Battle Isle

Battle Isle is a turn-based war game set in a stark sci-fi world that took the clarity of tabletop wargames and added several ideas that set it apart from everything else. Combat takes place on a grid of hexagons where tanks, infantry, artillery, helicopters and ships face off, each unit type having its own range, mobility and effectiveness against the others. Maps are designed as puzzles, and the goal is usually to seize factories and energy fields that supply resources and allow units to be replenished right in the middle of a battle.

The most interesting element is the way turns are resolved. The player first issues orders to all their units, and only then does the entire turn play out at once, so planning happens with the awareness that the opponent is preparing something at this very moment too. On top of that comes an emphasis on fuel and ammunition supply: once a unit runs out of supplies, it becomes a helpless target. Battles are replayed on a special screen showing the machines charging at each other, giving an otherwise abstract game a pleasant bit of flavor. The game was also designed with two players in mind, sharing one computer or two linked machines, which made it a popular social activity back before networks were widespread.

The DOS version took over colorful graphics with bold unit icons and technical music from home computers, fitting well with the cold military tone. The interface is dense but becomes fully clear after a few maps, and the difficulty ramps up briskly. At the time, Battle Isle was seen as a fresh and accomplished contribution to turn-based strategy and founded a series that continued with several sequels and expansions. Today it's a pleasant game for short sessions, since individual maps are self-contained puzzles that can be solved in a single evening, and the combat system has aged considerably better than most of its contemporaries. It helps, too, that the game never punishes slow deliberation and rewards care rather than speed.