The Avalon Hill Game Company

5th Fleet

5th Fleet

MS-DOS - Released - 1994

5th Fleet is a hex-based strategical wargame based on the board game 5th Fleet. The game is designed for two players which both take the side of a war party - in matches of a larger scale one war party can include several different countries. The gameplay is strictly turn-based and every day is divided into six rounds (three for each player). Every turn is divided into three phases: submarines, ships and aircraft. During the phases the players use two different map screens for their planning: the strategic map shows the whole operational zone divided into several areas and the tactical map offers a closer look over one area. The basic orders the players have to give are moving (marking a unit and choosing the goal hex) and attacking (choosing which weapon is used on what target). During longer matches it is also important to take care of replenishment. While naval units have to be moved on the tactical map the players can use the strategic map to plan aircraft movement. As usual for these kind of games everything is represented with abstract symbols on the map. In single player the game features ten scenarios set in the Indian Ocean or the Persian Gulf with increasing difficulty. There the player takes the role of the American fleet and mostly fights against Russia.
ABC Caterpillar

ABC Caterpillar

Commodore 64 - Released - 1985

APC Caterpillar is designed to star your child's adventure in learning in a thrilling and enjoyable manner. Each three to eight year old player controls a bright green caterpillar to help him learn the alphabet and how to spell. The goal is to collect points for having the caterpillar eat the letters in the appropriate order. There are 5 separate games that can be played: Alphabet Game, First Letter Game, 3 Letter Game, 4 Letter Game and Butterfly Draw. ABC Caterpillar is a marvelous tool for beginning your child's quest for knowledge.
Achtung Spitfire

Achtung Spitfire

Windows 3.X - Released - 1997

Achtung Spitfire is the sequel to Over the Reich. It is a turn based Strategy/Simulation game which covers aviation history from 1939 to 1945 and includes the R.A.F., the Luftwaffe, and the French Armee de l'Air and has different campaigns for each air force. The game shares the same interface and flight engine of its predecessor, so anyone that has played Over the Reich is familiarized with this game. The game itself consists of commanding a series of pilots which you can manage to achieve the mission goal. It also regards the technical evolutions during the war, which means you have different types of planes at your disposal as the game progresses. After you have chosen the right pilots it's time to intercept, attack enemies or defend your own allies. The game is turn based but you have limited autonomy each time you play according to your plane's speed and torque.
Achtung Spitfire

Achtung Spitfire

Apple Mac OS - Released - 1997

Achtung Spitfire is the sequel to Over the Reich. It is a turn based Strategy/Simulation game which covers aviation history from 1939 to 1945 and includes the R.A.F., the Luftwaffe, and the French Armee de l'Air and has different campaigns for each air force. The game shares the same interface and flight engine of its predecessor, so anyone that has played Over the Reich is familiarized with this game. The game itself consists of commanding a series of pilots which you can manage to achieve the mission goal. It also regards the technical evolutions during the war, which means you have different types of planes at your disposal as the game progresses. After you have chosen the right pilots it's time to intercept, attack enemies or defend your own allies. The game is turn based but you have limited autonomy each time you play according to your plane's speed and torque.
Andromeda Conquest

Andromeda Conquest

Atari 800 - Released - 1982

Andromeda Conquest is a strategy / conquest game in which one to four players build galactic empires by establishing and defending space colonies, managing resources, and battling other players for control of star systems. Before every turn, players receive resources from all their colonies. Those have to be used up during the turn or they are lost. Depending on the numbers of players the galaxy consists of 12 to 48 star systems.
Andromeda Conquest

Andromeda Conquest

Apple II - Released - 1982

Andromeda Conquest is a strategy / conquest game in which one to four players build galactic empires by establishing and defending space colonies, managing resources, and battling other players for control of star systems. Before every turn, players receive resources from all their colonies. Those have to be used up during the turn or they are lost. Depending on the numbers of players the galaxy consists of 12 to 48 star systems. The layout is grid-based, and the package includes a pad of graph paper for keeping track of ship and colony locations.
Andromeda Conquest

Andromeda Conquest

Commodore PET - Released - 1982

Andromeda Conquest is a strategy / conquest game in which one to four players build galactic empires by establishing and defending space colonies, managing resources, and battling other players for control of star systems. Before every turn, players receive resources from all their colonies. Those have to be used up during the turn or they are lost. Depending on the numbers of players the galaxy consists of 12 to 48 star systems. The layout is grid-based, and the package includes a pad of graph paper for keeping track of ship and colony locations.
Andromeda Conquest

Andromeda Conquest

Tandy TRS-80 - Released - 1982

Andromeda Conquest is a strategy / conquest game in which one to four players build galactic empires by establishing and defending space colonies, managing resources, and battling other players for control of star systems. Before every turn, players receive resources from all their colonies. Those have to be used up during the turn or they are lost. Depending on the numbers of players the galaxy consists of 12 to 48 star systems.
Andromeda Conquest

Andromeda Conquest

MS-DOS - Released - 1982

Andromeda Conquest is a strategy / conquest game in which one to four players build galactic empires by establishing and defending space colonies, managing resources, and battling other players for control of star systems. Before every turn, players receive resources from all their colonies. Those have to be used up during the turn or they are lost. Depending on the numbers of players the galaxy consists of 12 to 48 star systems. The layout is grid-based, and the package includes a pad of graph paper for keeping track of ship and colony locations.
Andromeda Conquest

Andromeda Conquest

Commodore 64 - Released - 1982

Andromeda Conquest is a strategy / conquest game in which one to four players build galactic empires by establishing and defending space colonies, managing resources, and battling other players for control of star systems. Before every turn, players receive resources from all their colonies. Those have to be used up during the turn or they are lost. Depending on the numbers of players the galaxy consists of 12 to 48 star systems. The layout is grid-based, and the package includes a pad of graph paper for keeping track of ship and colony locations.
Arcade Pak #2: Five Card Draw Poker

Arcade Pak #2: Five Card Draw Poker

Atari 800 - Released - 1982

Draw Poker is standard poker in the context of common U.S. card games where each player is dealt a five card hand and then can decide if they would like to place a bet on the first round or check (pass). The player in the game is against four other players all controlled by the computer with the names of Lucky, Shifty, Ace and Slim. Players will be dealt five cards from a shuffled deck. All players ante $5 to the pot. Starting as in many poker games the first round requires that to open you must have a pair of Jack’s or higher to start the betting. Then each player in betting rounds hopes to build a better hand by replacing or "drawing" cards as needed. Each player begins the game with $2,000 dollars.
Arcade Pak #4: Bowler & Roadracer

Arcade Pak #4: Bowler & Roadracer

Atari 800 - Released - 1982

Contains 2 games as part of the "Arcade Pak" Series from Avalon Hill:- Bowling - Strikes and spares, see if you can hit the pins in this game. Roadracer - Actually 13 rod racing games in one.
Arcade Pak #5: Tank Arkade

Arcade Pak #5: Tank Arkade

Atari 800 - Released - 1982

As the name suggests, this game brings to the personal computer one of the earliest concepts to appear on arcade and dedicated console game screens: a tank duel. Players look down on a battlefield of two-dimensional obstacles and maneuver their tanks to shoot and destroy each other. Each tank has nine points of armor, allowing eight hits before the final shot destroys the tank and hands victory to the opposing player. The tanks start each game in heavy bunkers, so the first challenge is to move out safely away from the enemy line-of-fire. Plentiful obstacles and the tanks' moderate speed means play is as much a tactical challenge as one for the reflexes. Speed on the trigger can be very important, though, because when hit a tank is relocated randomly and any shell in mid-flight disappears. In a face-off this means whichever shell lands first wins. The trigger finger must be tempered, however, as each tank can only have one shot on the screen at a time. Over-anticipating your opponent can lead to reloading at the most inopportune moment. Different platforms provide very different play, from keyboard to joystick, color to black-and-white, as well as battlefield variations. On TRS-80's, the battlefield is fixed from game to game and obstacles cannot be destroyed. In all cases, a solitaire version is provided, putting the computer in control of one of the tanks. Its reflexes are very quick.
Arcade Pak #7: Moon Patrol

Arcade Pak #7: Moon Patrol

Atari 800 - Released - 1982

A single patrol ship faces countless invading aliens, dropping relentlessly from the top of the screen. The pilot maneuvers desperately over jagged terrain between blasts from alien ships, trying to stop as many as possible from landing. How will it end? The same way most computer simulations of lone heroism against countless invaders: not well for the pilot, but perhaps a high score for the player. Moon Patrol joined the countless clones of the coin-operated arcade games invading home computers in the 1980's. There are no astronauts to protect, just invading saucers to shoot, but the aliens keep shooting back even after they land on the hardest difficulty. Consequently, the terrain becomes a real hazard as you drop low to blast saucers on the ground. Fuel is a limiting factor, even though there is always enough to get you to the next landing pad. The problem is that you only have one pass at the pad; there is no reverse, and while you can slow down, there is no stopping. Four levels of difficulty from alien ships that do not shoot back to aliens shooting at you when coming down and after landing.
Arcade Pak#7: Moon Patrol

Arcade Pak#7: Moon Patrol

Commodore 64 - Released - 1983

A single patrol ship faces countless invading aliens, dropping relentlessly from the top of the screen. The pilot maneuvers desperately over jagged terrain between blasts from alien ships, trying to stop as many as possible from landing. How will it end? The same way most computer simulations of lone heroism against countless invaders: not well for the pilot, but perhaps a high score for the player. Moon Patrol joined the countless clones of the coin-operated arcade games invading home computers in the 1980's. There are no astronauts to protect, just invading saucers to shoot, but the aliens keep shooting back even after they land on the hardest difficulty. Consequently, the terrain becomes a real hazard as you drop low to blast saucers on the ground. Fuel is a limiting factor, even though there is always enough to get you to the next landing pad. The problem is that you only have one pass at the pad; there is no reverse, and while you can slow down, there is no stopping. Four levels of difficulty from alien ships that do not shoot back to aliens shooting at you when coming down and after landing.
B-1 Nuclear Bomber

B-1 Nuclear Bomber

Atari 800 - Released - 1980

In B-1 Nuclear Bomber, you have to "fly" a B-1 bomber to it's destination, and destroy the target of the mission. You input text commands to control your bomber's altitude, course, radar, weapons, and so on. And, of course, the USSR will try to stop you from bombing their targets, with an arsenal of MiGs and SAMs, and they are dealt with by the use of electronic counter-measures, evasive actions, or by shooting them down. The game ends when it reaches a logical conclusion, either by deploying your bombs and getting far enough away, returning to base, or being destroyed. After this, you get a short summary, and an option to play again. While most versions of this game were text only, both the C64 and Atari 8-Bit versions also had graphics on some screens.
B-1 Nuclear Bomber

B-1 Nuclear Bomber

Commodore VIC-20 - Released - 1983

In B-1 Nuclear Bomber, you have to "fly" a B-1 bomber to it's destination, and destroy the target of the mission. You input text commands to control your bomber's altitude, course, radar, weapons, and so on. And, of course, the USSR will try to stop you from bombing their targets, with an arsenal of MiGs and SAMs, and they are dealt with by the use of electronic counter-measures, evasive actions, or by shooting them down. The game ends when it reaches a logical conclusion, either by deploying your bombs and getting far enough away, returning to base, or being destroyed. After this, you get a short summary, and an option to play again.
B-1 Nuclear Bomber

B-1 Nuclear Bomber

Apple II - Released - January 6, 1980

B-1 Nuclear Bomber is a flight simulator game based on piloting a B-1 Lancer to its target and dropping a nuclear bomb. The USSR is one of the target countries. The game was developed by Avalon Hill and Microcomputer Games, Inc, and released in 1980 for the Apple II and other computers. The game box details a sample scenario set in the then-future of a bombing run over Moscow on July 1, 1991, which turned out to be just months before the official dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 26 of that year. In March 1983 B-1 Nuclear Bomber tied for eighth place in Softline's Dog of the Year awards "for badness in computer games", Atari 8-bit division, based on reader submissions. A 1992 Computer Gaming World survey of wargames with modern settings gave the game zero stars out of five, stating that "its play mechanics were embarrassing when it was initially released"
B-1 Nuclear Bomber

B-1 Nuclear Bomber

Tandy TRS-80 - Released - 1980

In B-1 Nuclear Bomber, you have to "fly" a B-1 bomber to its destination, and destroy the target of the mission. You input text commands to control your bomber's altitude, course, radar, weapons, and so on. And, of course, the USSR will try to stop you from bombing their targets, with an arsenal of MiGs and SAMs, and they are dealt with by the use of electronic counter-measures, evasive actions, or by shooting them down. The game ends when it reaches a logical conclusion, either by deploying your bombs and getting far enough away, returning to base, or being destroyed. After this, you get a short summary, and an option to play again. The TRS-80, Apple II, and Commodore PET versions were all sold on the same cassette.
B-1 Nuclear Bomber

B-1 Nuclear Bomber

Commodore PET - Released - 1980

In B-1 Nuclear Bomber, you have to "fly" a B-1 bomber to it's destination, and destroy the target of the mission. You input text commands to control your bomber's altitude, course, radar, weapons, and so on. And, of course, the USSR will try to stop you from bombing their targets, with an arsenal of MiGs and SAMs, and they are dealt with by the use of electronic counter-measures, evasive actions, or by shooting them down. The game ends when it reaches a logical conclusion, either by deploying your bombs and getting far enough away, returning to base, or being destroyed. After this, you get a short summary, and an option to play again.
B-1 Nuclear Bomber

B-1 Nuclear Bomber

Commodore 64 - Released - 1983

In B-1 Nuclear Bomber, you have to "fly" a B-1 bomber to it's destination, and destroy the target of the mission. You input text commands to control your bomber's altitude, course, radar, weapons, and so on. And, of course, the USSR will try to stop you from bombing their targets, with an arsenal of MiGs and SAMs, and they are dealt with by the use of electronic counter-measures, evasive actions, or by shooting them down. The game ends when it reaches a logical conclusion, either by deploying your bombs and getting far enough away, returning to base, or being destroyed. After this, you get a short summary, and an option to play again. While most versions of the game were text only, both the C64 and Atari 8-Bit versions had graphics as well on some screens.
B-1 Nuclear Bomber

B-1 Nuclear Bomber

MS-DOS - Released - 1980

In B-1 Nuclear Bomber, you have to "fly" a B-1 bomber to it's destination, and destroy the target of the mission. You input text commands to control your bomber's altitude, course, radar, weapons, and so on. And, of course, the USSR will try to stop you from bombing their targets, with an arsenal of MiGs and SAMs, and they are dealt with by the use of electronic counter-measures, evasive actions, or by shooting them down. The game ends when it reaches a logical conclusion, either by deploying your bombs and getting far enough away, returning to base, or being destroyed. After this, you get a short summary, and an option to play again.
Beast War

Beast War

Apple II - Released - 1984

Beast War is a strategy/board game, resembling the Star Wars chess scene on the Millenium Falcon. In each round of a battle, you direct the movement of six different semi-intelligent beasts on a circular, 43 space field, trying to destroy opposing beasts and capturing their squares. Each beast has its own movement pattern, energy level, strength, and unique advantage over the others. Combats are shown in a small action sequence where each beast may advance, strike, or retreat.
Black Thunder

Black Thunder

Commodore 64 - Released - 1985

Superhuman Crow-Ther keeps the city of Wizening safe from the tyrant The Wizard. After 100 years of building his forces and weapons, The Wizard is ready to destroy Crow-Ther and is armoured car. Once destroyed he can rule the city. Crow-Ther must drive his armoured car armed with cannons and missiles and leave the city on the freeways. This will enable him to get back to the city at a later date and destroy The Wizard. The screen is split into two halves. The top half you can see your armoured car from the side. The joystick here moves your car forward or stops it while the fire button fires your cannons and missiles. The bottom half of the screen is a top down viewed map showing many routes to get to the end. Pushing the joystick up and down here moves the car up and down at various junctions.
Bomber Attack

Bomber Attack

Commodore 64 - Released - 1982

Bomber Attack is a classic side scroller. The player pilots a bomber flying to the left, dropping bombs on enemy defenses below. The player's control over the bomber's movement is limited to going up or down. The player must drop 25 bombs without hitting any hospitals. The bomb run must be completed under fire from ground defenses and scrambled fighters sent to intercept the player's bomber.
Bomber Attack

Bomber Attack

Apple II - Released - February 17, 1982

Bomber Attack is a classic side scroller. The player pilots a bomber flying to the left, dropping bombs on enemy defenses below. The player's control over the bomber's movement is limited to going up or down. The player must drop 25 bombs without hitting any hospitals. The bomb run must be completed under fire from ground defenses and scrambled fighters sent to intercept the player's bomber.
Bomber Attack

Bomber Attack

Atari 800 - Released - 1982

Bomber Attack is a classic side scroller. The player pilots a bomber flying to the left, dropping bombs on enemy defenses below. The player's control over the bomber's movement is limited to going up or down. The player must drop 25 bombs without hitting any hospitals. The bomb run must be completed under fire from ground defenses and scrambled fighters sent to intercept the player's bomber.
Bomber Attack

Bomber Attack

Commodore VIC-20 - Released - 1983

Bomber Attack is a classic side scroller. The player pilots a bomber flying to the left, dropping bombs on enemy defenses below. The player's control over the bomber's movement is limited to going up or down. The player must drop 25 bombs without hitting any hospitals. The bomb run must be completed under fire from ground defenses and scrambled fighters sent to intercept the player's bomber.
Bowler

Bowler

Commodore 64 - Released - 1982

Strikes and spares, see if you can hit the pins in this game released as part of the "Arcade Pak #4" game pack.
BreakThru

BreakThru

Commodore 64 - Released - 1984

This is a racquetball-like game that is best described as a 3D variation of Breakout. You are at the end on a rectangular room. On the other end is a wall made of bricks or blocks. The ball travels down to the wall and knocks out a brick. It then returns to your end where you must use a squarish paddle to send the ball back to the wall. If the ball gets past the paddle, you lose a ball. In the computer version, you must knock out all the bricks of the wall to advance. Each level has more bricks per wall. You begin with 5 balls. In the console version, you must knock out 57 of the 72 bricks to advance. Each level has 72 bricks but the number of balls will lower in later levels. Level 1 starts with 99 balls.
Breakthru

Breakthru

TRS-80 Color Computer - Released - 1982

This is a racquetball-like game that is best described as a 3D variation of Breakout. You are at the end on a rectangular room. On the other end is a wall made of bricks or blocks. The ball travels down to the wall and knocks out a brick. It then returns to your end where you must use a squarish paddle to send the ball back to the wall. If the ball gets past the paddle, you lose a ball. In the computer version, you must knock out all the bricks of the wall to advance. Each level has more bricks per wall. You begin with 5 balls. In the console version, you must knock out 57 of the 72 bricks to advance. Each level has 72 bricks but the number of balls will lower in later levels. Level 1 starts with 99 balls.
By Fire & Sword

By Fire & Sword

MS-DOS - Released - 1985

This is a medieval era game where each player starts out as a baron. The game takes place in a pseudo-European state where you need to acquire vassals and land. Getting more vassals and land through battling the other barons, you can expand and build castles and towns. Wizards and spells are also available to make this more of a fantasy wargame than anything else.
Cavewars

Cavewars

MS-DOS - Released - November 30, 1996

Cavewars is a turn based strategy game that combines elements of several different games of it's era. The turn based strategy element mirrors that of Heroes of Might and Magic while the ability to research new units and improve armies is similar to that of Master of Orion. The unique element that separates this game from others is that the battles can take place on a number of different levels of a cave. All may be well on level 1, with both sides having a city there; meanwhile, battles rage every turn on level 3. Randomly generated maps and 8 different races to choose from ensures the same game is never played twice.
Class Struggle

Class Struggle

Apple II - Released

From Social Science Software Review, Vol 4, Issue 1, 1986 "This is a direct translation to computer of a Monopoly-like board game, written by Bertell Ollman, Professor of Politics at N.Y.U. and author of Alienation: Marx's Conception of Man in Capitalist Society and other books on Marxism. CLASS STRUGGLE is also written from a socialist perspective. Though some will find the game simplistic, it could be an excellent springboard to class discussions."
Clear for Action

Clear for Action

Atari 800 - Released - 1984

Ship-to-ship combat in the days of sail. You play against the computer, with your ship at the bottom of the screen. The enemy ship soon appears at or around the top of the screen. Once sited, the computer announces 'Clear for Action!' in large text. You maneuver your ship, as does the computer, to acquire the best angle for a broadside, using the wind to best advantage. You have a choice of solid, grape or chain shot, depending if you want to damage the sails, the hull, or the men. After some exchange of cannon fire, the ships then grapple and attempt to board the enemy ship for combat with the crew, with the winner typically having the most crew to begin with, taking into account experience.
Close Assault

Close Assault

Atari 800 - Released - 1982

From a time when the best graphics a computer game offered were on the front cover of the box, Avalon Hill's Close Assault offers a hybrid computer/board game experience by enclosing cardboard counters and a playing board. The result, per the manual, is a "visual impact... much greater than on even the best of computer graphics displays" while freeing for the processor, "a huge amount of limited resources" normally used to manage the graphical interface. Those resources instead are devoted to accounting for every soldier engaged in the scenario, and fulfilling a dream of the era's simulation board-gamers: realism in what you know and when you know it. In Close Assault, your opponent's units appear on the board only when they are spotted by yours, their morale is only evident by their behavior, and only your experience will tell you the odds of success. This is a far cry from the usual board simulation experience, where you could pour over combat success tables and footnoted modifiers to judge exactly where the chances break in your favor, and use the morale markers on your opponent's front line to decide where to push. Close Assault's combination of three scenarios and three forces allows representation of a dozen different historical situations spanning Northern Europe in World War II. Squad-level tactics are simulated on a common map showing a small village and three levels of topography. Commands are entered numerically or as single letters in response to computer prompts, as each player proceeds through six phases of hot seat turns -- units moving, firing, and reacting -- which represent two minutes of battle. As the computer kicks out the results of your gambles and guesses, counters come and go on the map, squads being spotted and routed or destroyed. In that way, the game is a genuine hybrid, flicking players' attention back and forth between the cardboard map and the computer screen. Units also come and go from your command: when they become demoralized or enter close combat, the computer takes over. Meanwhile, the manual comes straight out of the board-game simulation tradition, outlined by topic and case with occasional lessons in history and battle science, such as (regarding morale), "beneath the surface of any organized army lies a terrified mass of men who long for home and peace". The game experience would be limited to the standard armchair-lieutenant's view, but for a simple number noted on the squad record pad (an analog device to help the humans remember casualties, equipment, experience, and leader placement). The number represents you on the battlefield. Somehow, this simple mechanism effectively engrosses players in the course of the battle. If you become a casualty, the computer finishes the scenario for you while you watch, possibly even carrying your soldiers to victory if you left your sergeants well-positioned. Besides two-player hot-seat, solitaire is available, wherein the programmers put the computer's capable calculations to work on multi-turn tactics, nuanced with the historical characteristics of the opposing nationalities, from equipment to morale to battle tactics.
Close Assault

Close Assault

Tandy TRS-80 - Released - 1982

From a time when the best graphics a computer game offered were on the front cover of the box, Avalon Hill's Close Assault offers a hybrid computer/board game experience by enclosing cardboard counters and a playing board. The result, per the manual, is a "visual impact... much greater than on even the best of computer graphics displays" while freeing for the processor, "a huge amount of limited resources" normally used to manage the graphical interface. Those resources instead are devoted to accounting for every soldier engaged in the scenario, and fulfilling a dream of the era's simulation board-gamers: realism in what you know and when you know it. In Close Assault, your opponent's units appear on the board only when they are spotted by yours, their morale is only evident by their behavior, and only your experience will tell you the odds of success. This is a far cry from the usual board simulation experience, where you could pour over combat success tables and footnoted modifiers to judge exactly where the chances break in your favor, and use the morale markers on your opponent's front line to decide where to push. Close Assault's combination of three scenarios and three forces allows representation of a dozen different historical situations spanning northern Europe in World War II. Squad-level tactics are simulated on a common map showing a small village and three levels of topography. Commands are entered numerically or as single letters in response to computer prompts, as each player proceeds through six phases of hotseat turns -- units moving, firing, and reacting -- which represent two minutes of battle. As the computer kicks out the results of your gambles and guesses, counters come and go on the map, squads being spotted and routed or destroyed. In that way, the game is a genuine hybrid, flicking players' attention back and forth between the cardboard map and the computer screen. Units also come and go from your command: when they become demoralized or enter close combat, the computer takes over. Meanwhile, the manual comes straight out of the board-game simulation tradition, outlined by topic and case with occasional lessons in history and battle science, such as (regarding morale), "beneath the surface of any organized army lies a terrified mass of men who long for home and peace". The game experience would be limited to the standard armchair-lieutenant's view, but for a simple number noted on the squad record pad (an analog device to help the humans remember casualties, equipment, experience, and leader placement). The number represents you on the battlefield. Somehow, this simple mechanism effectively engrosses players in the course of the battle. If you become a casualty, the computer finishes the scenario for you while you watch, possibly even carrying your soldiers to victory if you left your sergeants well-positioned. Besides two-player hot-seat, solitaire is available, wherein the programmers put the computer's capable calculations to work on multi-turn tactics, nuanced with the historical characteristics of the opposing nationalities, from equipment to morale to battle tactics.
Close Assault

Close Assault

Apple II - Released - July 29, 1982

Close assault is an interesting blend of board game and computer game; like a board game, it uses a colorful mapboard and unit counters which add graphic appeal; like a computer game, there is no need to re-read the rules a hundred times to make sure they are being enforced to the letter - the computer does all of that.
Combots

Combots

Commodore 64 - Released - 1990

Combots is the game of armored battle in the future. Commanding your metal monsters, earth's fate is in your hands. 300 combinations of weapsons, modify size, armor, locations of vital control centers and more.
Computer Acquire

Computer Acquire

Commodore PET - Released - 1980

Computer Acquire is adapted from the board game Acquire by Avalon Hill. As in most games of high finance it is about making profits by buying low and selling high. Instead of the normal commodity or utility markets the simulation is based on hotel property stocks with mergers and hotel chaining. The goal is spotting the bargains early when the price is right along with adding more hotel chains to which you have controlling interest. Sprinkle in a little market luck along the way and win by becoming the wealthiest player. The game is turn based and allows you to play against the computer with up to six other players or allows the computer to play itself while you observe. The game has five skill levels and hotel chains have seven classes from moderate to prestigious. Each player starts with $6,000 and the game usually ends when one chain has at least 41 hotels.
Computer Acquire

Computer Acquire

Apple II - Released - 1980

Computer Acquire is adapted from the board game Acquire by Avalon Hill. As in most games of high finance it is about making profits by buying low and selling high. Instead of the normal commodity or utility markets the simulation is based on hotel property stocks with mergers and hotel chaining. The goal is spotting the bargains early when the price is right along with adding more hotel chains to which you have controlling interest. Sprinkle in a little market luck along the way and win by becoming the wealthiest player. The game is turn based and allows you to play against the computer with up to six other players or allows the computer to play itself while you observe. The game has five skill levels and hotel chains have seven classes from moderate to prestigious. Each player starts with $6,000 and the game usually ends when one chain has at least 41 hotels.
Computer Acquire

Computer Acquire

Tandy TRS-80 - Released - 1980

Computer Acquire is adapted from the board game Acquire by Avalon Hill. As in most games of high finance it is about making profits by buying low and selling high. Instead of the normal commodity or utility markets the simulation is based on hotel property stocks with mergers and hotel chaining. The goal is spotting the bargains early when the price is right along with adding more hotel chains to which you have controlling interest. Sprinkle in a little market luck along the way and win by becoming the wealthiest player. The game is turn based and allows you to play against the computer with up to six other players or allows the computer to play itself while you observe. The game has five skill levels and hotel chains have seven classes from moderate to prestigious. Each player starts with $6,000 and the game usually ends when one chain has at least 41 hotels.
Computer Acquire

Computer Acquire

Commodore 64 - Released - 1980

Computer Acquire is adapted from the board game Acquire by Avalon Hill. As in most games of high finance it is about making profits by buying low and selling high. Instead of the normal commodity or utility markets the simulation is based on hotel property stocks with mergers and hotel chaining. The goal is spotting the bargains early when the price is right along with adding more hotel chains to which you have controlling interest. Sprinkle in a little market luck along the way and win by becoming the wealthiest player. The game is turn based and allows you to play against the computer with up to six other players or allows the computer to play itself while you observe. The game has five skill levels and hotel chains have seven classes from moderate to prestigious. Each player starts with $6,000 and the game usually ends when one chain has at least 41 hotels.
Computer Baseball Strategy

Computer Baseball Strategy

Apple II - Released - 1982

Computer Baseball Strategy is an adaptation of Avalon Hill's board game Baseball Strategy. The player is the manager of an unnamed home team and plays single matches against the visitors team that is managed by the computer. When starting out, the player first selects the team's lineup by picking a pitcher and eight fielders. None of the players are named, all that is shown is a jersey number and some statistics. Once the team has been picked, the player gets to select the batting order. When all is done, the match begins, with the player in each inning being in the field in the first half and at bat in the second half. The gameplay works the same in both, with the player selecting which pitch or swing to use in each turn. The pitches and swings allowed depends on the pitching ability or batting average of the players.

Computer Circus Maximus

MS-DOS - Released - 1984

A direct translation of the Avalon Hill board game of the same name, Circus Maximus. Race your chariot around the track and try to be the winner. Strategic use of your whip on your horses, another driver, or another driver's horses, lead to crashes and other fun events as you maneuver for first place.

Computer Diplomacy

MS-DOS - Released - 1984

Avalon Hill's classic strategic board game in its first commercial adaptation. Choose a country to play as, and attempt world domination.
Computer Diplomacy

Computer Diplomacy

Tandy TRS-80 - Released - 1984

Avalon Hill's classic strategic board game in its first commercial adaptation. Choose a country to play as, and attempt world domination.
Computer Facts in Five

Computer Facts in Five

Apple II - Released - 1982

A computer version of Avalon Hill's board game, Facts in Five, this game challenges players to recall trivia by category and initial letter. The computer generates five categories (e.g. "Living Statesmen"), some with subcategories (e.g. "State Governors"), along with five letters. Players then try to recall names beginning with each letter which fit in the category and subcategory. After five minutes, brain-racking ends and scoring begins, weighted toward completing rows and columns. The conversion to microprocessor enables over a thousand combinations of categories and subcategories, and many variations on the traditional board game play. Besides humbling solitaire, two players can compete for higher scores, taking turns between five-minute rounds and typing blind if desired. Even more can compete simultaneously in "party mode," using included score sheets to record their answers. The playing screen comprises simply the list of categories and an accompanying grid of letters, which may be the same or different within each category. Players can navigate among the letters or be prompted randomly to enter each answer at the bottom. A game is made up of five rounds of five minutes, each with new choices, so you can recover from a particularly damaging set of categories or letters. Variations allow the categories to be pre-selected or even created by players. Since verification of correct answers (by vote or reference) is left to the players, the game is virtually unlimited by content.
Computer Football Strategy

Computer Football Strategy

Commodore 64 - Released - 1983

Computer Football Strategy is modeled after Avalon Hill’s board game based on American style football. Players can select from a wide roster of professional teams spanning from the 1966 Green Bay Packers to 1982 Washington Redskins. Naturally this is a strategy game where players choose from many formations for offense and defense to setup each down. Once selected the down is played out in top down animation style with the plays outcome and stats. The game supports both: player versus computer or two player mode.
Computer Football Strategy

Computer Football Strategy

Atari 800 - Released - 1983

Computer Football Strategy is modeled after Avalon Hill’s board game based on American style football. Players can select from a wide roster of professional teams spanning from the 1966 Green Bay Packers to 1982 Washington Redskins. Naturally this is a strategy game where players choose from many formations for offense and defense to setup each down. Once selected the down is played out in top down animation style with the plays outcome and stats. The game supports both: player versus computer or two player mode.
Computer Statis Pro Baseball

Computer Statis Pro Baseball

Apple II - Released - 1983

It's about time to get a decent manager for your home team -- you! As the name indicates, this is a home-computer conversion of Avalon Hill's perennially popular, baseball board game Statis Pro Baseball. Players put on the manager's uniform, arrange line-ups and call the plays. At their fingertips are season-based statistical compilations of major league baseball players, team-by-team. Historic teams and seasons are even available on expansion disks, allowing you to manage Roger Maris or the 1919 "Black Sox." Play puts both managers at the keyboard, turns passing with each hitter. Commands are entered single-key from a menu of choices. The game screen is as crowded as a manager's head: batting orders, player abilities, pitcher status, score board, and a little space for what's happening out on the field. You don't see each pitch, but there are ample opportunities to bury your face in your hat and say, "I knew I should have...." Infielders can come in, batters can be walked, and, of course, pitchers can be pulled. Most of the choices, however, lie with team at bat. Do you sacrifice just to get something on the board, chance a steal, bunt, or lead that runner off the bag to set up the score? Pinch hitters and runners are available. Players' abilities are condensed from actual season statistics into seven attributes, pitchers with an additional score for stamina, which will rise with a string of good innings and crash when things start to go bad. The computer handles all the calculations consigned to charts and card draws in the board game, and even bookkeeping for overall season statistics. Errors can happen, likelihood calculated from the actual stats; injuries will happen, and weather occasionally intrudes. All that's missing from the manager's experience is sand, a chaw of tobacco, and those screaming, second-guessing fans. The second edition of the game adds a main menu to create and edit team files, as well as to convert first edition team files. It'll also prevent you from making truly dumb calls, like a squeeze play with two outs.
Computer Statis Pro Baseball

Computer Statis Pro Baseball

Commodore 64 - Released - 1986

It's about time to get a decent manager for your home team -- you! As the name indicates, this is a home-computer conversion of Avalon Hill's perennially popular, baseball board game Statis Pro Baseball. Players put on the manager's uniform, arrange line-ups and call the plays. At their fingertips are season-based statistical compilations of major league baseball players, team-by-team. Historic teams and seasons are even available on expansion disks, allowing you to manage Roger Maris or the 1919 "Black Sox.". Play puts both managers at the keyboard, turns passing with each hitter. Commands are entered single-key from a menu of choices. The game screen is as crowded as a manager's head: batting orders, player abilities, pitcher status, score board, and a little space for what's happening out on the field. You don't see each pitch, but there are ample opportunities to bury your face in your hat and say, "I knew I should have...." Infielders can come in, batters can be walked, and, of course, pitchers can be pulled. Most of the choices, however, lie with team at bat. Do you sacrifice just to get something on the board, chance a steal, bunt, or lead that runner off the bag to set up the score? Pinch hitters and runners are available. Players' abilities are condensed from actual season statistics into seven attributes, pitchers with an additional score for stamina, which will rise with a string of good innings and crash when things start to go bad. The computer handles all the calculations consigned to charts and card draws in the board game, and even bookkeeping for overall season statistics. Errors can happen, likelihood calculated from the actual stats; injuries will happen, and weather occasionally intrudes. All that's missing from the manager's experience is sand, a chaw of tobacco, and those screaming, second-guessing fans. The second edition of the game adds a main menu to create and edit team files, as well as to convert first edition team files. It'll also prevent you from making truly dumb calls, like a squeeze play with two outs.
Computer Stocks & Bonds

Computer Stocks & Bonds

Apple II - Released - 1982

Try to make money at the stock market. Invest in stocks when their exchange price is low and when the price rises sell them to make profit. You have $5000 in cash at the beginning of the game and 10 different securities to choose from.
Computer Stocks & Bonds

Computer Stocks & Bonds

Atari 800 - Released - 1982

PC conversion of the board game. Try to make money at the stock market. Invest in stocks when their exchange price is low and when the price rises sell them to make profit. You have $5000 in cash at the beginning of the game and 10 different securities to choose from.
Computer Stocks & Bonds

Computer Stocks & Bonds

MS-DOS - Released - January 1, 1982

PC conversion of the board game. Try to make money at the stock market. Invest in stocks when their exchange price is low and when the price rises sell them to make profit. You have $5000 in cash at the beginning of the game and 10 different securities to choose from.
Computer Stocks & Bonds

Computer Stocks & Bonds

Commodore PET - Released - 1982

PC conversion of the board game. Try to make money at the stock market. Invest in stocks when their exchange price is low and when the price rises sell them to make profit. You have $5000 in cash at the beginning of the game and 10 different securities to choose from.
Computer Titlebout: Game of Professional Boxing

Computer Titlebout: Game of Professional Boxing

Commodore 64 - Released - 1985

Title Bout is an action-based boxing game for two players. Each player can play as a circa 1983 professional boxer, or as a historical great such as Muhammad Ali or Joe Louis. Each boxer has attributes for punching accuracy, defense, endurance, power, control, and others, which affect the outcomes of the matches, along with the fighting strategies you choose to employ.
Conflict 2500

Conflict 2500

Atari 800 - Released - 1981

It is the year 2500 and the galaxy has been at peace for many years. Until now! A fleet of planet pulverizers has invaded the sector of the galaxy under your command. Reports are telling you of a massive wave of destruction. It is up to you to rid the universe of this threat of utter destruction. Conflict 2500 is a strategic simulation of conflict in the 26th century. The game can be played solitary or with up to 10 other players by giving command of ships to individuals. The computer controls a fleet of planet pulverizers and adapts its strategy to your actions. The game can be stopped during play or can continue until one side or the other is destroyed.
Conflict 2500

Conflict 2500

Commodore 64 - Released - 1981

It is the year 2500 and the galaxy has been at peace for many years. Until now! A fleet of planet pulverizers has invaded the sector of the galaxy under your command. Reports are telling you of a massive wave of destruction. It is up to you to rid the universe of this threat of utter destruction. Conflict 2500 is a strategic simulation of conflict in the 26th century. The game can be played solitary or with up to 10 other players by giving command of ships to individuals. The computer controls a fleet of planet pulverizers and adapts its strategy to your actions. The game can be stopped during play or can continue until one side or the other is destroyed.
Conflict 2500

Conflict 2500

Commodore PET - Released - 1981

It is the year 2500 and the galaxy has been at peace for many years. Until now! A fleet of planet pulverizers has invaded the sector of the galaxy under your command. Reports are telling you of a massive wave of destruction. It is up to you to rid the universe of this threat of utter destruction. Conflict 2500 is a strategic simulation of conflict in the 26th century. The game can be played solitary or with up to 10 other players by giving command of ships to individuals. The computer controls a fleet of planet pulverizers and adapts its strategy to your actions. The game can be stopped during play or can continue until one side or the other is destroyed.
Conflict 2500

Conflict 2500

Apple II - Released - August 2, 1981

It is the year 2500 and the galaxy has been at peace for many years. Until now! A fleet of planet pulverizers has invaded the sector of the galaxy under your command. Reports are telling you of a massive wave of destruction. It is up to you to rid the universe of this threat of utter destruction. Conflict 2500 is a strategic simulation of conflict in the 26th century. The game can be played solitary or with up to 10 other players by giving command of ships to individuals. The computer controls a fleet of planet pulverizers and adapts its strategy to your actions. The game can be stopped during play or can continue until one side or the other is destroyed.
Conflict 2500

Conflict 2500

Tandy TRS-80 - Released - 1981

It is the year 2500 and the galaxy has been at peace for many years. Until now! A fleet of planet pulverizers has invaded the sector of the galaxy under your command. Reports are telling you of a massive wave of destruction. It is up to you to rid the universe of this threat of utter destruction. Conflict 2500 is a strategic simulation of conflict in the 26th century. The game can be played solitary or with up to 10 other players by giving command of ships to individuals. The computer controls a fleet of planet pulverizers and adapts its strategy to your actions. The game can be stopped during play or can continue until one side or the other is destroyed.
Darkhorn: Realm of the Warlords

Darkhorn: Realm of the Warlords

Apple II - Released - August 7, 1985

Take over the kingdom of Darkhorn in this early RTS tactical/strategic game. There are 4 sides battling to take command of Darkhorn - all can be played by human players, all giving orders simultaneously. You can be a dwarf, human or elf. The land consists of nine different map regions, with different terrains suiting different sides. Once an overall winner is found, they must face the Final Trial to take overall control. Alternatively, you can play a quick battle on one of the sixteen provided maps, or generate one at random. Choosing locations to occupy and when to fight is critical. Sword fighting is represented by a short action sequence.
Darkhorn: Realm of the Warlords

Darkhorn: Realm of the Warlords

Commodore 64 - Released - 1987

Take over the kingdom of Darkhorn in this early RTS tactical/strategic game. There are 4 sides battling to take command of Darkhorn - all can be played by human players, all giving orders simultaneously. You can be a dwarf, human or elf. The land consists of nine different map regions, with different terrains suiting different sides. Once an overall winner is found, they must face the Final Trial to take overall control. Alternatively, you can play a quick battle on one of the sixteen provided maps, or generate one at random. Choosing locations to occupy and when to fight is critical. Sword fighting is represented by a short action sequence.
D-Day: America Invades

D-Day: America Invades

MS-DOS - Released - 1995

Strategic wargame set in the campaign of the American VII corps on the Cotentin peninsula....well, D-Day. Spiritual successor to V for Victory: Utah Beach. You can play in either the allied or german side as you play on a series of pre-made scenarios or full campaign mode using the Avalon Hill's Worlds at War rules and game mechanics. Also included are a series of historical variants which can be turned on or off for each scenario. Graphics are 2D SVGA and the game includes modem support for two players head-to-head action.
D-Day: America Invades

D-Day: America Invades

Apple Mac OS - Released - 1995

Strategic wargame set in the campaign of the American VII corps on the Cotentin peninsula....well, D-Day. Spiritual successor to V for Victory: Utah Beach. You can play in either the allied or german side as you play on a series of pre-made scenarios or full campaign mode using the Avalon Hill's Worlds at War rules and game mechanics. Also included are a series of historical variants which can be turned on or off for each scenario.
Death Trap

Death Trap

Atari 2600 - Released - 1983

You have been sent to deliver a message. Suddenly, you run into the giant ship IT. IT doesn't want that message to get to the Galactic Emperor. You must destroy all three power generators to escape. One generator is hidden until the other two are destroyed. IT is protected by three shields above you; which are A, B, and C, from top to bottom. There is a forth shield, D, below you. Touching any shield is instant game over. IT also has guided fireballs that chase your ship for a short distance. Getting hit by these too many times will kill you. If you can avoid getting hit long enough, your repair crew might can undo some of the damage (see Game variations below) You use the joystick to move the ship, left, right, up or down. Press the fire button to launch a torpedo. If you keep the fire button down, you can guide the torpedo left or right or accelerate it. Be advised, though, that you ship isn't moving while you are guiding the torpedo and could get damaged or destroyed. As you damage IT's generators, shields A, B, and C will get invulnerable sections. These move across the shields, making it harder to get shots through the longer you play. If you do not hit the left or right generators for 15 seconds, IT will lower shield C, reducing your maneuvering room. You will also lose points (see Scoring below). After you destroy the left and right generators, the center generator will be visible. When you destroy that, you win the game. However, as you hit the center generator, shield D will raise so you must work fast as possible. You start with six ships at the bottom of the screen. Each time a fireball hits you, you lose a ship. Lose them all and the game is over. Game variations After you press the fire button to select your joystick, you then choose your difficulty by moving the joystick up or down. The difficulty settings are: Easy (the square)=Fireball firing rate is slow, invulnerable shield segments are small, you have a repair crew. Normal (the X)=Fireball firing rate is normal, invulnerable shield segments are normal, you have a repair crew. Hard (the diamond)=Fireball firing rate is fast, invulnerable shield segments are normal, you do not have a repair crew. That means any lost ships from fireball strikes are never regained. The difficulty switches are not used. After you have the setting you want, move the joystick to the right to begin the game. Scoring Readiness=Every few seconds, you get 1 point for each ship at the bottom of the screen, up to a maximum of 6. Damage=The number of hits to a generator multiplied by ten. For instance, the first hit is 10 points, the 7th hit is 70 points, the 12th hit is 120 points, etc. Destroy the left or right generator=2000 points Destroy the center generator=5000 points Shield C lowers=lose 90 points, although your score will never be lower than zero.
Diplomacy

Diplomacy

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1991

This is another adaptation of the eponymous board game by Avalon Hill. The game is set in Europe at the start of the 20th century and up to 7 players may control the competing Great Powers (Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Turkey). The object of the game is to seize control of more than a half of the provinces containing production centers (which deploy new units after the year ends). Each turn (two per year) consists of two phases: diplomacy (negotiating alliances) and orders (which are given to move armies and fleets).
Divex

Divex

Atari 800 - Released - 1984

Divex is an educational math shooting game for multiple systems. The player controls a small space vessel which can travel horizontally on the bottom side of the screen, and fire vertically upwards. The player can choose whether to do multiplication or addition questions, and these are displayed on the top of the screen. Four yellow alien vessels begin to descend towards the player, and they are represented by a possible answer to the equation. The player's goal is to shoot the correct ship, and then destroy the other vessels. While this is occurring, fast moving red ships will drop towards the bottom of the screen. If any ship reaches the bottom of the screen, it reduces the player's firing distance, as represented by a blue bar on the left. The player faces waves of 4 yellow vessels at a time, and the player must shoot enough yellow vessels to fill the green bar on the left. After each wave, a diagonally moving alien vessel will descend, which can damage the player. After the green bar is filled, the player advances to the next more challenging level.
Divex

Divex

Commodore 64 - Released - 1984

Multiply your fun while you divide to conquer! Divex is a edutainment math\shooting game, developed and published by Avalon Hill, which was released in 1984. The player controls a small space vessel which can travel horizontally on the bottom side of the screen, and fire vertically upwards. The player can choose whether to do multiplication or addition questions, and these are displayed on the top of the screen. Four yellow alien vessels begin to descend towards the player, and they are represented by a possible answer to the equation. The player's goal is to shoot the correct ship, and then destroy the other vessels. While this is occurring, fast moving red ships will drop towards the bottom of the screen. If any ship reaches the bottom of the screen, it reduces the player's firing distance, as represented by a blue bar on the left. The player faces waves of 4 yellow vessels at a time, and the player must shoot enough yellow vessels to fill the green bar on the left. After each wave, a diagonally moving alien vessel will descend, which can damage the player. After the green bar is filled, the player advances to the next more challenging level.
Dneiper River Line

Dneiper River Line

Commodore 64 - Released - 1984

The Dnieper River Line is a fictionalized engagement between German and Russian forces in the Southern Ukraine in late 1943. As the Germans you are challenged to repel Russian efforts to breach your critical defensive position. The Soviet units controlled by the computer seek to over run your thin German defensive line and capture sufficient objectives to assure victory. Dnieper River Line is a computer game which is played out board game style with a 8" x 11" mapboard and 240 5/8" illustrated counters.
Dnieper River Line

Dnieper River Line

Tandy TRS-80 - Released - 1982

The Dnieper River Line is a fictionalized engagement between German and Russian forces in the Southern Ukraine in late 1943. As the Germans you are challenged to repel Russian efforts to breach your critical defensive position. The Soviet units controlled by the computer seek to over run your thin German defensive line and capture sufficient objectives to assure victory. Dnieper River Line is a computer game which is played out board game style with a 8" x 11" mapboard and 240 5/8" illustrated counters.
Dnieper River Line

Dnieper River Line

Commodore PET - Released - 1982

The Dnieper River Line is a fictionalized engagement between German and Russian forces in the Southern Ukraine in late 1943. As the Germans you are challenged to repel Russian efforts to breach your critical defensive position. The Soviet units controlled by the computer seek to over run your thin German defensive line and capture sufficient objectives to assure victory. Dnieper River Line is a computer game which is played out board game style with a 8" x 11" mapboard and 240 5/8" illustrated counters.
Dnieper River Line

Dnieper River Line

Apple II - Released - 1982

The Dnieper River Line is a fictionalized engagement between German and Russian forces in the Southern Ukraine in late 1943. As the Germans you are challenged to repel Russian efforts to breach your critical defensive position. The Soviet units controlled by the computer seek to over run your thin German defensive line and capture sufficient objectives to assure victory. Dnieper River Line is a computer game which is played out board game style with a 8" x 11" mapboard and 240 5/8" illustrated counters.
Dnieper River Line

Dnieper River Line

Atari 800 - Released - 1982

The Dnieper River Line is a fictionalized engagement between German and Russian forces in the Southern Ukraine in late 1943. As the Germans you are challenged to repel Russian efforts to breach your critical defensive position. The Soviet units controlled by the computer seek to over run your thin German defensive line and capture sufficient objectives to assure victory. Dnieper River Line is a computer game which is played out board game style with a 8" x 11" mapboard and 240 5/8" illustrated counters.
Dr. Ruth's Computer Game of Good Sex

Dr. Ruth's Computer Game of Good Sex

Commodore 64 - Released - 1986

A text based quiz game about human sexuality. Dr. Ruth did the questions along with her researchers. It is a time based quiz game where you have multiple choice. These are not obvious and sometimes you have to choose the only true or false answer among the four or five choices. There is a countdown clock and your score also is modified by how fast you answer the questions.
Dreadnoughts

Dreadnoughts

Commodore 64 - Released - 1984

Dreadnoughts allows you to recreate all of the surface naval actions of the early years of WWII in the North Atlantic. The game is designed to be played on both the strategic and tactical levels by one or two players. In the single player game you will command the German Navy and attempt to wrest control of the seas from the British Royal Navy. Over 40 major ships are represented. You can recreate a historical battle or a what if scenario.
Dreadnoughts

Dreadnoughts

Apple II - Released - 1984

Dreadnoughts allows you to recreate all of the surface naval actions of the early years of WWII in the North Atlantic. The game is designed to be played on both the strategic and tactical levels by one or two players. In the single player game you will command the German Navy and attempt to wrest control of the seas from the British Royal Navy. Over 40 major ships are represented. You can recreate a historical battle or a what if scenario.
Empire of the Overmind

Empire of the Overmind

Apple II - Released - August 8, 1981

Empire of the Over-Mind is an excellent text adventure written by Gary Bedrosian way back in 1979 for the Apple II and Tandy's TRS-80 computer and published by Avalon Hill. The Over-Mind in the game's title is a powerful golden sphere that has taken over the Kingdom of Alcazar by deceit and corruption. Your task, as a (always weary) traveler-cum-hero, is to locate and destroy the Over-Mind. Supplied with the game is a well-written 21-verse poem called 'The Rhyme of the Over-Mind' which is written in an Olde Worlde style.
Empire of the Over-Mind

Empire of the Over-Mind

MS-DOS - Released - 1986

This is an excellent text adventure written by Gary Bedrosian way back in 1979 for the Apple II and Tandy's TRS-80 computer and published by Avalon Hill. The game was never ported to the PC, but the author has ported it himself in 1986 and has kindly put it up on his website for free download. The Over-Mind in the game's title is a powerful golden sphere that has taken over the Kingdom of Alcazar by deceit and corruption. Your task, as a (always weary) traveler-cum-hero, is to locate and destroy the Over-Mind. Supplied with the game is a well-written 21-verse poem called 'The Rhyme of the Over-Mind' which is written in an Olde Worlde style. It takes a while to understand what is going on, but reading this Rhyme is required, because it contains subtle clues you will need (the rhyme is included in the download). The game uses the standard and quite primitive VERB-NOUN parser, but it is more robust than many other games of the same period (Scott Adam's titles come to mind) even though it is no match for the superior parser of Infocom or Level 9. What the game lacks in technical aspects, it more than makes up for in imaginative gameworld, captivating prose, and fun puzzles. You will encounter many fascinating fantasy creatures and obstacles, including Griffin the Gold, a menacing skeleton, the insidious mind-whip, and other ingenious traps.
Five Card Draw Poker

Five Card Draw Poker

MS-DOS - Released - 1982

Draw Poker is standard poker in the context of common U.S. card games where each player is dealt a five card hand and then can decide if they would like to place a bet on the first round or check (pass). The player in the game is against four other players all controlled by the computer with the names of Lucky, Shifty, Ace and Slim. Players will be dealt five cards from a shuffled deck. All players ante $5 to the pot. Starting as in many poker games the first round requires that to open you must have a pair of Jack’s or higher to start the betting. Then each player in betting rounds hopes to build a better hand by replacing or "drawing" cards as needed. Each player begins the game with $2,000 dollars.
Five Card Draw Poker

Five Card Draw Poker

Commodore 64 - Released - 1982

Draw Poker is standard poker in the context of common U.S. card games where each player is dealt a five card hand and then can decide if they would like to place a bet on the first round or check (pass). The player in the game is against four other players all controlled by the computer with the names of Lucky, Shifty, Ace and Slim. Players will be dealt five cards from a shuffled deck. All players ante $5 to the pot. Starting as in many poker games the first round requires that to open you must have a pair of Jack’s or higher to start the betting. Then each player in betting rounds hopes to build a better hand by replacing or "drawing" cards as needed. Each player begins the game with $2,000 dollars.
Flight Commander 2

Flight Commander 2

Windows 3.X - Released - 1994

A tactical wargame focusing on air-to-air combat. You take the commander's seat and are given control of a squad of 2 to 30 planes from 100 possible planes. There is no specific scenario to fight in, instead the game cover the last 30 years of air combat with every possible engagement from Korea to Desert Storm and even throws some "possible" scenarios on the near future. There are two modes of play, basic and advanced, with the advanced throwing in more rules, and the game is turn-based and each turn is divided into an order and execution phase (plus and "advantage" phase). You issue orders such as maneuvers, targets, what weapon to use, etc. in the order phase and watch the execution in the execution phase. Game modes available include a set of pre-designed missions, 6 campaigns, and a random mission generator as well as e-mail and hotseat multiplayer support. The game also includes a set of reference material regarding every plane and engagement in it.
Flying Ace

Flying Ace

Atari 800 - Released - 1983

Supply chain disruption is the goal of this side-scroller. Loop around in your sturdy biplane and strafe enemy trucks rolling along on the road below. There are patrol planes and anti-aircraft guns, to be certain, but success or failure is decided by the number of trucks you destroy. Fail to get enough, and your supply -- of spare biplanes -- goes down. Of course, rack up enough points, and your supply of planes increases. You'll need them, since not long into your flight, bullets are flying everywhere and chewing up your plane. A counter ticks off the hits at the bottom of the screen right next to the score. At nine, your plane drops like a rock. Fuel and ammo are not a problem; a friendly airstrip will come along at the right time. Friendly from the sky, that is. When you get right down to it, at the wrong angle or a bit too late, that airstrip can be as unfriendly as any other patch of hard ground. The ground may be the most dangerous thing on the screen, since you must dive sharply to strafe the supply trucks, and there's scant room for the loops required to out-maneuver enemy pilots. When that becomes easy, their skill can be upped with two more levels of difficulty.
Flying Ace

Flying Ace

Commodore 64 - Released - 1983

Supply chain disruption is the goal of this side-scroller. Loop around in your sturdy biplane and strafe enemy trucks rolling along on the road below. There are patrol planes and anti-aircraft guns, to be certain, but success or failure is decided by the number of trucks you destroy. Fail to get enough, and your supply -- of spare biplanes -- goes down. Of course, rack up enough points, and your supply of planes increases. You'll need them, since not long into your flight, bullets are flying everywhere and chewing up your plane. A counter ticks off the hits at the bottom of the screen right next to the score. At nine, your plane drops like a rock. Fuel and ammo are not a problem; a friendly airstrip will come along at the right time. Friendly from the sky, that is. When you get right down to it, at the wrong angle or a bit too late, that airstrip can be as unfriendly as any other patch of hard ground. The ground may be the most dangerous thing on the screen, since you must dive sharply to strafe the supply trucks, and there's scant room for the loops required to out-maneuver enemy pilots. When that becomes easy, their skill can be upped with two more levels of difficulty.
Fortress of the Witch King

Fortress of the Witch King

Commodore 64 - Released - 1984

Fortress of the Witch King blends strategy and role-playing. The basic premise is to build up an army to assault the Witch King's Fortress (think Mordor). Encounters are played out in text, but there is a map screen which gives an overview of the landscape. One must raise enough gold to hire wizards, warriors, scouts, clerics and raiders by defeating bands of roaming monsters and minions. In addition, a number of artifacts and special items must be found before entering the fortress. Up to four players compete in hot-seat play.
Fortress of the Witch King

Fortress of the Witch King

Apple II - Released - August 13, 1983

Fortress of the Witch King blends strategy and role-playing. The basic premise is to build up an army to assault the Witch King's Fortress (think Mordor). Encounters are played out in text, but there is a map screen which gives an overview of the landscape. One must raise enough gold to hire wizards, warriors, scouts, clerics and raiders by defeating bands of roaming monsters and minions. In addition, a number of artifacts and special items must be found before entering the fortress. Up to four players compete in hot-seat play.
G.F.S. Sorceress

G.F.S. Sorceress

Atari 800 - Released - 1981

G.F.S. Sorceress is a science fiction themed text adventure game. The player takes on the role of Joe Justin, who has been unjustly sentenced for mutiny, sentenced to spend the rest of his natural days drifting in natural space in a recycling spacesuit with no thrusters. You are kicked out of the Galactic Federation Naval Starship Rheingold 's airlocks spinning uncontrollably. For days you drift aimlessly, when up ahead you see a sudden flash of light. The player comes upon the G.F.S. Sorceress, and must make their way inside the ship, and restore their weapons, engines, and other systems. Inside the ship you meet Captain Selena Sakarov, who offers to help prove the player's innocence. The player must travel to 4 different planets, and gather information that proves their innocence for the crime of mutiny. In their explorations on an ice planet, the player discovers a friendly robot who can be used to carry items for the player and solve puzzles.
G.F.S. Sorceress

G.F.S. Sorceress

Apple II - Released - 1982

G.F.S. Sorceress is a science fiction themed text adventure game. The player takes on the role of Joe Justin, who has been unjustly sentenced for mutiny, sentenced to spend the rest of his natural days drifting in natural space in a recycling spacesuit with no thrusters. You are kicked out of the Galactic Federation Naval Starship Rheingold 's airlocks spinning uncontrollably. For days you drift aimlessly, when up ahead you see a sudden flash of light. The player comes upon the G.F.S. Sorceress, and must make their way inside the ship, and restore their weapons, engines, and other systems. Inside the ship you meet Captain Selena Sakarov, who offers to help prove the player's innocence. The player must travel to 4 different planets, and gather information that proves their innocence for the crime of mutiny. In their explorations on an ice planet, the player discovers a friendly robot who can be used to carry items for the player and solve puzzles.
Galaxy

Galaxy

Atari 800 - Released - 1982

As Fleet Admiral of a newly commissioned starship armada you send your ships from the home planet to explore the unknown resources of the stars. The planets circling those stars may be barren or they may have industrial capacity and will resist your colonization attempts. It is up to you whether to conquer and colonize those worlds, and convert them to producing new ships for continued expansion, and to bring the entire galaxy under your control. Galaxy can be played by as many as 20 players who compete against each other for control of up to 40 star systems. If you are playing multiplayer, the person controlling the most planets at game end is the winner. The computer produces a different galaxy every game.
Galaxy

Galaxy

Texas Instruments TI 99/4A - Released - 1983

As Fleet Admiral of a newly commissioned starship armada you send your ships from the home planet to explore the unknown resources of the stars. The planets circling those stars may be barren or they may have industrial capacity and will resist your colonization attempts. It is up to you whether to conquer and colonize those worlds, and convert them to producing new ships for continued expansion, and to bring the entire galaxy under your control. Galaxy can be played by as many as 20 players who compete against each other for control of up to 40 star systems. If you are playing multiplayer, the person controlling the most planets at game end is the winner. The computer produces a different galaxy every game.
Galaxy

Galaxy

Apple II - Released - August 15, 1982

As Fleet Admiral of a newly commissioned starship armada you send your ships from the home planet to explore the unknown resources of the stars. The planets circling those stars may be barren or they may have industrial capacity and will resist your colonization attempts. It is up to you whether to conquer and colonize those worlds, and convert them to producing new ships for continued expansion, and to bring the entire galaxy under your control. Galaxy can be played by as many as 20 players who compete against each other for control of up to 40 star systems. If you are playing multiplayer, the person controlling the most planets at game end is the winner. The computer produces a different galaxy every game.
Galaxy

Galaxy

MS-DOS - Released - 1982

As Fleet Admiral of a newly commissioned starship armada you send your ships from the home planet to explore the unknown resources of the stars. The planets circling those stars may be barren or they may have industrial capacity and will resist your colonization attempts. It is up to you whether to conquer and colonize those worlds, and convert them to producing new ships for continued expansion, and to bring the entire galaxy under your control. Galaxy can be played by as many as 20 players who compete against each other for control of up to 40 star systems. If you are playing multiplayer, the person controlling the most planets at game end is the winner. The computer produces a different galaxy every game.
Galaxy

Galaxy

Commodore PET - Released - 1981

As Fleet Admiral of a newly commissioned starship armada you send your ships from the home planet to explore the unknown resources of the stars. The planets circling those stars may be barren or they may have industrial capacity and will resist your colonization attempts. It is up to you whether to conquer and colonize those worlds, and convert them to producing new ships for continued expansion, and to bring the entire galaxy under your control. Galaxy can be played by as many as 20 players who compete against each other for control of up to 40 star systems. If you are playing multiplayer, the person controlling the most planets at game end is the winner. The computer produces a different galaxy every game.
Galaxy (Avalon Hill)

Galaxy (Avalon Hill)

Commodore 64 - Released - 1982

As Fleet Admiral of a newly commissioned starship armada you send your ships from the home planet to explore the unknown resources of the stars. The planets circling those stars may be barren or they may have industrial capacity and will resist your colonization attempts. It is up to you whether to conquer and colonize those worlds, and convert them to producing new ships for continued expansion, and to bring the entire galaxy under your control. Galaxy can be played by as many as 20 players who compete against each other for control of up to 40 star systems. If you are playing multiplayer, the person controlling the most planets at game end is the winner. The computer produces a different galaxy every game.
Gryphon

Gryphon

Commodore 64 - Released - 1984

Players control Gryphon, a mythical creature living in the Land of Dreams and Legend, a land consisting of Mystical Woods, Surreal Cities, and the deadly Darklands. One day, Gryphon awoke to discover that his gold has been threatened by the Id Monsters and the pure water in the rivers and lakes turned into poison, blocking access to the different regions. You have the task of carrying gold from one area, and using them to form a bridge over the poisonous water so that Gryphon can travel to the next region while avoiding the Id Monsters, who can be dealt with by shooting bolts of pure Griffin magic. As well as walking across the surface, Gryphon can also fly; but to do so, he must make a running start first before leaping into the air. Between regions, a bonus level can be played, and the object of these is to slide the gold bar left or right, shooting one or more Gryphons. Their speed is increased with each shot they take. The bonus level ends when the Gryphon manages to walk past the screen.
Guderian

Guderian

Commodore 64 - Released - 1986

Guderian simulates the critical campaign near Smolensk on the road to Moscow during WWII. As the German player you are at the head of the panzergruppe invading central Russia and must master blitzkrieg tactics to encircle and overrun Soviet divisions and drive deep enough into Russia to make the capture of Moscow possible. The Soviet player must work to counter the German threat and make attacks that will cut off the supply of the German forward units. The game can be played solitaire as either side.
Guderian

Guderian

Apple II - Released - August 15, 1986

Guderian simulates the critical campaign near Smolensk on the road to Moscow during WWII. As the German player you are at the head of the panzergruppe invading central Russia and must master blitzkrieg tactics to encircle and overrun Soviet divisions and drive deep enough into Russia to make the capture of Moscow possible. The Soviet player must work to counter the German threat and make attacks that will cut off the supply of the German forward units. The game can be played solitaire as either side.
Gulf Strike

Gulf Strike

MS-DOS - Released - 1985

Based upon the popular boardgame, Gulf Strike allows you to examine every aspect of the complex Persian Gulf region. Complete air, land and sea orders of battle for more than a dozen nations allows you to fight each conflict to its unpredictable conclusion. The game will end when one of the following occurs: After 25 turns have been completed, the Soviet/Iraqi side gains 9 victory points, or the players choose to end the game.The game is for 1 or 2 players and usually takes 1-5 hours to complete. Avalon Hill rated this game a 7 on their 1(easy) -10(hard) complexity scale.
Gulf Strike

Gulf Strike

Commodore 64 - Released - 1985

Based upon the popular boardgame, Gulf Strike allows you to examine every aspect of the complex Persian Gulf region. Complete air, land and sea orders of battle for more than a dozen nations allows you to fight each conflict to its unpredictable conclusion. The game will end when one of the following occurs: After 25 turns have been completed, the Soviet/Iraqi side gains 9 victory points, or the players choose to end the game.The game is for 1 or 2 players and usually takes 1-5 hours to complete. Avalon Hill rated this game a 7 on their 1(easy) -10(hard) complexity scale.
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