Eidolon´s Inn

The C64 title screen

Archon is a game which is roughly based on chess. Two players (or one player against the computer, which is much more boring...) fight each other with a fixed set of creatures, each one with special abilities. The playing field looks like this:

The player on the left plays the "Light" side, the player on the right the "Dark side". You can choose which side begins the game. Say, you noticed the blue ring of fields on the playfield, didn't you? These fields change their color in each turn, cycling from dark to light (in 5 steps). This is VERY important, because the main objective of the game is to conquer all of the flashing fields on the playing field. Four of them are located at the edges of the ring, the fifth one is in its center. If one player attacks one of the enemy creatures, another screen pops up:

Now, there´s some action in the game. The two players fight for that field; each creature has its own special weapons and/or abilities. But the most important fact is that Light creatures have an opportunity on light fields, and Dark creatures have an opportunity on dark fields. That means: it would e.g. be unadvisable to attack a white creature on a white field if you are playing the dark side. The color-cycling ring adds more depth into the game, as you can fortify a position on it only for a short time, until it changes color to the opposite of your own.

Overall, "Archon" was one of the most innovating games of the early eighties, and I still like playing it today. Archon 2 was released a year later:

Archon 2 title screen

Archon 2 game screen

But unfortunately the sequel didn´t reach the original game´s simplicity and geniousity.

A PC version of the original Archon game was released in the beginning of the nineties ("Archon Ultra") - a very good version, so to speak. I will try to post some screenshots soon.

Archon - C64

Archon - Amiga

Archon - NES

Archon - Spectrum

Archon - Atari 800

Archon 2 - C64

Archon 2 - Amiga

(Archon Ultra for the PC will be added as soon as I have some more server space)
I´ve found no other Archon site on the net yet, so there are logically no links yet...