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When the fire ring burns down

Eight free games to play
once the spring goes quiet for the night

When the last sparks have climbed out of the fire ring and the pools go dark, Wenra folds her spectacles into her collar and opens a laptop on the sandstone ledge. Her list of eight free games runs from Greek island city-states and both world wars to a galaxy of starships, a squad of Second World War soldiers and three sports clubs, one of them on ice. Seven of the eight run inside an ordinary browser window, while Enlisted comes as a free Windows download.

8free games on Wenra's list
7open straight in a browser tab
5with a phone app as an extra
Grepolis key art
Wenra's island pick

Grepolis

Ancient Greek island strategy · Strategy & war

Wenra's favourite, because its harbours remind her of sandstone and sea light. You build a Greek city-state, earn the favour of the gods, raise armies and navies and spread island by island across a mythic Mediterranean, with mythological units joining the fight once your city can call on them.

Good for
Strategists who like sea lanes and island maps.
Usual length of an evening sitting
A daily look plus the odd long evening
Platforms, as listed
Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Cost
Free to play; optional in-game purchases.
Your first session
  1. Build up the city economy before training a fleet.
  2. Choose which god to honour with your next battle in mind.
  3. Look for an alliance before you sail for a second island.
Play Grepolis freeOpens us.grepolis.com in a new tab

Seven more for the cool hours before sunrise

Supremacy 1914 key artStrategy & war

Supremacy 1914

First World War grand strategy

The Great War of 1914, played across Europe in real time. You keep an economy running, mobilise armies and bargain with rival powers, so a treaty signed today can matter more than a battle fought tomorrow.

  • Brief visits at intervals through the day
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Suited to whom, and the opening moves

Good for: History fans who enjoy diplomacy as much as war.

Your first session
  1. Secure your home provinces and their resources.
  2. Open talks with the neighbours early.
  3. Mobilise only the armies your economy can feed.
Play Supremacy 1914 freeOpens supremacy1914.com
Call of War key artStrategy & war

Call of War

Second World War grand strategy

Second World War strategy on a persistent world map shared with other players. You command land, air and sea forces together, join alliances and plan offensives that roll forward in real time even while you are away from the screen.

  • A few look-ins a day
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Suited to whom, and the opening moves

Good for: Planners who like combining every branch of an army.

Your first session
  1. Get industry going before massing troops.
  2. Mix land, air and sea units rather than relying on one.
  3. Join an alliance so a front never stands alone.
Play Call of War freeOpens callofwar.com
DarkOrbit key artSpace & sci-fi

DarkOrbit

Long-running space MMO

A sci-fi space MMO that has been running for years. You take the controls of a ship, mine asteroids for resources and battle across the galaxy, upgrade it piece by piece, and sign up with a company for large-scale battles against rival fleets.

  • Half an hour of flying at a time
  • Desktop browser
Suited to whom, and the opening moves

Good for: Pilots who want a galaxy that never empties.

Your first session
  1. Fly the first missions to learn the controls.
  2. Put the first earnings into upgrading your ship.
  3. Choose a company and stick with its pilots.
Play DarkOrbit freeOpens darkorbit.com
Enlisted key artAction & arcade

Enlisted

Second World War squad shooter

The noisiest pick on Wenra's list, and the one that does not run in a browser. A handful of soldiers follows your orders across historically themed Second World War campaigns and big team battles. Get it as a free Windows PC download, or play it on PlayStation or Xbox.

  • A battle or two at a sitting
  • Free PC download (Windows); also on PlayStation 4/5 and Xbox One/Series X/S
Suited to whom, and the opening moves

Good for: Players who want team-based military action.

Your first session
  1. Fetch the free Windows client from the official Enlisted site.
  2. Keep close to your squad in the first battles.
  3. Try a few squad types before settling on a favourite.
Play Enlisted freeOpens enlisted.net
Trophy Manager key artSport & management

Trophy Manager

Detailed football manager

A football manager built around fine control. Matches can be followed live or replayed, you give detailed in-game instructions, set out individual training programmes and spend the budget on the transfer market; a national team post opens up for applications once every two years.

  • A visit every day, and a longer one when there is a match
  • Desktop browser
Suited to whom, and the opening moves

Good for: Managers who want to tune every player.

Your first session
  1. Read through the squad before buying anyone.
  2. Give each key player a training programme.
  3. Follow one match live and see whether your orders hold.
Play Trophy Manager freeOpens trophymanager.com
BuzzerBeater key artSport & management

BuzzerBeater

Basketball general manager

Basketball from the front-office chair: the depth chart is yours to order, both formations (attack and defence) are yours to pick, and the draft, trades and training are how you climb, and each game plays out in front of you in a live match viewer.

  • A few minutes most days
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Suited to whom, and the opening moves

Good for: Basketball fans who want the front office.

Your first session
  1. Sort the depth chart before the first game.
  2. Pick one offensive and one defensive formation to learn.
  3. Use training to build the players you mean to keep.
Play BuzzerBeater freeOpens buzzerbeater.com
Hockey Arena key artSport & management

Hockey Arena

Ice-hockey club manager

The one Canadian evenings were made for: your own ice-hockey team, a match on every day of the week and an open market of unrestricted free agents to sign. You handle squad selection, training and the club finances through a deliberately simple interface, which suits a quick visit after supper.

  • Ten minutes a day
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Suited to whom, and the opening moves

Good for: Managers who like a short daily routine.

Your first session
  1. Pick a balanced first line-up.
  2. Watch the free-agent list for bargains.
  3. Keep an eye on the finances before spending.
Play Hockey Arena freeOpens hockeyarena.net/en

All eight side by side, like benches round the fire

Name on Wenra’s list of gamesCategory of gameRhythm of playCompany of other players onlineUsual length of an evening sittingPlatforms, as listed
GrepolisStrategy among the islands of ancient GreeceSteady growth, tense sea battlesRival city-states and alliancesA daily look plus the odd long eveningDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Supremacy 1914Grand strategy of the Great War, 1914 onwardReal time, over several daysRival powers on one map of EuropeBrief visits at intervals through the dayDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Call of WarGrand strategy from 1939 across the Second World WarReal time, campaigns lasting weeksAllies and enemies on a persistent mapA few look-ins a dayDesktop browser; mobile app also available
DarkOrbitSpace MMO with a long historyQuick dogfights, long-term upgradesCompany wars between pilotsHalf an hour of flying at a timeDesktop browser
EnlistedSecond World War squad shooterFast team battlesSquads made up of live playersA battle or two at a sittingFree PC download (Windows); also on PlayStation 4/5 and Xbox One/Series X/S
Trophy ManagerFootball management in fine detailMatches you can watch live or replayLeagues managed by people, not botsA visit every day, and a longer one when there is a matchDesktop browser
BuzzerBeaterGeneral manager of a basketball clubSteady, one game at a timeLeague play and national competitionsA few minutes most daysDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Hockey ArenaManager of an ice-hockey clubA match every dayLeagues filled with actual managersTen minutes a dayDesktop browser; mobile app also available

Cost for all eight: free to play, with optional in-game purchases.

01

Free to join, free to keep playing

Joining costs nothing anywhere on this list, and each main game stays open without spending: islands, fronts, starships, squads and clubs alike.

The studios sell optional extras, usually premium currency, cosmetic items or ways to speed up a timer. Years of play without opening the shop are perfectly normal here, and families sharing a computer can usually switch spending off in each studio account.

02

Your first night in each world

Every button on Wenra's list leads to the studio's own home for that game. Most ask for a quick free sign-up before your city, army, ship or club appears.

Each game starts by showing you round. Sit through it the way you would listen to a story by the fire; it explains the screens and resources far quicker than guesswork.

03

Which ones keep moving while you sleep

Grepolis, Supremacy 1914 and Call of War run in real time on shared maps, so armies and fleets keep travelling overnight. A glance at breakfast and another after dark keeps most empires in order.

Trophy Manager, BuzzerBeater and Hockey Arena play their matches on a schedule, Hockey Arena every day. DarkOrbit and Enlisted are played in sittings, a flight or a battle at a time.

04

Keep your sign-ins safe in the dark

Each studio runs its own sign-in, and Wenra enters hers only on the web address that studio genuinely owns. By the fire Wenra keeps eight different passwords, one per game, and adds the extra security code step wherever a studio has it.

No studio helper ever has a reason to ask for a password. Offers of gratis premium currency in return for your login aim to take the account, so let such a message go up with the sparks.

Why these eight earned a place on Wenra's list

  • Seven need nothing more than a desktop browser window; the odd one out, Enlisted, is a free Windows download that also plays on PlayStation and Xbox.
  • Every one is free to join, and each keeps its main game open to people who never buy a single extra.
  • Some grow slowly over weeks of daily visits while others settle things in a single evening, so a calm night and a restless one are both covered.
  • Their studios still run them, so every world is full of real people to ally with, trade with or beat on the scoreboard.

Only for Enlisted, which is a free Windows PC download and also plays on PlayStation and Xbox. The other seven start in a desktop browser, and five of those (Grepolis, Supremacy 1914, Call of War, BuzzerBeater and Hockey Arena) also have a mobile app; Trophy Manager and DarkOrbit are desktop browser games.

No. Each is free to start and its main game can be played without spending; extras are optional.

No. Wenra only keeps the spring. Separate studios made all eight and still look after them; each button here sends you to the studio's own site.

No. The sandstone token opens the spring and nothing beyond it; each of the eight is run by a separate studio that asks you to register there.

Grepolis, Supremacy 1914 and Call of War run in real time, and the three sports managers play their fixtures on schedule. DarkOrbit and Enlisted wait for you to sit down and play.

Hockey Arena, with its simple interface and short daily match. Supremacy 1914 and Call of War ask the most patience and planning.

Grepolis and Call of War have alliances on shared maps, DarkOrbit has companies, Enlisted has team battles, and the three sports games run leagues full of human managers.