In Time of Empires, take charge of a civilization and lead it through the ages from antiquity through the Middle Ages and the Industrial Revolution to modern times. Each epoch spans a preparation phase, an action phase, and a scoring phase.
Other players have accepted the same charge you have and will be grappling with life through the action phase simultaneously with you in real time. Your two 30-second sand timers will trigger your actions - expanding your territory, building wonders, and discovering new technologies - while a soundtrack keeps the tempo of history.
You probably won't be able to look everywhere at the same time, so try to ensure that you don't overlook a potential attack because you're too busy helping to complete a wonder!