This deserves a post of its own: Firaxis has announced Civilization: Beyond Earth, a spiritual successor in all but name to Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri. PC Gamer has run a detailed interview with the developers, while beneath the cut, I’ve … Continue reading
This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Age of Wonders IIIWhile I like a number of things about Age of Wonders III, one problem holds it back – pacing.
This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Age of Wonders IIINow that I’ve spent a little more time with Age of Wonders 3 – I think I’m near the end of my third campaign map – I … Continue reading
This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Age of Wonders III This is it, the biggest battle of this map so far. On my side, four towering giants – amongst the most powerful units in the game … Continue reading
This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series Hearts of IronI am a long-time fan of Hearts of Iron, a grand strategy series in which players control all aspects of a World War II nation, from armies and … Continue reading
This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series The Banner SagaAfter finishing The Banner Saga, I thought I’d expand on the conclusions I reached last week. I’m still happy with the game and its tactical battles, which become … Continue reading
This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series The Banner Saga“The gods are dead.” So opens Stoic Studio’s The Banner Saga, a low-fantasy tactical RPG with a cool and unique combat system. It’s so different as to … Continue reading
Paradox has announced two new games and two new expansions, all of which will come from Paradox Development Studio, its first-party arm. The games are Hearts of Iron IV and a new IP — Runemaster, an RPG set in a … Continue reading
This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Dominions 4I am very pleased to unveil a project I’ve worked on for some time — a Dominions 4 mod inspired by the classic anime movie Princess Mononoke! The mod … Continue reading
This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Dominions 4Spring, Year 4 of the Ascension Wars. The rival empires of Jomon, T’ien Ch’i, and Pythium have soaked their borderlands in blood; the prize, the Thrones of Ascension that … Continue reading
At first, I didn’t like Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol very much, its designer notwithstanding. On paper, this turn-based, TRPG take on World War I air combat had it all: a clean, simple interface; pilots who levelled up and learned … Continue reading
This is not a review of Creative Assembly’s Total War: Rome II, but if it were, my opinion would be, “Worth a look… but wait for the <$10 Steam sale.” I’m around 30 hours into Rome II, spread across two … Continue reading
This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Dominions 4Johan Karlsson and Kristoffer Osterman of Illwinter Game Design are the creators of indie masterpiece Dominions 3, a strategy game of near-unrivalled imagination, depth, and player choice. With Dominions … Continue reading
“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away.” Take that logic, apply to a strategy game, blend in a striking aesthetic, and sprinkle with humour: developer 17-BIT’s … Continue reading
This entry is part 8 of 8 in the series Europa Universalis IVParadox Development Studio’s Europa Universalis IV is a game about trade-offs, and it is all the better for it.
This entry is part 7 of 8 in the series Europa Universalis IVIf you walk around London today, you will still find monuments to the war heroes of the 18th century, and cross streets named after the ministers who led … Continue reading
My design analysis of Rome II, the Total War series, and what makes a good 4X game is now up! You can find it here. Total War: Rome II has been this year’s highest-profile strategy release, but its initial … Continue reading
This entry is part 6 of 8 in the series Europa Universalis IV In 1665, Great Britain lay in ruins, her navy and trade fleets sunk, her cities occupied by French soldiers. It was the culmination of a series … Continue reading
This entry is part 5 of 8 in the series Europa Universalis IVIn 1584, under siege by French-backed Catholic rebels, King Augustus I of Great Britain renounced the Protestant faith. It was a last resort; the British treasury was empty, … Continue reading
This entry is part 4 of 8 in the series Europa Universalis IVThe Navigator Queen In the summer of 1475, Anne, Queen of England, celebrated the fifth anniversary of her assumption of power from her regency council. They … Continue reading
I am very pleased to publish an email interview with Vic Davis, the indie game designer behind Armageddon Empires (one of my favourite strategy games), Solium Infernum, and Six-Gun Saga. Read on for our conversation about Vic’s latest title, … Continue reading
This entry is part 3 of 8 in the series Europa Universalis IVThe World that May Have Been Introduction November, 1444. Under the Ming Dynasty, China is the greatest empire in the world: Further … Continue reading
Well, this is big news – publisher Kalypso has announced Tropico 5, due out on Xbox 360 and PC in 2014. I was a big fan of Tropico 4, and while that was apparently an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary … Continue reading
I’m long overdue to post my impressions of two recent, interesting games, Occult Chronicles (still officially in “buy-in beta”) and Expeditions Conquistador. While they are very different, they have enough in common to be worth discussing in the same post, … Continue reading
Inspired by tycoon games and the classic Buzz Aldrin’s Race into Space, indie developer INTERMARUM is raising funds on Kickstarter for its upcoming turn-based strategy game, Race to Mars. RTM will task players with helming a private space company, with … Continue reading
This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Dominions 4I’m several hours into a preview copy of Dominions 4, the follow-up to one of my favourite strategy games. Dominions 3 was user-unfriendly, a beast to learn, and a … Continue reading
I’ve just finished Episode 1 of Back to the Future: The Game, a 5-part point-and-click adventure game from Telltale Games of Walking Dead fame. (I estimate Episode 1 is around 3-4 hours long, which suggests that the entire … Continue reading
This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series Hearts of IronFor the last decade, I’ve been a fan of Paradox Development Studio’s Hearts of Iron grand strategy games. HOI players control all aspects of their chosen nation during … Continue reading
This entry is part 2 of 8 in the series Europa Universalis IVEuropa Universalis IV is an upcoming grand strategy game by Paradox Development Studio, set during the early modern era of world history (roughly 1450 to 1800). When it … Continue reading
This entry is part 10 of 10 in the series Wargame: European Escalation/AirLand Battle Eugen Systems, the studio behind Wargame: AirLand Battle, is now one of my favourite developers of strategy games, of historical games, and indeed, of historical strategy … Continue reading
