The Settlers® 2: Gold Edition

One of the best kingdom building games ever. From time to time, I just must come back and crash down some ol' fashioned viking fortresses, conjure up some flourishing fields of golden wheat, slaughter some pigs and breed some donkeys. Simply the best.

I still have my old Settlers II CD, but I'm tempted to buy it on GOG. Lately I found out that there is an unofficial expansion pack made by fans that lets you play online with absolutely no problem and have gigantic resolutions on the modern screens (supports HD!). It's called Return to the Roots, a critical unoffical addon for Settlers II: Gold Edtion from GoG.com

Right of the bat: I love this game. It was one of the first pc games I ever bought with my own money and I still own the original manual (which I still leaf through sometimes). The game looks amazing for its time: the graphics are highly detailed and crispy clear. From the butcher cutting the meat to the blacksmith hammering away creating tools and weapons, it's always a treat to see your little blue men hard at work. And that's also the core concept of the Settlers: make sure your logistics and infrastructure are optimal so that every building can work 100% of the time so you can wage war. Because in the end, that's how you advance: defeat your enemies in combat, as there's no diplomatic victory. But before you can thump your neighbors over the head with a sword, you have to develop your own settlement. Gather and create resources which other buildings need to gather and create resources. Wood goes into planks which are needed for new buildings and tools, which are needed to grow crops, which are needed to feed animals, which are needed to create meat, which is needed to feed your miners, who in turn create iron, coal and gold, which are needed to create weapons and pay your soldiers... Building placement is one thing: connecting them is an important second. You need to build roads so Settlers can find the buildings, and depending on how many flags you raise along the way, the more (or less) Settlers will work on that road. And the more you have working on the road, the faster goods will be transported along it. You can spend hours on one level, and that's fine. Brew yourself some coffee, make sure your agenda is empty, and get that settlement going. Work smarter, not harder!

The pinnacle of the Settlers series and still just as great all these years later. The gameplay is just as enjoyable now as it was when this was released, the gorgeous pixel graphics look just as good even by today's standards, and the minimalist characters are nonetheless adorable and amazingly expressive. Time just slips by as you're building your colony, wanting to keep going just a little bit longer, or take the battle to your neighbors to get to your next objective.

Settlers II was one of the first strategy games I ever played, and it even today it is extremely playable. The peaceful rhythm, excellent music and adorable graphics combined with superb interface make for an experience which any of its sequels quite haven't managed to match. Ok, maybe nostalgia is influencing my opinion a little bit, but isn't that what these games are all about? They don't make 'em like they used to...