Back to Frost Lantern Market
When the last lantern is turned down

Eight games beneath the glass
for after the market closes

Once the cocoa pots are scrubbed and the stall shutters are down, Oswin settles by the window of the snow globe with a browser tab open. His eight free games lean towards slow, thoughtful campaigns: island traders, an airline on a real map, wartime fronts, besieged castles and two wars among the stars. Not one of them needs a download, and every one lets you start without paying.

8games on this page
0installers required
3with an optional phone app
Ikariam key art
Oswin's trader's pick

Ikariam

Island trading empire · Strategy & war

An ancient Mediterranean strategy game built on a market truth: each island yields just one luxury resource, so no town can thrive alone. You found colonies, run cargo routes between your own ports and trade for what your island lacks, then research new ideas and, when the bargaining fails, besiege a rival harbour. Economics drives every war here.

Good for
Players who like trade and supply lines to decide the fighting.
Typical session
Several quick peeks between cups of cocoa
Where it runs
Desktop browser
Cost
Free to play; optional in-game purchases.
Your first session
  1. Find out which luxury your first island yields before building anything grand.
  2. Set up a cargo route early so your towns can share goods.
  3. Read the map for friendly neighbours before choosing any siege.
Play Ikariam freeOpens gameforge.com/en-US/play/ikariam in a new tab

Seven more for long nights behind the stall shutters

Airlines Manager: Tycoon key artBusiness & tycoon

Airlines Manager: Tycoon

Airline tycoon on a live map

An airline tycoon game set on a live map of real airports. You plot routes, choose aircraft that match the demand on each one and finance the fleet with bank loans, while research projects and cabin services shape what every seat can charge.

  • Short visits to tune routes
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who it suits at the market, and where to begin

Good for: Planners who enjoy a spreadsheet behind every choice.

Your first session
  1. Open one busy route before spreading across the map.
  2. Match the aircraft size to the demand rather than buying big.
  3. Keep an eye on loan repayments before ordering more planes.
Play Airlines Manager: Tycoon freeOpens airlines-manager.com
Call of War key artStrategy & war

Call of War

Second World War grand strategy

A Second World War grand strategy game where you command land, air and sea forces on a persistent world map. Other players share that map as allies and rivals, so a campaign unfolds over days of orders, alliances and shifting fronts.

  • Several brief check-ins a day
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who it suits at the market, and where to begin

Good for: History lovers who like moving whole fronts.

Your first session
  1. Secure the provinces near your capital first.
  2. Mix land, air and sea units instead of relying on one.
  3. Talk to neighbours early; an alliance can save a front.
Play Call of War freeOpens callofwar.com
War Commander key artStrategy & war

War Commander

Modern base builder with live raids

A modern-war base builder with a real-time twist: during a raid you steer the tanks and infantry squads yourself instead of letting the fight settle on its own. Between attacks you rebuild walls, rearrange turret lines and chase blueprints from timed events.

  • Around half an hour
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits at the market, and where to begin

Good for: Strategists who want to drive the battle personally.

Your first session
  1. Lay out walls and turrets before your base attracts raiders.
  2. Practise steering units on easy targets first.
  3. Check the events calendar for blueprints worth the effort.
Play War Commander freeOpens kixeye.com/game/warcommander/home
Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming key artStrategy & war

Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming

Licensed castle strategy

An officially licensed real-time strategy game built in Unity: you raise a castle, recruit commanders and work through a campaign while alliances fight over the map. It plays in a browser tab, with a desktop app as an optional extra, and its title suits a snowy evening.

  • 20 to 40 minutes
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits at the market, and where to begin

Good for: Strategy players who want a famous world to fight over.

Your first session
  1. Follow the campaign quests to grow the castle in order.
  2. Recruit commanders whose strengths cover each other.
  3. Join an alliance before the map gets crowded.
Try Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming for freeOpens got.gtarcade.com
Throne: Kingdom at War key artStrategy & war

Throne: Kingdom at War

Medieval kingdom of sieges

A medieval kingdom game of production buildings, several troop classes and marches against rival Lords. You join an Order, craft gear for your hero from gathered resources and take part in timed sieges for the throne itself.

  • Every day, with longer sittings when a siege lands
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who it suits at the market, and where to begin

Good for: Planners who enjoy coordinated, scheduled sieges.

Your first session
  1. Build up production before training a large army.
  2. Join an Order early for protection and advice.
  3. Save resources for hero gear before the next siege.
Try Throne: Kingdom at War for freeOpens plarium.com/en/game/throne-kingdom-at-war
DarkOrbit key artSpace & sci-fi

DarkOrbit

Long-running space MMO

A long-running science-fiction space game in which you pilot a ship, mine and fight across the galaxy and upgrade your craft as you go. Joining a company brings large battles alongside other pilots, which keeps the sky busy every night.

  • 15 to 45 minutes
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits at the market, and where to begin

Good for: Sci-fi fans who like a ship that grows with them.

Your first session
  1. Mine in safe sectors to fund your first upgrades.
  2. Pick a company that matches the hours you play.
  3. Avoid busy battle zones until your ship can hold its own.
Play DarkOrbit freeOpens darkorbit.com
Planetarion key artSpace & sci-fi

Planetarion

Round-based space war

A veteran space war game of five races, fleets and alliance politics. Each round lasts roughly two months and then ends, so newcomers join a fresh start alongside everyone else instead of chasing players who have been building for years.

  • Short visits through the round
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits at the market, and where to begin

Good for: Players who want a clear finish line.

Your first session
  1. Sign up when a new round opens so you start level.
  2. Read the race descriptions before committing to one.
  3. Join an alliance; much of the game is played in its politics.
Play Planetarion freeOpens planetarion.com

All eight laid out like stalls along the lane

Game on the benchKind of game on the benchHow quickly it movesCompany you keep in itOne evening’s sittingWhere it plays
IkariamIsland trading empireSlow and deliberateRival ports and shared islandsSeveral quick peeks between cups of cocoaDesktop browser
Airlines Manager: TycoonAirline tycoon on a live mapThoughtful, numbers firstRival airlines on the same mapShort visits to tune routesDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Call of WarSecond World War grand strategyA campaign over many daysAlliances on a persistent mapSeveral brief check-ins a dayDesktop browser; mobile app also available
War CommanderModern base builder with live raidsBursts of hands-on actionAlliances of commandersAround half an hourDesktop browser
Game of Thrones: Winter is ComingLicensed castle strategySteady, with alliance clashesAlliances contesting the map20 to 40 minutesDesktop browser
Throne: Kingdom at WarMedieval kingdom of siegesTimed and organisedOrders that march togetherEvery day, with longer sittings when a siege landsDesktop browser; mobile app also available
DarkOrbitLong-running space MMOQuick dogfights, long progressRival companies warring over the galaxy15 to 45 minutesDesktop browser
PlanetarionRound-based space warA round of about two monthsAlliance politicsShort visits through the roundDesktop browser

Price of all eight: free to play, with optional in-game purchases.

01

No stall fee to start

Every game here is free to start and free to keep playing; the campaigns, routes, sieges and space battles all belong to the free version.

The studios do sell extras such as premium currency, cosmetics and ways to hurry a timer. Many players never buy a thing, and households sharing a computer can usually turn purchases off in the account settings on the studio site.

02

The first night on a new map

Each button opens the official site of its game in a new tab. Most ask for a short registration before your island, airline, castle or ship appears.

Nearly all of them begin with a guided opening. Follow it to the end, because it teaches the menus and resources much faster than poking around alone.

03

Games that keep moving while the market sleeps

While the market sleeps, cargo keeps sailing in Ikariam, fronts creep forward in Call of War, flights earn in Airlines Manager and armies march in Throne and Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming. A look in the morning and another after supper is usually plenty.

War Commander raids and DarkOrbit dogfights are hands-on and happen while you are there. Planetarion rounds run on in real time but end after about two months, so a new round is the friendliest moment to join.

04

Keep your sign-ins as safe as a lantern in a gale

Every studio runs its own login, so enter your details only on that studio's real address, never through a link someone sends you. Give each game its own password and switch on two-step sign-in wherever it is offered.

No real support team ever needs your password. Anyone promising free premium currency in exchange for your sign-in wants the account itself, so ignore the message.

How Oswin chose these eight

  • Each loads straight into a desktop browser tab, so Oswin can begin between closing the till and finishing his cocoa.
  • They are free to join, and the full campaign is open to anyone who never opens the shop.
  • Most of them reward patient planning over fast fingers, which suits a market keeper who thinks in seasons.
  • Each studio still runs live servers, so the maps, routes and rounds keep filling with real players.

No. Every one of them plays in a desktop browser tab. Call of War, Airlines Manager: Tycoon and Throne: Kingdom at War also offer a mobile app; Ikariam, War Commander, Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming, DarkOrbit and Planetarion are desktop browser games.

Not a cent to begin. The full campaign of each is free, and any extras in the studio shops are optional.

No. Each comes from its own independent studio, and the buttons on this page lead to the official sites of those studios.

No. Eight separate studios means eight separate registrations, one per game.

Ikariam, Call of War, Airlines Manager and Throne carry on while you are out, and so does Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming. War Commander raids and DarkOrbit battles happen while you are at the controls.

Airlines Manager, if you like numbers, or Ikariam, where trade comes before any fighting. Planetarion is friendliest at the start of a new round.

Yes. Ikariam and Call of War share maps with other players, Throne has Orders, War Commander and the Game of Thrones castle game have alliances, DarkOrbit has companies and Planetarion runs on alliance politics.