Champion of the Raj

Level 9 Computing

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Champion of the Raj

Champion of the Raj is a turn-based strategy title created by Level 9 Computing and released by Personal Software Services in 1991, exclusively targeting the UK audience on platforms such as Amiga, Atari ST, and IBM PC compatibles. As the thirteenth and concluding entry in the Strategic Wargames lineup, it explores the theme of European imperialism and colonial rivalry within India. The game features six competing factions—the British, French, Moguls, Sikhs, Gurkhas, and Marathas—each striving to dominate the Indian subcontinent.

The gameplay emphasizes strategic expansion achieved through diplomacy or armed conflict. Players oversee territories, form alliances, or engage in warfare while also taking part in mini-games like elephant racing and big-game hunting. Reviewers praised the vivid visuals and storytelling but criticized the prolonged load times and frequent disk changes.

Gameplay

At the start, players choose a faction leader—options include a British viceroy, French consul, Mogul emperor, Maratha Maharajah, Gurkha chief, or Sikh Maharajah—and begin in the year 1800 during the Mogul empire’s decline. Initially imprisoned, the player is soon released to pursue unification of India via diplomatic negotiations or military campaigns.

The primary interface displays an Indian map alongside detailed state data and command menus. Diplomacy involves interacting with regional rulers; gaining popularity may result in invitations to events such as elephant races or hunting expeditions that facilitate territorial consolidation. Alternatively, organizing Durbar festivals can impress local leaders. Should diplomacy fail, players can wage war by recruiting soldiers with gold—lack of sufficient funds increases the risk of uprisings.

Rebellions might lead to encounters with assassins resolved through sword fighting. Players also have the option to convert assassins by attacking their temples. The game ends either when all regions are unified under one rule or if the player-character is assassinated.

Reception

Critical response was mixed. Gordon Houghton from The One for ST Games dismissed the arcade segments as "a waste of disk loading time," although he recognized their contribution to expanding strategic gameplay’s appeal. Ed Ricketts of ST Format considered the game "enjoyable" despite its straightforward design. Fiona Keating from CU Amiga commended the engaging narrative and vibrant graphics but pointed out subpar sound quality. Jonathan Davies of Amiga Power noted that while the graphics were "impressive," the simple mechanics failed to maintain long-term interest. Gary White from Advanced Computer Entertainment strongly criticized both visuals and audio, describing them as "appalling."

A recurring complaint was related to disk loading durations. Houghton labeled them "hefty," advising use of two disk drives due to constant disk swapping. Ricketts described handling "half a dozen" floppy disks on the Atari ST as a "nightmare." Keating highlighted excessive disk swapping and lengthy load times as significant issues. Davies mentioned "painfully slow" screen scrolling caused by frequent disk access. White reported that disk operations were so sluggish they delayed cursor responsiveness, negatively affecting gameplay fluidity.