Free Orion is an open-source, platform-independent galactic conquest game in the tradition of the Master of Orion games. Its commercial competitors, just to give you an idea, are VGA planets, Galactic Civilizations and Space Empires. Free Orion instead is a collaborative promising project, a community effort that moves forward based on the motivation and contributions of users and it is currently in the alpha stage.

Although graphics can be interesting, the game is somewhat difficult to enjoy for new players. There is little in the way of guidance and at the beginning, FreeOrion appears rather boring. In theory, victory is achieved by eliminating all ships and planets belonging to other empires, that's fairly standard, but at this stage there isn't any combat yet.

You must read the 'quick' play guide, (which isn't that quick) in order to understand a bit what to do. The guide starts in a very step by step way: 'to start a game, run the freeorion executable, then click on the 'Single Player' button on the main menu, then 'OK' on the Galaxy Setup screen. You should then see a starmap which you can drag around with the mouse and zoom in/out with the scrollwheel. The triangle next to the star is a fleet. Clicking the fleet opens the fleet window. Try moving fleets around to explore, making a new colony or clicking on techs in the Research screen to read their descriptions.’

If you are patient enough, and you are really passionate about strictly strategic games you might want to try this project and maybe collaborate in the related forum for further, more exciting releases. As specified in the game's Wiki, the easiest way to contribute when new to the project is simply to join in brainstorming discussions on the forums.

Strictly for strategic games lovers, an intriguing, promising game.

Download FreeOrion 0.3.9 in Softonic

Freeciv is a free turn-based multiplayer strategy game, in which each player becomes the leader of a civilization, fighting to obtain the ultimate goal:To become the greatest civilization. Freeciv is maintained by an international team of coders and enthusiasts, and is easily one of the most fun and addictive network games out there! That also means it has very extensive multilanguage support, something rare in games.

The goal of Freeciv is to build cities, which in turn can build armies to attack the other players. You start with 2 settlers and 1 explorer. Using the numeric keypad, move the settlers to a good location and build a city by pressing b (for build). Freeciv is turn based; every unit can move once per turn.

Cities also produce units, which can be used for various purposes, from fighting wars to enhancing infrastructure. Different strategies depend on different focuses between things external and internal to a city.

The eventual goal of the game is to win either by using military units to conquer all opposing civilizations, or by using massive scientific knowledge and production to build a spaceship to send to Alpha Centauri before your rivals can do so.

Download Freeciv 2.1.4 in Softonic

Launched in 1995 Transport Tycoon Deluxe is a classic economic simulation, where you aim to make it big by building and developing your own transport company. Grow your own transportation network and sell off goods to beat your main rivals and become the leader on the market.

Nostalgic fans of the game will be glad to discover OpenTTD, effectively a completely free version of the game. What's more it has been completely revamped. Graphics have been slightly improved, adding more color, and many new features are now included. The Euro is now part of currencies, you can bribe town authorities and set up international and metropolitan airports among others. Usability is also better, with new features like the autorail build tool or being able to get a cost estimation. You can even play online with up to 8 other players.

The only real drawback to the game is that you' ll the original version of Transport Tycoon Deluxe data files in order to make it work.

In all, anybody who's even the least bit interested in games should get their hands on this free version of an excellent classic simulation title.

Download OpenTTD 0.6 in Softonic

Your aim in UFO: Alien Invasion is to fight the forces of evil in a world that has turned over a leaf in the next stage of it's evolution.

While war and famine have been virtually eradicated, one major threat remains hanging over mankind - the threat of alien invasion. UFO: Alien Invasion is a free game rich in background history and strategy. You have to lead a crack commando team to destroy and investigate the increasingly dangerous extraterrestrial technology which threatens to wipe out the human race. The game takes the shape of a strategy/shoot-em-up action based thriller which requires a certain amount of guile and map reading ability as well as a quick trigger finger. The missions are incredibly well thought out and rich in detail and although the graphics aren't exactly stunning, there are some excellent special effects. It's easy enough however to pick up pretty quickly although to get the most out of the game, you'll have to consult the Wiki which has extensive details of the how to play.

A very well designed and thought-out game that, considering it's completely free, will thrill any UFO enthusiast or strategy game fan.

Download UFO: Alien Invasion 2.2 in Softonic

Really Rather Good Battles In Space is a real time strategy game with fleets of spaceships. It is a single player real time strategy game following the fall of the great Artillian empire.

The main gripe I have with this game is that it just too short. It doesn't seem to comprise no more than a few levels which are over before you've really got going - and without much of a challenge either. On level one, you merely have to shoot and destroy 50 ships followed by a rather unimaginative level 2 where the aim is 200 ships. The main difference in the challenge level is that the ships move a hell of a lot faster on level 2 but it's still hardly difficult. The movement of your ship is also rather odd - there seems to be some kind of lag between then movements you make with your mouse and the actual moves the ship makes - if it makes them at all. While the graphics are only 2D, they are actually one of the better aspects of the game creating a realistic feel of sometime in 4000AD when the game is set. The music also adds to a realistic and atmospheric feel and the game is proceeded by a short tutorial (which you don't really need).

Overall this is not one that space adventure fans will really love but if you just want a quick blast with some nice graphics, it does the job.

Download Really Rather Good Battles In Space 1.06 in Softonic

Scorched 3D is a game based on the classic DOS game Scorched Earth "The Mother Of All Games". You can pick up the game and begin playing very quickly. Then, you can delve in to the dimmer recesses of the game and get into the strategy.

At its lowest level, Scorched 3D is an artillery game with two or more tanks taking turns to destroy opponents in an arena. Choose the angle, direction and power of each shot, launch your weapon, and try to blow up other tanks.

But Scorched 3D can be a lot more complex than that, if you want it to be. You can earn money from successful battles and use it to invest in additional weapons and accessories. You can play with up to twenty four other players at a time, mixing computer players with humans. There's a variety of changing environmental conditions and terrains to be dealt with. After the end of each round (which ends when everybody dies or there's only one person left), you get to buy stuff using the prize money you won from previous matches.

Download Scorched 3D 41.3 in Softonic

Warzone 2100 is a real-time strategy game, developed by Pumpkin Studios (Archived website) and published by Eidos-Interactive. In late 2004 Warzone was released by its copyright holders, Eidos-Interactive, to the public under the GNU General Public License and the Warzone 2100 Resurrection Project was born.

Although comparable to Earth2150 in many significant aspects, it does contain some that are unique. These include various radar technologies, a greater focus on artillery and counter-battery technologies, more frequent in-game cinematic updates as gameplay progress, as well as a different vehicle design method.

Download Warzone 2100 2.0.10 in Softonic

Battleships Forever is a new strategy game in real time that is focused entirely on space battles. It's distinguished by enormous ships and spectacular battle scenes plus some great gameplay.

You begin by choosing a number of ships from among a list destroyers, patroller or defenders. Each is composed of different "modules" that can be configured to obtain different advantages on the battlefield. From there, the whole game is controlled by using the mouse although there are hotkeys that allow you to issue orders to your fleet. The gameplay is simple but each mission is a challenge, because the artificial intelligence of the enemies and the size of some of the craft which you can also design yourself with the in game editor.

The graphics are a bit disappointing in that they are 2 dimensional but the sound effects, particularly explosions, make up for this

A great battleship game that will have space fans enthralled for hours.

Download Battleships Forever in Softonic

Vega Strike is an interesting space simulation game in 3D, fully developed under the GPL licence (and therefore free), which combines elements of an action RPG with galactic battles against all kinds of aliens and other enemies of the universe. Your task is to travel through space accepting missions using your resources wisely and interacting with other space crusaders.

It is very difficult to get to grips with at first but the rewards and gameplay make it worthwhile. Also, if you get stuck, you can always consult the Handbook on the Web.

Vega Strike features excellent 3D graphics (developed, it should be remembered for free) and it has great potential for expansion thanks to the open support for new missions, new ships and endless mods.

Download Vega Strike 0.4.3 in Softonic

Lemmings is the kind of casual videogame you never grow tired of. This is why it's always good to have remakes of this classic title, although this time we're going to save penguins instead of those small, pink, hairy creatures.

Pingus is a very well-done Lemmings clone, both in gameplay and graphics, which challenges you in the same way the original title did. Controls are very easy, especially if you already played Lemmings before. The downside to this is that you're forced to play the tutorial whether you like it or not, and it can be quite boring if you're familiar with the game's mechanics.

Download Pingus 0.7.0 in Softonic

The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme.

Build up a great army, gradually turning raw recruits into hardened veterans. In later games, recall your toughest warriors and form a deadly host against whom none can stand! Choose units from a large pool of specialists, and hand-pick a force with the right strengths to fight well on different terrains against all manner of opposition.

Wesnoth has many different sagas waiting to be played out. Fight to regain the throne of Wesnoth, of which you are the legitimate heir... step into the boots of a young officer sent to guard a not-so-sleepy frontier outpost... vanquish a horde of undead warriors unleashed by a foul necromancer, who also happens to have taken your brother hostage... guide a band of elvish survivors in an epic quest to find a new home.

200+ unit types. 16 races. 6 major factions. Hundreds of years of history. The world of Wesnoth is absolutely huge and limited only by your creativity - make your own custom units, compose your own maps, and write your own scenarios or even full-blown campaigns. You can also challenge up to 8 friends - or strangers - and fight in epic multi-player fantasy battles.

Download Battle for Wesnoth 1.2.5 in Softonic

Bos Wars is a real-time strategy game, following the style of the classic strategy games such as Age of Empires but set in a futuristic atmosphere. The game has been created under an open-source license with a whole developer community behind it constantly upgrading and improving it. Their main objective is to create a completely original and fun open-source RTS adventure.

Bos Wars features two campaigns (one of them, a tutorial), more than 20 missions, support for multiplayer mode to play against human opponents over LAN or the Internet, a map editor and a bunch of different war vehicles and soldiers to battle for victory. Of course, you will also have to take care of resources, gathering as much of them as you can.

Download Bos Wars 2.3 in Softonic

You are manager of Grandpa's Mickey DeeDees, a popular fast food restaurant with a drive through. Take an order by clicking on the appropriate buttons (burger, fries, etc.). If the customer changes his mind, you can reduce the quantity of an item by clicking on the small button to the left of the item's quantity. When all items have been entered, click on the "Total" button and 5% tax will be added. If you want to have a sale, click on the "Yes" button under the 20% Sale label and prices will be adjusted. Enter the amount paid by the customer by clicking on the cash buttons at the bottom left and click on the "OK" button. The change will be calculated for you.

Download Mickey DeeDees 2.0.1 in Softonic

Magical Boutique is a hybrid simulation visual novel game where you play the role of a shop-owner. Along with a light-hearted story, you must manage the upkeep of a potion shop, send employees to gather ingredients, brew potions, and keep track of sales.

Download Magical Boutique 1.1 in Softonic

Simutrans is a transport and economic simulation game. Simutrans has not yet reached production state, but it is quite possible to build big transport networks between the industries and cities.

The player can create bus and rail connections and transport passengers, mail and goods in and between cities and industries. Even passenger ferries and oil tankers are included in the game. Goods are produced by industries from raw materials, sometimes over many steps of intermediate products. i.e. coal and iron ore are needed to produce steel in a steel mill. Oil may be transformed to plastics in a refinery. Plastics and steel are used to build cars by the car industry. Finally the cars are sold in the cities which need gas to run, which will also be produced at the refinery.

All goods need to be transported which is the ultimate aim. Transport the goods and allow industry to thrive but be careful not to destroy the environment!

Download SimuTrans 99.09.2 in Softonic

The Restaurant Game is a restaurant simulation where you play as a customer or waitress. This game is a research project at the MIT Media Lab that will algorithmically combine the gameplay experiences of thousands of players to create a new game.

Download The Restaurant Game 1.8 in Softonic

We invite you to the world of Gunbound, which takes place in Planet "Lond" and its 8 moons. Gunbound means "The infinite war between each unique mobile and its riders." In Lond 16 unique mobiles are available.

Each of these different environments has its own unique character and you'll soon find yourself in the middle of some intense gun battles. The surrounding environment set in Gunbound dynamically changes according to the "Moon Disk." Pay attention to the Moon Disk as it changes every other turn.

Players will participate in battle after wearing their own avatars and choosing the mobile they want. Winners will receive their reward at the end of each battle and with the reward, the players will purchase an avatar item(s) of their choice to use in future battles.

The overall objective is to excite the audiences that are watching the battle with your amazing skills and beautiful avatars. The player will receive special rewards if the audiences are pleased but bad performances means you will be booed off by the crowd.

Download GunBound World Champion 551 in Softonic

To coincide with the release of Sid Meier’s Railroads, the original Sid Meier’s Railroad Tycoon (SMRT), straight from 1990, has now been made freely available in full. The game takes you back to the 19th century where you create your own transportation empire by building railroads, buying new trains and setting up connections between cities.

Those of you who are worried about compatibility: fear not. You won’t have to access DOS to play the game because it features its very own DOS Box. Original gamers of SMRT, will fondly appreciate the minimalistic graphics, midi country music, pixelized area maps, but most of all, the crux of the whole series, managing your money and assets. You start off with a million dollars (of which you’ll have to pay back $500,000) and must first choose a good location, build a station and then start laying tracks. You’ll soon become familiar with all the varieties of locomotives, like the Norris, Crocodile or Ten-Wheeler. The game really starts to get addictive when you see your network of railroads reach more and more cities and your income start to rise. Depending on the level of difficulty you choose, you’ll also come across rough competition and you’ll have to protect your assets from truly aggressive entrepreneurs.

Even though the graphics don’t compare to what you’ll find in the latest release, Sid Meier’s Railroads, the simulation aspect of Railroad Tycoon is as much thrilling now as it was 10 year ago. All aboard!

Download Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon Deluxe in Softonic

Starport Galactic Empires is a multiplayer action strategy game that allows you to compete against other players to achieve top standing as the best captain. During each two week game, you can watch your ranking improve against those of your opponents. Winners are chosen from the top. Persistent servers are available too, which do not end after 2 weeks.

Your life in the Starport universe begins within safe UN controlled space as a captain of a small merchant vessel. By gaining funds, experience and equipment you can build up your character and upgrade your ship as the game progresses. Haul valuable cargo and transport passengers through vast hostile space to begin working your way up in the game world.

In Starport, greater reward means greater risk. You'll need to equip your ship to handle it. During your progress, you'll engage in combat with other players, planetary defense platforms, space-anchored turrets and other hostiles. From traditional projectile weapons and kinetic missles to exotic energy weapons, you'll have a good selection of firepower to choose from.

Once you've claimed a world, begin building your empire by contructing planetary colonies. Keep these colonies defended, keep the residing colonists happy, prosperous and productive and they can become an invaluable source for profit and power.

Later, you can freely explore the galaxy looking for ripe resource centers to exploit, most profitable trade routes and even discover relics of ancient technologies to further supplement your influence in the Starport universe.

Download Starport Galactic Empires 3.24 in Softonic

S.W.I.N.E. is a real-time tactical strategy game in which you must carry out extremely varied missions while taking advantage of the terrain and your units’ special abilities. Your army’s abilities and strengths will then develop over the course of the game. Before and during the missions, you will also have the opportunity to purchase or sell units, and upgrade or augment them with various items of equipment.

However, this will cost you some of the strategic points (SP) you receive for destroying enemy objects (units, buildings, etc.) and for successfully completing your missions. Further strategical components include the use of the air force and supply trailers (repairs, ammunition, and fuel). Clever exploitation of the terrain, selecting the proper units, and the optimum utilization of your abilities will enable even a small force to do battle against an enemy with numerical superiority.

Download S.W.I.N.E. 1.9 in Softonic