Flow of War, a new real-time strategy game for PC, combines worker management, fortress construction, and a visual style reminiscent of 90s titles. The game places a significant emphasis on an automated economic system, where players lay out structures such as crop fields, forges, and wells. These structures are then populated by AI-controlled workers who gather resources and construct buildings.
Players contribute to the economy by strategically placing these buildings to maximize efficiency. The layout of the fortress is crucial, as inefficient designs can lead to workers taking longer routes for tasks like watering and reaping crops, or navigating complex walls and towers for repairs. The game's timer counts down to waves of attackers that emerge from portals around the map, making efficient base design and defense paramount.
Workers in Flow of War have a degree of initiative; if a worker tasked with building ventures into an area with a goldmine, they may pause to gather resources. This can lead them outside defensive perimeters and into enemy paths, potentially resulting in them being inadvertently walled off. While players can recruit military units like swordsmen, archers, and wizards, these must be controlled manually via drag-select. The active combat aspect is currently considered less deep than the economic and defensive elements.
The game encourages indirect strategy, focusing on shaping the environment and working with the AI's emergent behaviors rather than constant micromanagement. Research plays a role, utilizing resources needed for both construction and unit recruitment, making timely unlocking of building tiers important for progression.
Flow of War features 30 maps, with options for higher difficulties, a map editor, and a randomizer. The game is available for approximately £10/$10/€10. While the interface is described as plain and not a visual extravagance, the game is positioned as appealing to fans of classic RTS titles.