The Bard’s Tale
1985 · Electronic Arts
A party-based dungeon crawl whose mapping and combat made it a fixture of early home-computer RPGs.
Battleward reference shelf · PC game catalog
PC games that put command on your desk.
Computer wargames, historical strategy, and role-playing games, including the digital descendants of tabletop design. Search by title, publisher, period, or style.
Search every game and review on Battleward ↗
Browse the catalog
Games across the decades
Year refers to the original computer release of the listed title, rather than a remaster, platform port, or later expansion.
13 entries shown
Sid Meier’s Civilization
1991 · MicroProse
Build a civilization across eras, balancing expansion, research, diplomacy, and war.
Panzer General
1994 · SSI
A campaign of linked hex-based battles made operational choices accessible without losing the appeal of combined arms.
Steel Panthers
1995 · SSI
Turn-based tactical armor and infantry combat with a deep scenario editor and a long-lived series.
Steel Panthers: World at War
2000 · Matrix Games
A substantial Matrix Games continuation of the SSI lineage, with tactical scenarios and mega-campaigns.
Hearts of Iron II
2005 · Paradox Interactive
A globe-spanning wartime command game, joining production, diplomacy, and military operations.
War in the Pacific: Admiral’s Edition
2009 · Matrix Games
A dense Pacific theater simulation with an exceptional level of operational and logistical detail.
Unity of Command
2011 · 2x2 Games / Matrix Games
A clean operational system where supply lines determine whether an offensive can survive.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
2012 · 2K Games
Squad tactics and base management give every soldier’s survival strategic weight.
Command: Modern Operations
2019 · Matrix Games
A detailed simulation of modern air, naval, and missile operations with a vast equipment database.
Panzer Corps 2
2020 · Slitherine
A modern heir to accessible hex-based operational campaigns, with a broad scenario library.
Gary Grigsby’s War in the East 2
2021 · Matrix Games
A demanding Eastern Front operational simulation for players who want logistics and campaign depth.
Strategic Command WWII: War in the Pacific
2024 · Matrix Games
A turn-based Pacific campaign offering a more approachable path into theater-wide command.
A curated starting catalog, expanding over time. Entries identify the named release; later editions may have different publishers and dates.