What Is Banyon Wars?

 Banyon Wars is a classic turn-based strategy game released for MS-DOS in 1990 by Soleau Software. The game is designed around the idea of territorial conquest and global domination, making it similar in concept to the famous board game Risk. Instead of competing over countries on a world map, however, players fight for control of cities spread across a fictional group of islands called the Banyon Islands.

The game is primarily a single-player experience in which  banyon wars   the player competes against computer-controlled opponents. Its simple rules, keyboard-based controls, low-resolution CGA graphics, and turn-based gameplay reflect the style of many strategy games created for personal computers during the early 1990s. Although Banyon Wars is relatively obscure today, it represents an interesting example of early computer strategy gaming.

The Basic Concept of Banyon Wars

The main objective of Banyon Wars is to conquer the Banyon Islands by defeating competing armies and taking control of their territories. The game features 35 cities distributed across eight islands of different sizes. Players must build armies, defend their territories, attack opponents, and gradually expand their control. Capturing an entire island can provide additional military advantages because islands award bonus armies based on their size.

At the beginning of a game, players can configure certain settings, including the maximum number of armies that can initially be placed in cities. The territories are then assigned armies, creating the starting position for the conflict. From there, each faction takes turns planning its strategy and conducting military operations.

The Factions

Banyon Wars includes three fictional races or factions: the Cronons, Tabors, and Hilites. The human player controls the Cronons, represented by the light-blue army. The computer controls the other two factions, which compete with the player for territorial dominance.

This structure gives the game a straightforward strategic objective. Players need to think about where to place reinforcements, which territories to defend, and when to launch attacks. Because two computer-controlled opponents are involved, players must consider more than one enemy at the same time.

How Gameplay Works

Banyon Wars uses a turn-based system. During a turn, players can distribute newly available armies among their territories, launch attacks against neighboring enemy territories, and move troops after the attack phase. This means that success depends on making careful decisions rather than simply attacking as quickly as possible.

Players need to maintain a balance between offense and defense. Concentrating too many armies in one city may make an attack successful but leave other territories vulnerable. On the other hand, spreading armies too widely can make it difficult to conquer strongly defended areas.