Napoleon I: The Campaigns 1805-1814

Napoleon, eh? Not only did he overrun most of Europe with French soldiers, subjecting it to a reign of terror and weirdness for several years, he's also been responsible for some of the most excruciatingly boring computer games ever.

Nothing changes in Napoleon I. You can choose to play one of four campaigns, either against the computer or a wargaming chum, and dole out orders to your troops in the traditional (somewhat laborious) manner, with the emphasis being placed on maintaining supply lines. There's also an option to pause the game and physically act out the battles with your collection of lead soldiers, feeding the results back in afterwards.

What you won't find, however, is any attempt to make the game appeal to the novice. While the maps are reasonably attractive(ish), the standard of presentation generally is abysmally low. It's a tough, uncompromising, workmanlike simulation, one that'll punish even the most committed wargamer.

A dream come true for Napoleonic war fans, and a complete irrelevance for everyone else.