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Scorched Earth

DOS - 1991

Alt names Scorch, Scorched Earth: Mother of All Games
Year 1991
Platform DOS
Released in United States (1991)
United States (1995)
Genre Strategy
Theme Artillery, Generated Levels, Real-Time, Turn-based
Perspectives 2D scrolling, Side view
4.63 / 5 - 78 votes

Description of Scorched Earth

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Scorched Earth is a simple, yet very exciting artillery combat game, based on a long line artillery games that began with Atari's classic arcade game Lunar Lander.

At its most basic level, Scorched Earth is a 2-player tank action game which requires you to learn only a few basic keys to play. You adjust the power and angle of your gun, then launch your weapon to blow up other tanks. That's basically it-- nothing Lunar Lander veterans haven't seen before. But what makes Scorched Earth much more than a Lunar Lander clone is that it can be much more complex. You can play with up to nine other players at a time, mixing computer players with humans (teamplay mode is available).

The game offers a wide range of weather conditions and terrains, each of which affect your blasts in ways that obey the laws of physics (e.g. wind factor and gravity). You can earn money from successful battles, and use it to invest in additional weapons and accessories. The game boasts over thirty weapons, some of which are quite imaginative such as the fearsome Death's Head and Napalm. Using powerful weapons can vaporize the landscape, and you can even use a sandhog to slowly burrow a hole from beneath your opponents and watch them fall to their deaths. Quick death or slow death-- there's plenty of weapons for your killing pleasure ;) Accessories, of which there are fifteen to buy, are divided into Guidance Systems, Defense Systems, and Miscellaneous. Guidance system accessories are various types of homing weapons, e.g. heat seaking missiles. Defenses include parachutes and shields. Miscellaneous category includes other useful gadgets, such as Fuel Tanks which allow your tank to move around the battlefield.

The interface takes some getting used to, and you must memorize a few key keyboard shortcuts, but it's a breeze once you learn it. Last but not least, you can even choose the enemy tanks' behavior if you play against the computer. For example, "moron" is self-explanatory, "poolshark" tries to rebound shots off the walls and ceilings to hit you, and "spoiler" is very tough to play against because it will get almost a perfect shot every time.

With a plethora of options and truly addictive gameplay, Scorched Earth is highly recommended for action fans, especially anyone who wants to blast his/her best friend for a while ;) While Scorched Earth may not be "The Mother of All Games" as it proclaims on the official site, it's one of the best 2-player games you'll ever play, and a design that truly stands the test of time. Two thumbs up!

Review By HOTUD

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Comments and reviews

Doomstorm1 2023-12-02 1 point

Is this the full version not the preview version no problems with viruses?

Krzys 2022-08-11 1 point

This game used to tear my family apart. Many great nights with everybody sitting around the 386.

FreelanceFreddy 2022-04-28 0 point

Works very well in browser. Just press "Play in your browser" instead of download.

Starfish 2022-02-25 0 point

How do I make full screen.....Well I figured it out! Is called read all the directions. I was so exited to be play this game after over 20 years and i didn't read the directions first. I never do....lol This game is so fun yo.

MrSnailman 2021-11-26 0 point

I never grew up in the 90’s but games like this make me jealous of my dad because he grew up with this game and games like this

Tox 2021-02-14 2 points

What a classic

Chris 2020-12-14 7 points

@Mike "Riot Charge" is useful when you're buried. Its only purpose is to remove a bunch of dirt to clear your shooting path.

Mike 2020-11-19 1 point

I still don't get what the weapon "riot charge" actually does, except nothing.

Job 2019-09-04 3 points

Classic of the classsics! A must play.

pepis 2019-07-31 -4 points

I am also here from Projared!

pepsimanfan 2019-01-10 -7 points

who is here from projared!

Thomas 2018-04-20 2 points

@ Jacob, it is a DOS game, so you need a DOS-emulator like dosbox

Jacob 2018-04-15 -7 points

Um. The game won't run on my computer? Did I do something wrong?

I have Windows 10.

McCarty 2018-03-01 1 point

Some of the greatest games were just improving and balancing older designs. This is a legendary artillery game.

ionizer 2017-07-18 0 point

Been playing Scorched Combat on android for a few months now. Its a scaled down version, and has some bugs; but the gameplay and shopping system captures the original better than most clones out there. This is the best i have found so far. Has a fun competitive worldwide match system that needs more players!

Sashathana 2017-05-27 2 points

The mother of all games is apt. EVERYBODY played this, even non gamers. the amazing things you could do with physics and the hilarity of firing a deaths head to wipe out EVERYTHING was amazing. We saw some uses of weapons the likes of the devs never expected, and you could go online and do even more.

TOny 2017-05-27 1 point

Thanks, nostalgia!

Some guy 2017-02-10 2 points

This game made me waste hours and hours of my childhood. Now I can waste hours of my adulthood too

Mah Boi 2016-07-12 1 point

The oldest game i remember is just a flash game, so i started to play old games with an emulator. Scorched earth is by far my favorite. I played it with my friend yesterday, with 2 computer tanks. When i died, i exploded in a funky bomb wich killed my friend and a computer tank. Then the computer tank died in yet another funky bomb wich killed the last tank (computer) on the field. and that last tank? sended to space. i killed my friend many times not for shooting at him, but for being dead. Something weird can happen, cuz i know i died and got turned into a nuke. Amazing.

Notbillcosby 2016-06-29 2 points

Snooch nailed it.

Snooch 2016-06-29 4 points

Man, this is a classic. I remember having a blast playing this with my buddy on my old 486. It's amazing that it's still so much fun to play today. The modern versions just can't capture the feeling of good ol' Scorched Earth.

Rabbid Rabbit 2016-06-24 1 point

I remember this one. Loved it

TheMotherOfAllGames 2015-03-15 1 point DOS version

I loved this game. Spent so many hours in university playing it!

Amen 2012-01-18 4 points DOS version

The game all the new "apps games" stole ideas from. Here is where it all started.

dogpuke 2010-05-13 0 point DOS version

I love every version of this game up to Pocket Tanks,

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DOS Version

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