What is Days Without Strife?
Days Without Strife is a long form game of strategy, diplomacy, and intrigue where up to 22 players compete over 5 days of real time as either 3 player Factions vying for control of the continent or as solo Wildcards with their own unique abilities and agendas in this asynchronous game that plays in the background of your life.
Inspired by the classic game of Diplomacy, as well as more modern takes on the genre such as Subterfuge, Days Without Strife is a truly unique experience. It plays like a board game on a grand scale, and the interactions between the Factions and Wildcards creates a fascinating and complex ecosystem of interconnected events. In contrast to the reputation of games in this genre, this game is meant to be welcoming and playable by all kinds of players, from the clever and cutthroat to the calm and considered, with a current record of zero friendships ruined. In this ecosystem, everyone has a role to play.
How does the game work? What are these roles?
Days Without Strife is played using a custom web app, playable in your browser with no download required. You play as either one of three roles governing a Faction (Speaker, Commander, or Planner) or alone as a unique Wildcard.
The game operates using a series of regular "checkpoints" that lets you know what are good times to check in throughout the day. You'll spend your time making plans and engaging in diplomacy with other players in grand forums held at different cities on the map. You'll direct your loyal agents to travel between those cities to speak in the forums, command armies, and engage in espionage.
As part of a Faction, you'll work closely with your teammates to devise a strategy to conquer the map. Your Speaker can send direct messages as telegrams and install dangerous SpyTech in their agents, your Commander leads your military using their officers and can eventually launch powerful airships that move in real time, and finally your Planner is in charge of collecting resources, upgrading your cities, and recruiting new agents to the cause.
If you play a Wildcard, you'll have a unique set of abilities that give you heavy influence over a single part of the game and are tasked with selling those services to the Factions. Perhaps you'll play the Merchant, with an endless supply of stock to sell, or the Spymaster, with your own elite team of spies, or the Renegade, who has their own army that can appear anywhere on the map. There's also the Aeronaut, the Brotherhood, the Highwayman, the Wanderer; plenty of options that each dramatically change the game and provide new strategic options to the entire map.
Whatever role you choose, you'll have your own unique experience of a war on an incredible scale. No two stories will be the same, and they'll be unlike anything else you've heard.
Alright, I'm in! How do I play?
Glad to hear it!
Days Without Strife is in alpha under active development and the next playtest will be held in early 2026. Please use this form to sign up for the upcoming playtest!
If you are interested in following along with the project, please join us on our Discord Server!
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me directly over Discord at ryanmakesgames or through email at RyanMakesGames@gmail.com
For business inquiries, please send an email to my company Anomalous Response Division at contact@ard.games