Empires and Tribes

Empires and Tribes is a medieval city-building and role-playing game set in the 13th century. You take on the duties of a mayor, expanding your settlement, managing resources and production, developing technologies, negotiating laws with the city council and raising an army to defend against rival principalities. The game combines real-time strategy with a first-person perspective, letting you make city and economic decisions while interacting with the people around you.

Build your settlement

Plan your city as it grows from a small fishing village into a trade hub. Gather natural resources, create residential areas and build public places such as chapels and taverns to meet the needs of your inhabitants. The population has three levels—peasants, craftsmen and townsmen—each with different needs. The economy includes over 20 goods and 35 buildings, most of which can be upgraded one to three levels.

Manage the city

The city council is a site of political power struggles, while the population may go on strike. You can interact and communicate with NPCs, who follow simulated daily routines across 19 professions. The game also simulates day and night and variable weather, and includes events and disasters such as bandits, fires, lightning, the sale of indulgences and mendicant monks. You can craft tools, weapons, resources and trade goods, and develop your character through skills, equipment and an inventory.

Defend and expand

Protect your settlement by building castles at strategic points and customizing their layouts with towers, gates, courtyards and other extensions. Recruit units and construct siege weapons for large battles and tactically demanding sieges, which can involve more than 100 units. There are six combat unit types, including swordsmen, archers, knights and trebuchets. The AI develops its own city according to the conditions and attacks you when necessary; four hostile principalities are nearby.