MicroProse Software, Inc. logo

MicroProse Software, Inc.

United States Founded 1982

This is the page for the original company which was founded by Bill Stealey, Sid Meier, and Andy Hollis in 1982. It developed and published numerous games, including starting the Civilization and X-COM series. The is the original company which would be merged with Spectrum HoloByte (as MicroProse, Inc), bought by Hasbro Interactive, and later bought again by Infogrames Entertainment, SA. Under the last buyout the brand was gradually phased out and eventually went defunct. In 2019, the MicroProse brand was revived by David Lagettie. The name of the new company is simply MicroProse.

MicroProse Software, Inc. at a Glance

If you are browsing PlayPile to learn about MicroProse Software, Inc., you will find a publisher with a long history that began in 1982. Bill Stealey, Sid Meier, and Andy Hollis founded this American company, which has released 95 games in total on the platform. They acted as publishers for 74 of these titles and developers for 54. The studio operated actively from 1982 until 2026, though their output volume shifted significantly over the decades. During the 1980s they released 25 games, but production surged in the 1990s with 59 titles. Activity dropped sharply in the 2000s with only two releases. The brand went through several ownership changes including a merger with Spectrum HoloByte and sales to Hasbro Interactive and Infogrames Entertainment, SA, which eventually phased out the name before it was revived in 2019 by David Lagettie as a new company simply called MicroProse. Their catalog is heavily focused on simulation and strategy genres. They published 55 simulators and 47 strategy games, along with smaller numbers of shooters, turn-based strategy, adventure, tactical, racing, real-time strategy, arcade, and role-playing games. Their platform reach was strongest on PC running Microsoft Windows with 55 titles and DOS with 51 titles. They also released games for the Amiga, Atari ST/STE, Commodore C64/128/MAX, Mac, Atari 8-bit, Linux, Apple II, and PC-9800 Series. Quality varies across their body of work. The average IGDB rating sits at 69.6 out of 100 based on 40 rated titles. The breakdown shows 11 great games with scores above 80 and 20 good games between 60 and 79. There are also 8 mixed titles and one poor game below 40. Some of their highest-rated releases include Sid Meier's Civilization from 1991 at 91, Pirates! Gold in 1993 at 89.7, MechWarrior 3 in 1999 at 88, Grand Prix 2 in 1996 at 87.8, and Transport Tycoon in 1994 at 87.5. Recent activity includes Last Nuclear Darkness and Nucleares from March 2023, HighFleet from July 2021 which scored 73.5, Cleared Hot in November 2025, and Task Force Admiral: Vol.1 - American Carrier Battles scheduled for January 2026.

95
Total Games
69.6
Avg Rating
1982
First Release
2026
Latest Release

Genre Breakdown

Simulator
30%
Strategy
26%
Shooter
7%
Turn-based strategy (TBS)
7%
Adventure
7%

Platform Spread

PC (Microsoft Windows)
55
DOS
51
Amiga
26
Atari ST/STE
20
Commodore C64/128/MAX
20

Release Timeline

1980s
25
1990s
59
2000s
2
2020s
5

Rating Distribution

11
80-100
20
60-79
8
40-59
1
0-39
Sea Rogue game cover

Sea Rogue

1992·DOS
Darklands game cover
Rating 7.4

Darklands

1992·PC, Linux, Mac +1
B.O.T.S.S.: Battle of the Solar System game cover

B.O.T.S.S.: Battle of the Solar System

1992·Arcade
B17 Flying Fortress game cover

B17 Flying Fortress

1992·DOS, Amiga, Atari-ST
The Ancient Art of War in the Skies game cover

The Ancient Art of War in the Skies

1992·DOS, Amiga, Atari-ST
Harrier Jump Jet game cover
Rating 7.0

Harrier Jump Jet

1992·PC, DOS
Challenge of the Five Realms game cover

Challenge of the Five Realms

1992·PC, Linux, Mac +1
MicroProse Golf game cover

MicroProse Golf

1991·DOS, Amiga
Twilight: 2000 game cover

Twilight: 2000

1991·DOS
Gunship 2000 game cover
Rating 6.4

Gunship 2000

1991·DOS, Amiga, Amiga CD32
World Circuit: The Grand Prix Race Simulation game cover
Rating 8.0

World Circuit: The Grand Prix Race Simulation

1991·DOS, Amiga, Atari-ST +1
Sid Meier's Civilization game cover
Rating 9.1

Sid Meier's Civilization

1991·PC, Mac, PC-9800 Series +3
NightHawk F-117A Stealth Fighter 2.0 game cover
Rating 7.0

NightHawk F-117A Stealth Fighter 2.0

1991·PC, Linux, NES +2
F-117A Stealth Fighter game cover

F-117A Stealth Fighter

1991·PC, Switch, DOS
The Punisher game cover
Rating 4.6

The Punisher

1990·DOS
Silent Service II game cover
Rating 7.0

Silent Service II

1990·PC, Linux, Mac +3
Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon game cover
Rating 7.4

Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon

1990·Mac, DOS, Amiga +1
Knights of the Sky game cover
Rating 5.0

Knights of the Sky

1990·PC, Linux, DOS +2
Sword of the Samurai game cover
Rating 8.0

Sword of the Samurai

1989·PC, Linux, Mac +1
F-15 Strike Eagle II game cover
Rating 6.3

F-15 Strike Eagle II

1989·DOS, Genesis/MegaDrive, Amiga +2
M1 Tank Platoon game cover
Rating 5.4

M1 Tank Platoon

1989·DOS, Amiga, Atari-ST
Red Storm Rising game cover

Red Storm Rising

1988·DOS, Amiga, Atari-ST +2
Microprose Pro Soccer game cover

Microprose Pro Soccer

1988·C64
F-19 Stealth Fighter game cover
Rating 7.0

F-19 Stealth Fighter

1988·PC, Linux, PC-9800 Series +3
Airborne Ranger game cover
Rating 8.0

Airborne Ranger

1987·PC, DOS, Amiga +4
Project Stealth Fighter game cover

Project Stealth Fighter

1987·DOS, Amiga, Atari-ST +2
Sid Meier's Pirates! game cover
Rating 7.3

Sid Meier's Pirates!

1987·PC, Mac, NES +7
Conflict in Vietnam game cover

Conflict in Vietnam

1986·DOS, Apple][, C64 +1
Gunship game cover
Rating 7.0

Gunship

1986·PC-9800 Series, DOS, Amiga +8
Decision in the Desert game cover
Rating 4.0

Decision in the Desert

1985·DOS, Apple][, C64 +1
Crusade in Europe game cover

Crusade in Europe

1985·DOS, Apple][, C64 +1
Kennedy Approach game cover

Kennedy Approach

1985·PC, Amiga, Atari-ST +2
Silent Service game cover
Rating 6.0

Silent Service

1985·NES, PC-9800 Series, DOS +9
Acrojet game cover

Acrojet

1985·PC-9800 Series, C64, ZXS +3
F-15 Strike Eagle game cover
Rating 6.1

F-15 Strike Eagle

1984·NES, PC-9800 Series, DOS +10
Air Rescue I game cover

Air Rescue I

1984·C64, Atari8bit
Mig Alley Ace game cover

Mig Alley Ace

1983·C64, Atari8bit
NATO Commander game cover

NATO Commander

1983·Apple][, C64, Atari8bit
Solo Flight game cover

Solo Flight

1983·DOS, Apple][, C64 +2
Floyd of the Jungle game cover

Floyd of the Jungle

1982·C64, Atari8bit
Hellcat Ace game cover

Hellcat Ace

1982·DOS, C64, Atari8bit
Chopper Rescue game cover

Chopper Rescue

1982·Atari8bit
Spitfire Ace game cover

Spitfire Ace

1982·DOS, C64, Atari8bit
Dungeon Holdem game cover

Dungeon Holdem

·PC, Linux
Empire Eternal game cover

Empire Eternal

·PC
Steel Bounty game cover

Steel Bounty

X-COM Alliance game cover

X-COM Alliance

·PC