1980s Strategy games

21 Strategy classics first released 1980 to 1989, in release order, and 27 games looking back to them.

Games looking back to them

• Eastern Front 1941 (web): Browser port of Chris Crawford's Eastern Front (1941) from its source.
• XArchon: X11 remake of Archon.
• mewl: Open-source remake of M.U.L.E.
• Planet M.U.L.E.: Free online remake of M.U.L.E. made with the Bunten family's blessing.
• Doomdark's Revenge (remake): Remake of the 1985 sequel to The Lords of Midnight.
• The Lords of Midnight (2012): Faithful modern remake of Mike Singleton's 1984 strategy adventure, with the fan site still hosting it.
• mengde: Open-source remake of the Koei tactics game Sangokushi Soso-den.
• Starsector: Top-down space fleet RPG sold DRM-free only from the developer's own site, never on Steam.
• Advance Wars By Web: Free browser site for playing Advance Wars online against people worldwide.
• Athena Crisis: Modern Advance Wars-like tactics game, later open-sourced.
• Commander Wars: Open-source Advance Wars clone with many additions.
• Tanks of Freedom: Free isometric turn-based tactics game in the style of Advance Wars.
• Tanks of Freedom II: 3D sequel to Tanks of Freedom.
• Tiny Metal: Japanese indie Advance Wars-like.
• Wargroove: Pixel-art fantasy tactics game in the style of Advance Wars.
• Wargroove 2: Sequel to Wargroove.
• Thunder&Lightning: Open-source game inspired by Carrier Command.
• AirMech: Free-to-play action RTS openly modeled on Herzog Zwei.
• Herzog 3D: Free 3D take on Herzog Zwei.
• Deisim: VR god game about guiding humankind.
• FreePop: Open-source god game clone of Populous II.
• Gods Against Machines: RTS-style god game.
• Godus: Kickstarted Populous successor by Peter Molyneux, left unfinished.
• Reus: 2D god game where you guide giants that shape a planet for humans.
• Rise to Ruins: Retro pixel-art village builder and god game by a solo developer (SixtyGig Games).
• The Universim: Planet-scale god game guiding a civilization through the ages.
• WorldBox: Pixel-art god sandbox by a solo developer.

The classics

• Computer Bismarck (1980)
• Eastern Front (1941) (1981)
• Utopia (1981)
• Archon (1983)
• Bokosuka Wars (1983)
• M.U.L.E. (1983)
• Nobunaga's Ambition (1983)
• Reach for the Stars (1983)
• Carriers at War (1984)
• Seven Cities of Gold (1984)
• The Lords of Midnight (1984)
• Balance of Power (1985)
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1985)
• Defender of the Crown (1986)
• Pirates! (1987)
• Advance Wars (1988)
• Carrier Command (1988)
• Herzog (1988)
• Harpoon (1989)
• Nectaris (Military Madness) (1989)
• Populous (1989)