Making a list of the top “Murica” games can be hard because it’s incredibly personal to every American gamer, depending entirely on how they interpret history. My criterion today is simple: How shamelessly patriotic is the video game? When I’m playing, if Hulk Hogan’s theme song “Real American” isn’t playing in my head, the game is immediately disqualified. I have to think: “What would the squad from “Team America: World Police” be playing?” Mechanically, there are countless better war-themed games out there, but they lack the music or the atmosphere that oozes pure patriotism. Therefore, they didn’t make the cut.

What Didn’t Make the Cut (and Why)

• AGEOD games (like Birth of America or SGS We The People) cover extremely patriotic time periods, but they are missing the music and the oomph that makes me want to wave my flag.
• Combat Mission is my favorite war game ever, but it’s purely a military briefing game, similarly to the Arma series.
• Assassin’s Creed III has the most immersive early American action story, but the storyline is too grey. It’s not black and white about its patriotism.
• American Civil War games are by nature divisive. Even with a cause most (like myself) will find just, they, along with other controversial wars, lower the patriotic fervor and give into contention and debate when a game gets too divisive.
• Games I haven’t played or games where I can’t even finish the tutorials (like Burden of Command) won’t be on the list. (Also, sorry if I missed some obscure 1980s MS-DOS game!)

My list compiles games that any Federalist or Anti-Federalist American can unite behind as the most patriotic games for all Americans.

10 – Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

I know I should probably pick something like World in Conflict, a more grounded story of Americans against the Soviet Union, but the goofball nature and the iconic electronic music (which Trump even used in an Army recruiting video) shoehorns this game into the list, beating out that masterpiece. The all-star cast had incredible personality, and the game truly demonstrated why newer RTS games consistently fail: no FMVs, and no waifus. This game had it all. It made you feel like you won for America, and you even got the babe at the end, just like any patriotic ’80s movie would make you feel!

9 – Company of Heroes

Company of Heroes, Call of Duty (2004), Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, and Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 all came from that Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers era when Stephen Ambrose was the king of WWII history. This was a time when Americans were rekindling their patriotism as WWII veterans grew grey and were finally acknowledged as the Greatest Generation. Their ranking on this list comes down to how well the quality of that theme was conveyed. Company of Heroes, being an RTS, just doesn’t give you that personal tingle that first-person shooters do.

8 – Liberty or Death

I know it’s comical that a Japanese game made it to the list, but damn, they sure went all out in creating a “Murican” theme that puts most modern strategy games to shame. Just the intro alone, featuring Patrick Henry giving his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech, blows newer American Revolution strategy games away, along with the vast majority of war games on the market that refuse to spend money on spectacle.

7 – Broforce

Yes, I know what you’re thinking: “My historically accurate Order of Battle game isn’t on here, but Broforce is?” Look, the Hulkster isn’t going to wave Old Glory over a spreadsheet. But big, buff, ’80s and ’90s action heroes blowing things up with giant bazookas, ray guns, and ninja skills against mindless, Borg-like terrorists? Absolutely. To finish any objective, you must run up and hoist that glorious American flag. Furthermore, that giant American Eagle showing off a massive titanium gun show on the menu screen should silence any doubters.

6 – Call of Duty

I find the first Call of Duty superior to the Medal of Honor series; mechanically, it is a perfect WWII game. There are no moral complexities involving backstabbing generals or double agents. Just pure, flag-waving goodness action. Plus, your character doesn’t magically heal up over time.

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