$1.99 (−80%)Small World Conquest in a world too small
Pick a fantasy race, grab a random special power, and conquer as much of a very crowded map as you can before your empire fades.
Is Small World worth it?
Small World is worth it if…
- you want a strategy game with rules you can explain in a minute
- you like board game nights without the set-up and clean-up
- you enjoy beating friends face to face on one screen
- you want short competitive matches that play differently every time
- you have a soft spot for cheerful fantasy worlds with a wicked streak
Screenshots
A board game night without the box
This is the legendary board game, digitised: no tokens to sort, no rulebook arguments, no set-up. You pick a race and a special power, place your troops, and start grabbing regions. Conquering costs a couple of soldiers, plus one extra for every mountain, neutral tribe or enemy troop in the way, so every attack is a small calculation. A full game runs about ten rounds, and the digital version trims a tabletop session down to a fraction of the time. You send giants into the hills, watch your neighbour's orcs spill over the border, and by the time the last round ends you are already planning the rematch.
Face to face, or across the map
Play on one computer with up to five people in pass-and-play, take on the AI solo, or head online. The local mode is the sweet spot for a shared evening: everyone sees the same board, groans at the same betrayal, and hands the mouse over. The AI opponents hold their own when the group is smaller, and you can skip through their turns to keep things moving. Online matches work too, though setting up an account takes a little preparation the first time. However you play, rounds stay short enough that losing a game barely stings before the next one starts.
Races and powers, remixed every game
The heart of Small World is the combination draw. Each match deals out race and power pairings, and nearly endless combinations mean no two games play the same. One round you command Flying Giants, the next Berserk Orcs or Wealthy Wizards, and each pairing bends the rules in its own direction. Choosing when to grab a strong pairing, and which one to leave for your rivals, is where the real strategy lives.
Every empire has its sunset
No race lasts forever. Your troops wear thin, the map fills up, and eventually the smart move is to put your civilisation into decline: the troops stay put and still earn you points, but you stop moving them and pick a fresh race next turn. It is a wonderfully dry joke at the heart of the game, a satire of empire where every glorious conquest is just a countdown to retirement. Knowing when to let go, and reading how much fight your neighbours have left in their current races, separates a decent score from a winning one.
