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Deep Reads on the Strategy Games That Shaped the 90s

Original essays, retrospectives, and boxed-edition profiles for the serious PC strategy enthusiast.

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From the Editorial Desk

Six articles worth reading slowly — coffee recommended.

The Quiet Genius of Imperialism II

Before grand strategy became mainstream, Imperialism II delivered turn-based diplomacy and trade systems so deep that most players never saw the bottom.

Panzer General and the Art of the Cardboard Manual

SSI's boxed editions came with manuals that doubled as historical primers. We revisit how print documentation shaped how a generation learned to love wargames.

Why Railroad Tycoon II Still Holds Up

Microprose's 1998 follow-up refined economic simulation in ways that genre titles still borrow from today. A long-form look at what its designers got exactly right.

PC Gamer UK vs. PC Zone: The Great Strategy Coverage War

Two rival magazines, wildly different editorial voices, and a shared obsession with turn-based games. We compare their 90s strategy coverage issue by issue.

Warlords III and the Forgotten Fantasy Wargame Tradition

Strategic Studies Group's Warlords series built a devoted following that mainstream gaming press largely ignored. This is the retrospective it deserved.

Master of Orion II: The Design Document That Changed Space Strategy

MoO2's production history is one of the most fascinating in 90s PC gaming — tight deadlines, a shrinking team, and a result that defined a genre for decades.

What Makes This Editorial Different

Depth, original research, and a genuine love for the catalog.

🔧 Primary Source Research

We track down original manuals, magazine reviews, and developer interviews rather than recycling secondhand takes already circulating online.

Beyond the Canon Titles

Yes, we cover Civilization and Command & Conquer — but our deepest dives go to the overlooked titles that deserve a second audience.

📰 Magazine Culture Coverage

90s strategy gaming lived and died in the pages of print magazines. We treat that editorial history as seriously as the games themselves.

🏆 Long-Form Over Listicles

Every article on this site earns its word count. We write essays, not bullet-point summaries — because these games reward serious attention.

Your next favorite 90s strategy read is already here

Hundreds of articles covering boxed PC classics, magazine history, and the designers who built a genre from scratch.

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Reader Questions

Do you accept guest posts or contributed essays?

Yes — we welcome long-form contributions from writers with genuine knowledge of 90s PC strategy. Pitch a specific game, designer, or magazine era to our editorial contact. We review every submission and respond within two weeks.

How often do you publish new articles?

We aim for two to three substantial pieces per month. Quality over frequency is the editorial policy here — we'd rather publish one properly researched retrospective than four rushed takes.

Are you based in Cairo, Egypt?

Our editorial team operates out of Cairo, Egypt, though the subject matter — 90s PC strategy and boxed-edition culture — is global. We cover titles released across North America, Europe, and beyond.

Where can I find coverage of a specific title not yet on the site?

Use the full archive search or drop us a suggestion via the contact page. Reader recommendations have directly shaped our editorial calendar — several of our most-read articles started as inbox suggestions.

Do you cover strategy games released after 2000?

Our primary focus is the 1990s era, but we occasionally publish pieces on early-2000s titles that share direct design lineage with 90s classics. The editorial scope is defined by spirit as much as release date.