What made Avalon Hill unusual was that it treated board games as serious intellectual entertainment for adults at a time when most board games were family-oriented. Its titles simulated military campaigns, political systems, economics, sports seasons, and historical events with a level of detail that was almost unheard of in the 1950s and 1960s. Concepts such as hex-grid maps, zones of control, terrain effects, and detailed combat tables became associated with the company's designs and heavily influenced later strategy games.
For DOS and computer gaming enthusiasts, Avalon Hill is also noteworthy because it entered the computer game market early. In the 1980s it created a microcomputer division and published strategy titles for systems such as DOS, Apple II, Commodore 64, and others. Games like Conflict: Europe, Midway, Overrun!, and Cavewars carried the company's board-gaming philosophy into the digital world.
The company's golden age lasted from the 1960s through the early 1990s. By then, however, the market had changed. Video games were drawing away many strategy gamers, production costs were rising, and newer publishers were challenging Avalon Hill's dominance. In 1998 the company was acquired by Hasbro, ending its existence as an independent publisher. The brand survived, but the original company and staff largely disappeared.
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