Command HQ

Command HQ is a real-time strategy world domination game. It was released in 1990 by MicroPlay software and was created by acclaimed designer Dan (Danielle) Bunten. It was a co-winner of Computer Gaming World's 1991 Wargame of the Year award.

While Command HQ was recognized as one of the earliest real-time strategy games for the PC, it was preceded by the Ancient Art of War and other trailblazers. However, unlike these games it has elements of unit production and resource use that would be later expanded in games like Dune II and Command and Conquer. Its user interface was also ahead of its time in its use of the mouse to plot movement and the clear presentation of game data. Another innovation was for two players to play against each other with their computers connected over a modem. Players simulate a variety of global wars through time - 1918 (World War I), 1942 (World War II), 1986 (Cold War), 2023 (alternative history) and ???? which has each player starting from a random position.