Zynga Empires & Allies Combat Game Goes Live

If you’re like me and you haven’t been swayed by the current Facebook gaming options like FarmVille, social gaming developer Zynga has something that just might get you on board with the whole social gaming fad.

In comes Empires & Allies, a strategy combat game launched by Zynga earlier today. As the developer describes it, Empires & Allies is more akin to CityVille and Risk than Zynga’s other hit social games FarmVille and Mafia Wars.

The new game takes notes from Zynga’s other hit games and maintains a cheerful, playful aesthetic designed to appeal to the mass market. Unlike their other titles, however, in Empires & Allies, there will be consequences for your defeats. When you send your troops into battle, they can actually perish forever. This is a pretty big departure from Zynga’s highly casual mechanics that have worked so well for them in the past.

“With this game, we wanted there to be consequences,” said Amer Ajami, Empires & Allies’ executive producer. “We wanted people to care enough so that the losses would sting a little, but not so much that they would quit the game.”

Players will participate in battles against an invading force in a thriving multi-island world. You’ll be able to fund your army by collecting rent on various buildings in the world, and you can use that money to further increase your military might.

If you’d like to get a better idea of what the game’s all about, check out this trailer from Zynga’s YouTube channel.

For a guide on completing the first 10 missions in the game, check out Games.com.