Master of Magic (1994): The 4X Strategy Game That Out-Civilized Civilization
Sid Meier’s Civilization gets credit for inventing the modern 4X genre, but a small MicroProse-published game from 1994 quietly out-did […]
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Pirates! Gold (1993): Sid Meier’s Caribbean Sandbox, Revisited
There’s a specific kind of magic in a game that lets you start a session planning a treasure hunt and
Eye of the Beholder (1991): Westwood’s D&D Dungeon Crawl Debut
Before Command & Conquer made Westwood a household name, the studio cut its teeth on something very different: a first-person
Mortal Kombat II (1994): Midway’s Roster Doubles, the Gore Gets Weirder
Twelve fighters, three ways to end a match, and a sequel that fixed nearly everything players complained about in the
Dune (1992): Cryo Interactive’s Strange, Beautiful Adventure-Strategy Hybrid
Mention “Dune” to most PC gamers from this era and they’ll think of Westwood’s real-time strategy game. That’s a shame,
Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter (1986) — Sierra’s Silliest Space Opera Begins
Space Quest never took itself seriously, and that’s exactly why it’s lasted. Two guys, one janitor, and a galaxy to
Leisure Suit Larry (1987): Al Lowe’s Lovably Pathetic Adventure Comedy
A Text Adventure Reborn as a Punchline Machine Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards started life
Theme Park (1994): Bullfrog Built the Tycoon Genre’s First Real Blueprint
Rollercoaster Tycoon gets most of the credit when people talk about the golden age of tycoon games, but that genre
Syndicate (1993): Bullfrog’s Cyberpunk Power Fantasy
Most games ask you to play the hero. Syndicate hands you a mind-control chip, four cybernetically enhanced agents, and a
Star Wars: TIE Fighter (1994): LucasArts’ Imperial Masterpiece
What if the good guys were the problem? LucasArts’ Star Wars: TIE Fighter asked that question in 1994 by putting
Star Wars: X-Wing (1993): LucasArts Builds a Real 3D Death Star Run
I still remember how different it felt the first time the Death Star trench run rendered in real, moving 3D
Wing Commander (1990): Chris Roberts’ Blueprint for Cinematic Sci-Fi Gaming
Long before Chris Roberts was known for Star Citizen’s ambitions and controversies, he was a young designer at Origin Systems