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Game studio

MicroProse

48 games in the catalogue ⏱ 1983–2001 7 platforms
MicroProse – obaly her studia

MicroProse ranks among the most significant American game studios of the 1980s and 1990s and is inseparably linked with the simulation genre – whether aircraft, submarines, or tanks. The company was known for its meticulous emphasis on realism and technical authenticity in its simulations, which earned it respect from both players and military and aviation enthusiasts, who appreciated its attempts to replicate the actual handling and behavior of real equipment as faithfully as possible. At the same time, MicroProse is home to the strategy series Sid Meier's Civilization, one of the most influential strategy games of all time, which still defines the entire genre of turn-based civilization-building strategy games. The studio thus stood at the crossroads of two seemingly different worlds – precise military simulators and thoughtfully designed turn-based strategy – and achieved extraordinary influence on the further development of both genres and on generations of later game creators.

History

MicroProse was founded in the early 1980s by Sid Meier and Bill Stealey, with Stealey bringing military experience and business leadership while Meier was the main creative force behind the game designs. The company quickly established itself as a specialist in flight and military simulators for home computers, such as Solo Flight and F-15 Strike Eagle, and gradually expanded its portfolio to include submarine simulations, such as Silent Service, and ground combat vehicles. These titles were released on the popular platforms of the time, including the Commodore 64 and DOS, and combined technical authenticity with gameplay accessible to a wider audience.

A major turning point came with the release of Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, which showed that the studio could also successfully build economic and strategic simulations outside a military framework. This line culminated in 1991 with Sid Meier's Civilization, which defined the entire genre of turn-based civilization-building strategy games and became one of the most influential games in the history of computer gaming. MicroProse continued to develop its flight simulators with the F-15/F-19/F-117A series and military titles such as Gunship 2000, maintaining two parallel strong brands – one built on the technical authenticity of military simulators and the other on thoughtful strategic gameplay.

In the 1990s the studio also embarked on further strategic and tactical projects, among them the turn-based X-COM series, to which it contributed as publisher, and continued developing Civilization with a second installment. At the same time, however, the company went through a period of frequent organizational changes typical of the game industry at the time, when smaller studios merged into larger publishing groups. During this period MicroProse underwent several changes of ownership and mergers, and its fate and brand gradually dissolved into larger publishing entities, while its key creators and their most successful series, above all Civilization, continued under new companies.

Key figures

Sid Meier is the most significant creative figure associated with MicroProse – he took part in designing a number of flight simulators as well as the creation of Railroad Tycoon and Civilization, which defined his reputation as one of the most influential game designers in history. Bill Stealey co-founded the company and handled its business and organizational operations, especially in the early years when the studio established itself as a specialist in military simulators.

Today

The original MicroProse no longer exists as an independent company in its former form – during the 1990s and 2000s it was gradually absorbed into larger publishing structures, and its brand disappeared for a time. The studio's legacy nevertheless lives on, above all through the Civilization series, now developed by Firaxis Games, a company founded by former MicroProse creators, and in recent years the MicroProse name has also reappeared in the form of a newly revived brand associated with publishing simulators.

Games by the studio (48)

  1. NATO Commander · 1983

    A hex-grid wargame depicting a fictional NATO versus Warsaw Pact clash, with unit morale.

    A800

  2. Solo Flight · 1983

    MicroProse's civilian flight simulator; mail delivery between airfields as the weather worsens.

    A800 C64

  3. F-15 Strike Eagle · 1985

    Flight sim with surprising depth.

    C64

  4. Kennedy Approach · 1985

    An air traffic control simulator at New York's Kennedy Airport; coordinating landings under pressure.

    A800

  5. Silent Service · 1985

    The legendary submarine simulator from MicroProse and Sid Meier; it defined the entire genre.

    A800 DOS C64 ZX

  6. Gunship · 1986

    A combat helicopter simulation from MicroProse; one of the most successful hits of the eighties.

    C64 Amiga

  7. Airborne Ranger · 1987

    A top-down tactical action game from MicroProse; instead of a plane, you command a single paratrooper.

    C64

  8. Pirates! · 1987

    Sid Meier's open-world game of a pirate career; naval battles, swordfighting, and trading.

    A800 C64

  9. Project Stealth Fighter · 1987

    A simulation of a fictional stealth aircraft at a time when real stealth technology was strictly classified.

    C64

  10. F-19 Stealth Fighter · 1988

    Flying a fictional stealth aircraft, where the biggest enemy isn't a fighter jet but radar.

    DOS

  11. Red Storm Rising · 1988

    Studená válka v Norském moři, vměstnaná do osmibitového Commodoru.

    DOS C64

  12. F-15 Strike Eagle II · 1989

    An accessible flight simulator with a choice between arcade and more realistic flight models.

    DOS

  13. Knights of the Sky · 1990

    A MicroProse flight simulator set in the skies of World War I; a career from rookie to ace.

    DOS Amiga

  14. Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon · 1990

    It founded the genre of building games known as tycoons; you build a 19th-century railroad empire.

    DOS

  15. Silent Service II · 1990

    A sequel to MicroProse's submarine simulator with a more elaborate sailing and battle model.

    DOS Amiga

  16. F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter · 1991

    MicroProse stealth flight sim; depth and atmosphere.

    Amiga

  17. Formula One Grand Prix · 1991

    Crammond brought detailed driving physics to the Amiga instead of an arcade feel.

    Amiga

  18. Gunship 2000 · 1991

    Helicopter combat simulation from MicroProse; career progression from rookie to more modern equipment.

    DOS Amiga

  19. Railroad Tycoon · 1991

    An economic strategy game by Sid Meier; you build a railroad, balancing engineering and business.

    Amiga

  20. Sid Meier's Civilization · 1991

    The turn-based strategy that founded the 4X genre; hooks you with 'just one more turn'.

    DOS

  21. B-17 Flying Fortress · 1992

    Simulation of the B-17 bomber; commanding the whole crew, gun turrets, and a precise bombing run.

    DOS

  22. Darklands · 1992

    A unique RPG without elves or dragons - a medieval realm full of alchemy, guilds, and demons.

    DOS

  23. F-15 Strike Eagle III · 1992

    Third installment of MicroProse's series on the F-15E Strike Eagle; choice of arcade or simulation mode.

    DOS

  24. Civilization · 1993

    Sid Meier's turn-based marathon from settlement to space; behind it all lies "just one more turn."

    Amiga

  25. F-14 Fleet Defender · 1994

    A simulation of the carrier-based F-14 Tomcat; defending aircraft carriers and working the radar at long range.

    DOS

  26. Sid Meier's Colonization · 1994

    A turn-based colonization strategy where the goal isn't to conquer the map but to declare independence.

    DOS

  27. X-COM: Terror from the Deep · 1995

    The X-COM sequel moved beneath the ocean surface; underwater bases and combat below the waves.

    DOS

  28. Civilization II · 1996

    Druhý díl slavné série, který přinesl izometrickou mapu a hlubší diplomacii.

    DOS

  29. Grand Prix 2 · 1996

    One of the most accurate recreations of 1990s Formula 1; the 1994 season plus a track editor.

    Win9x

  30. Sid Meier's Civilization II · 1996

    The game where you first realize it's already morning; from a handful of settlers all the way to a space launch.

    PS1 Win9x

  31. Transport Tycoon · 1996

    Dopravní impérium Chrise Sawyera poprvé ovládané gamepadem místo myši.

    PS1

  32. European Air War · 1998

    A WWII flight sim with a dynamic campaign over Europe and historic aircraft.

    Win9x

  33. Falcon 4.0 · 1998

    The most ambitious flight simulator; it models the F-16 in depth, down to real pilot procedures.

    Win9x

  34. M1 Tank Platoon II · 1998

    Commanding a platoon of M1 Abrams tanks; a hybrid of personal tank action and small-unit tactics.

    Win9x

  35. X-COM: Interceptor · 1998

    The series' third installment abandons turn-based ground combat for a space fighter simulator near Jupiter.

    Win9x

  36. Grand Prix 3 · 2000

    The peak of Geoff Crammond's Formula 1 simulators; speed here is the reward for understanding.

    Win9x

  37. X-COM: Enforcer · 2001

    The last installment of the classic era; tactics turned into an action shooter starring a fighting android.

    Win9x