My Experience with Forge of Empires: Build a City
I downloaded Forge of Empires a little over a month ago because I was sick of scrolling TikTok during my bus rides to campus. A buddy named Jake kept talking about how he “built an empire” in this game, and I thought he was joking. Turns out, it’s actually pretty addicting. You start in the Stone Age with a tiny village and a few huts, and you work your way up through history—like Bronze Age, Iron Age, all the way to future stuff. I’m currently stuck in the Early Middle Ages because I keep running out of supplies. The graphics are surprisingly decent for a free game; the buildings look detailed and the little citizens walking around make it feel alive. I play mostly at night when I’m procrastinating on essays, and before I know it, an hour has passed. Last Tuesday, I actually missed my stop because I was too focused on upgrading my blacksmith. The game has a slow start, but once you get into the rhythm of collecting coins and supplies, it hooks you. You can also battle other players and join guilds, but I haven’t done much of that yet since I’m still trying to keep my city from looking like a mess.
Features Worth Noting
The main thing I like is how you can actually see your city grow. You place buildings like houses, farms, and workshops, and they produce goods over time. You have to collect them manually, which is a bit tedious but also satisfying—like checking a garden. There’s a tech tree where you research new stuff, like better roads or stronger military units, and each research takes a few hours. This is great for me because I can queue it up before class and check it later. The game also has events; last week there was a Halloween-themed one where you could earn spooky decorations. I got a haunted house that gives me extra coins. Another feature is the ability to trade with other players, but I haven’t figured out the economy yet. You can also expand your city by clearing forests and rocks, which costs in-game currency. The battles are turn-based and happen on a separate map; I lost my first fight embarrassingly fast because I sent untrained warriors. There’s no pay-to-win pressure in the early game, but I can see it getting harder later.
What Needs Work
Okay, here’s the honest stuff. First, the game forces you to wait a LOT. Want to build a new house? That’ll be 4 hours. Research a tech? 6 hours. It’s clearly designed to make you come back multiple times a day, which is fine, but sometimes I just want to play for an hour straight and there’s nothing to do except stare at timers. The tutorial is also way too long and hand-holdy. I almost quit during the first 20 minutes because it wouldn’t let me do anything on my own. Another thing: the game crashes on my iPhone 14 maybe once every two days, usually when I’m in the middle of collecting resources. It autosaves, so I don’t lose progress, but it’s annoying. The music gets repetitive too; I turned it off after week one. Support was helpful but slow—I messaged them about a bug where my production building stopped working, and they replied in three days with a fix. That’s fine for a free game, but not if you’re stuck. Also, the in-app purchases are everywhere. You can buy diamonds, which speed things up, and the prices are steep—like $5 for a small pack. I’m a broke student, so I just ignore them.
Pricing
The app is free to download, which is why I tried it. But there are constant offers to buy diamonds—like a starter pack for $2.99 that gives you a building and some resources. I haven’t spent a cent, and I’ve made it to the Early Middle Ages without hitting a wall. But I can tell the game gets grindier as you progress. Some buildings cost 100+ diamonds, which would take weeks to earn for free or cost real money. If you’re patient, you can play without paying. If you want to skip waits, you’ll need to spend. For a student on a budget, the free route works, but expect slower progress.
Developer Notes
InnoGames seems to update the app regularly. I’ve seen two updates since I downloaded it—one that fixed a crash and another that added a new seasonal event. They also have a forum where players complain, but I haven’t used it. The game feels polished for a mobile title, with no ads popping up randomly, which is a big plus. The only downside is that the shop and event notifications are a bit pushy—I get a popup every time I open the app offering me a “limited time deal.” I just tap X and move on.
Security & Privacy
I had to create an account with an email and password to save my progress. I used my school email, and I haven’t gotten any spam from them so far. The game asks for permission to access my storage (probably for save data) and my network connection. It doesn’t ask for contacts or location, which I appreciate. I read their privacy policy briefly—it says they collect data for analytics and ads, which is standard. I’ve seen some ads for other InnoGames titles, but not any weird third-party ones. Feels safe enough for a free game, but I wouldn’t use a password I reuse elsewhere.
How does the tech tree work in Forge of Empires, and can I queue research before class?
The tech tree lets you research upgrades like better roads or military units, with each research taking a few hours. You can start a research before class and check it later, but you can only queue one at a time unless you use in-game currency to speed it up.
Can I trade goods with other players, and how do I start?
Yes, you can trade goods with other players through the trading post once you unlock it in the tech tree. To start, you'll need to produce surplus supplies or goods and then offer them in the trade menu, but the economy can be tricky to figure out early on.
Why does Forge of Empires keep crashing on my iPhone 14, and will I lose progress?
The game crashes about once every two days on iPhone 14, often during resource collection, but it autosaves so you won't lose progress. To reduce crashes, try closing background apps and keeping the game updated to the latest version.
I'm stuck in the Early Middle Ages because I keep running out of supplies. How can I get more?
Focus on upgrading your supply buildings like farms and workshops, and collect from them regularly. You can also clear forests and rocks to expand your city, which sometimes yields extra supplies, and consider trading with other players for what you need.
How does Forge of Empires compare to other city-building games like Clash of Clans?
Unlike Clash of Clans, Forge of Empires focuses on progressing through historical ages via a tech tree rather than just building and raiding. It has turn-based battles on a separate map and less pay-to-win pressure early on, but it forces longer wait times for upgrades and research.
