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Long games for lazy afternoons

Islands, rails and elven streets
to plan over a long lunch by the sea

Some afternoons on the coast call for a game you can think about between sips of something cold. Each of these three free-to-play browser games rewards a steady hand: one grows a Greek city-state across island waters, one turns a single station into a railway empire and one lays out a city for elves or humans. Each runs in an ordinary browser tab, and signing up costs nothing.

Grepolis key art
01 · Ancient Greek island strategy

Grepolis

Start with one modest polis on a rocky island and grow it with farms, a harbour, a senate and temples to gods like Poseidon and Hera. Because every neighbour lies across the water, triremes and transport ships decide most conflicts, and the strongest players are usually the ones with loyal allies on nearby islands.

Good for
Strategists who enjoy naval planning and a good deal of diplomacy.
Typical session
A few quick visits through the day
Where it runs
Desktop browser
Cost
Free to start; extras inside the game cost money.
Your first session
  1. Raise your warehouse and farms before splashing out on troops.
  2. Build a harbour early, since every expansion has to cross open sea.
  3. Get to know the players on your island; a friendly neighbour is worth a fleet.
Play Grepolis freeOpens us.grepolis.com in a new tab
Rail Nation key art
02 · Railway company tycoon

Rail Nation

Found a railway company with a handful of engines and a single depot, then link towns by delivering the goods their factories and shops are crying out for. A round moves through the great eras of the railway, and associations of players pool their efforts to finish big station projects and race towards the final goal.

Good for
Planners who like timetables, supply chains and working towards a shared target.
Typical session
Short check-ins, a few times a day
Where it runs
Plays in a desktop browser, with an app for iOS and Android as well
Cost
Free to start; extras inside the game cost money.
Your first session
  1. Pick routes that serve a town's most urgent needs first; demand moves the whole game.
  2. Join an association in the first days to share know-how and project work.
  3. Renew engines as each new era arrives, since older trains soon fall behind.
Play Rail Nation freeOpens rail-nation.com in a new tab
Elvenar key art
03 · Magical city builder

Elvenar

Pick the graceful elves or the hard-working humans and grow a city from a few houses into a district of workshops, manufactories and towering ancient wonders. A research tree opens each new chapter, and the world map beyond your walls holds provinces to scout and neighbours to trade goods with.

Good for
Tidy planners who like arranging buildings and watching a city slowly flourish.
Typical session
15 minutes or so
Where it runs
Desktop browser
Cost
Free to start; extras inside the game cost money.
Your first session
  1. Leave space around the main hall, because expansions arrive in square blocks.
  2. Match production times to when you will next be back, short or long.
  3. Visit neighbours and help their buildings; they will often return the favour.
Play Elvenar freeOpens en.elvenar.com in a new tab

Grepolis, Rail Nation and Elvenar at a glance

GrepolisRail NationElvenar
GenreAncient Greek island strategyRailway company tycoonMagical city builder
PaceUnhurried, with sudden sea battlesPatient, era by eraGentle and unrushed
Playing with othersAlliances spread across island groupsAssociations and joint great projectsFellowships and neighbourly visits
Typical sessionA few quick visits through the dayShort check-ins, a few times a day15 minutes or so
Where it runsDesktop browserPlays in a desktop browser, with an app for iOS and Android as wellDesktop browser
CostFree to start; extras inside the game cost money.Free to start; extras inside the game cost money.Free to start; extras inside the game cost money.

Free to play, minus the small print

Not one of the three charges a fee to join or to keep going, and a careful player can reach the late game without paying. Nothing essential sits behind a paywall.

The studios do keep a store in each game, stocked with special currency, ornaments and speed-ups for long timers. You can ignore it completely; where kids use the same computer, turn on purchase limits in the studio account settings.

A first sitting in the shade

Press the button under a game and the official site of its maker appears in a fresh browser tab. Registering there usually takes an email and a password, and your first polis, depot or city is waiting moments later.

All three begin with a guided introduction. It is worth playing it through in one go, because it teaches resources, building and teamwork in the order you will need them.

Playing around the rest of your day

Nothing stops when you log off. Ships sail, trains run and workshops finish their orders while the tab is closed, so a look over breakfast and another in the evening keeps everything moving.

Use the quick visits for housekeeping: collect what is ready, queue the next jobs and reply to your team. Save the longer sittings for big decisions such as founding a new city, choosing a new era's trains or starting a wonder.

Locking the door on your login

Each studio holds your account, so the official studio page is the only place your password belongs. Pick a separate password per game, plus two-factor login whenever a studio supports it.

Staff from a genuine help desk will not request your password in a message. Anyone offering gifts of special currency for your login is trying to take over the account, so walk away.

What these three have in common

  • Each one opens in a standard desktop browser, with no installer or plug-in to fetch beforehand.
  • Signing up is free, and a patient player can enjoy all of it without paying; the shop is a side door, not the main gate.
  • Islands, railways and cities carry on working while the window is shut, so even a five-minute look pushes your plans forward.
  • Each has been around for a good many seasons, and their makers still ship fresh content to large, chatty communities.

No. Each of the three opens in an ordinary desktop browser with no extra software needed.

Not a cent to start or to keep going. Anything bought in their shops is purely your own choice.

No. Separate studios create and look after them; each button here just points to the official page of that studio.

No. Each game belongs to a separate studio, so each needs its own sign-up.

Building, trains and ships carry on in the background, so a peek with your coffee and another after dinner keeps you level with everyone.

Elvenar, with its calm building and no raids to fear. Grepolis suits fans of island warfare, and Rail Nation suits anyone who loves timetables and trade.

Yes. Grepolis has alliances, Rail Nation has associations and Elvenar has fellowships, so friends can join the same team in each.