Conquest of Worlds is a multiplayer turn-based space strategy game where 2 to 8 players compete to dominate a procedurally generated galaxy. You will build fleets of warships, colonize star systems, harvest minerals, manage your economy, form and break alliances, and ultimately crush your enemies in tactical combat.
Each turn, every player issues orders simultaneously — building ships, moving fleets, colonizing planets, negotiating alliances, and trading resources. Once all players have submitted their turns (or the turn timer expires), the game processes everything at once: income is collected, ships are built, fleets move to their destinations, and combat resolves at any system where enemy forces meet.
The goal is simple: be the last player standing. Every other player must be eliminated through military conquest or forced to surrender. There are no diplomatic victories, no score thresholds — only total domination wins the game.
When a game begins, each player starts with the following:
The opening turns of a game are critical and will determine your trajectory for the rest of the match. Here is a recommended opening strategy:
First Game Tip
If this is your first time playing, start with a Solo vs AI game. AI opponents are less aggressive and the game processes instantly when you submit, so you can learn at your own pace without a turn timer.
Public games are open to all players and appear in the Browse Games list on the dashboard. Anyone can join an open public game until all player slots are filled. Once full, the game starts automatically. Public games can be either ranked (affecting your Elo rating) or casual (unranked, just for fun). The game creator chooses whether the game is ranked when creating it.
Private games where only players you specifically invite can join. When creating an invite-only game, you can select friends from your friends list to invite. Invited players receive a notification and can accept or decline. Invite-only games are always unranked and do not appear in the Browse Games list. Great for playing with friends or organizing private tournaments.
Single-player games against AI-controlled opponents. The game starts immediately upon creation — there is no waiting for other players. When you submit your turn, all AI players automatically submit theirs and the turn processes instantly. This makes Solo vs AI the perfect mode for learning the game, testing strategies, or just playing a quick match. Solo vs AI games are always unranked but do contribute to the vs AI leaderboard score.
When creating a game, you can configure:
Conquest of Worlds uses a simultaneous turn system. All players issue their orders during the same turn window, and when the turn processes, everything happens at once. This means you cannot react to what other players do on the same turn — you must anticipate their moves.
When a turn processes, the following happens in this exact order:
Important
Because all movement happens simultaneously, two fleets can "pass through" each other if they are moving in opposite directions along the same warp connection. They will not fight in transit — combat only occurs when fleets end up at the same system after movement resolves.
Each game has a turn deadline (default 24 hours). The countdown is shown in the top bar during gameplay. When the timer reaches zero, the turn auto-processes regardless of how many players have submitted. In Solo vs AI games, there is no timer — the turn processes the moment you submit.
Star systems are the foundation of your empire. They generate income, produce minerals, house your shipyards, and serve as strategic control points on the map. The galaxy is procedurally generated at the start of each game, so every match has a unique layout.
Systems start as unclaimed (neutral). Certain military ships (cruisers, battleships, colony ships by default) automatically claim systems when passing through, giving you territorial control and supply chain benefits. However, to get full economic output (income, minerals, population, building), you must colonize the system with a colony ship. See the Territory & Colonization section for details. You lose ownership if an enemy fleet defeats your forces and captures the system through combat.
Each player's home system is specially generated to be a strong starting position. Home systems have:
Credits are the primary currency in Conquest of Worlds. You need credits to build ships, construct structures, repair damaged vessels, and maintain orbital defenses. Managing your economy is just as important as managing your military.
Each turn, every system you own generates credits based on this formula:
Your total income is the sum across all owned systems. For example, a system with 10 production and 80 population generates 10 + 8 = 18 credits per turn.
Credits are deducted immediately when you queue a build order, not when the item completes. This means:
Early game, your income is limited to your home system. Expanding to additional systems is essential — each new colony adds to your income. High-production systems should be colonization priorities. As population grows over time, even modest systems become significant contributors. A fully populated system with 8 production and 200 population generates 8 + 20 = 28 credits per turn.
In addition to credits, you need minerals to build most ships and structures. Minerals are produced at your systems and stockpiled locally — each system has its own mineral stockpile that accumulates over time.
Each system has its own mineral production rates. Some systems produce large quantities of one mineral, while others may produce small amounts of several types. Mineral production happens automatically each turn — the produced minerals are added to that system's stockpile.
Each system has a primary mineral (2-5 units per turn) and a 50% chance of having a secondary mineral (1-3 units per turn). When you click on a system you own, you can see its current mineral stockpile and production rates in the system detail panel.
When you build a ship or structure, the required minerals are deducted from the stockpile of the system where you are building. If a system does not have enough of a particular mineral, you cannot build that item there. You will need to either wait for production to accumulate, or transport minerals from another system using freighters.
Ships are the core of your military power. Each ship type has different stats that determine its role in combat and fleet operations. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each ship type is essential for success.
| Ship | ATK | DEF | HP | Cost | Build | Shipyard? | Minerals Required |
|---|
To build a ship, click on a system you own and select the ship type from the build menu. The credit cost and mineral cost are deducted immediately. The ship enters a build queue and will be completed after the specified number of turns. When completed, the ship is automatically added to an existing idle fleet at that system (if one exists and has room), or a new fleet is created.
Ships that require a shipyard (fighters, cruisers, battleships) can only be built at systems where you have a completed shipyard. Scouts, colony ships, and freighters can be built at any system you own.
Ships retain damage between battles. A cruiser that took 1 HP of damage in a fight will still be at 2/3 HP when the next battle starts. To repair damaged ships, move them to a system you own that has a shipyard. Select the fleet and click the Repair button. Repair costs 2 credits per HP restored. All damaged ships in the fleet are repaired at once.
Each fleet can hold a maximum of 10 ships. If a fleet is at capacity and a new ship completes at that system, a new fleet is created automatically. You can manage fleet composition using the Split and Merge commands.
You can build three types of structures at your systems. Each provides a unique strategic benefit.
| Cost | 40 credits + 5 titanium, 3 crystal |
| Build Time | 3 turns |
| Limit | 1 per system |
Shipyards are the most important structure in the game. Without a shipyard, you can only build scouts, colony ships, and freighters. With a shipyard, you unlock fighters, cruisers, and battleships. Shipyards also enable ship repair at that system.
Your home system starts with a shipyard already built. For expansion systems, building a shipyard should be a top priority — especially at systems with good mineral deposits. The 3-turn build time means you need to plan ahead.
| Cost | 30 credits + 3 crystal, 2 helium-3 |
| Build Time | 2 turns |
| Limit | 2 per player (across all systems) |
Trade stations enable you to post trade orders on the marketplace, offering one mineral in exchange for another. Other players (or allies, depending on your order settings) can fill your trade orders. Both the buyer and seller need trade stations to participate in trade. You can have a maximum of 2 trade stations total across all your systems.
| Cost | 20 credits + 3 titanium |
| Build Time | 2 turns |
| Maintenance | 2 credits per turn |
| Defense Bonus | +1 DEF |
| Limit | 1 per system |
Orbital defenses provide a +1 DEF bonus to all friendly ships defending at that system. This bonus stacks with the ship's own DEF stat, making your defenders significantly harder to kill. However, orbital defenses cost 2 credits per turn in maintenance. If you cannot afford the maintenance during turn processing, the defense becomes unfunded and provides no bonus until you can pay again.
Orbital defenses are most effective at chokepoint systems where you expect repeated attacks. The +1 DEF bonus can swing a battle significantly over multiple rounds of combat.
| Cost | 15 credits + 3 titanium |
| Build Time | 1 turn(s) |
| Fuel Capacity | 50 He3 |
| Limit | 1 per system |
Refueling stations store Helium-3 fuel for your fleets. When the fuel system is enabled (see Fuel System), ships consume fuel when traveling through unclaimed or enemy territory. Refueling stations let you extend your operational range by creating fuel depots along your route.
Refueling stations can be built on any system, including uncolonized ones. On systems you own, the build cost is drawn from that system's mineral stockpile. On uncolonized systems, you must have a freighter with the required minerals present at that system — the minerals will be drawn from the freighter's cargo.
Fleets can refuel from a refueling station's He3 reserves. You can deposit He3 into a station from a freighter carrying it. Refueling stations are only available when the fuel system is enabled in the game's ruleset.
Fleets are groups of up to 10 ships that move and fight together. Managing your fleets effectively is critical to success.
Scouts and colony ships are automatically placed in their own fleets when built, keeping them separate from your combat vessels. This means you won't need to manually split them off before sending them on missions. Combat ships (fighters, cruisers, battleships, dreadnoughts) are grouped together into combat fleets.
Fleet Composition Tip
A well-balanced fleet typically includes a mix of ship types. Fighters provide volume of fire, cruisers provide durability and accuracy, and a battleship provides devastating firepower. Avoid putting all your eggs in one basket — a single fleet of 10 ships can be lost in one bad battle.
The galaxy map shows star systems connected by warp lanes (the lines between stars). Fleets can only travel along these connections — you cannot fly directly between unconnected systems. Each system is connected to 2-4 neighbors. The warp network forms a connected graph, so every system is reachable from every other system, though it may take many turns to cross the entire galaxy.
All fleets move at the same speed: 1 system per turn. When you order a fleet to move, it will arrive at the destination system when the turn processes. Plan your troop movements carefully — reinforcements can take many turns to arrive at distant fronts. (The Warp Drive technology allows fleets to jump 2 systems per turn, but not through hostile territory — see Technology Research.)
You don't need to manually move a fleet one hop at a time. When you click a distant system, the game automatically finds the shortest path and sets waypoints along the route. The fleet will move one hop per turn, automatically advancing to the next waypoint each turn until it reaches its final destination.
On the map, your fleet's next hop is shown as a colored dashed arrow, while the remaining planned route appears as a white dotted line. Hover over a fleet in the side panel to highlight its entire route in green.
If a fleet's route becomes blocked (e.g., the next system becomes a conflict zone or is captured by an enemy), the remaining waypoints are automatically cleared and the fleet stops.
When a turn ends with non-allied players' fleets present at the same system, that system becomes a conflict zone, indicated by a pulsing red marker on the map. While in a conflict zone, your fleets have restricted movement — they can only retreat to systems you own or systems owned by your allies. You cannot move through a conflict zone to reach systems beyond it unless you control or are allied with the owner of a destination.
This is a critical strategic mechanic. It means you cannot simply fly past enemy defenses — you must defeat the defenders or find an alternate route. It also means holding key chokepoint systems is extremely valuable, as it can block enemy movement across entire sections of the map.
Retreat Warning
If all your nearby systems are captured and you have no allied systems to retreat to, your fleet may become trapped in a conflict zone with no valid retreat destinations. Make sure you always have a fallback position.
Combat is the heart of Conquest of Worlds. When opposing fleets meet at the same system after movement resolves, battle begins automatically. You do not directly control combat — it resolves based on your ships' stats, the roll of the dice, and the tactical situation.
Combat occurs when:
In each battle, one side is designated the attacker and the other the defender. The side with the highest total attack power (sum of all ships' ATK stats) becomes the attacker. The defender benefits from the system's defense bonus and any orbital defense bonus.
Each battle consists of up to 10 rounds. In each round:
A critical detail: all ships fire at the same time within a round. If a ship takes lethal damage, it still gets to fire back before being destroyed. This means that even a doomed fleet can inflict significant casualties. Never assume a battle will be one-sided — even outmatched defenders can weaken an attacking force.
If neither side is eliminated after 10 rounds of combat, the battle ends in a stalemate. Both fleets remain at the system with their surviving ships (and any accumulated damage). No system changes hands. The fleets will fight again on the next turn unless one side retreats. Stalemates are more likely when both sides have high-DEF ships (like cruisers or battleships) that block most incoming damage.
If the defending system has a funded orbital defense, all defending ships receive +1 DEF for the duration of the battle. This can be decisive — fighters jump from 2 DEF to 3 DEF, and cruisers go from 5 DEF to 6 DEF.
When one side wins a battle and the system was owned by the losing side, the winner captures the system. The system's structures (shipyards, trade stations, orbital defenses) remain intact — the conquering player gains control of everything.
There are two levels of system control: claimed (owned) and colonized. Understanding the difference is critical to your strategy.
When certain ship types pass through an unowned system, your faction automatically claims it. By default, cruisers, battleships, and colony ships can claim systems on arrival. Scouts, fighters, and freighters cannot (this is configurable by the game host).
Claimed systems provide:
Claimed systems do NOT provide:
On the map, claimed systems appear as a smaller colored circle inside a gray star, while fully colonized systems are completely filled with the owner's color.
To get full economic benefits from a system, you must colonize it with a colony ship:
Colonized systems provide everything claimed systems do, plus:
When you defeat the enemy at a system and capture it through combat, the system becomes claimed but not colonized. The population is wiped out, and you must send a colony ship to re-colonize it for full economic benefits. This makes conquest costly — you gain territory but lose the economic output until you invest a colony ship.
Colonization Priority
When choosing which systems to colonize first, prioritize systems with: high production (more credits), good mineral variety (especially crystal and darkite), and strategic position (chokepoints, defensible locations). After conquering enemy territory, prioritize re-colonizing their most productive systems — they're already secured behind your front lines.
Colony Ship Safety
Colony ships cannot be rebuilt quickly (2 turns + the mineral cost). Always escort your colony ships with combat vessels. Losing a colony ship to an enemy scout is a devastating setback in the early game.
Minerals are produced locally at each system, but your shipyards may not always be at the same system where the minerals are. Freighters solve this problem by allowing you to transport minerals between your systems.
Each freighter can carry up to 20 units of minerals. Cargo can be a mix of different mineral types.
Freighters can only load and unload at systems you own, and only when the fleet is stationary (not queued to move).
Freighter Strategy
Set up mineral supply routes early. If your main shipyard is far from your darkite-producing system, dedicate a freighter fleet to shuttle darkite back. Losing track of your mineral logistics is a common mistake that stalls late-game ship production.
The marketplace allows players to exchange minerals with each other. This is useful when you have an abundance of one mineral but need another.
Browse available trade orders from other players. If you have the requested minerals at one of your trade station systems, you can fill the order. The minerals are swapped: you receive the seller's escrowed minerals, and the seller receives yours.
You can cancel your own trade orders at any time. The escrowed minerals are returned to the system where the order was posted.
In multiplayer games, diplomacy can be the difference between victory and defeat. Forming the right alliances at the right time — and knowing when to break them — is a key skill.
You can propose an alliance with any other player in the game. When proposing, you can include a message and optionally set the alliance to expire after a certain number of turns.
You can break an alliance at any time, but there are real consequences:
This means you cannot sneak fleets deep into allied territory and then backstab — your forces will be expelled the moment the alliance ends. Plan accordingly.
Alliances that expire naturally have the same ejection rules — make sure your fleets are out of allied space before the timer runs out!
You can send private messages to any other player from the side panel. Messages are limited to 500 characters. Use messaging to negotiate alliances, coordinate attacks, request trades, or engage in the art of deception. Only the sender and recipient can see private messages.
Each game has a global chat visible to all players. Use it for general discussion, trash talk, or public diplomacy. The last 200 messages are stored.
You do not have full visibility of the galaxy. Information about systems and enemy fleets is limited based on what your forces can observe.
When a fleet arrives at a system, it automatically scouts that system and all systems directly connected to it. This means moving a fleet reveals a cluster of systems, not just the destination. Scouts are ideal for this purpose — they are cheap and expendable.
Intelligence Tip
Never attack blind. Before launching an offensive, send a scout to the target system first. If your scout gets destroyed, you know there are enemy forces there. If it survives, you get full visibility of what you're up against. The cost of a scout is trivial compared to losing an entire fleet in a surprise ambush.
The game ends when only one player remains. Every other player must be either eliminated (lost all systems and all fleets) or have surrendered. There is no alternative win condition — you must be the last player standing.
A player is eliminated when they have no systems and no fleets remaining. If your last system is captured and your last fleet is destroyed, you are out of the game. Eliminated players can continue to spectate but cannot take any further actions.
At any time during an active game, you can surrender using the Concede button in the top bar. Surrendering immediately:
If surrendering leaves only one active player, that player wins immediately.
Ranked Warning
In ranked games, surrendering before turn 5 always results in an Elo penalty, regardless of the game state. This is to discourage players from rage-quitting early in ranked matches.
Public games where no player submits a turn for 7 days are automatically expired. The game ends as a draw — no winner is declared, and no Elo changes occur. All players receive participation points. This prevents abandoned games from lingering indefinitely.
Games that are still in the lobby (waiting for players to join) and have not started within 7 days are automatically deleted.
At the end of every game, each player receives a score based on their performance. Three separate leaderboards track different types of play.
Your game score is calculated from these components:
In multiplayer PvP games, your score is multiplied based on the number of players:
Score Tip
Turn efficiency rewards decisive victories. If you can win by turn 20, you get 300 - 200 = 100 bonus points. If you grind out a 50-turn war of attrition, you get 0 turn efficiency. Aggressive, efficient play is rewarded.
Ranked games use the Elo rating system to measure relative player skill. Your Elo rating starts at 1000 and changes after each ranked game based on the outcome and the ratings of your opponents.
A game must meet all three criteria to affect Elo:
Invite-only games, Solo vs AI games, and casual public games never affect Elo.
After a ranked game ends, each human player's Elo is adjusted using a pairwise calculation with K-factor of 32:
In multiplayer games, the winner is compared against each other player individually. The winner gains Elo against each loser, and each loser only loses Elo against the winner (losers do not lose Elo against each other).
This means:
If you surrender in a ranked game before turn 5, you always lose Elo, regardless of the game state. This penalty is calculated against the average Elo of remaining players and is designed to discourage early rage-quits in ranked matches.
To prevent smurfing (creating low-rated accounts to farm wins against weaker players), the admin can configure a maximum Elo gap. If enabled, players whose Elo is too far above or below the game creator's Elo cannot join that ranked game. This keeps ranked matches competitive and fair.
The fuel system is an optional mechanic that can be enabled or disabled per game by the game admin. When enabled, ships consume Helium-3 (He3) as fuel when traveling through hostile or unclaimed space. This adds a logistics layer to fleet operations — you need to plan supply lines, not just battle lines.
Different ship types have different fuel capacities, reflecting their range and operational role:
| Ship | Max Fuel |
|---|---|
| Scout | 10 |
| Fighter | 8 |
| Cruiser | 6 |
| Battleship | 5 |
| Colony Ship | 3 |
| Freighter | 8 |
These values are defaults and may differ depending on game configuration.
There are three ways to refuel your ships:
Fuel Planning
Scouts have the highest fuel capacity (10 by default) and can range far into unclaimed territory. Battleships and colony ships have lower fuel, so plan refueling stops for long expeditions. Build refueling stations at forward positions along your invasion routes, and use freighters to keep them supplied with He3.
Running on Empty
If your fleet runs out of fuel in enemy territory, it stops dead. Its waypoints are cleared and it cannot move until refueled. A stranded fleet deep in enemy space is easy prey. Always check your fleet's fuel gauge (shown on the map as a colored bar next to fleet markers) before ordering long-range moves.
The fuel system is disabled by default for existing games. New games may have it enabled depending on the game's configuration. When fuel is disabled, ships have unlimited range and all fuel-related UI is hidden.
Every fleet can be assigned a combat tactic that changes how it fights. Set your fleet's tactic before battle to gain a strategic edge. You can also set a retreat threshold — a percentage of losses at which your fleet will automatically disengage and fall back to a friendly system.
Set a retreat percentage (0-100%) on your fleet. After each combat round, if your fleet has lost that percentage of its starting ships, surviving ships will attempt to retreat to a nearby friendly system. If no safe retreat destination exists, the fleet stays and fights to the last ship.
Tactic Tips
Use Aggressive on raiding fleets that need to punch through defenders quickly. Use Defensive at fortified chokepoints with orbital defenses (the +1 DEF stacks!). Use Focus Fire when you're facing a fleet with one or two powerful capital ships — taking out the battleship first changes the entire battle. Setting a retreat threshold of 50% on your main fleet lets you conserve forces rather than losing everything in a bad fight.
Ships that survive combat gain experience and improve over time. Every ship starts as Green and can advance through four ranks by surviving battles:
| Rank | Battles Survived | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Green | 0 | None (baseline) |
| Veteran | 3 | +1 ATK |
| Elite | 6 | +1 ATK, +1 DEF |
| Legendary | 10 | +1 ATK, +1 DEF, +1 HP |
Ships also track their individual kill count. A ship scores a kill when its attack destroys an enemy ship in combat. Veterancy bonuses are applied automatically in combat — a legendary cruiser with +1 ATK, +1 DEF, and +1 HP is significantly more powerful than a fresh one.
Preserve Your Veterans
Veteran and elite ships are irreplaceable — you can build a new ship, but you can't build experience. Use retreat thresholds to pull your veteran fleets out of losing battles. Repair them and send them back when reinforced. A fleet of legendary ships is worth far more than its raw stats suggest.
Invest in research to unlock powerful permanent upgrades for your empire. Technology research works on a dice roll system inspired by Axis & Allies — you pay resources for a chance to acquire a random technology.
Research Strategy
Research is expensive and uncertain. In the early game, focus on building your economy and military. Mid-game, start investing in research when you have a stable income. Shield Technology and Advanced Weapons are game-changing military techs. Economic Boom and Advanced Mining compound your advantage every turn. Warp Drive gives you unmatched mobility in the late game. Remember: every tech you acquire makes the next one easier to get (fewer remaining in the pool means higher chance of getting something you want).
Expand Early, Expand Fast
Colonize nearby systems as quickly as possible in the opening turns. More systems means more income and more mineral production. A player who controls 5 systems will almost always outproduce a player with 2, and that economic advantage compounds every turn. Don't wait — build that first colony ship immediately.
Shipyards Win Wars
Without a shipyard, you can only build scouts and colony ships. Fighters, cruisers, and battleships all require a shipyard. Your home system starts with one, but you should build a second shipyard at a mineral-rich expansion system as soon as possible. Having two shipyards means you can produce ships at twice the rate of an opponent with one.
Don't Overextend Your Fleets
Spreading your fleet across too many systems leaves each position weak. Concentrate your forces at strategic chokepoints and keep a mobile reserve fleet that can respond to threats. It's better to have one strong fleet that can win battles than three weak ones that lose everywhere.
Scout Before You Attack
Never send your main fleet into an unknown system. Always send a scout ahead first. If your scout gets destroyed, you know there are enemy forces there. If it survives, you get full visibility of what you're up against. Information is one of the most valuable resources in the game.
Repair Your Veterans
Damaged ships are weaker in the next fight. A cruiser at 1/3 HP will die to a single unblocked hit. Rotate injured fleets back to a shipyard system for repairs (2 credits per HP) before sending them back into combat. A repaired fleet is dramatically more effective than a damaged one.
Control Chokepoints
The warp connection network creates natural chokepoints — systems where multiple routes converge. Controlling these systems (and building orbital defenses there) can lock down entire sections of the map. Your opponent cannot bypass a conflict zone, so holding a chokepoint forces them to either break through your defenses or find a longer alternate route.
Manage Your Minerals
Credits are important, but minerals are what you actually build ships with. Pay attention to which systems produce which minerals, and use freighters to consolidate rare minerals at your shipyard systems. A shipyard with no darkite can't build battleships, no matter how many credits you have.
Diplomacy Is a Weapon
In multiplayer games, alliances can be powerful tools. A well-timed alliance can protect your flank while you focus your forces on another front. But remember — there can only be one winner. Every alliance will eventually be broken. When it ends, your fleets get ejected from their territory and vice versa, so always have an exit strategy. The question is whether you break it on your terms or theirs.
Orbital Defenses at Key Systems
The +1 DEF bonus from orbital defenses may seem small, but it compounds over multiple combat rounds. At chokepoint systems where you expect repeated attacks, orbital defenses pay for themselves many times over.
Don't Forget Population Growth
Population grows 10% per turn and adds to income (every 10 pop = +1 credit/turn). Colonize systems early so population has more turns to grow. A system colonized on turn 3 will have significantly more population (and thus more income) by turn 20 than one colonized on turn 15.
Surrender Is an Option
If the game is truly lost, surrendering saves everyone's time. Your systems become neutral for others to colonize, and the game can conclude faster. There's no shame in recognizing when you're beaten — but be careful about surrendering in ranked games before turn 5, as it carries an Elo penalty.