Midwinter

The game uses a timer system to simulate the simultaneous operation of the recruits. The player has two hours of game-time to play as each recruit, and once that recruit's timer runs out, the player starts controlling the next one in line. Only after the player has spent the two hours playing each recruit does the game's clock move forward, and a new series of turns begins.

Midwinter is covered in snow, and has some nearly impassable mountainous regions as well as some flat rolling plains. There are many different variables to take into account (characters' skills, terrain, etc.) when deciding how to move around. The entire island is rendered with shaded 3D polygons.

The game is set in 2099 when the entire world is covered in snow and ice in a post-apocalyptic scenario, on the 160,000-square-mile (410,000 km2) isle of Midwinter. The game package includes an extensive manual narrating its backstory in a short novella. It describes a cataclysmic meteorite strike in Burma around 2040 which caused an impact winter. The ensuing diamond dust covering the Earth brought about global cooling and consequently major economical, political and military tumult.

The northern population died of glaciation and famine whereas the more temperate zones became overcrowded due to migration. As the glaciers advanced, the sea level dropped, providing more habitable space.

Midwinter was very well received at the time of release. The game was given usually very positive reviews and won many editor's choice awards, including 97% / Zzap Gold Medal by Zzap 64 (Amiga version), 96% / CU Super Star by CU Amiga, 96% / Amiga Computing Supreme by Amiga Computing, 94% / Star Player by The Games Machine for both Amiga and Atari ST versions, 94% and Zero Hour by Zero (DOS version), and 92% / Amiga Format Gold by Amiga Format. A 1994 Computer Gaming World survey of strategic space games set in the year 2000 and later gave the game three stars out of five, stating that "the strategist will enjoy the variety of ways to get at the enemy".

Midwinter was covered by Eurogamer's Dan Whitehead in a retrospective article, which praised the mix of genres the game contained, calling it "a unique creature; a priceless transitional specimen in the fossil record of gaming." In their 2009 retrospective article, Edge staff wrote: "Playing it felt like time travel – a sneak peak[sic] at the blueprint that showed how games were going to be. It was then, and is now, an enormous accomplishment." GameSpot featured Midwinter in its feature article "Unsung Heroes" about the 10 games most deserving "more recognition than they received" and should be "remembered for their contributions to their respective genres and to gaming as a whole."

The sequel, Midwinter II: Flames of Freedom, was developed by Maelstrom Games and published by MicroProse for the same platforms in 1991. In 2014, Chilli Hugger Software announced a Midwinter remake project; originally planned for a 2015 release, the remake has been indefinitely delayed and possibly abandoned. In September 2026, an independent developer released Midwinter Fan Remaster, a rebuild of the game in Unreal Engine 5, on Steam in early access, with the permission of the remake rights holder.