Old Light
Blog
Strategy, design notes and updates from the Old Light galaxy.
Gratuitous Space Battles and the case for auto-resolve combat
Gratuitous Space Battles made you design a fleet, then took away the controls. What auto-resolve combat costs a space strategy game, and what it buys.
EssayEmergent gameplay from plain rules
Emergent gameplay explained with five concrete examples from a live strategy game: plain rules, and the situations nobody scripted falling out of them.
AnnouncementYour empire now has a public profile page
Old Light empires now have public profile pages: rank, score, territory map, every system they hold, and the empires they border. Settings can hide yours.
AnnouncementSee the whole galaxy: Old Light's in-game map and search
Old Light now has a full galaxy map inside the game and on the web. Search it by name or coordinate and jump straight to an empire, sector, or system.
ArticleGames like Pardus
Games like Pardus: browser space MMOs still worth playing in 2026, from trading sims to a newer shared galaxy, for anyone after a Pardus alternative.
EssayWhy my strategy game has no Elo rating
Elo ratings suit matchmade session games, not a persistent 4X. How Old Light ranks players without Elo or MMR: an empire score that works like GDP.
EngineeringGame networking for a slow strategy game
Game networking for a slow browser strategy game: WebSocket deltas instead of FPS netcode, and the time-anchor bug where both sides do time math.
Article6 things every good browser strategy game needs
What makes a good browser strategy game: six things the format has to get right, from no pay-to-win to a world that runs while your tab is closed.
ArticlePersistent universe games that don't need 20 hours a week
Persistent universe games keep running while you are offline. The big ones want your life; living-galaxy games for short sessions, and where Old Light fits.
ArticleWhat to play if EVE Online is too much
EVE Online is too much for most people who try it. Lighter shared-galaxy games that keep the living world without the 20-hour weeks, and where Old Light fits.
ArticleGames like Astro Empires and Anacreon
Games like Astro Empires and Anacreon: the surviving real-time browser 4X where empires grow over weeks, plus a younger, fairer pick for short sessions.
ArticleFree space strategy games you can play in a browser
Free space strategy games that run in a browser with nothing to download: which are worth your time, which sell a paid edge, and one slower, fairer pick.
ArticleHow to play Old Light: a beginner's guide
How to play Old Light, the slow, free browser strategy game: your first build order, the five-day shield, probes, and claiming a second system.
EssayMessaging first, alliances next
Old Light now has private messages, and alliances are next. Why sending is something you earn, and how to add alliances without flattening the galaxy.
AnnouncementEmpires now fly their own colours on the map
Old Light empires now show their own banner colour across their territory, the same in-game and on the public galaxy map. A look at the new empire borders.
EngineeringBrowser strategy game backend
How Old Light runs a real-time galaxy for thousands of players: no tick loop, combat as a pure function, deterministic NPCs, and designing every path for scale.
ArticleThe best browser strategy games of 2026
The best browser strategy games of 2026: shared worlds you play in a tab, ranked by what you actually want, with an honest note on which lean on a store.
EssayI built a strategy game you only have to check twice a day
A slow, async browser strategy game you check twice a day. Short-session, play-while-offline strategy for busy adults, and where Old Light fits in.
ArticleBrowser games like Grepolis, Ikariam and Forge of Empires
Browser games like Grepolis, Ikariam and Forge of Empires, without the premium currency deciding who wins: the classics and one slower, fairer alternative.
ArticleGames like Hades' Star
Games like Hades' Star: async space strategy in a shared galaxy, without the mobile grind or paying to keep up, plus one slower browser alternative.
ArticleGames like Stellaris (that run in your browser)
Games like Stellaris you can play free in a browser: what Stellaris is, why no browser game matches its depth, and the lighter pick that comes closest.
ArticleGames like OGame and Travian
Browser strategy games like OGame, Travian and Tribal Wars, without the round-the-clock logins or pay-to-win: the classics and one slower alternative.
EssayPay-to-win killed the browser MMO. I'm trying to bring it back.
The browser strategy games I grew up on were hollowed out by pay-for-power. What that did to the genre, and why money can't buy a stronger empire in Old Light.
AnnouncementOld Light is live: a slow strategy game across a shared galaxy
Old Light is a slow, real-time multiplayer 4X you can play in twenty minutes a day. One shared galaxy, one empire each, no download and no pay-to-win.
