It's not as throwback as it looks

Image credit: Rongcon Games

My workers in Flow of War are tireless and uncomplaining, labouring away silently in the face of all adversity. Nonetheless, I can feel their seething irritation when I plant my fortress layout awry. Flow of War is a "classic RTS" with an economic element that mostly runs itself. You conjure a bunch of minions from your town hall, pop down templates for cropfields, forges, wells, and suchlike, and watch as your drudges get on with the building and resource-gathering.

Where you can contribute is in laying out those structures in an efficient way, so that your serfs accomplish as much as possible before the timer runs down and you have to fend off a fresh wave of attackers, emerging from hellportals around the map. After 30 minutes with the demo, I have mostly learned what not to do.

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Do not, for example, carve out a huge 8x2 block of fields, because the workers will have to walk all the way around it to water and reap the crops on the far side. Do not erect such an intricate maze of walls and arrow towers that it takes 10 whole extra seconds for your toilers to navigate the fortifications and perform vital repairs.

Oh, and don't expand your base too rapidly. The game's worker AI is a little prone to seizing the initiative, which is important in the absence of direct control, but can be a liability. If a worker sets out to build, say, a water wheel and thereby finds themself in range of a goldmine, they will take the opportunity to pocket some nuggets. This might in turn carry them out beyond your defensive line, right into the path of some jerks with swords, and oh, whoops, you've accidentally walled them out and now they're taking the long way back around the lake to your town hall.

You can recruit your own jerks with swords, together with fancier murderfolk such as multishot archers and wizards. These need to be steered manually, using ye olde drag-select. It doesn't feel like the active military aspect is especially deep; currently, I'm finding the defence and automated economy aspect more interesting.

I like strategy simulations in which I have to think indirectly, shaping the terrain chemistry rather than ordering everybody about, and working with the AI's gradually discovered quirks rather than overruling it with relentless micromanagement. There's also research to consider, which makes use of the same resources needed for construction and unit recruitment. Unlocking the right tier of buildings at the right time is clearly very important on later maps.

Speaking of which, the full game offers 30 maps to chew through and replay on higher difficulties. You also get a map editor and a randomiser. Not too shabby for £10/$10/€10 or so. I have few criticisms, so far. True, it's no visual extravaganza with quite a plain interface, but I reckon you elderly Warcrafters and Empire Agers will be able to overlook such things. Read more on Steam.