Games like Rise of Kingdoms for PC come in two kinds: the ones that copied the VIP system and the one that refused it. Rise of Kingdoms ties eighteen VIP levels to your lifetime spend, and the levels that matter sit behind six-figure point totals. Era of Conquest, built by 4399, ships with no VIP privilege and no resource packs, and it runs on Windows through Google Play Games. I ran an unpaid account in each for several months to see where the free ceiling actually sits.
The verdict is Era of Conquest, and it is not close on the axis you asked about. Rise of Kingdoms stays the right pick only if you want the deepest KvK scene or already own a governor with years of sculptures behind it. The pillar article has the full picture of Rise of Kingdoms; this page settles one question: which game stops charging you for permission.
Verdict
Era of Conquest wins because the thing you were fleeing does not exist in it. Rise of Kingdoms puts its permanent second builder behind VIP 6, its daily legendary sculpture behind VIP 10 and its sculpture shop behind VIP 14, and every VIP point is a gem you bought, one to one. On my free Rise of Kingdoms governor I sat at VIP 6 after roughly a year of daily chests and event gems, while a spender in my alliance passed VIP 12 in a weekend. In Era of Conquest my unpaid account never lost a queue, a march or a tile to a rank I did not have. Money there buys hero pulls, with a guaranteed epic or better every ten, plus small resource packs and season rewards. That is still an advantage, and heavy spenders field better generals, but the advantage lives in one system you can see, not in a ladder that touches everything. Rise of Kingdoms keeps two real cards: the biggest KvK population in the genre, and a native Windows client that already works. If those are what you play for, keep it, and the PC client article shows how. Everyone else who typed "without VIP" gets the honest answer: Era of Conquest, on the newest server, starting tonight.
What your money buys is the whole difference
Rise of Kingdoms sells rank. Era of Conquest sells heroes. That one line decides the comparison, and the table shows why.
| What you pay for | Rise of Kingdoms | Era of Conquest |
|---|---|---|
| VIP levels | 18, tied to lifetime spend | None |
| How VIP points are earned | 1 gem bought = 1 VIP point, plus a free daily claim | Not applicable |
| Permanent second build queue | VIP 6 | Free for everyone |
| Daily legendary sculpture | VIP 10, about 150,000 points | Not sold |
| Resources for sale | Yes, in packs | No |
| Where money goes | VIP, packs, sculptures | Hero pulls, small packs, season rewards |
| Guaranteed hero pity | None on sculptures | Epic or better every 10 pulls |
Every VIP point in Rise of Kingdoms is a gem you paid for. The daily free claim is 200 points, so the roughly 150,000 needed for VIP 10 is a two-year wait or a card. Era of Conquest has no ladder to climb, so the only paid edge is which generals you own.
The other gaps between Rise of Kingdoms and Era of Conquest
| Axis | Rise of Kingdoms | Era of Conquest |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Lilith Games | 4399 |
| How it reaches PC | Native client, Windows and Mac | Google Play Games on PC, the Android build |
| Longest single build wait | Days at high City Hall | 4 to 5 hours at Civic Center 19 |
| Troop replacement | Train and heal, both cost resources | Free automatic conscription and healing |
| Server structure | Permanent kingdom, KvK seasons | Seasonal maps with resets |
| Players on one map | Kingdoms merge into KvK | Up to 6,000 per server |
| Global launch | 2018 | July 2022 |
| Free daily upkeep | 30 to 60 minutes | 20 to 40 minutes |
Play Era of Conquest free on PC tonight
Both games cost nothing to start, and Era of Conquest opens fresh servers regularly. A new server is the only place a free account starts level with everyone.
Play Era of Conquest free →Who should still stay in Rise of Kingdoms
Era of Conquest is the answer for the player who typed "without VIP". Rise of Kingdoms remains the better game for two profiles, and I would not move them.
Stay in Rise of Kingdoms if
- Your governor is old. Years of sculptures and a VIP 10 chest do not transfer. Restarting throws that away.
- KvK is why you log in. Rise of Kingdoms has the largest kingdom-versus-kingdom scene in the genre, with a talent rework landing that the news article covers.
- You want the polished native client. Lilith's Windows build has run since 2022, and the PC setup article details the 5 GB footprint.
Switch to Era of Conquest if
- You refuse to pay for permission. The second builder, marches and daily rewards are the same for everyone.
- You hated waiting on troops. Conscription and healing are free and automatic, so a lost fight costs time, not resources.
- You want a fresh start every season. Maps reset, so a whale's year-old lead does not follow you forever.
Three reservations, each with a way out
Era of Conquest is not free of paid power. Heavy spenders roll more heroes and field stronger generals. On my unpaid account I reached the top ten in prosperity on a new server after three weeks, then plateaued behind the two big spenders, who held that gap all season. If a shared, permanent world matters more than a fair start, keep Rise of Kingdoms and read the pillar for how VIP shapes it.
Old servers punish a late arrival. Land is the shared resource in Era of Conquest, and established alliances already hold it. Join the newest server, or wait for the next season reset.
Your PC will not be the problem, but the route differs. Rise of Kingdoms installs a native Windows client; Era of Conquest arrives through Google Play Games on PC, which runs the Android build on Windows and asks for about 5 GB of disk and 4 GB of RAM. If you stay with Rise of Kingdoms, the PC client article covers its size and settings. If you want other light free strategy games, the light free PC games setup piece lists them in GB.
Rise of Kingdoms versus Era of Conquest: where money goes and what free gets
| Axis | Rise of Kingdoms | Era of Conquest |
|---|---|---|
| VIP tiers | 18 | None |
| VIP point source | 1 bought gem = 1 point | Not applicable |
| Second build queue | VIP 6 or timed item | Free |
| Daily legendary sculpture | VIP 10, about 150,000 points | Not sold |
| Resources in shop | Yes | No |
| Hero pity | None | Epic or better every 10 pulls |
| Longest build wait | Days | 4 to 5 hours |
| Troop replacement | Costs resources | Free, automatic |
| Native Windows client | Yes, since 2022 | No, Google Play Games |
| Disk space | About 5 GB | About 5 GB |
| Daily time, free account | 30 to 60 min | 20 to 40 min |
Read next
- Our Rise of Kingdoms pillar: PC, VIP, commanders and KvK
- Rise of Kingdoms on PC: the Windows client and its 5 GB
- The talent rework and the commanders it touches
- How free PC games actually make money
- Light free PC games with their weight in GB