Radio Commander

Radio Commander puts you in command of an American Army unit during the Vietnam War, coordinating military operations from 1965 to 1968. You make tactical decisions based on radio reports from troops on the ground, using a strategic map to track units and record information with tokens and notes. Rather than viewing the battlefield from above, you must piece together events from the communications you receive and decide how to respond.

The campaign and its choices

The campaign has 9 main missions, each of which can be completed in several ways, and 9 animated briefings. Its story follows soldiers and their commander through a chaotic and morally ambiguous conflict. It addresses civilians caught in the fighting, covert CIA operations and political pressure, as well as the difficulty of making decisions during combat with the Vietcong.

Your choices affect the course of the game and the fate of the soldiers, helping define the commander's viewpoint. The story raises questions about the righteousness of particular actions, the value of human life, and the destructive power of propaganda and stereotypes. You can replay completed missions to change your decisions and encounter new events.

Command by radio

You operate from a tent with a radio and a map. You can request situation reports, listen to troops’ communications, dispatch evacuation helicopters and order napalm strikes. Your objective is to defeat an enemy you cannot see, relying on the information your units report and on your own strategic reasoning and imagination.

You command infantry, air cavalry, field artillery and air support. The 15 unit types include evacuation helicopters, gunships, aerial reconnaissance, M113 armored personnel carriers and F4 Phantom jets carrying napalm. You can order jungle-burning napalm strikes and bombing runs, but each action carries risks, including friendly casualties.

Units and battlefield conditions

Each unit has its own statistics and communicates with you in a distinct voice. Units also have individual personalities, strengths and weaknesses; they are characters rather than simple pieces on the map. Soldiers rely on your decisions, while success depends on how they carry out your orders.

The simulation tracks morale, supplies and stamina, all of which affect encounters with the enemy, hostile terrain and Vietnam’s extreme climate. Unexpected situations can arise: a helicopter might run out of fuel and land in the jungle, leaving you to choose between mounting a rescue and putting more troops at risk.

Radio conversations

Radio messages are assembled from over 200 dialogue blocks, and the game includes over 600 story dialogues between units and the commander. These exchanges carry the situation reports and conversations on which you base your decisions.