Archon

Strategy 1984 Dos Dosbox Free Fall Associates Board games Fantasy

Chess mash up with action elements

Archon was a really innovative game for its time. Having been released in 1984, it features a combination if two distinct game styles. One of them is a simple, chess like board game that is played in turns; however, the actual battles between units are fought in a separate instance as an action game. The action battles are very sketchy graphically, as they actually just hint at the action, while you actually have to either make sure you inflict damage first, or try to avoid getting caught by surprise. These action elements take place in instances that are also sometimes populated by pieces of scenery, which can be used to dodge bullets or the range of the melee attacks. Overall these sections can be a bit tricky because luck will play an important role in them, but once you learn the attack patterns of the units they won't be as challenging.On the turn based grid your options are more tactical, as they ask of you to think carefully, which pieces to pit against others that would prove less challenging to defeat in the action portions. Today, this original version of Archon is still playable but maybe not as visually appetizing, so you might want to try a later version, Archon Ultra, which keeps the gameplay intact but is better drawn.

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