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Index of games by order of preference

This is a very rough order of how much I subjectively liked every game. Game ranks can change over time as I reconsider previous rankings.

  • ☆☆☆☆
  1. Reach for the Stars (1983/1985/1988) – Standard AAR, Advanced AAR, R&R

    ☆☆☆
  2. War in Russia (1984) – AAR part 1, part 2, R&R
  3. Wreck of the B.S.M. Pandora (the) (1982) – AAR, R&R
  4. Eastern Front 1941 (1981) – AAR1, AAR2, R&R
  5. Rome and the Barbarians (1984) – AAR + R&R
  6. VC (1982) – AAR + R&R
  7. Close Assault (1983) – AAR & R&R
  8. Bomb Alley (1982) – AAR Malta North Africa, R&R
  9. Germany 1985 (1982) – AAR, R&R
  10. Baltic 1985 (1984) – AAR, R&R
  11. Southern Command (1981) – AAR part 1, part 2, R&R
  12. Galactic Gladiators (1982) – AAR + R&R
  13. Starbase Hyperion (1980) – AAR + R&R
  14. Rebelstar Raiders (1984) – AARs : Moonbase, Starlingale, The Final Assault; R&R

    ☆☆
  15. The Fall of Rome (1983) – AAR + R&R
  16. Reforger ’88 (1984) – AAR + R&R
  17. Space Station Zulu (1983) – AAR + R&R
  18. Eagles (1983) – AAR : Early 1917, Late 1917, Early 1918, Late 1918 ; R&R
  19. The War of the Worlds (1983) – AAR + R&R
  20. Dreadnoughts (1984) – AAR + R&R
  21. RDF 1985 (1983) – AAR, R&R
  22. Operation Whirlwind (1982) – AAR + R&R
  23. Pacific War (1983) – AAR + R&R
  24. Shattered Alliance (the) (1981) – AAR, R&R
  25. Star Trek (1971+) – AAR + R&R
  26. Archon: The Light and the Dark (1983) – AAR + R&R
  27. Archon II: Adept – AAR + R&R
  28. Computer Diplomacy (1984) – AAR + R&R
  29. Operation Apocalypse (1981) – AAR, R&R
  30. Norway 1985 (1985) AAR, R&R
  31. Cytron Masters (1982) – AAR + R&R
  32. Guadalcanal (1984) – AAR Part 1, AAR Part 2 + R&R
  33. Fortress (1983) – AAR + R&R
  34. English Civil War (1984) – Multiplayer AAR and R&R
  35. Computer Ambush (1980) – AAR, R&R
  36. Parthian Kings (1983) – AAR1, AAR2 + R&R, Multiplayer AAR
  37. Invasion Orion / Starfleet Orion (1979) – AAR part 1, part 2, R&R

    ☆
  38. Battle of the Bulge (1984) – AAR + R&R
  39. Strategy 2 : The Hunt for the Bismark (1983) – AAR + R&R
  40. Conflict [aka Computer Conflict – Rebel Forces] (1979) – AAR + R&R
  41. Epidemic! (1982) – AAR + R&R
  42. Up Periscope (1983) – AAR + R&R
  43. Crush, Crumble and Chomp (1981) – AAR + R&R
  44. Computer Bismarck (1980) – AAR, R&R
  45. Conquest (1984) – AAR + R&R
  46. Final Conflict (the) (1982) – AAR + R&R
  47. Nebula (1983) – AAR + R&R
  48. Kriegspiel (1983) – AAR + R&R
  49. Objective Kursk (1984) – AAR + R&R
  50. Cosmic Balance (the) (1982) – AAR + R&R
  51. Across the Rubicon / Rubicon II (1982/1983) – AAR + R&R
  52. Road to Gettysburg (the) (1982) – AAR + R&R
  53. North Atlantic ’86 (1983) – AAR : Early November, Late November, Finale ; R&R
  54. Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1982) – AAR + R&R
  55. Empire / Empire, Wargame of the Century (1987) – AAR + R&R
  56. Dreadnoughts (1983) – AAR + R&R
  57. Geopolitique 1990 (1983) – AAR : Peace, War ; R&R
  58. Excalibur (1983) – AAR : Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 ; R&R
  59. Guadalcanal Campaign (1982) – AAR Coral Sea Guadalcanal Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec ; R&R
  60. The Seven Cities of Gold (1984) – First voyage, second voyage, third voyage and R&R
  61. Knights of the Desert (1983) – AAR + R&R
  62. NukeWar (1980) – AAR + R&R
  63. Parsector V (1980) – AAR + R&R
  64. Panzer War (1984) – AAR + R&R
  65. Space Ace 21 (1981) – AAR + R&R
  66. Andromeda Conquest (1982) – AAR + R&R, Multiplayer AAR
  67. Galactic Empire (1979) – AAR + R&R
  68. King Arthur (1981) – AAR + R&R

    Obsolete – at this point the ranking is extremely theoretical
  69. Redweed (1983) – AAR + R&R
  70. Tawala’s Last Redoubt (1981) – AAR + R&R
  71. Computer Napoleonics (1980) – AAR, R&R
  72. Tanktics (1978) – AAR, R&R
  73. Stonkers (1983) – AAR + R&R
  74. Saratoga (1983) – AAR + R&R
  75. Islandia (1984) – AAR + R&R
  76. Warp Factor (the) (1981) – AAR, R&R
  77. Broadsides (1983) – AAR + R&R
  78. Computer Air Combat (1980) – AAR, R&R
  79. Combat Leader (1983) – AAR + R&R
  80. Emperor (1980) – AAR + R&R
  81. Battle for Tunis (1984) – AAR + R&R
  82. Dark Forest (1981) – AAR + R&R
  83. Battle for Normandy (1982) – AAR + R&R
  84. Nobunaga’s Ambition (1983) – AAR + R&R
  85. Battlezone 2000 (1983) – AAR + R&R
  86. Supreme Ruler (1982) – AAR + R&R
  87. Time Lords (1983) – AAR + R&R
  88. Legionnaire (1982) – AAR + R&R
  89. North Atlantic Convoy Raider (1980) – AAR + R&R
  90. Tactical Armor Command – TAC (1983) – AAR, R&R
  91. After Pearl – AAR + R&R
  92. Armor Assault (1982) – AAR+R&R
  93. Clear for Action (1984) – AAR + R&R
  94. Galactic Revolution (1980) – AAR + R&R
  95. Dnieper River Line (1982) – AAR + R&R
  96. Napoleon at Waterloo (1984) – AAR + R&R
  97. The Alien (1983) – AAR + R&R
  98. Panzers East (1984) – AAR + R&R
  99. Combat Chess (1984) – AAR + R&R
  100. Plunder (1983) – AAR + R&R
  101. Battle 1917 (1984) – AAR + R&R

    Totally obsolete
  102. Johnny Reb (1983) – AAR + R&R
  103. Max-Command (1982) – AAR + R&R
  104. Waterloo (1983) – AAR + R&R
  105. Company Commander (1984) – AAR + R&R
  106. Under Southern Skies (1984) – AAR + R&R
  107. Space Explorer (1980) – AAR + R&R
  108. NATO Commander (1983) – AAR, R&R
  109. Shoot ‘Em Up in Space (1982) – AAR + R&R
  110. Trek80 (1977) – AAR + R&R
  111. Jerico 2 (1983) – AAR + R&R
  112. Squadron Leader Games (1980/1982) – AAR + R&R
  113. Midway Campaign (1980) – AAR + R&R
  114. War (1982) – AAR + R&R
  115. Bez-MX (1982) – AAR + R&R
  116. Kamikaze (1983) – AAR + R&R
  117. Cosmic Balance II (1983) – AAR Part 1, Part 2, R&R
  118. Apocalypse (1983) – Multiplayer AAR, R&R
  119. Paras (1983) – AAR + R&R
  120. Wargame (1983) – AAR + R&R
  121. Savo Island (1983) – AAR + R&R
  122. Carrier Force (1983) – Coral Sea, Midway, R&R
  123. Ants!!! (1979) – AAR + R&R
  124. Starclash (1980) / Starclash II (1984) – AAR + R&R
  125. Battle of Shiloh (the) (1981) – AAR + R&R
  126. Tigers in the Snow (1981) – AAR + R&R
  127. Kawanakajima na Kassen (1981) – AAR + R&R
  128. Trek73 (1981) – AAR + R&R
  129. Conquering Worlds (1983) – AAR + R&R
  130. Strategy One – Invasion (1983) – AAR + R&R
  131. William the Conqueror (1982) – AAR + R&R
  132. CINCPAC – The Battle of Midway (1984) – AAR + R&R
  133. Torpedo Fire (1981) – AAR, R&R
  134. Battle for Midway (1984) – AAR + R&R
  135. Battle of Britain [Microgame Simulations] (1982) – AAR + R&R
  136. Centurion (1981) – AAR + R&R
  137. Panzer-Jagd (1984) – AAR + R&R
  138. Pearl Harbour (1984) – AAR + R&R
  139. B-1 Nuclear Bomber (1980) – AAR + R&R
  140. Panzer Attack (1984) – AAR + R&R
  141. Domination (1981) – AAR + R&R
  142. Battle of Zeighty (the) (1982) – AAR + R&R
  143. 50 Mission Crush (1984) – AAR + R&R
  144. Napoleon (1982) – AAR + R&R
  145. Lordlings of Yore (1983) – AAR + R&R
  146. Galactic Wars (1982) – AAR + R&R
  147. Conflict 2500 (1981) – AAR + R&R
  148. Mapsnatch (1984) – AAR + R&R
  149. Dragonriders of Pern (1983) – AAR + R&R
  150. Cosmic Conquest (1982) – AAR + R&R
  151. Zendar (1982) – AAR + R&R
  152. New World (1982) – AAR + R&R
  153. Empire [Shards Software] (1983) – AAR + R&R
  154. Battle of Gettysburg (1982) – AAR + R&R
  155. Raider 41 (1984) – AAR + R&R

Could not rank

Those are games that I covered but that I cannot rank :

  • Galactic Trader (1979) – AAR + R&R (trading game – not very good)
  • Galaxy [Galactic Empires] (1981) – AAR + R&R (designed for multiplayer)
  • Napoleon’s Campaigns : 1813, 1815 (1981) – AAR, R&R (the only available version has a critical bug)
  • King Arthur (1983) – AAR+R&R (fraud. If I ranked it, it would be last).

BRIEF

The BRIEF are not ranked, but for completion sake here is the list :

  • Admiral Graf Spee (1983) – BRIEF (no strategic or tactical decision)
  • Assault IV (1981) – BRIEF (sessions last less than 5 minutes, more puzzle than strategy)
  • A World at War (1983) – BRIEF (sessions last less than 5 minutes, simple)
  • Battle of Britain [Molimerx] (1981) – BRIEF (arcade game pretending there is a strategy layer)
  • Bomber Command (1983) – BRIEF (arcade, no strategic layer)
  • Civil War (1968) – BRIEF (an arch-precursor on mainframe, a resource allocation game)
  • Convoy (1977) – BRIEF (early mainframe game)
  • Deepspace (1975) – BRIEF (a variant of Don Daglow’s Star Trek, itself a precursor to Trek73)
  • Galactic Attack (1980) – BRIEF (no strategy but skill with calculating angle quickly)
  • Global Thermonuclear Warfare (1983) – BRIEF (no player agency)
  • Godzilla (1980) – BRIEF (sessions last less than 5 minutes, no strategy)
  • Highnoon (1970) – BRIEF (an arch-precursor on mainframe, luck driven)
  • Land Battle (1982/1998) – BRIEF (multiplayer only)
  • Leyte (1981) – BRIEF (no real strategy)
  • Luftwaffe (1982) – BRIEF (no real strategy)
  • Mission Empire (1982) – BRIEF (inferior copy of Galactic Empire)
  • Roman Empire (1982) – BRIEF (part of Lothlorien’s early “almost wargames”)
  • Peloponnesian War (1982) – BRIEF (part of Lothlorien’s early “almost wargames”)
  • Radar (1977) – BRIEF (early mainframe game)
  • Rescue Raiders (1984) – BRIEF (arcade with a varnish of strategy)
  • Sahara Warriors (1979) – BRIEF (one part of the game is multiplayer only, the other is not a wargame)
  • Samurai Warrior (1982) – BRIEF (Lothlorien early game. Not even wargame-adjacent)
  • Starbase Zero (1979) – BRIEF (early Trek73-like)
  • Star Trek [Peterson/Don Daglow] (1974?) – BRIEF (a simpler precursor to Trek73)
  • Sea Battle [Mainframe] (1979) – BRIEF (early mainframe game)
  • Sea Battle [Intellivision] (1980) – BRIEF (multiplayer only)
  • Submarinos U-95 Batalla Naval (1984) – BRIEF (no strategy at all)
  • Takeover (1982/1998) – BRIEF (multiplayer only)
  • Tank Command (1980) – BRIEF (not a wargame)
  • Tyrant of Athens (1982) – BRIEF (part of Lothlorien’s early “almost wargames”)
  • Utopia (1981) – BRIEF (designed for multiplayer)
  • War (1972) [Carlson/Bonicatto] – BRIEF (early mainframe game)
  • War (1973) [Bob Dores] – BRIEF (early mainframe game)
  • Warfish (1983) – BRIEF (early mainframe game)
  • Warlord (1982) – BRIEF (part of Lothlorien’s early “almost wargames”)
  • War of Nerves (1979) – BRIEF (arcade & multiplayer only)
  • World Power (1978) – BRIEF (no strategy at all)
  • Zor (1982) – BRIEF (no strategy, only random results of attacks)