The Partial Pride of Nations
I began installing the Pride of Nations demo earlier, but became so distracted by the oddly evocative awkwardness of the install screen (see below) that I haven't actually played the thing yet. AGEOD's latest is a 19th Century-set, turn-based grand strategy affair of vast scope and depth if perhaps not graphicsability (as has always been their shtick), with the demo containing five tutorial levels and then 12 turns of you trying to be king of the bloody world. Yes, you. Big on diplomacy and low on objectionably scripted enemies, it all sounds rather fine on paper. If 750MB of downloadery is beyond your ability, perhaps you'd like to watch the below walkthrough video to get a sense of how it plays. Just don't call it Rise Of Nations. I just had to go and correct every instance of its name in this post because I made that rookie mistake.
First, here's that install screen.
These two chaps rather look as though they've had a falling-out and are now studiously pretending to ignore each other. Make friends, chaps! There's no need to fight! Oh, riiiiight. Wargame. Goddit.
Next, the video walkthrough:
"Let's choose Belgium." Something about the sentence tickles me in a way I don't even begin to understand.
I really should sink myself into something like PoN soon - I've let my strategy powers turn weak and flaccid of late. They need a monstrously unforgiving workout. Six Gun Saga is the other contender-current for that, once I manage to wade through the manual.
Demo here, in case you missed the last link and are busily penning a comment telling me that I didn't include the link and should be shot.