''Kingmaker'' (known as ''Kingmaker: The Quest for the Crown'' in Europe) is a

turn-based strategy A turn-based strategy (TBS) game is a strategy game (usually some type of wargame, especially a strategic-level wargame) where players take turns when playing. This is distinguished from real-time strategy (RTS), in which all players play si ...

game published by

Avalon Hill Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the compan ...

in 1993. It was developed by American studio TM Games based on the ''

Kingmaker A kingmaker is a person or group that has great influence on a royal or political succession, without themselves being a viable candidate. Kingmakers may use political, monetary, religious and military means to influence the succession. Origina ...

'' board game.

Gameplay

''Kingmaker'' simulates

Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought be ...

. ''Kingmaker'' reproduces the look and play of the board game almost exactly, allowing the player to compete with up to five computer controlled factions. The major change from the board game is the addition of a battle interface where the player can control his or her army in combat, but it is very simplistic and the option to resolve battles by the original method remains.

Reception

In ''Computer Gaming World'' in July 1994, Terry Lee Coleman rated the computer version of ''Kingmaker'' 3.5 stars out of five. While criticizing the lack of multiplayer in an adaptation of "a classic multiplayer boardgame" the reviewer said that it was "strangely addictive, and a class act". Approving of the "clever and varied AI", Coleman wrote, "Challenging and fun, despite its lack of high-tech glitz or multiplayer options, ''Kingmaker'' establishes a fine beachhead for AH's return to the computer wargame market." The editors of ''

PC Gamer US ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games mag ...

'' nominated ''Kingmaker'' for their 1994 "Best Historical Simulation" award, although it lost to ''

Lords of the Realm ''Lords of the Realm'' is a turn-based strategy computer game published and developed by Impressions Games. It was first released on June 15, 1994, and is the first game in the ''Lords of the Realm'' series. Summary The game takes place in a medi ...

''. By August 1996, ''Kingmaker'' had sold over 40,000 copies. In his ''Computer Gaming World'' column, Coleman summarized these figures as "decent for a computer wargame". However, he noted that it had outsold every Avalon Hill computer game released since, and that Avalon Hill's brand reboot on computers had not gone as hoped.

Reviews

*''

Amiga Action ''Amiga Action'' was a monthly magazine about Amiga video games. It was published in the United Kingdom by Europress (later IDG Media) and ran for 89 full issues, from October 1989 to December 1996. After its closure, it was merged into sister ...

'', Jan 1994 *''

PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...

'', Jul 1994 *''

Amiga User International ''Amiga User International'' (or ''AUI'') was a monthly computer magazine published in its later years by AUI Limited, it was the first dedicated Amiga magazine in Europe and in comparison to other Amiga magazines, AUI had a more serious perspec ...

'', Mar 1994 *''

Amiga Format ''Amiga Format'' was a British computer magazine for Amiga computers, published by Future plc. The magazine lasted 136 issues from 1989 to 2000. The magazine was formed when, in the wake of selling '' ACE'' to EMAP, Future split the dual-format ...

'', Dec 1993 *''

Amiga Games __NOTOC__ This is a list of games for the Amiga line of personal computers organised alphabetically by name. See Lists of video games for related lists. This list has been split into multiple pages. It contains over 3000 games. Please use the Tab ...

'', Feb 1994https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=4643 *'' PC Player'', Dec 1993

References

External links

''PC Gamer'' review
(German) {{Avalon Hill 1993 video games Amiga games Atari ST games Avalon Hill video games DOS games U.S. Gold games Video games based on board games Video games developed in the United States