3D game4X strategy and city building (MMO strategy)Original by Top Games Inc.
Evony is a classic 4X strategy game in which you pick a historical civilisation and grow a city from a small keep into an empire. Building upgrades, research, historical generals and army composition provide long-term power building, while monster hunting, resource gathering and alliance wars on the world map are where that power is tested. Mini puzzle stages added here and there also draw in different player profiles.
To make something similar you need a solid trio of city management, armies and a world map. Building and research trees must be designed with strict data-table discipline, and the counter relationships between the general system and troop types must be balanced. On the back end, a persistent server world, battle reports, alliance management and a powerful LiveOps infrastructure for a constantly rotating event calendar are essential.
Why Evony: The King's Return works: the core loop
Systems you need to build a game like Evony: The King's Return
City and building tree
Dozens of buildings tied to the keep level, with upgrade requirements that lock each other. This table sets the pace of all progression.
Civilisation choice
Bonuses, architectural style and special units unique to each civilisation. It gives the player identity and a reason to restart.
Generals and army system
Generals inspired by historical figures, their skills and equipment, and a counter cycle between infantry, archers, cavalry and siege units.
World map and monster hunting
Resource tiles, monsters, dungeons and rival cities on a shared map. March and combat calculations run on the server.
Alliances and keep wars
Alliance technologies, mutual help, rallies and server-wide keep capture events.
Mini-game stages
Short puzzle or pathfinding stages separate from the main loop. They provide a different entry point for ads and new player acquisition.
What goes into the first version, what comes later
First version (soft launch)
- One civilisation, 15–20 buildings and basic research
- 4 troop types and 8–10 generals
- Server map, resource gathering and monster hunting
- Alliances, chat and battle reports
- Daily quests and basic event infrastructure
Later updates
- Extra civilisations and special units
- Keep capture and cross-server events
- Mini-game stages and a story campaign
- General equipment and cosmetic city skins
The hard parts of this genre
Data-heavy balance
Hundreds of building, research and general values are interconnected; a single wrong coefficient can break the economy for months. Table-driven design and simulation tools are needed.
Map performance
Displaying a map with thousands of cities, armies and resource points smoothly on mobile requires viewport-based data streaming and level-of-detail management.
Server life cycle
Opening new servers, merging old ones and migration systems must be planned from the start; otherwise emptying servers drive players away.
Team, timeline and budget
The estimate is based on the genre’s core systems, content volume, multiplayer and live-ops needs plus QA and project management: about 469 person-days for the full scope and 211 person-days for the first version. Cutting scope (fewer levels, one map, fewer characters) lowers the budget directly. Store accounts, servers, audio licences and user-acquisition budget are separate items. We send a fixed written price within 24 hours after the game design document.
Monetisation
Revenue in this genre comes through IAP: speed-up and resource packs, general fragments, a VIP level system, monthly subscription cards and limited offers. Special bundles timed to event periods create revenue peaks. Rewarded ads can also be used in mini-game stages, but letting military power be decided by money alone wears the community down.
Estimate your game budget and get a fixed quote
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Choosing a game development company for a game like Evony: The King's Return
Most people searching “make a game like evony” are really looking for a reliable game development company. When comparing quotes, check four things:
- Can you play their released 3D games on your own phone?
- Are the source code, art files and store accounts transferred to you by contract?
- Do they build a playable prototype first and show a demo every two weeks?
- Are multiplayer servers, anti-cheat and scaling costs written into the quote?
Copyright and originality
Game mechanics on their own are generally not protected, but names, logos, characters, art, audio and level designs are. That is why we build a game “like Evony: The King's Return” with your own name, art and world. This is not legal advice; we recommend a trademark search before launch.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to make a game like Evony?
A prototype with city building and armies comes together relatively quickly; most of the time goes into the shared map, alliances and LiveOps tools. A realistic soft-launch plan limits the scope to one civilisation and one server.
Does using historical generals raise copyright issues?
Historical figures can generally be used freely, but another game's character art, name, logo, UI and sounds cannot be copied. You should create your own visual interpretation. This is not legal advice.
Which engine and server should we choose?
Unity is a common and efficient choice for the client. On the server side you need a custom authoritative server that validates timers, marches and battles; off-the-shelf solutions are usually extended with custom modules.
What should I look for when choosing a studio to build a strategy game?
Look for a team that has built a persistent server world, can manage balance tables and has developed a LiveOps panel. Ask about their experience with server merges and load testing.
