Clash of Civilizations (2013)

Clash of Civilizations is a grand strategy game launched in 2013, that includes various simulation and decision-making elements (political-legislative and economic decisions, espionage, diplomacy, etc.), including alternative paths to those that occurred in real life.

This is due to the decisions of the players or various decisions of the Artificial Intelligence, over an incredibly long period of time.

We speak from the end of the Third World War, to contemporary times (the 2010s). A daring decision to be sure, but one that proved to be successful on many points.

And it is that without a doubt, Clash of Civilizations is a game that takes a lot of risks, leaving the traditional way of the Grand Strategy Games. Which made it originally a niche game, but soon became very popular.

Especially among those who want a challenge or who are very perfectionists, since it allows a lot of micro and macro management over the countries in which the player takes control.

Unlike a common Grand Strategy game, war is not a very simple thing. Especially when you are one of the Hyper-Powers with nuclear weapons or great regional powers.

The game has a very 'calm' feeling, instead of fighting directly, the players are expected to make more pragmatic decisions (or at least only invade or 'help' countries that are not great powers with nuclear weapons, although a hot-direct war between hyper-powers is possible, it usually ends in the use of nuclear weapons, a lot of them).

*Espionage and intrigue play a very important role in diplomatic relations (there are public treaties and secret treaties between different countries and factions).

*Hyper-Powers fight not only in the public international diplomatic arena and the cultural sphere of the World (cine, the space race, the Olympics or other events), but also through their spheres of influence and proxy wars (guerrillas, political parties, etc).

*One must also pay close attention to different historical factions and personalities (who could play different roles depending on how the game progresses, from ministers to head of states or generals), which have their relevance and influence across the globe.

**Especially when said factions or personalities could launch coups, cause civil wars, etc.

*There is also an ideological section that goes hand in hand with all these decision-making elements, which can produce a variety of changes in a country, from its economy (planned economy, free market, etc.) to its form of government (party system single, multi-party democracy, different forms of monarchy, etc).

*Legislative and political-bureaucratic control is also an important issue, that laws are created, constitutional-legislative reforms and budgets can alter various forms of the game.

* Technological development is also an important element of this 'calm' in the game, there is a development for civil life and military life, ranging from advances in the space race, the nuclear capabilities of a country or cybernetics.

Closing a deal, keeping it or betray it are all possible in the game.

There is always a public policy and a backstage policy, which could mean a lot of things for the development of the game in various campaigns.

To know about secret treaties, it is better to have a good intelligence and counter-espionage system, avoid corruption in the bureaucracy and many other decisions that gambling involves.

One of the many interfaces in the game, in this case for the United States:

Although focusing on the power struggle is not the only thing that the game has, there are still resources and an economy to manage, which also plays a very important role.

Stagnation or economic crisis are possible in-game events, and can be especially dangerous in the late stages of a Clash of Civilizations campaign.

That is why the player has a range of decisions in economic and government matters, such as the legislative-political and economic tasks of a country, including the budgets and logistical-bureaucratic management of various organizations (the army, the administration, the services intelligence, public services, etc).

Several focus and national traits can bring various additional advantages or disadvantages, such as bonuses to certain industries, sectors of the population or units of the army.