Imperium

Released in 1990, Imperium offers strategy fans a chance to rule, conquer, and inevitably mismanage resources on a grand scale. It combines empire-building with military planning, asking players to think several moves ahead while enemies cheerfully ruin those plans. The interface belongs firmly to its era, which is to say it assumes you already know what you are doing. Still, once understood, the game reveals impressive depth. There is satisfaction in seeing your empire grow, even if it all collapses because you forgot food logistics. A worthy challenge for patient strategists.