Old Light
Blog
Strategy, design notes and updates from the Old Light galaxy.
See 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.
- Article
Games 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.
- Essay
Why 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.
- Engineering
Game 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.
- Article
6 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.
- Article
Persistent 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.
- Article
What 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.
- Article
Games 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.
- Article
Free 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.
- Article
How 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.
- Essay
Messaging 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.
- Announcement
Empires 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.
- Engineering
Browser strategy game backend
How Old Light runs a real-time galaxy for thousands of players: no tick loop, combat as a pure function, deterministic AI, and designing every path for scale.
- Article
The 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.
- Essay
I 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.
- Article
Browser 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.
- Article
Games 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.
- Article
Games 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.
- Article
Games 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.
- Essay
Pay-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.
- Announcement
Old 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.