Guides
OpenFront in Five Minutes
What OpenFront is, how you win, and what every part of the screen means. The first thing to read if you have just started playing.
Troop Cap and the 42.2% Rule
How OpenFront troop growth actually works, straight from the game's source. The max troop formula, why 42.2% is the growth peak, and why cities beat land.
All Six Buildings — Costs, Effects, Placement
Exact OpenFront building costs from the source: cities double to a 1M cap, defense posts cap at 250K. Ports and factories share a counter — a trap that catches everyone.
Combat Math — Terrain, Ratios, Defense Posts
What actually kills your troops in OpenFront. Terrain multipliers of 80/100/120 (not 5.0), the attack ratio clamps, encirclement, and the 25% retreat cost.
The 1-Minute Build Order
A simulated OpenFront FFA opening: 10% slider, a click every 2 seconds, toward plains, in every direction. Tribe hunting from 0:25, first city by 1:30.
What Attack Ratio Should You Use?
Two different thresholds govern OpenFront attacks. Wilderness caps out at 6,600 troops on plains; player attacks bottom out at 1.67× the defender's troops. Straight from the source.
How Many Cities Should You Build?
An OpenFront city adds exactly +250,000 to your troop cap, straight from the source. At 1,000 tiles, one city is worth 5,175 tiles of land.
Defense Post Range and Placement
An OpenFront defense post multiplies attacker losses by 5 and slows them by 3 within 30 tiles. Overlapping posts do not stack — the code stops at the first one it finds.
What Happens When You Betray an Alliance?
Breaking an OpenFront alliance marks you a traitor for 30 seconds — everyone attacks you at half losses. Alliances last 5 minutes by default, verified from the source.
When to Use Nukes — Costs, Blast Radius, SAM Coverage
An OpenFront atom bomb costs 750,000 — six cities. Hydrogen bombs cost 5,000,000. Blast radii are 30 and 100 tiles. Early nukes are almost always a mistake.
Where Should You Build Ports? Distance 300 Is the Hinge
OpenFront trade income is a sigmoid in port distance. Distance 200 pays 13,557; distance 400 pays 91,443. Ports built close together are effectively worthless.
Every Keybind — All 36 Defaults
The complete OpenFront keybind list, taken straight from the game source. Build on 1–0, attack ratio on T/Y, terrain view on Space, camera on WASD. All rebindable.
The Game Interface — Panels and Icons
What every OpenFront panel and icon means. The crown, handshake, envelope and broken shield above player names, the control panel, event feed and radial menu.
Game Modes and Options — FFA, Teams, Difficulty
OpenFront win conditions are 80% in FFA and 95% team total. Difficulty only affects AI Nations, and Hard puts them on exactly human terms.