Fifteen decisions. Six centuries.
Raise an empire.
Decide what survives.
A river city reaches for the mountains, forests, and sea. Build a realm through settlement, treaties, or conquest. Then live with the promises that hold it together.
How to play Five Minute Empires
A free strategy game about what survives
Five Minute Empires is a free single-player browser strategy game set in a fictional world. Guide a river settlement through 612 years of founding, expansion, prosperity, crisis, and legacy.
- Name your empire and choose its founders.
- Make 15 decisions. Read each consequence, then continue when you are ready.
- Settle, federate, conquer, or trade across five regions. Select a region on the map to inspect its status and loyalty.
- Respond when old bargains return as new demands. Your last decision helps determine one of six legacies.
Is there a five-minute time limit?
There is no countdown. A run has 15 decisions, and you read at your own pace. About five minutes is a playtesting target, not a time limit.
Do I need an account or a download?
No account or download is needed. Play free in a modern desktop or mobile browser with JavaScript enabled.
Does the game save my progress?
Progress lasts for the current page session. Refreshing or closing the page loses your run.
These are invented civilizations, not a simulation of historical countries. The realm has five regions and two neighboring powers; your capital has its own landmark view. Keyboard and touch controls are supported.