Panzer General

Lore & Background

Panzer General is a turn-based game set on operational-level hex maps. Players play lone scenarios from either Axis or Allied side against a computer or human opponent. In Campaign Mode, the player assumes the role of a German Generalissimus against the Allied computer. Units approximate battalions, and scenarios only approximate historical situations. Its novel feature was linking individual scenarios into a campaign spanning World War II from 1939 to 1945, where units gain experience and become stronger, and success awards prestige to upgrade units and select better scenarios. The game requires combined-arms tactics, with each unit strong against some types but vulnerable to others. The game rewards a Blitzkrieg strategy.

Reader's Guide

Panzer General's significance lies in its commercial and critical success, which redefined the computer wargame genre. It sold over 250,000 copies, becoming SSI's best-selling game across all genres and the best-selling computer wargame of all time as of 2007. The game won Computer Gaming World's 1994 'Wargame of the Year' and PC Gamer US's 'Best Wargame' awards, and was a runner-up for Computer Gaming World's overall 'Game of the Year'. It was listed as number 51 on Next Generation's 'Top 100 Games of All Time' in 1996. The game's design, based on the Japanese wargame Daisenryaku, streamlined complex WWII conflict into accessible gameplay, inspiring the entire Panzer General series. Its legacy is that of a watershed title that made wargames accessible to a broader audience, dividing the genre into 'Before Panzer General' and 'After'.

Did You Know?

• Panzer General was heavily influenced by the Japanese wargame series Daisenryaku.
• The game sold 250,000 units at full price and was named the best-selling computer wargame of all time in 2007.
• It won Computer Gaming World's 1994 'Wargame of the Year' award.
• The game's campaign mode allows a major victory to change known historical events, such as invading Britain after defeating France.