Your Daily World-Conquest Fix

Aevum Obscurum is an online-only multiplayer game of world conquest. Played on a map of Europe (though other maps can be downloaded and used), each player starts with a single province, a small army, and a treasury. Your ultimate goal is to become the dominant power, controlling much of the map.

Online only? Yes; its primarily a multiplayer game, with up to 50 players possible in a single instance. You play your moves, send them to the server--and when all players moves are in (or the deadline hits), the sever resolves players orders. You then view what happened last turn, and plan your moves for the next. Games can be started either in long-term or "blitz" mode; in blitz mode, turns update every few minutes, while in long-term mode, they update every day or so.

Risk In the Ancient World

From developers Sillysoft comes a new installment in their series of history-related Risk-like games. In Ancient Empires Lux, the first scenario starts in ancient Sumeria, and the last with the Roman empire; in between are the Indus Valley civilizations, the Babylonian empire, China under the Zhou (and later under the Han), the Greek city states, the rise of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great, and the Maurya in India.

In each scenario, you can play as any of the contending powers--with the interesting twist that since there's generally one power set up as more likely to win, you earn more points playing as one of the less powerful contenders.

Deep, detailed simulation? Well, no; this is a Risk-like game, after all. But it's colorful, there is a sense of history, and kids, at least, may learn something from it.

Big, Compelling Fantasy Battle Game with Virtually Infinite Replay

At its base, Battles of Norghan is a miniatures-like fantasy battle game, in which you command armies of diverse fantasy races and unit types in "i go/you go" turn-based combat. But unlike other games that do something similar, Battles of Norghan overlays a sport league metaphor; initially, you are competing for the trophy of a minor league, and ultimately strive to build up both the power of your units and the reputation of your team until you can strive for and win the ultimate "Cup of Glory."

Consequently, rather than playing through a series of set-piece, custom designed battles, you have an enormous amount of control over what sorts of units you deploy--and you never know quite what you'll go up against in the next battle, because your opponents' forces are governed by AI choices and a degree of randomness.

Detailed, Well-Researched Game of the American Revolution

Birth of America is a big, sprawling wargame of the American Revolution and the French and Indian Wars, with a map covering the whole eastern portion of the North American continent (including Quebec, and up to the Mississippi). Though strategic in its approach, you play at an operational level, ordering individual regiments on a detailed map of the area. Although it's turn-based, enemy units move and fight at the same time as yours, so unlike many turn-based games, there's a real sense of the fluidity of combat. (Or to put it another way, it's not an "I go, you go" game--rather, both you and the AI plan your moves, and then you watch as the results of those plans play out.)

4000 years ago in the Cradle of Civilization, mighty Empires fought for water, resources and the arable land in the Fertile Crescent. Play as the Egyptians, the Babylonians, screaming Nubian warriors, or the Assyrians. Develop your country by producing commodities and selling them to your neighbors. Raise glorious armies and wage wars of conquest. Roll over the plains and seek victory in Chariots of War!

Squad-Level Eastern Front Combat

Despite the name, this is not a strategic Eastern Front game, but one at a tactical level: individual soldiers, tanks, and vehicles are modelled, with infantry ordered at the level of several-man groups, or by issuing orders to a squad as a whole. Hailed as one of the greatest wargames ever published, it received multiple game-of-the-year awards from the industry press.

It's quite a large game; the demo may only be 60 MB, but the full game clocks in at over a gig, because thousands of different unit types are modelled. Some 70 scenarios (most playable in an hour or less) simulate small-unit actions in terrain resembling that across the Eastern Front, from Romania to Finland--and units of the Axis minor allies, as well as the Germans and Russians, are included.

Squad-Level Western Front Combat

Hailed as a revolutionary advance in computer wargames when first published, Beyond Overlord is the first of the Combat Mission series, and now available at a mere ten bucks.

It simulates small-unit engagements on the Western Front following the invasion of France (which was "Operation Overlord" to the Allies). Individual soldiers, tanks, and vehicles are modelled, with infantry ordered at the level of several-man groups, or by issuing orders to a squad as a whole.

Return of the Beloved Amiga Classic

Largely a remake of the much-loved Amiga game Defender of the Crown (later released for just about every platform available in the late 80s, including the NES), Heroes Live Forever updates the game with better graphics, fully digitized music, and a new gameplay element ("tactics" cards that give you special benefits during battles).

In Defender of the Crown, you play one of several great lords in England, attempting to unify the realm under your own rule. Conquering provinces produces tax revenues that you can use to increase the size of your army (but you have only one "army" which follows you, milord, about, and can purchase new units only at your castle, meaning you become vulnerable over time unless you return home frequently).

A Command Directive Says There's No Such Things as Flying Saucers, Soldier

Devastro is, at its core, a level-based top-down shooter in which you control a squad of soldiers destroying ETs and blowing up their UFOs. Your soldiers level-up during play (in RPG fashion, and you may find yourself replaying a level in order to avoid the death of a character you've worked to upgrade); main weapons are guns and grenades, though you get to control some cool vehicles in later levels.

The combat is rarely as intense as in frenetic overhead shooters like Crimsonland or RIP, but Devastro has something those games lack: actual humor. It seems the Army isn't too keen on acknowledging the existence of UFOs, though it understands the importance of wiping out the alien invaders. The story is carried through a series of comic-book-like cut scenes at various points in the game, and is amusing enough to keep you engaged and eager to wipe out those evil enemy saucers Sir! That don't exist. Yes Sir! Ready for deniable action Sir!

Rich, Detailed Naval Warfare Simulation

Once upon a time, well-researched, detailed military simulations were a mainstay of the PC games industry--rarely best-sellers, but with a hard core of enthusiastic fans. Many were published by companies like Talonsoft--which was run, not coincidentally, by Jim Rose, co-designer of this game. Computer wargames have today almost disappeared from the store shelves, as the conventional market has narrowed its focus to potential best-sellers.

Luckily, companies like Storm Eagle are working to keep computer wargames alive, moving primarily to online distribution, and we're proud to offer this excellent example.