The Rise of the Persian Empire

Some casual games offer little in terms of actual reward for all your hard work. You get bombarded with a series of increasingly difficult challenges, only to be rewarded with even more difficult stages. This may be satisfying to certain gamers, but there are countless others who want to feel a sense of progression, who want to receive a series of rewards for all their hard work, even if they have tons of fun along the way. Cradle of Persia fits better with these kinds of players.

In the beginning, you'll be presented with a barren desert and it doesn't look all that hopeful. All you've got is a ton of sand and no residents, but every grand empire had to start somewhere. In this offering, you will be given the opportunity to grow the Persian Empire from the ground up, starting with a single grain of sand and eventually building it to monumental proportions. And we all know how rewarding it is to get in on the ground floor.

When you arrive at each stage along the way, you will be presented with a intricate grid of various items. Underneath some of the tiles are different colored blocks and the goal is to clear the field of these blocks. The way you do this is by removing the relics that lay on top of them.

Truly Explosive Power-Ups

But how do you remove those relics? It's quite simple actually, while being wildly addicting at the same time. What you do is hover your mouse pointer over one of the relics. Then, you click and hold the left mouse button as you drag it over other tiles with the same type of relic. String together an adjacent set of three or more, and then release your mouse button to remove the relics, breaking the tiles underneath them. Some relics are more valuable than others.

For example, you'll see gold coins. We all like gold, right? Each gold coin is worth a certain amount of money and you'll be using these funds to buy upgrades. You will also see sticks of dynamite. Near the bottom of the screen, you'll see an icon representing the explosive element, as well as a gauge surrounding it. As you clear more dynamite from the stage, this gauge fills up. I wonder what happens when it is full?

It Starts With a Single Village

There may only be a single village in your desert to start with, but as you accumulate more wealth and resources, you will be granted the opportunity to expand your civilization. Buy the spring to provide your people with food. Buy the joiner's shop to gain supplies. Each component is another piece of the puzzle.

You'll also notice that the stages start to change depending on what buildings and structures you own. It is not possible to accumulate supplies -- represented by lumber -- until you have a joiner's shop. Later on, you will also be given a chance to use power-ups beyond the dynamite, including a magic wand! It's time to grow your empire!

Building an Empire

In the spirit of historic accuracy, Cradle of Persia walks you through several eras in the area's past, including the rise of the Archaemenid Empire, Hellenistic Persia, and Mongol Rule.