Forts

Lore & Background

Forts began development in March 2003, originally based on early bridge building games. The game's campaign follows three superpowers—the Eagle Empire, the Dragon Army, and the Iron Bear Alliance—as they compete for the last of the planet's resources. The story is presented through news coverage hosted by Sal Vaux of Facts News, and culminates in a plot by Black Penguin Oil to control the world's economy by tricking the superpowers into collecting oil for shuttle tankers bound for the Moon. The ending varies depending on whether the player wins or loses the final battle.

The game includes four gamemodes: Campaign, Skirmish, Multiplayer, and Sandbox. The Campaign features 28 training missions, with additional storylines available through the Moonshot DLC and High Seas DLC. Multiplayer supports up to 8 players split into two teams, with options for team death match or team co-op. Players can choose from 15 commanders across 5 factions, each with unique abilities. The game has around 70 built-in maps and hundreds of community-made maps available for download.

EarthWork Games began hosting official Forts tournaments on May 27, 2017, with the latest being tournament XXII held in February 2022. Community-driven tournaments also exist, such as Cronkhinator's AI tournament. The official tournaments include both battle competitions and map-making contests, with winners receiving in-game badges and mentions in winner announcements.

Reader's Guide

Forts occupies a niche in the sandbox strategy genre by combining physics-based construction with real-time combat. Its core loop—building a base from structural components, researching technologies, and using weapons like lasers, cannons, and mortars to destroy an opponent's reactor—offers a distinct blend of creativity and tactical destruction. The game's physics engine allows for indirect damage methods, such as setting fire to a reactor or causing it to fall by destroying supporting structures, adding a layer of emergent strategy. The Sandbox mode provides a space for unrestricted experimentation, while the Campaign offers a narrative context with multiple DLC expansions that introduce new weapons, commanders, and mechanics like naval forts with buoyancy physics. The multiplayer component, with ranked matches and community training missions, has fostered an active player base. The game's official tournaments and community events, including map-making contests, have contributed to its longevity. With over a million copies sold as of March 2022, Forts has established itself as a notable entry in the 2010s sandbox strategy landscape, particularly for players who enjoy the tension of building and destroying under pressure.

Did You Know?

• The Moonshot DLC, released on June 18, 2019, added portals and four new weapons including the Buzzsaw.
• The High Seas DLC, released on March 25, 2022, introduced naval forts with buoyancy physics.