Scorched Earth

Scorched Earth

Scorched Earth is a popular artillery tank combat game originally released in 1991. Players take turns firing weapons like napalm, missiles, nukes, and MIRVs at each other while adjusting angles and power on a deformable landscape.
Scorched Earth image
combat tanks weapons strategy 1990s

Scorched Earth: Artillery Tank Combat Game

Discover the original Scorched Earth, a classic artillery tank combat game from 1991, featuring Napalm, missiles, nukes, and MIRVs in a deformable landscape, with turn-based gameplay.

What is Scorched Earth?

Scorched Earth is a classic artillery game originally developed by Wendell Hicken for DOS in 1991. It quickly became one of the most popular shareware games of the early 90s.

The basic gameplay involves two tanks situated on a deformable landscape, taking turns firing an assortment of weapons at each other such as napalm, missiles, nukes, MIRVs and more. Players must factor in the angle and power of their shot while accounting for wind speed and direction.

The terrain is completely dynamic, so shots will create craters and alter the landscape over the course of the battle. Various weapon and landscape powerups will spawn during play as well. There is both a single player mode against AI opponents and networked multiplayer capabilities.

Scorched Earth stands out for its innovative physics modeling and ahead-of-its time deformable terrain. It sparked a wave of clone games and established the artillery game genre. It still remains popular today over 25 years later, with an active community creating new weapons, landscapes and mods.

Scorched Earth Features

Features

  1. Artillery combat gameplay
  2. Deformable terrain
  3. Variety of powerful weapons like napalm, missiles, nukes
  4. Multiplayer support
  5. Customizable game settings and controls

Pricing

  • Freeware

Pros

Addictive and fun artillery combat

Destructible environments

Large arsenal of creative weapons

Local multiplayer

Challenging AI opponents

Cons

Outdated graphics

Limited game modes and options

No online multiplayer

Steep learning curve


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Top Games and Artillery Tank Combat and other similar apps like Scorched Earth


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