The most interesting strategy games released in 1997
All the best and most popular games of the year, upcoming releases, and hits from the past. Use filters to narrow down search.
Worms 2
Strategy
January 18, 1997
Worms 2 is the second part of the turn-based strategy cycle developed by Team 17 Software studio. The player directs the title actions of the robots armed with various weapons, and his task is to eliminate all enemy units. The creators envisaged several gameplay variants, including multiplayer mode for up to 6 people.
Carnage Heart
Strategy
January 31, 1997
A futuristic turn-based strategy in which the player plays the role of the robot unit commander. Unlike other games of this type, in Carnage Heart the user has no direct control over their machines. Instead, he must program them in advance in such a manner, that in clashes they are able to cope without anyone's help.
Tribal Rage
Strategy
February 10, 1997
Tribal Rage is a postapocalyptic real-time strategy (RTS), created by TalonSoft's development team. The action of the game was set in 2030, and the players direct the actions of one of the 6 fighting for raw materials and the survival of the factions. The creators took care of a random element, which makes the single-player campaign always have a different course, as well as the possibility of competition in multi-player mode.
Imperium Galactica
Strategy
March 1, 1997
A space strategy that combines the elements of RTS games and turn-based empire development. Initially, we are provided with a fleet of several ships and sovereignty over three colonies. We explore space, develop technologies, trade and negotiate with representatives of foreign races, all in order to ensure the dominant role of humanity.
Industry Giant
Strategy
March 20, 1997
Economic simulator thanks to which you can test your business management skills. Our responsibilities include sourcing raw materials by organising transport networks on land, at sea and in the air, building factories and marketing our products. We also have to deal with merciless competition.
Fallen Haven
Strategy
April 8, 1997
Fallen Haven is a turn-based strategy maintained in the atmosphere of science fiction, by Micomeq studio. The plot of the game depicts the struggle of people and the alien Tauran race for control of the New Haven planet, rich in precious resources. The player takes on the role of the main commander of the chosen faction and has the task of tilting the scales of victory to his side.
Fields of Fire
Strategy
April 10, 1997
Real time strategy with RPG elements, produced by Empire Interactive studio. The action takes place during the American wars of the 17th century. We take part in various battles, thanks to which we gain experience for our hero, engaging in more and more difficult storyline threads and tasks to perform. The game has a multiplayer mode.
X-COM: Apocalypse
Strategy
May 13, 1997
The third installment of the popular series of turn based games created by Microprose. In X-COM: Apocalypse, we assume the role of the commander of X-COM, an organization created to defend Earth against the alien invaders. The base gameplay is exactly the same as in the previous installments of the series. During the game, we build and develop bases, research new technologies, as well as employ and equip our soldiers. Thanks to thorough preparations, we can send our soldiers on subsequent missions, where we have to clear the areas controlled by the aliens. Nevertheless, X-COM: Apocalypse is full of changes and novelties, with the new theater of operations in the form of Mega-Prime, a sprawling metropolis in which a number of independent organizations is operating, not always with our best interests in mind. Aside from improved visuals, another mainstay are the reactions of individual social groups on our behavior during the missions.
Battleground 7: Bull Run
Strategy
May 15, 1997
The seventh installment of the popular series, in which the creators for the fourth time focus on the American Civil War. This time we recreate the course of two less known battles, which took place in 1861 and 1862 near Manassas and became popularly known as the two "bull rallies".
Constructor
Strategy
June 1, 1997
A humorous economic strategy in which we take control of our own construction company, and our goal is to compete ruthlessly with the industry's competitors. By building appropriate workshops and houses for rent, we try to slow down the development of our rivals by means that are not necessarily in line with the law.
The Great Battles of Alexander
Strategy
June 15, 1997
The Great Battles of Alexander is the first installment of a series of turn-based strategies developed by Erudite Software. The game is an adaptation of a popular board game and recreates scenarios of the 10 biggest battles from Alexander the Great's campaign. The creators envisaged the possibility of competing with computer artificial intelligence or a living opponent via LAN or the Internet.
Dungeon Keeper (1997)
Strategy
June 26, 1997
An innovative real-time strategy game set in a fantasy universe. Dungeon Keeper was created by Peter Molyneux’s Bullfrog Productions, the studio known for the Populous and Syndicate series. Unlike many dungeon crawlers popular in 1990s, Dungeon Keeper does not put you in the shoes of an adventurous hero, instead letting you play as a demonic lord of dungeons. Your main task is building an expansive net of dungeons and defending them from raiding heroes. To achieve this you have to put up various fortifications, set traps, and fill endless corridors with armies of monsters. At the same time you have to keep an eye on your economy, by looking out for new deposits of gold and diamonds, needed for dungeon expansion as well as recruiting and training of your warriors. Dungeon Keeper offers a single player campaign made up of 20 main missions and 5 extra missions, each one with specific objectives. The game also offers 4-people multiplayer with 15 dedicated maps. Gameplay uses isometric view, which is typical of the RTS genre.
Age of Empires
Strategy
June 30, 1997
A real time strategy developed by Ensemble Studios. The players take control of one of twelve ancient civilizations, including, among others, Babylon, Egypt, Greece, or Korea, with the task to lead them through four advancement stages spanning across 10 thousand years. The gameplay focuses on building our own settlement (based on four architectonic styles: Asian, Egyptian, Middle Eastern, and Greek), acquiring necessary resources (wood, food, stone, gold), researching new technologies, and recruiting military units. Aside from four story campaigns, Age of Empires includes special scenarios, a skirmish mode with AI-controlled opponents, and a multiplayer mode for up to eight players. The game is characterized by its hand-drawn, 2D graphics.
Kupiec
Strategy
June 30, 1997
A merchant is a fantasy-based economic game created by the Polish studio Color7 Productions. The player plays the role of a tradesman who has to gain wealth in order to buy his fiancée out of the hands of pirates. Production is a conversion of a hit from 8-bit computers.
Sid Meier's Civilization II: Fantastic Worlds
Strategy
July 20, 1997
The second official expansion pack to Sid Meier’s Civilization II. With the second expansion, the developers at Microprose have created a dozen or so scenarios set in fantasy and science fiction universes. Sid Meier's Civilization II: Fantastic Worlds adds nineteen missions set in the worlds of mythology (Midgard, Atlantis), literature (e.g. from the novels of Jules Verne), and other Microprose franchises (Master of Magic, Master of Orion, X-COM). The players get to control new civilizations with their new units, buildings and technologies. With Sid Meier's Civilization II: Fantastic Worlds, players received a new editor capable of creating not only new scenarios but also new units. Expansion of cities, recruiting an army, and investing in technology or culture - the core of the gameplay remains the same. All of this so our nation can shine among the rest.
Myth: The Fallen Lords
Strategy
July 21, 1997
A tactical RTS set in a fantasy realm, developed by Bungie Software, a seasoned developer present since 1991. The game, loosely inspired by the setting of Glen Cook's The Black Company series, lets us play the part of a commander of the Army of Light, leading our armies to battle the forces of darkness led by powerful sorcerers, the eponymous Fallen Lords. Unlike most typical real time strategy games, Myth: The Fallen Lords ignores the resource gathering aspect, as the gameplay focuses entirely on skirmishes with enemy troops. Moreover, with each successive victory the surviving warriors gain experience, becoming more powerful and allowing us to win the fight even against a seemingly overwhelming enemy force. An undisputed advantage of the production is its fully three dimensional environment and a physics engine, whereby the outcome of clashes is affected by various external factors, and most objects present on the map can be used in battle.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert - Counterstrike
Strategy
August 2, 1997
The official expansion to Command & Conquer: Red Alert, the renowned RTS title released in November, 1996 by the Westwood Studios company. Counterstrike features sixteen new scenarios (eight for each of the factions) of various difficulty levels. In contrast to the vanilla version of the game these missions have not been combined into a campaign, allowing us to play them out at our will. The developers have definitely not forgotten about the fans of multiplayer skirmishes, as shown by the whopping total of one hundred completely new, unique maps. The production has also been further diversified by the addition of four fresh units: the Tesla Tank, the Elite Super Soldier, the Wonder Dog and the Superjet; however, the fact that we can only obtain these troops in certain scenarios and cannot construct them on our own is a definite drawback. Command & Conquer: Red Alert – Counterstrike contains a rather interesting oddity, namely a hidden minicampaign, in which we try to prevail over an army of gigantic ants.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert - The Aftermath
Strategy
August 2, 1997
The second expansion to Command & Conquer: Red Alert, a bestseller RTS developed by the Westwood Studios company. The new expansion pack, titled The Aftermath, offers eighteen unique singleplayer scenarios (nine for each of the factions), which, similarly to the previous expansion, have not been combined into a separate campaign. The fans of the multiplayer mode will once again receive one hundred brand new maps, C&C Red Alert – The Aftermath also introduces seven fresh unit types, which the players can freely construct during the skirmishes. The Allies have bolstered their ranks with the teleporting Chrono Tank, field mechanics, who can repair damaged units, and also with Phase transports, capable of unleashing powerful warheads. The Soviets have obtained more of Tesla’s inventions, including the Tesla Tank and Shock Infantry, as well as an upgraded submarine capable of attacking and destroying targets on the ground. Both sides of the conflict have access to the devastating force that are the MAD tanks.
WAR, Inc.
Strategy
August 15, 1997
Real-time strategy with a strong economic theme. In the game we play the role of the owner of a company employing mercenaries, and our duties include not only efficient mission management, but also its proper preparation and provision of appropriate equipment to our subordinate units.
7th Legion
Strategy
August 26, 1997
A real-time strategy in which the factions of the ruling Seventh Legion on Earth and the former Chosen, returning home after a failed colonization mission, stand in front of each other. The game breaks with the traditional sourcing scheme, focusing only on the cash gained for killing enemy units. A peculiar innovation is also the introduction of random special cards, capable of reversing the fate of more than one skirmish.
Warcraft II: The Dark Saga
Strategy
August 31, 1997
Console version of Warcraft II real-time strategy: Tides of Darkness, including tasks from Beyond the Dark Portal. The production allows the player to lead the forces of people or orcs in a bloody war of domination over the land of Azeroth. User tasks include building a base, collecting raw materials, developing an army and destroying enemy forces. The console edition contains many improvements compared to the version released for personal computers.
Total Annihilation
Strategy
September 12, 1997
Total Annihilation is a real-time strategy (RTS) in science fiction climates created by Chris Taylor and Cavedog Entertainment's development team. The plot of the game depicts a galactic conflict between the two factions, Core and Arm, which has lasted for thousands of years and led to the collapse of both civilizations. The player takes control of the survivors of the army of one side, trying to recreate the former military potential and eventually tip the scales of victory.
Wargames: Defcon 1
Strategy
September 15, 1997
Wargames: Defcon 1 is a real-time strategy (RTS) based on the famous film "War Games" directed by John Badham. The plot is set in the near future and shows the conflict between people and machines. Developers from Interactive studio have prepared a total of 30 missions to complete. The game is the first RTS that uses a 3D graphics engine.
