List of Free Building Games to Play 2023
Playing building games online gives us an awe-inspiring opportunity to play God for a couple of hours, if only in pixelated form. But with so many great building games out there, how do you locate the best ones?
The best city building games online should offer complex simulations and detailed graphics, a creative theme that really captures your attention, and enjoyable mini-games and challenges built into its gameplay. Of course, it also helps if they’re available on a free-to-play basis and compatible with regular web browsers like Google Chrome, too.
Best Building Online Games 2023
Forge of Empires (4.9/5 ⭐️)
- Most played Browser Game
- Easy-to-navigate interface
- Playable without downloads
- Free-to-play
- Fun, multi-faceted free gameplay
- Browser and app-friendly
GoodGame Empire (4.5/5 ⭐️)
- Award winning browser game
- Free to play
- Great fun to play
Rise of Cultures (4.4/5 ⭐️)
- Free-to-play browser game
- Interaction with other players
- Regular updates and features
- Free to play
- Real-time strategy game
- Historical background
Conflict of Nations (4.0/5 ⭐️)
- Free to play
- Realistic Weapons
- Modern Battle Tanks
- Rise to the position of a railway tycoon
- Beautifully animated graphics
- Alliance with online players
Rise of Kindgoms (3.6/5 ⭐️)
- Build your own Kingdom
- Free to play
- Easy multitasking
All browser games by genre
Right now, which online building games out there are best?
Whether you came here hunting for the best browser games for first-time city-builders, or to enjoy genre-bending games that blend classic builder gameplay with medieval or ancient warfare themes, we’ve got you covered. Here are three games worthy of your attention:
| GoodGame Empire | Rise of Kingdoms | Tentlan |
| Genres | Builder, MMO, PvP | RPG, builder | Builder, PvP, RTS |
| Themes | Medieval, castles, fantasy | Ancient Greece, civilisations | Mayan, civilisations |
| Developer | GoodGame | Lilith Games | Lionmoon UG |
| Number of different buildings | 60 | Unknown | 20+ |
| Free to play? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Player base | 60 million+ | 100 million+ | Unknown |
| Browser-based? | Play via web, iOS or Android | Yes | Yes |
GoodGame Empire
Free, fun building games are rarely as scalable as GoodGame Empire – a Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) builder game with a classic medieval theme. Newbies start out with just a single castle and are tasked with the seemingly impossible challenge of assembling an entire empire.
You can build more than 60 different buildings in total and engage in player-versus-player (PvP) combat with the game’s 60 million plus users in your life-or-death efforts to expand your empire. Like many of the best free building games, GoodGame Empire blends builder and battle elements to deliver hours of online gaming fun – plus tons of customisation potential, of course.
Pro and Con
- Awesome medieval theme
- MMO, PvP and builder gameplay combined
- Endless customization
- Massive user base
- Updates are a little irregular
GoodGame Empire (4.5/5 ⭐️)
- Award winning browser game
- Free to play
- Great fun to play
Rise of Kingdoms
Anyone in search of free building games with ludicrous player numbers ought to look no further than Rise of Kingdoms. This is a builder game that crosses over seamlessly into Role-Playing Game (RPG) territory, requiring players to build, maintain and expand Ancient Greek-inspired kingdoms while battling 14 different civilisations online.
You’ll start out with just one builder, though much like other building games online that are free to play, you can unlock or “hire” more builders later in the game. One of the coolest features of this empire-builder is the presence of tons of characters inspired by history, like Sun Tzu and Julius Caesar. There’s also a handy “infinite zoom” feature that makes it super-easy to switch from building trading posts one minute to hovering above barbarians mid-battle the next.
Pro and Con
- Amazing range of buildings
- 100 million+ players
- Build cities from an RPG standpoint
- Battle 14 different civilisations
- Too competitive for beginners
Rise of Kindgoms (3.6/5 ⭐️)
- Build your own Kingdom
- Free to play
- Easy multitasking
Tentlan
Free city building games generally need a strong theme to draw in a large player base, and Tentlan manages this effortlessly. This slightly more laidback builder plunges you into the Pre-Columbian Americas and tasks you with creating a Mayan empire from the ground up. So, it sort of doubles-up as a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game.
Tentlan does a great job of taking less-experienced gamers by the hand from day one with its detailed guides and online manuals, making this one a solid choice if you’re new to the city-builder genre. It’s also semi-historically accurate, and it’s in-game tools are easier to use than those you might find elsewhere. Like most other building games that are free to play, there’s a strong PvP element as you battle other civilisations to expand your empire, too.
Pro and Con
- Easy-to-use building interface
- Crisp, sharp graphics
- Offers a little history lesson
- Distinctive designs
- No automatic resource production
- Free to play
- Real-time strategy game
- Historical background
Three great features that all free online building games should have
Whether you’re looking for basic online house building games or more complex, empire-conquering adventures, the best building games ought to offer:
🕹️ Free-play capabilities
Any good browser city building game should be available to play for free. And all those recommended here are.
Whether it’s crossing swords with enemy civilisations to expand your empire, or simply completing micro-tasks to keep your villagers in check, in-game challenges should inspire excitement.
⭐️ Inspiring environments
Theming is everything. Look out for games that reimagine ancient history, plunge you into fantasy wonderlands, or allow you to go completely wild assembling exotic palaces and castles.
Conclusion – so, which browser building games are best?
GoodGame Empire, Rise of Kingdoms and Tentlan are three truly epic builder games – though they each admittedly cater toward players of different tastes and experience levels. All three titles are also no download browser games, which means they can be played directly via Chrome, Firefox or Brave – and for free, too.
These three games are certainly worth checking out if you’re into city-builders, but there are several other amazing building games out there that are also worth a look. So, if you go shopping around elsewhere, don’t forget to look out for games with crisp graphics, inspiring themes and in-game challenges that are sure to keep you coming back for more.
Building games online FAQ
🏡 What are the best building games available online?
Building games are available online in many different forms, from historically-accurate civilisation games to more cartoonish elf-vs-elf fantasy games. Discover the top-ranking building games online now.
⚔️ Can I play empire-building games online for free?
From sword-and-sandals epics to more low-key MMOs with intimate combat scenarios, there are tonnes of great empire-themed games out there – and many of the best combine city-building gameplay with tense battles. Find out whether any free empire-building games are available online now with Strafe.com.
🏢 Which city-building games have the most buildings?
The best building games really ought to offer tonnes of building options, as well as endless customisation and upgrade options. Compare the best city-builders using our expert iGaming reviews today and discover your next favorite game before tomorrow.
More interesting Browser Games
🎭 Best RPG Games
⚔️ Best MMO Games
🧙 Best MMORPG Games
👨🌾 Best Farming Games
💥 Best Shooter, Tank Games & WW2
Browser Games by Genre
Browser Game Guides
Best Browser Game 2023
Forge of Empires (4.9/5 ⭐️)
- Most played Browser Game
- Easy-to-navigate interface
- Playable without downloads
