Lords of the Earth

Development Site

Welcome to Lords of the Earth, the development site for the web-based edition of the long-running play-by-(e)mail strategy game originally created by Thomas Harlan in 1983.

In Lords of the Earth, players assume the role of a national leader in a fantasy world inspired by the Bronze Age. Success depends on carefully building your economy, managing limited resources, and navigating a hostile political landscape where survival is never guaranteed.

This is a game of calculated risk and ruthless competition. Opponents are aggressive, alliances are fragile, and multiple rivals may be working, quietly or openly, to eliminate you. The destruction of an entire nation is not only possible, but common for the unprepared.

Lords of the Earth is a turn-based game. Each turn requires strategic planning, followed by a period of anticipation as orders are resolved and outcomes revealed. Victory demands foresight, patience, and the ability to adapt when events unfold in unexpected, and often unforgiving, ways.