Flawed, but... I love it!

[Bill Garthright]

Man, I love this game! I've played it for 175 hours, and I'm still not tired of it. It's seriously flawed, but I guess it's flawed in ways that don't matter much to me.

I'm not a wargamer - or a typical gamer of any kind, I guess. In this game, I love building up my industry and research. I can putter around for hours just building mines, factories, and universities, early in the game. And I always start in 1933, so I've got lots of time to do that.

My first two games, as the USA and the USSR, I didn't even get to the combat. My nation got so overpowered that there didn't seem to be any point to continuing. China and Germany got overpowered, too, when I played them, but at least I got to kick some butt before I felt I was too strong to continue.

Yeah, I never get to the end game. I start in 1933, and by 1938-1940, it's pretty clear who's going to control the world. (No, I'm not a great player, not at all. But all of that work building factories and universities pays off. And the AI is dumb.)

I can see how this game wouldn't be for everyone. And I do recognize its flaws. But for me, this game just hits the spot. I don't know how much longer I'll play, but I've had a blast, so far.

I figured I'd be playing Civilization VI by now - and I have, a little bit - but that's just not nearly as fun for me as this little game has been.