American Conquest

American Conquest is a real-time strategy game developed by the Ukrainian studio GSC Game World and released in 2002. It is a spiritual successor to the Cossacks series, but shifts the setting from Europe to the era of the conquest and colonization of the Americas, covering the period from the late 15th to the early 19th century. Unlike the European wars depicted in Cossacks, the focus here is on the clashes between European powers, Indigenous peoples, and emerging independent nations across the New World.

The gameplay emphasizes economy management, controlling workers, gradually building up settlements, and large-scale battles involving thousands of units. The game includes a morale system, where troops may panic and flee if officers are lost or if they face overwhelming odds. Various types of ranged and melee weapons, siege mechanics, and the tactical use of forts add strategic depth to each encounter.

Players can lead Spain, England, France, the United States, the Aztecs, the Iroquois, and other nations in campaigns based on significant historical events, from the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus to the American War of Independence.

American Conquest was praised for its scale, attention to detail, and strategic complexity. Thanks to its polished mechanics and unique setting, it remains one of the most distinctive RTS games of the early 2000s and rightfully stands alongside other GSC Game World classics.