The Strategy Games That Defined the 1990s (Ep.90)

Marking episode 90 with the only decade fitting for the number, Al is joined by Joe, Adam and Drexy to work through the strategy games of the 1990s and the genres they created. The conversation covers Sierra's city builders including Caesar 3 and Pharaoh, the birth of the RTS through Dune 2 and the Westwood versus Blizzard debate, the rise and eventual oversaturation of Command and Conquer clones, and how Starcraft's competitive scene in Korea gave it a longevity that outlasted Westwood's single player dominance. There's a proper detour into esports history, tracing a line from Quake through Starcraft and Counter-Strike to League of Legends and Dota, and a genuinely surprising story about Games Workshop turning down Blizzard's request for a Warhammer licence, a decision that arguably shaped Warcraft and eventually World of Warcraft. The group also covers the birth of 4X games with Civilization, Master of Magic and Master of Orion, god games through Populous and Megalomania, the console versus PC strategy divide, and closes with recommendations for which 90s strategy games are still worth playing today. https://dark-reign.netMore from Critical Moves Podcast: Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves Critical Moves examines strategy games through weekly Friday episodes and Monday news updates. Six hosts across multiple continents analyze recent releases, forgotten classics, and industry developments without the typical podcast theatrics. We cover real-time strategy, 4X civilization builders, turn-based tactics, and hybrid games that blur genre boundaries.