20 Best Wargames of All Time

[Ed Anger]

Which is funny because I distinctly remember when I got on a bus in Germany somebody has scrawled the SS runes on every single seat.  Those crazy Germany kids!

The German exchange student that was in one of my classes in High School loved Stukas. I mean, full on ju-87 boner.

[Admiral Yi]

Panzer General wasn't included in Germany, because it was on the index for Mature-only games, for glorification of war and the campaigns of the Third Reich.

You guys can't play about half the wargames ever made.

[CountDeMoney]

Panzer General wasn't included in Germany, because it was on the index for Mature-only games, for glorification of war and the campaigns of the Third Reich.

You guys can't play about half the wargames ever made.

That's why Euro games are called "German games".

[Syt]

Panzer General wasn't included in Germany, because it was on the index for Mature-only games, for glorification of war and the campaigns of the Third Reich.

You guys can't play about half the wargames ever made.

Index means in Germany that it can't be sold to people under 18, can't be advertised (that includes reviews), or sold where minors can see it. As an adult you can still order it and buy it under the counter. Swastika depictions are allowed in pieces of art and education (and courts have always defined this very broadly, so even C-movie crap with swastika will get a pass). Video games are not included in this definition.

Austria has similar laws, but their wording is "media", which includes video games. Also, Austria has no index of games deemed harmful to minors. I was at first positively surprised when seeing a local store's DVD department having stocked quite a bunch of uncut horror movies that you can only order through mail in Germany.

It's a bit strange that PG got singled out - its sequels were released fine. IIRC the wording in the manual was a problem at the time, calling on the player to spread the glory of the Third Reich or something.

That said, copying games and sharing them with friends was still widely popular at the time, and of course everyone played the games, anyways.