Back to Island Castle Tour
Once the tour boat is tied up

Eight browser games to play
for evenings on the island dock

When the last passengers have gone ashore and the castle windows go dark, Captain Fennimore props his feet up on the dock and opens a browser tab. His list of eight free games runs from a railway race and an elegant fantasy city to a football club, a space war and a Stone Age camp. Not one of them needs an installer, and every one is free to begin.

8games on this page
0downloads needed to begin
6with an optional phone app
Rail Nation key art
The captain's route pick

Rail Nation

Railway tycoon race · Business & tycoon

A railway tycoon game about laying routes, running trains and helping the towns along your lines grow. Every choice is about where the track goes next and which trains earn their keep, and you are racing other players to rule the rails. Like a good river tour, the fun is in picking the route, then watching the whole network come alive as your trains run their timetables.

Good for
Planners who like tycoon games built around routes.
A usual sitting
Short daily runs, plus longer planning sessions
Runs on
Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Cost
Free to play; optional in-game purchases.
Your first session
  1. Lay one sensible route before spreading track everywhere.
  2. Keep the trains you have busy before buying more.
  3. Watch what the other players nearby are building toward.
Play Rail Nation freeOpens rail-nation.com in a new tab

Seven more to try between sailings

Elvenar key artFarm, town & zoo

Elvenar

Magic-and-research city builder

A fantasy city builder where you shape an elegant settlement, research both magic and technology, and trade with others across a wide, handsome world. Picking a faction is one of the first big choices you make.

  • 15 to 30 minutes
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who will like it & first moves from the dock

Good for: Builders who want a calm game that looks lovely.

Your first session
  1. Read about each faction before you pick one.
  2. Follow the early research so new buildings unlock in order.
  3. Trade spare goods instead of leaving them to pile up.
Play Elvenar freeOpens en.elvenar.com
Tribal Wars key artStrategy & war

Tribal Wars

Classic medieval strategy

A classic of medieval strategy that starts you with one small village and asks you to turn it into the heart of a mighty tribe. You raise troops, work with your tribe and compete for control of a world shared by thousands of other players, so the game rewards patience and good allies.

  • Daily check-ins
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who will like it & first moves from the dock

Good for: Competitive strategists who play the long game.

Your first session
  1. Put your early effort into the village economy.
  2. Find an active tribe before you draw attention.
  3. Keep enough defenders at home while you grow.
Play Tribal Wars freeOpens en.tribalwars.net
Throne: Kingdom at War key artStrategy & war

Throne: Kingdom at War

Siege-and-throne kingdom game

A medieval kingdom game where production buildings feed your army and its troop classes march on rival Lords. Inside an Order you plan together, turn gathered materials into gear for your hero and fight in timed sieges with the throne as the goal.

  • Half an hour or so, with siege nights
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who will like it & first moves from the dock

Good for: Strategists who enjoy coordinated siege play.

Your first session
  1. Get your production buildings working first.
  2. Join an Order early for help and shared plans.
  3. Gather resources ahead of time for hero crafting.
Play Throne: Kingdom at War freeOpens plarium.com/en/game/throne-kingdom-at-war
Hattrick key artSport & management

Hattrick

Long-running football management

A football management game with a long history, where a weekly training focus builds one chosen skill across the whole squad. You bid for players in a market shared by other managers, then set tactics and individual orders before each match.

  • A few short visits a week
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who will like it & first moves from the dock

Good for: Managers who want depth and a genuine player market.

Your first session
  1. Choose a training focus and give it several weeks.
  2. Study the market before you bid on anyone.
  3. Set match orders well before kick-off.
Play Hattrick freeOpens hattrick.org/en
Planetarion key artSpace & sci-fi

Planetarion

Space war in finite rounds

A veteran space war game with five races, fleets to build and alliance politics to navigate. Rounds run for roughly two months and then close, so a newcomer sets off from the same line as everybody else rather than years behind.

  • Regular check-ins across the round
  • Desktop browser
Who will like it & first moves from the dock

Good for: Players who like a clear finish line.

Your first session
  1. Read about all five races before you choose.
  2. Join an alliance early in the round.
  3. Plan your fleet around what your allies already fly.
Play Planetarion freeOpens planetarion.com
My Free Zoo key artFarm, town & zoo

My Free Zoo

Classic zoo builder

A traditional zoo builder in which you plan enclosures, move animals in and keep visitors happy as the grounds grow. Feeding, breeding and decorating make up a long, relaxed progression that never once hurries you.

  • 10 to 20 minutes
  • Desktop browser
Who will like it & first moves from the dock

Good for: Anyone who wants a gentle, traditional zoo game.

Your first session
  1. Feed your first animals before adding new enclosures.
  2. Leave room for paths when you plan the layout.
  3. Decorate once the basics are running smoothly.
Play My Free Zoo freeOpens myfreezoo.upjers.com/en
Stonies key artFarm, town & zoo

Stonies

Prehistoric tribe camp

A Stone Age camp game where each tribe member gets a job: gathering, crafting or research. The camp grows as their knowledge does, and daily survival tasks lend it a tougher, outdoor feel than most farm builders.

  • About 20 minutes
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who will like it & first moves from the dock

Good for: Builders who like a touch of survival.

Your first session
  1. Give every tribe member a task from day one.
  2. Research tools that speed up gathering first.
  3. Widen the camp only when supplies keep pace.
Play Stonies freeOpens stonies-game.upjers.com/en

All eight side by side, like boats at the landing

Game to trySort of game, as Fennimore sees itTempo on the waterCompany aboardLength of a sittingScreens it plays on
Rail NationRailway tycoon raceSteady, with planning eveningsCompetes with other players on a shared mapShort daily runs, plus longer planning sessionsDesktop browser; mobile app also available
ElvenarMagic-and-research city builderCalm and unhurriedTrade across a shared world15 to 30 minutesDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Tribal WarsClassic medieval strategySlow build, sharp clashesTribes in a world of thousandsDaily check-insDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Throne: Kingdom at WarSiege-and-throne kingdom gameOrganised, around timed siegesAllied Lords sworn into OrdersHalf an hour or so, with siege nightsDesktop browser; mobile app also available
HattrickLong-running football managementWeekly rhythm, deep thinkingLeagues and a shared player marketA few short visits a weekDesktop browser; mobile app also available
PlanetarionSpace war in finite roundsIntense, over a set roundAlliances and space politicsRegular check-ins across the roundDesktop browser
My Free ZooClassic zoo builderGentle and relaxedA friendly community of zoo keepers10 to 20 minutesDesktop browser
StoniesPrehistoric tribe campPatient and hardyOther tribes share the online worldAbout 20 minutesDesktop browser; mobile app also available

What all 8 cost: Free to play; optional in-game purchases.

01

A boarding fare of nothing

Not one of these eight charges an entry fee, and none of them locks you out later; the routes, cities, villages, clubs, fleets and enclosures all come with the free version.

The studios do sell optional extras such as premium currency, decorations and ways to speed things up. Lots of players ignore the shop entirely, and a family sharing one cottage laptop can often block purchases through the studio's own parental or account controls.

02

Your first evening on board

The buttons on this page each launch a game's official website in a fresh tab. Expect a quick sign-up on most of them before your railway, club or camp is ready.

Almost all eight start with a tutorial. Stay with it until it finishes; it shows you the menus and materials quicker than any trial and error.

03

Games that sail on without you

Rail Nation, Elvenar, Tribal Wars, Throne: Kingdom at War, My Free Zoo and Stonies keep ticking over while you are away; a short visit at breakfast and one at dusk covers most days.

Hattrick follows a weekly rhythm of training and matches, and Planetarion runs in rounds of about two months that then finish, so you always know when a fresh start is coming.

04

Keep your sign-ins safe in a storm

Logins belong to each studio separately, so type yours only on the genuine address of that game. Keep a separate password for each of the eight, and switch on two-step sign-in when a studio offers it.

Real help desks never need your password. A stranger who offers premium currency if you hand over a login wants the account, not your gratitude, so throw that message overboard.

How the captain chose these eight

  • Every game launches from a plain desktop browser tab, so the first route, village or match is a click away.
  • Signing up is free, and somebody who never spends a cent can still explore the whole main game.
  • They range from quick daily check-ins to campaigns that run for weeks, so there is one for a short break and one for a long evening.
  • Each studio behind them still runs live worlds full of other players, so the maps, leagues and markets stay busy.

No. All eight play in a desktop browser. Six of them, Rail Nation, Elvenar, Tribal Wars, Throne: Kingdom at War, Hattrick and Stonies, have a mobile app as an extra; My Free Zoo and Planetarion are desktop browser games.

No. You can begin all eight without paying, and spending in any of them is purely optional.

No. Other studios make and operate every title; each button here simply steers your tab to the studio site of that title.

No. Several different studios run them, and every game keeps its own sign-up on its own website.

Rail Nation, Elvenar, Tribal Wars, Throne: Kingdom at War, My Free Zoo and Stonies carry on without you. Hattrick runs on a weekly schedule, and Planetarion rounds end after about two months.

My Free Zoo or Elvenar, both calm builders with no rush. Tribal Wars, Throne: Kingdom at War and Planetarion are the most competitive of the eight.

Yes. Tribal Wars has tribes, Throne: Kingdom at War has Orders, Planetarion has alliances, Hattrick has leagues and a shared market, and Rail Nation and Elvenar both share their worlds with other players.