Balance of Power

Simulation 1985 Dos Mindscape Politics Civil

Immersive but rather dated strategy/wargame

Balance of Power is a game that sports the entire set of amenities that have become staples of wargaming/tactics/strategy in turn based tabletop reproductions. You get your game map, full of details about your troops, your enemy's troops (the ones that are visible, though) and also, you get a separate section which includes economic data, at the macro level, though on the playing map you can see where your production facilities are settle and you can choose to interact with them. The graphics are the lower point of the game. Let's not forget that it was released in 1985, a time period ripe for strategy but not so much for enthralling graphical experiences in the genre. Thus, most elements are sketchy, rather fuzzy, with little to show for themselves. You will also get, at times, a hard time deciphering which unit is which and which building is which. This is hard to forgive now, but for the period it was more of a norm. So if you want a plain, no thrills experience, this game won't be for you. This is a hard game to sink into, leaving aside the good dose of simulation that it manages to produce quite well. The graphics will bottleneck most casual players, leaving only the most dedicated ones to go for this one.

"Cerebral" politics game

Balance of Power, a computer games of about 20 years ago. It's not an action game: it's cerebral. The challenge of figuring out how best to steer other nations in your direction and gain prestige, all while avoiding ticking off your opponent to the point of nuking the world, was always interesting to me. It's the ultimate game of global chess.

Games related to Balance of Power