Lords & Knights

What it is

Lords & Knights is a medieval strategy MMO from XYRALITY, an independent developer and publisher based in Hamburg. Its official site offers it for browser, iOS and Android, and describes the browser version as a fully powered HTML5 game — so it runs in a tab with nothing to install. The browser client was on version 10.8.0 when we checked, and the developer’s Android listing had been updated on 14 October 2026.

The premise, in the developer’s words: you start with one castle and its knights, and with the right tactics you grow that into an empire. It began life on phones and you can feel it in the pace, but the browser is where running many castles at once is easiest — a point the help centre makes itself.

How a reign unfolds

Your first castle produces resources, researches technologies and recruits units: knights and foot soldiers at first, later siege weapons such as the siege tower and the ballista, and Viking units like the berserker and the Nordic archer. Lords, the game’s heroes, are gained and upgraded over time to lead your forces.

Growth has a distinctive shape. Several castles can be combined into a fortress, and the help centre carries on to cities and metropolises, each a step up in size and power. Missions add variety — the developer mentions driving off robbers, taking part in a joust and holding a castle festival — while the map is divided into regions to capture, and countries come with improvements of their own.

Alliances are run almost like small governments. The developer’s description mentions roles such as minister of war or of defence, non-aggression treaties with other alliances, a forum and a live alliance chat. Members support one another with troops and resources, and the help centre has guidance on synchronising attacks. New worlds open from time to time; past release notes describe Classic Worlds with no regions at all, for players who would rather expand wherever they like.

The clock it asks for

Troops move in real time and attacks are timed to the second, so this is a game of frequent short visits rather than one long session. Its phone heritage helps: you can answer an attack from wherever you are. If you run many castles, plan some desk time too, because the browser version is built for overviews across castles.

The game needs an active internet connection; there is no playing it offline.

How it pays its way

Lords & Knights is free to play. Gold is its premium currency, and the developer’s release notes describe two subscriptions: the Builder Pass, which boosts your economy and construction, and the Warrior Pass, which raises the attack and defence of your units and keeps siege weapons always available to recruit. When they launched, they were offered on selected worlds.

The Builder Pass is a convenience; the Warrior Pass reaches straight onto the battlefield. If paid combat advantages bother you, that is the single most important thing to know before you commit to a world.

Who it suits

Strengths and faults