Compare the nation bonuses before you commit, because the choice shapes the rest.
  2. Keep resource buildings upgraded so troop training never stalls.
  3. Find a lively guild early, as citadel sieges need many hands.
Play Khan Wars freeOpens khanwars.com
Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming key artStrategy & war

Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming

Licensed real-time strategy MMO

An officially licensed strategy game set in the world of Game of Thrones. You raise a castle, recruit commanders and work through a campaign against computer-run foes, while alliances of real players fight over the wider map. It runs in a browser tab, with a desktop app as an option.

  • 15 to 30 minutes
  • Desktop browser
Good for & first steps

Good for: Strategy players who want a familiar world to fight over.

Your first session
  1. Follow the opening campaign; it unlocks the castle buildings in a sensible order.
  2. Recruit commanders that suit the troops you actually use.
  3. Join an alliance before you venture far across the map.
Play Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming freeOpens got.gtarcade.com
Call of War key artStrategy & war

Call of War

Second World War grand strategy

Lead a nation across a persistent Second World War map, moving land, air and sea forces against human rivals. Matches unfold over days, so production, research and a good word with the neighbours count for more than quick reactions.

  • Several brief visits each day
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Good for & first steps

Good for: History readers who like a long campaign and careful planning.

Your first session
  1. Build up production at home before pushing to the frontier.
  2. Message neighbouring players early; a quiet border is worth a great deal.
  3. Mix infantry, armour and aircraft so each covers the others' weak spots.
Play Call of War freeOpens callofwar.com
Gladiatus key artRole-play & adventure

Gladiatus

Roman arena RPG

Begin as an unknown fighter in ancient Rome and send your gladiator on expeditions that tick down in real time, coming back with gear and gold. Arena duels against other players settle themselves, and dungeons guard the rarer equipment.

  • A few minutes, dipped into through the day
  • Desktop browser
Good for & first steps

Good for: Players who want a quick daily look-in and a fighter to kit out.

Your first session
  1. Send your fighter out whenever the expedition timer is free.
  2. Put early gold into armour before chasing showy weapons.
  3. Join a guild for advice and company in the harder dungeons.
Play Gladiatus freeOpens gameforge.com/en-US/play/gladiatus
BiteFight key artRole-play & adventure

BiteFight

Gothic horror RPG

Pick a side in a long-running war between vampires and werewolves, then build your strength on timed hunts for prey. You can challenge players from the opposing side directly and climb a ladder that never resets, all in a darker and simpler RPG.

  • A few minutes at a time
  • Desktop browser
Good for & first steps

Good for: Players after a moody, easy-going RPG for short spells.

Your first session
  1. Choose vampire or werewolf for the mood you like; you will live with it.
  2. Keep a hunt running whenever you leave the tab.
  3. Pick fights with rivals of your own strength while you learn.
Play BiteFight freeOpens gameforge.com/en-US/play/bitefight
War Commander key artAction & arcade

War Commander

Modern warfare real-time strategy

Build a modern base ringed with walls and turrets, then take the controls during raids, steering single tanks and infantry squads instead of watching the result play out. Between attacks you mend and rethink your defences, and events bring new unit blueprints.

  • 15 to 30 minutes
  • Desktop browser
Good for & first steps

Good for: Players who want to steer the fighting themselves.

Your first session
  1. Arrange walls and turrets so raiders are funnelled into one narrow lane.
  2. Practise with a small squad on easy targets before bigger raids.
  3. Watch the event calendar, as events are the main source of new blueprints.
Play War Commander freeOpens kixeye.com/game/warcommander/home

All eight, side by side on the trestle

GameGenrePacePlaying with othersTypical sessionWhere it runs
Travian KingdomsKingdom-building strategy MMOSteady, over a long roundKings, governors and alliancesShort visits, morning and eveningDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Imperia OnlineMedieval empire strategy MMOReal time, building by the hourAlliances, sieges and vassals15 to 30 minutesDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Khan WarsStrategy among medieval kingdomsSteady real timeGuild sieges on citadels15 to 30 minutesDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Game of Thrones: Winter is ComingLicensed real-time strategy MMOReal time with daily goalsAlliances contesting the map15 to 30 minutesDesktop browser
Call of WarGrand strategy across the Second World WarSlow, over several daysCoalitions of human playersSeveral brief visits each dayDesktop browser; mobile app also available
GladiatusRoman arena RPGShort timed check-insGuilds plus rivals in the arenaA few minutes, dipped into through the dayDesktop browser
BiteFightGothic horror RPGTimed hunts, quick visitsVampire and werewolf rivalsA few minutes at a timeDesktop browser
War CommanderModern warfare real-time strategyBursts of hands-on actionAlliances and events15 to 30 minutesDesktop browser

Cost, all 8: Costs nothing to play; buying things in-game is entirely optional.

01

Free to join, with a shop on the side

Every studio here lets you register at no charge and play on as long as you like; building, trading, hunting and fighting are all part of the free game.

Each one also sells extras such as faster timers, premium currency or cosmetic items. Plenty of players never open that shop, and on a shared family computer the account settings can limit or switch off spending.

02

The first hour at the counter

Press the button by a game and its official website opens in a fresh tab. Register with an email address and your village, castle, nation, gladiator or base is ready in minutes.

Every game on the list walks newcomers through a guided opening. Stay with it to the end; it explains the resources, menus and fighting far faster than poking about alone.

03

Matching a game to a drizzly spell

Travian Kingdoms, Imperia Online, Khan Wars and Call of War carry on while you are away, so a look before opening and another after closing keeps you level. Gladiatus and BiteFight are built around short timed outings that suit a quick cup of tea.

Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming and War Commander repay a longer sitting, so keep them for an afternoon when the rain has truly set in.

04

Guarding the key to your account

Each account belongs to the studio that runs the game, so only type your details on that studio's official address. Give every game a password of its own and switch on any extra sign-in check on offer.

No genuine help desk will ask for your password. If someone promises free extras in return for your login, they want the account itself, so leave the message unanswered.

How a game earns a place on the counter list

  • It has to open in an ordinary browser tab, so a slow afternoon is not lost to downloads and setup screens.
  • Joining must cost nothing, and the main game has to stay open to people who never visit its shop.
  • Villages, armies and expeditions should keep ticking over while the tab is shut, so a ten-minute look still counts.
  • Each has been running for years with a steady crowd, so there is always someone to trade with or fight beside.

No. A desktop browser tab runs all eight. Travian Kingdoms, Imperia Online, Khan Wars and Call of War also offer a mobile app if you would rather use one.

Joining is free at every one, and the main game can be played without spending. Each has an optional shop for extras.

No. Independent studios make and run every one of them. Our buttons simply take you to each official website.

No. They come from separate studios, so each game needs its own registration on its official site.

Yes, in most of them: buildings finish, troops train and expeditions return in Travian Kingdoms, Imperia Online, Khan Wars, Call of War, Gladiatus and BiteFight. War Commander raids are played when you sit down, though your base stays put.

Gladiatus or BiteFight, thanks to their short timed outings and simple upgrades. Travian Kingdoms and Call of War suit patient planners, and War Commander is the most hands-on.

Yes. Travian Kingdoms, Imperia Online and Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming have alliances, Khan Wars and Gladiatus have guilds, Call of War has coalitions, and BiteFight lets you take on players from the other side.