History of the World

The Good
Never played the board game, but found the concept facinating.

I play against the computer (me against 7 other AI opponents). The game has a random flavor to it, but play it enough times and the strategy starts to show.

Love to try it modem some time, but no one owns the darn game! (BTW, bought a second copy from Chips and Bits for under $10.)

The Bad
The game is a bit dry, and there are some drawbacks to the interface, such as not being able to view the map easily when choosing your empires.

The Bottom Line
Diplomacy meets Civilization.

The Good
The subject matter (the rise and fall of historical empires) is inherently fascinating, and the underlying game design (taken directly from the board game) is solid and unique, with lots of interesting choices for the player to make. Simple and clean graphics, and some good battle sounds as well. Nice packaging and documentation.

The Bad
Terrible Windows 3.11-type, multiple-windowed interface. AVI video clips are faded and "washed-out" looking--highly unimpressive. HOTW would have been a great multiplayer game online, but it only had PBEM support. As a single-player game, it lacks the dynamic interaction/cutthroat negotiation element that makes the board game fun to play against humans. Some form of in-game diplomacy system might have helped, though.

The Bottom Line
If you are a huge fan of the board game and have some friends for PBEM gaming, then pick up HOTW. If not, then leave this one in the bargain bin of history.