# How Empires Work grand strategy demo launches with Proton support

> **Key takeaway:** Crow Cottage's incremental grand strategy game How Empires Work has a free Steam demo that runs through Proton, with full release set for November 3, 2026.

**Published:** 2026-10-22T14:56:43+00:00 
**Source:** Linux Game Consortium 
**Category:** open-gaming 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/how-empires-work-grand-strategy-demo-launches-with-proton-su.html 

## Summary
Crow Cottage announced that How Empires Work, an incremental grand strategy game built in Godot, will release on November 3, 2026 for Linux, Mac, and Windows. A free demo is available now on Steam and functions through Proton. The game starts players as a local lord and expands through trade, taxation, and conquest, with automation becoming available for manual tasks as the empire grows.

## What the demo offers Linux players
- Demo runs through Proton; no native Linux build confirmed yet
- Built in Godot engine
- No stated system requirements or frame rate targets
- No Steam Deck verification status mentioned
- Hand-painted art style with visible trade and troop movement