Chapters
Benin City
Arts and bronzes · Rainforest and the Ikpoba River
Play Benin CityEra IV · Naija Now
The five ages
- 1
Crisis
2023 · town-centre level 1The fuel subsidy is gone and the naira floats. Young people take the dangerous road north through the desert, and Benin City is one of its best-known starting points. The roads and drains are failing. Start from the basics: homes, markets, power and order.
- 2
Recovery
2024–2027 · town-centre level 4The bronzes taken in 1897 are coming home: the Smithsonian transferred 29 in October 2022 and Germany handed back 20 that December. Build the galleries, schools and jobs that keep young people here.
- 3
Boom
2027–2032 · town-centre level 7Rubber, timber and gas industries grow, and visitors come for the bronzes, the casters of Igun Street and the ancient moat.
- 4
Heritage capital
2032–2040 · town-centre level 10Towers rise round the old city while the moat and the palace quarter stay as they were. The world comes to Benin to see its art.
- 5
World stage
2040s · town-centre level 13Summits, a seat at the table and rockets on the pad. Benin City’s economy outgrows whole countries.
People of Benin City
The figures who appear as the city grows, run by the Governor.
The Governor
That is youFour years to turn the city around, then the voters decide.
The casters of Igun Street
The bronze guildThey still cast in brass and bronze by the lost-wax method.
Portrait: fictional depiction
The market women
The city’s tradersTheir associations can make or break a policy in a week.
Portrait: fictional depictionYour hero in battle
Helicopter gunship
Air coverFlies over walls straight to the fight. Ability: Air cover. Every unit nearby fights harder: +35% damage for 12 seconds.
The council
| Seat | Who they are | Speaks for |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioner for Finance | The treasury and the economy | people, trade and the treasury |
| Commissioner of Police | Security | the police, the army and Peace |
| Adviser on religious affairs | Churches and mosques | Faith and faith balance |
| Commissioner for Education | Schools and universities | Progress and research |
| Commissioner for Commerce | Markets and investors | Wealth and Unity |
| Commissioner for Health | Hospitals | Health |
| Commissioner for Energy | Power and fuel | the grid |
| The House of Assembly | Lawmakers | impeachment, and whether you keep office |
Raiders and bosses
Who comes for the city in each age. Bosses come once you are into their age. How raids work.
| Age | Raiders | Boss |
|---|---|---|
| First Crisis | Armed robbers | None |
| Second Recovery | Gangs from the outskirts | None |
| Third Boom | Kidnap gangs | Kidnappers from the hills A night raid on the satellite towns |
| Fourth Heritage capital | Militants | None |
| Fifth World stage | Armed militia | A border incursion Unnamed troops cross the border |
Soldiers
| Soldier | From level | |
|---|---|---|
| Police officer | Riot police with shields and batons. | 2 |
| Soldier | Infantry with rifles. | 3 |
| Armoured car | Hard to stop and slow to fall. | 7 |
| Marksman | One heavy shot from far away. | 10 |
Buildings
Every building Benin City can raise, shown as it looks in the middle of the story. What each type does.
People
Housing estate
Unlocks at town-centre level 1From face-me-I-face-you blocks to towers. Houses your people.
Hospital
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Raises Health, and healthy workers produce more. Raiders never touch it.
High Court
Unlocks at town-centre level 5Raises Trust and some Peace. Low Trust lets officials skim taxes.
Economy
Agro farm
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Mechanised farming and food processing. Tap it when it fills.
Cement works
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Cement for every building site in the city. Materials.
Steel works
Unlocks at town-centre level 2Iron rods and steel frames. Materials.
Cold store
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Refrigerated food storage. Raises your Food storage.
Warehouse
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Containers and building stock. Raises your Materials storage.
Bank
Unlocks at town-centre level 3Raises how much Wealth you can keep.
Market
Unlocks at town-centre level 3Umbrella stalls that grow into malls. Wealth, plus a little Unity.
Power station
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Gas turbines, then solar fields. Every building draws power; when supply runs short, generators come on and output, Health and Unity suffer.
Freight terminal
Unlocks at town-centre level 10Containers arrive by road and rail and clear customs here. A large Wealth producer.
Culture
Church
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Raises Faith. Keep churches and mosques in balance: if one far outnumbers the other, Unity falls. Raiders never touch it.
Mosque
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Raises Faith. Keep mosques and churches in balance: if one far outnumbers the other, Unity falls. Raiders never touch it.
University
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Lecture halls that grow into a tech campus. Makes Knowledge and runs research. Raiders never touch it.
Stadium
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Match days and concerts. Raises Unity. A big enough stadium can host the Africa Cup of Nations.
Air base
Unlocks at town-centre level 7A helipad and hangar. Brings the helicopter gunship to your forces.
Bronze gallery
Unlocks at town-centre level 8A gallery for the bronzes and ivories coming home, more than a century after 1897. Heritage for the ladder.
Defence
Police station
Unlocks at town-centre level 3Raises Peace and keeps robbers off the streets.
Security post
Unlocks at town-centre level 2A floodlit post behind sandbags that fires on attackers.
Security wall
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Concrete walls with razor wire and cameras, section by section.
Checkpoint
Unlocks at town-centre level 4A manned barrier where an avenue crosses the security wall.
Armoured unit
Unlocks at town-centre level 10Armoured vehicles behind sandbags. Hits hard, reloads slowly.
Space centre
Unlocks at town-centre level 13Level 1 launches a satellite, level 3 flies an astronaut, level 5 lands on the Moon.
Army
Army barracks
Unlocks at town-centre level 2Each level holds more soldiers.
Industrial park
Unlocks at town-centre level 5Factories and workshops. Raises Progress.
Landmarks
Emotan’s statue
Unlocks at town-centre level 4The market woman who sheltered the future Oba Ewuare, remembered at her tree in the heart of the city. Unity and visitors.
Igun Street
Unlocks at town-centre level 6The bronze casters’ guild street, where the old lost-wax casting is still done by hand. Heritage and visitors.
Bronze Spire
Unlocks at town-centre level 13A future project: a kilometre-tall tower with a glowing observation ring, taller than anything on Earth today. The world comes to look.
Moat Arcology
Unlocks at town-centre level 14A future project: a stepped city in a single building, with farms, schools and homes for 100,000 people on its terraces.
Solar Crown
Unlocks at town-centre level 15A future project: a ring of solar parks and gardens held high above the city on white pillars. Clean power for Edo.
Research
| Technology | Branch | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Improved seed | Farming | Better seed and fertiliser: +10% Food. |
| Cold chains | Farming | Less food spoils on the way: +15% Food storage. |
| Irrigation | Farming | Year-round farming: +15% Food. |
| Agro-processing | Farming | More value from every harvest: +20% Food. |
| Building codes | Building | Fewer collapses, faster approvals: builds 8% faster. |
| Steel frames | Building | Taller and stronger: buildings +10% sturdier. |
| Local cement | Building | Cheaper materials: builds cost 8% less. |
| Prefab towers | Building | Factory-built floors: builds 10% faster. |
| Police training | Defence | Better trained officers: +8% damage. |
| CCTV network | Defence | Cameras on every post: posts +12% damage. |
| Body armour | Defence | Better protection: +12% unit health. |
| Drones | Defence | Eyes in the sky: +12% damage. |
| Instant payments | Trade | Transfers in seconds: +10% Wealth. |
| Ease of business | Trade | Fewer forms and fees: +12% Wealth. |
| Free trade zone | Trade | Investors and exporters move in: +20% Wealth. |
| Teacher training | Learning | Better teachers: +15% Knowledge. |
| Tech hubs | Learning | Coders and start-ups: research 15% faster. |
| Research labs | Learning | Universities that invent: +20% Knowledge. |
| Festival calendar | Heritage | Concerts, carnivals and festivals: Faith and Unity rise. |
| Nollywood studios | Heritage | Films for the whole continent: Heritage. |
| Afrobeats on the world stage | Heritage | The city’s sound goes global: Heritage. |
| Fintech signature | Heritage | Signature tech. Money moves by phone: Knowledge and Progress. |
| Urban rail signature | Defence | Signature tech. Trains link the districts: walls and posts 25% stronger. |
Did you know?
- Benin City is the capital of Edo State.
- The walls and moats of old Benin were among the largest earthworks ever built by hand.
- In 1897 a British expedition sacked Benin City and carried off thousands of bronzes and ivories.
- On 11 October 2022 the Smithsonian transferred ownership of 29 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.
- On 20 December 2022 Germany handed back 20 Benin Bronzes in Abuja, under a deal covering about 1,130 pieces in its public museums.
- The bronze casters of Igun Street still work by the lost-wax method.
- A statue of Emotan, the market woman who helped Oba Ewuare, stands in the heart of the city.
- The Ikpoba River runs along the east of the city.
- The fuel subsidy ended on 29 May 2023, and pump prices more than doubled.
- On 14 June 2023 the naira was floated; it fell from about ₦461 to about ₦770 to the dollar.
- Headline inflation peaked at 34.80% in December 2024; food inflation hit 40.87% in June 2024.
- Nigeria signed the Artemis Accords on 13 December 2022, one of the first two African countries to do so.
- The national motto is “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress”.