# 300 Hours to Game in 2026: Empire Total War, Cities Skylines, and Dwarf Fortress (Ep.64)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/critical-moves-strategy-gaming-7033275/300-hours-to-game-in-2026-empire-total-war-cities-skylines-and-dwarf-fortress-ep-64
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/critical-moves-strategy-gaming-7033275/300-hours-to-game-in-2026-empire-total-war-cities-skylines-and-dwarf-fortress-ep-64.md
Podcast: [Critical Moves - Strategy Gaming](https://stenobird.com/podcast/critical-moves-strategy-gaming-7033275)
Published: 2026-01-16T16:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/criticalmoves/2461927
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/324240/2461927/criticalmoves/2026_01_15_14_48_05_cf12e32f-d953-4e7a-bc77-c39c4f9cee02.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2727

## Resource

Most gamers over 40 get five hours a week to play games. That's 300 hours for the entire year. We picked strategy titles that work when you can only play in short bursts between work, family, and everything else competing for your time. Al recommends Empire: Total War for its blend of grand strategy and tactical battles, plus it runs on iPad. Jack argues for Cities: Skylines because you can jump back in after a week and know exactly where you left off. Joe champions Dwarf Fortress for its ant-farm gameplay and the ability to set small goals each session. We also cover Paradox's predatory move with Colossal Order, stripping Cities: Skylines from the original developer and relocating it to Ice Flake Studios in the same city. The plan appears designed to poach talent and kill the studio that built the franchise.

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## Transcript

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