Before you start
Questions
Straight answers about how Idle Conflict works — what it costs, what it needs from you, and what happens while you are not playing.
01 // Common questions
Frequently asked
Is Idle Conflict free to play?
Yes. Idle Conflict is free to start — you can create a commander, claim a nation and play without paying.
Do I need to download anything?
No. Idle Conflict runs entirely in your web browser on the machine you already have. There is no client to install and no launcher.
Does the game keep running when I am offline?
Yes. Production and income continue on the server while you are away and are settled when you return, up to a cap of 24 hours. Beyond that, further away time does not accrue.
How much time does it take to play?
You can make meaningful decisions in a few minutes per session. The idle progression handles the rest, and there is as much depth as you want to give it.
What kind of game is Idle Conflict?
It is a multiplayer strategy war game with idle progression. You run a nation's economy, manufacture equipment, train an army and contest territory on a shared world map. The economic and production systems keep advancing whether or not you are online.
How does combat work?
Declaring war opens a campaign against a nation rather than a single battle, and territory is captured as a percentage over repeated assaults. Every outcome — casualties, plunder and capture — is decided by the odds of winning & the variation of life. Assaults are limited to one every five minutes. Some nations may only need a few assults, others may take weeks.
Can I attack any country on the map?
Not by land. Land routes may only cross territory you own or that of an ally, so taking a neighbour opens routes to everything behind them. Anything you cannot reach overland has to be moved by sea, which is priced on distance and the size of the force.
How does the economy work?
Income scales with the territory you hold and the infrastructure you invest in, while upkeep scales with the army you field. Manufacturing is charged per production cycle rather than up front, so keeping cash flow ahead of the production queue is the core discipline.
Is there a market or trading?
Yes. Commodity and stock prices are set by a single daily fix at 14:00 UTC, with movement capped at 25% per fix. Around 147 currencies trade against one another on a five-minute tick, and bonds pay a fixed total return over a set term.
How does progression work?
Experience is credited by the server across eight stats — strength, health, strategy, artillery, manufacturing, logistics, intelligence and command — each capped at level 99, alongside your overall commander level. Training, production and war all pay into the same ledger.
Can other players cheat?
The game is server-authoritative by design. Your balance, experience, market fills and battle outcomes are all calculated and stored on the server; the browser only displays them and cannot write them. The client predicts, the server decides, and the client reconciles.
Do I really start with a real nation's army?
Yes. You take command of an existing nation, and its standing army, treasury and income sources all become yours from the first minute. There is no build-from-nothing mode — inheriting a real country is the premise of the game.
Which nation should I start with?
Starting nations vary enormously in what they hand you, from a substantial treasury and large standing personnel down to almost nothing, and each is banded Easy, Standard, Hard or Legendary when you choose. A well-resourced nation is a gentler start; a small one begins with a near-zero budget and has to take ground to grow.
Are there leaderboards?
Yes. Seven global boards are published and recomputed regularly: Net Worth, Ground Forces, Air Fleets, Naval Fleets, Progression, Territory Held and Wars Won. Each shows the top commanders in that discipline rather than a single blunt power score.
Can I see what other commanders have?
Only partially. Scouting a rival returns approximate unit strength that varies between looks, and their activity as a band rather than an exact last-seen time. You get enough to decide whether a fight is worth it, and no more.
02 // Read on
More about the game
Still curious?
Free to play, in the browser, no download. The fastest answer is to pick a nation and see.
Enlist now