Black Tower

A text adventure game.

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Part of collection:
Balance of Power (last 3 games)

31.12.1988

Balance of Power is a computer strategy game of geopolitics during the Cold War, created by Chris Crawford and published in 1985. The game is notable for engaging the player in brinkmanship. The goal of the game is simple: the player may choose to be either the President of the United States or the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and must lead the chosen superpower for eight years, seeking to maximize "prestige" and avoiding a nuclear war. Each turn is one year long; at the beginning of each year, the player is presented with a set of incidents and crises in various countries around the globe, and must choose a response to each one. Responses may range from no action, to diplomatic notes to the other superpower, to military maneuvers. Each response is then met with a counter-response, which may vary from backing down to escalation. The player then gets a chance to initiate actions, and deal with the opponent's responses. This core mechanic is similar to that of Bruce Ketchledge's 1983 game Geopolitique 1990, published by SSI. One difference from the earlier game is how negotiations are resolved. In both games, backing down in a negotiation results in a loss of prestige, which will reverberate politically. Likewise, in both games brinkmanship may result in a global war. In Geopolitique, such wars were actually fought in-game, after which the game continued. In Balance of Power, such a war ends the game instantly, with the following message: "You have ignited a nuclear war. And no, there is no animated display of a mushroom cloud with parts of bodies flying through the air. We do not reward failure."

31.12.1985

It has been more than forty years since the first nuclear bomb exploded. In that time, the shape of the world has changed dramatically. The power to destroy civilization rests in the hands of the superpowers and now, as either the president of the U.S. or as the General Secretary of the U.S.S.R., you have total responsibility for your nation's course. To succeed, you must enhance your country's prestige without infringing too much on your adversary's interests. If you play the isolationist, you will find yourself alone in a world dominated by your opponent. If you are too aggressive, you could unleash the war that annihilates humankind- and both sides lose. Balance Of Power uses a huge statistical database, a meticulously detailed display of the world, and advanced artificial intelligence techniques to put you in command of one of the world's superpowers. You have vast amounts of information available as you press your country's interest and resist the pressure of the other side. Noted game designer Chris Crawford has created a model of the world which will entertain, educate, challenge, and perhaps frighten you in ways no computer game has ever done before. Covers the eight years from 1986 to 1994.

01.01.1985

Take on the role of the US President or the Russian General Secretary and make your country the most powerful over your eight years in office. Use diplomacy, make treaties, use direct military force or use covert CIA/KGB agents. Just remember there's a big red button.

Could be interesting

04.03.2015

The old Empire is crumbling. Younger hungrier realms wait like vultures for their chance to pick at the carcass. Thus begins the grand campaign of Sovereignty. Rule your realm wisely and decisively. Play as the Boruvian Empire and try to recapture former Imperial glories. Or play any of 34 other realms, each with their own rich history, culture and play-style.

22.03.2016

Can anyone build an empire in a place like this? Other factions are naturally suspicious of newcomers and may wage war at the first sign of unidentified craft. Here, a natural death is an uncommon luxury.

30.04.2020

Design, build and manage a giant shopping center. Open shops, supermarkets, restaurants, movie theaters, bowling alleys and more. Hire and manage the best staff for the job and milk your customers for all they're worth!

30.04.2015

Order of Battle: World War II is breath of fresh air for all strategy fans. It is a game that takes wargaming to a new level by upgrading every single game element and rebooting the genre for a new generation of players.

17.10.2014

Real-Time Strategy/Wargame. From World War II through the Cold War and into the future, re-live or re-imagine the tensions and crises of our recent history! Guide your nation through the era of your choice in Campaigns, Scenarios, and Sandboxes, as you make every effort to become Supreme Ruler!

23.09.2014

TransOcean - The Shipping Company is your ticket to the world of gigantic ships and transnational transport empires. Build a mighty fleet of modern merchant ships and conquer the seven seas.

06.10.2017

Mashinky is a transport strategy game about trains. The goal is to create your own transport empire on a procedurally generated map. It’s a unique blend of realistic graphics combined with an isometric construction mode and board game-like rules.

15.09.2017

Two small classics from Clarus Victoria published in 2013, Stone Age and Bronze Age, are now available on Steam! Manage an ancient tribe in the African Savannah, build the first city in the Fertile Crescent, guide your people across prehistory and lead them to Victory!

01.12.2017

Come play with the sands of fun in our outer-space physics sandbox. Sculpt sand to direct the ball into the goal in this physics puzzle game. Race for position on the leader boards and make your own levels with the in-game editor and post them to the community.

01.03.2019

Business Magnate is a tycoon business simulation game where you can create all types of businesses: Cars, rockets, phones, tanks, trucks, airplanes, computers, ships and more. Design, produce, market and sell them. You can even run multiple companies at the same time. What can you do in the game - Company types: Cars, rockets, phones, tanks, trucks, airplanes, computers, ships - Build offices, warehouses, production facilities - Design products - Research new components and product types - Produce products and components - Run marketing campaigns - Manage employees