Back to Tidebell Harbour
Played in a browser window

Browser games for the harbour
when the rain blows in

When the weather turns and the boats stay tied up, a good browser game fills the afternoon. These three are free to play and need nothing installed: one builds an empire and commands armies, one runs a real-time military campaign with fortified bases, and one tends a bright little farm. Start in a tab and pick up again whenever you like.

Total Battle key art
01 · Tactical empire strategy

Total Battle — empires and armies

Grow a city from a modest keep into the seat of an empire, then raise and lead armies across a living map shared with thousands of other players. Battles are tactical, so the mix of units you send matters as much as the size of the force.

Good for
Competitive planners who enjoy both building and commanding.
Typical session
A few quick visits a day will do
Where it runs
Desktop browser
Cost
Costs nothing to play, though in-game purchases are offered optionally.
Your first session
  1. Keep your city upgrades running at all times; they unlock everything else.
  2. Join an active clan early, as members protect and help one another.
  3. Scout before you attack and match your units to what the enemy fields.
Play Total Battle freeOpens totalbattle.com in a new tab
Combat Siege key art
02 · Real-time military strategy

Combat Siege — bases under fire

Command a modern military base on a live map where every order plays out in real time. Fortify your defences, plan sieges on rival positions and coordinate with an alliance, because a well-timed joint push beats any lone strike.

Good for
Defensive thinkers who like to plan an attack days in advance.
Typical session
Several quick check-ins a day
Where it runs
Desktop browser
Cost
Costs nothing to play, though in-game purchases are offered optionally.
Your first session
  1. Put defences up early; a sturdy base buys time for everything else.
  2. Find an alliance and talk to it, since sieges go far better together.
  3. Set long production queues before leaving so work carries on offline.
Play Combat Siege freeOpens combatsiege.com in a new tab
Farmerama key art
03 · Farming simulation

Farmerama — a sunny little farm

Look after a colourful farm where you sow and harvest crops, raise friendly animals and decorate every corner to your taste. Seasonal events add new things to grow and collect, so the farm keeps changing through the year.

Good for
Anyone after a light-hearted game to tend for a few minutes at a time.
Typical session
10 to 20 minutes
Where it runs
Desktop browser
Cost
Costs nothing to play, though in-game purchases are offered optionally.
Your first session
  1. Choose crops whose growing time matches your next likely visit.
  2. Look after the animals daily; their produce funds new fields.
  3. Leave a little open ground for the buildings that unlock later.
Play Farmerama freeOpens farmerama.com in a new tab

Side by side at a glance

Total Battle, empire warCombat Siege, base defenceFarmerama, farm life
GenreTactical empire strategyReal-time military strategyFarming simulation
PaceSteady, with bursts of battleReal time, slow burnGentle and cheerful
Playing with othersClans on a shared mapAlliances of playersNeighbours and friends
Typical sessionA few quick visits a day will doSeveral quick check-ins a day10 to 20 minutes
Where it runsDesktop browserDesktop browserDesktop browser
CostCosts nothing to play, though in-game purchases are offered optionally.Costs nothing to play, though in-game purchases are offered optionally.Costs nothing to play, though in-game purchases are offered optionally.

Free to play, explained plainly

Joining is free, and none of the three shuts the door after a trial period. Months of play are possible without spending anything.

Each studio does keep an optional in-game shop with premium currency, speed-ups or decorations. None of it is needed, and if the computer is shared at home, look over the payment settings on each studio account before anyone plays.

Getting your first game going

Under each game sits a button to its official website, which opens in a fresh tab. Sign-up happens with the studio itself, normally by email, and a city, base or farm is ready within a minute or two.

Take the opening tutorial seriously. It is short, and it walks you through building, producing and working with others in the order you will need them.

Fitting play round a busy week

Close the tab and each game carries on: crops ripen, buildings complete and troops keep marching. Handy when spare time arrives in scraps between other things.

On a quick visit, gather whatever is ready and start the next job. Keep a long wet afternoon for weightier decisions: joining an alliance, a big upgrade or replanning the fields.

Keeping your logins shipshape

The studios hold your game accounts, so logging in always happens on their own websites. Give each game its own password and turn on any two-step login the studio provides.

Real studio support does not ask for passwords. Whoever dangles free gems or gold for your login details is simply after the account itself.

What got them a mooring here

  • Each one opens in a desktop browser tab, and no separate program has to be installed.
  • Each one is free to join, and you can carry on for months without paying a thing.
  • All three keep running between visits, so a short check-in still gets things done.
  • Each one has run for years now and still draws a busy crowd of regular players.

No. A normal desktop browser is all any of the three requires.

No. Joining and playing are free; every game has an optional shop you can simply ignore.

No. Independent studios build and run them. Our buttons only lead to each official website, where you register with that studio.

No. Three studios means three separate sign-ups, one free account for each game.

No. The games tick along in your absence, and dropping by a few times a week is enough.

Farmerama, for a relaxed beginning. Choose Total Battle if you enjoy building and battles, or Combat Siege for real-time military planning.

Yes. Ordinary laptop screens suit all three, though the two strategy games feel easier with a plugged-in mouse.