Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk
Cradle of Rome PC Game Review
Tuesday, March 13th, 2007 at 7:48 AM | 45 comments
Ancient Rome wasn’t built in a day (couldn’t expect me to avoid the cliché, could you?), but it doesn’t stop me from trying in Cradle of Rome, a matching game where players build a Roman empire complete with over 20 masterpieces from village and taverns to Coliseum and Pantheon. Players also work their way up from Peasant to Emperor of Rome.
The purpose is to match three or more of the same object to clear the game board, but it isn’t simple as I advance to higher levels. After conquering earlier epochs, the battles get harder as it takes two matches to destroy a box. Instead of building up frustration, bonuses appear along the way to help me destroy troublemaker spots. Such bonuses include a hammer that can break a box, a lightning bolt that randomly knocks out multiple boxes, not necessarily the ones I want, and a bomb that destroys a specific area. The game contains eight bonuses.
More challenging is getting rid of the chained boxes because the objects can’t move. That means creating a match around the box to clear it. But that isn’t where the challenge stops. I run into objects that have two chains on them and have little room to get other objects lined up to make a match.
The game board also changes as you advance higher up in the chain of command to make it difficult to clear objects in corners or to access the boxes that have only one way in. Beautiful scenes representing a part of my growing Roman city appear behind the game for environment variety.
When I eventually lose all my men, the game ends. Fortunately, I don’t have to start at the beginning and work my way up to the fourth of five epochs. The game lets you pick up from the last epoch. As I advance in game play, I pick up strategies for getting better at defeating the board. Unfortunately, no strategy comes to mind for defeating the piles of objects that are double-chained with little room to make matches. I need more bonuses. Too bad, I can’t bribe anyone for them.
In one weekend, I made it past 50 levels. The game comes with over 100 levels to keep feeding my addiction that kept me up past my bedtime and interfered with my nighttime reading. The font styles, the music, the objects, the background and stunning graphics contribute to the game’s ancient Rome feel.
Whether you have time or not, the game fits various schedules. While it doesn’t require regular play, its addicting nature can suck in a busy person’s time as it did mine. I forced myself to read one chapter in a book before rewarding myself with one level of Cradle of Rome.
This is an almost perfect game that’s only missing one thing: Timeless mode. This Zen mode lets kids play it without the stress of beating the clock and adults like me who panic watching the time run out. The music isn’t my favorite, but it fits the game and it’s easy to turn off.
System Requirements
- Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
- 800MHz or faster Processor
- 128MB RAM
Cradle rocks!
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45 comments
I love Cradle of Rome - it is highly addictive, and I don’t even mind the addiction! It is so rewarding to see the little people populating the buildings I have restored. And I am a (gulp) 43 yr old woman, so you’ve gotta know this game is fun for everyone.
My only question would be in finding a forum or chat where others discuss the game so that we can share little hints/tips, such as how to earn some of the people - which is challenging.
Try this game and I think you will find it enjoyable. Play fun!
I too love this game. However, the special bonuses that you earn is giving me trouble. I have gone the the game multiple times but I cannot get the bonus from the dock. It’s the one that gives you fish in the game. I don’t know what is needed to get that bonus and I can find no where to that tells me the trick. Can you help? Thanks.
I’m so incredibly addicted to this game! I would also like to know of any forums or chats about this game - I’m having a hard time getting the citizens for the mill and the port. I’ve gotten all the others so if anyone needs any hints about those, let me know!
Hi, everyone. I love cradle of game but I’m playing the trial. So, can you give the activation code by email? Thanks in advance. Wating for your support!
Minh Phuong
Why not pay for the game like the rest of us had to.
Having trouble getting the miler and the dock bonus, any help would be appreciated.
After getting the sawmill you need to complete the next level to include a 5 link combo.
After the forge you need to get 100000 points.
The bonus citizens I have worked out so far include:
Sawmill - 5 match
Forge - 10000 points within 10 levels
Quarry - 2000 units of supplies in a level
Mill - 15 effective consecutive moves
Field - 3000 units of food in a level
Tavern - 2 combo in one move
Tabularium - 3 combo in one move
Panthenon - complete level in under 3 mins
Colosseum - chain reaction of 15 combo
Forum - 3000 units of gold in a level
Have not got the Port as yet shall post when successful. Hope this helps.
To get the fisherman you need to make 3 consecutive combinations of 5-symbol groups.
OK - I’ve become Emperor after quite while of working on the last Epoch….
Now I can’t seem to get far enough to reach Olympus…..does anyone know if it’s a point total, or if you just have to complete every puzzle that comes up?? I’ve made it to level 81 and just can’t maitain any momentum to continue further…
OK, maybe I’m just an idiot today…wouldn’t be the first time!! What do you mean by “15 effective consecutive moves?” Effective in what way? Moves that clear off at least one tile? If that’s the case then my game is broken!! I made a point of making ONLY moves that cleared off at least one tile and got up to 21 before I had to start making matches that didn’t clear tiles. STILL NO WINDMILL GUY!!!
Hey, is anyone else not able to get the Miller? I have started the game over three times and even uninstalled and reinstalled it, and even though I make 20 or more consecutive effective moves after getting the windmill, I can never get the miller. What am I doing wrong? Or is it a glitch in my copy of the game?
To reach Mt. Olympus, you have to complete level 100. Hang in there!
Need a little help getting the windmill guy. I am not sure what 15 effective consecutive moves means. Please help it is driving me crazy.
I finally got the windmill guy, but only after I had given up trying. It wasn’t until around level thirty when I was going really fast to get the guy for the Pantheon that I got the Miller. I am thinking that speed might be a factor in making the moves “effective”. And I wasn’t even trying at that point to make sure my moves cleared tiles. Hope this helps!
Thanks KnitPicky - I had shared your frustration about getting the miller and then I read your last post (on May 1st) about speed being a factor in making “15 consecutive combinations successively” - so I just started matching like crazy and finally got the little bugger! You rule! Thanks!
I also finally got the fisherman, but I don’t see him on the screen with all the others - anybody else have this problem?
great game but I always die..guess it is all speed. What exactly makes the game honor you with another life?
The game gives you another life every 20000 points.
Gamezebo and Bantam City have great Cradle of Rome Tips — some of which I use before I saw the article. Warning — it also provides a couple of cheats.
to get the smith you need to obtain 10000 point in less of 10 levels
Is there a way to save the game after you die??? The game saves automaticaly when you quit it but I can not figure out how to go back to a level after I die. Is this even possible? Any HELP is greatly appreciated!! THIS GAME ROCKS!!!!
No. Once you run out of lives — that’s it. You can start over at a later level in an epoch. But if your latest epoch starts at level 40 and you were at 48, it goes back to 40 when you start a new game in that epoch.
hi everyone. im on level 92 but i can’t seem to find the PORT guy. does anyone know hoe to get him. i’ve reached mt olympus but the game said i still have to be tested then i’ve played and played and don’t know how the game will end. still no PORT guy. pls help. thanks!
You get the Fisherman (port guy) when you make 3 consecutive combinations of 5 after earning the port. The games ends when you finish level 100.
This is one of the few games I actually keep playing even after finishing. Well, I did reach 100, but I didn’t get all my people
I don’t understand how to get the miller from the advice given.
But I piled up on extra lives by not trying to play fast and get points instead. I lost a lot of lives on one of the levels in the 90s, but had enough to make it to 100.
This is how Awem (developer of game) explained how to get the Miller:
You’ll get a miller as soon as you make 15 effective moves one by one for the very short period of time. So, all that you must learn to do is to move items quicker and more effectively:)
Man, I can’t get the fisherman either.
Thanks to all! Your comments have helped me get the pesky miller. Still can’t get the fisherman after doing the combo of 5 three consecutive times. I’ve done it three or four times now, but no bonus.
Not sure what I’m doing wrong. Any suggestions?
effective moves means that you have to break a brick… so, to get the miller, you need to make 15 moves that break at least one brick per move…
What is the Plus bonus used for? It says “to add to resource”, what resource?
I love this game & so does my sister. I told her I would try to find some “Help” - she can’t get beyond Senator. Thanks for the help provided - I know she’ll have some other questions.
I can’t figure out what the plus bonus does or how to use it either besurisis. Can anyone help?
The plus bonus (orange cross) this adds to the gold, supplies or food, depending on which icon you click it on, it adds over 1000 to gold, supplies or food, can only say, dont help clear the board none!
For the ‘fisherman’ bonus after building the ‘port’
You must set the icons up to get 5 in a row, one after the other 3 times.
took me 3 lives on one round to do it! but at level 50 now and still going, addicted big time.
Orange cross can also break chains, if u click the appropiate resource
This game has become too frustrating for me. I feel I have wasted my money. I do not have hours and hours to waste buying a port and a ship, only to be pushed back to the beginning of the epoch as soon as I fail a level. Redoing the same old levels over and over again has become boring! I would enjoy it more if I was allowed to keep the buildings I have earned. I have spent all day so far buying ports and ships and I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!
As Blue said, the plus bonus (orange cross) this adds to the gold, supplies or food, depending on which icon you click it on, it adds over 1000 to gold, supplies or food. And it also makes dissapear the icon you click on. If it’s chained, it makes dissapear one chain.
A question: Is there any way to see exactly how much time remains? The sound of the clock is terrible because you don’t know how much time you have, but you know it’s ending! Thanks
I have bought cradle of rome but cannot play it yet. When the loading screen comes up the program freezes and then the screen goes black. Has anyone got any ideas what the problem could be. Thanks
Go to the site of whomever you bought it from — check the FAQ, knowledgebase and forums. If there is no answer, then contact them.
Has anyone had problems with games bought at Zylom? Someone having problems with a game isn’t getting a response after three messages.
Panthenon - complete level in under 3 mins
Easy done way, nearing to finishing the level your on, leaving ‘one square to break’ press menu - leave the game - start the game again, break the square left, hey presto, the timer starts from the beginning, done in 1seconds, you have a Priest.
The test download snaps out the matches in double time. So, I bought the game. BUT, IT PLAYS SOOOOOOOOOO SLOW, IT IS BUGGING ME. I’m so tired of playing the same level 150 times in a row only to miss finishing the last tile because the slowness makes it impossible.
HELP! Isn’t there another Cradle of Rome “geek” who can make it faster? Not my computer, but this one and only game.
when i try the free download the game runs so slow i cannot play i would love to buy the game but i dont know if it will work at full speed was it like this on your computer
Any place to find effective cheats? None of the ones listed seem to work for my game. I’m stuck on level 51 and have gone from 12 lives to 5 on that level alone. None of the resource or time edits to the xml make a difference. I don’t want to lose all of my lives on this one level.
Cradle of Rome is fun in the beginning, but by the time you get to the last 3 or 4 structures its flaws become all too aparent. I do not mind a good challenge, and some hair raising endings, but I do hate a game thats all but impossible to win, especially on the first round. Major flaws in this game are 1.) Absolutely NO help file. The player has no idea what a bonus item is, how it works, or any strategy for using it. 2.) Bonuses take far too long to recharge. You’ll find yourself matching endlessly hoping to charge a bonus item. 3.) Worthless bonus items. The orange X is worthless as it only takes out 1 square the same as the battleaxe. 4.) No time bonus. This is a critical item thats needed in the last most difficult levels. 5.) The need to play far too many super hard levels to get enough “goods” score to buy the last structures.
Unless you like spending money on a game thats more frustrating than fun, I’d pass on this one.
Vera, if the game is slow on your computer — I doubt it’ll be faster if you buy it. What you see is usually what you get in terms of speed.
Jeff, did you try the Gamezebo walkthrough?
John, thanks for sharing your opinion. You do make valid points. A time bonus does come into play.
I got no idea what people are complaining about that it’s too hard to finish… I took a breeze through the game, first time I played it I made it all the way to olympus with over 20 lives left.
To those that aren’t getting there… good luck, it’s doable and on the hard levels, keep dying till you get the star upgrade, imo it’s the best
Does anyone know …
a. do you have to get 3 combos in a row of exactly 5 to get the fisherman, or can it be more than 5.
b. Do they have to be in a row with no chain reactions? Like if I set up 3 matches of 5 each, and the first match leads to a chain reaction that destroys 2, does that mean my chances are ruined? What if I make the 3 5’s really fast, before the chain has time to blow up that useless 2? What if I start a chain that ends with a 5-unit match… can that be the first hit of the combo?
c. Do the 5’s have to be in a straight line or can they be an “L” or “T” shape?
I’ve been going nuts on this for a long time, so many times I’ve set up 3 5’s in a row, but it seems impossible to do it without causing a chain reaction. Is there a map where setting it up is easier?
hi lala, i have just finished building the lighthouse and became a senator. BUT i still dont have a miller. guess i am not that fast enough to make a fast and effective 15 tile breaking moves.
regarding your querry in order to get a fisherman i think (3 combos of 5 tiles), it does NOT have to be in chain. just consecutive. so i set-up 5 same tiles (4 in a row with a gap in the middle but a same tile nearby to interchange). i made 2 horizontals (top right and bottom right) and 1 vertical (left side) and interchange the tiles consecutively and fast enough before any chain can take place. usually u start at the bottom in setting up then the left side (middle) and last one, the top. breaking is from top to bottom to avoid chains that will interupt your consecutive move.
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