The player would then be allocated a certain number of points to invest in purchasing units, researching technology or spending in intelligence operations.

The game has four scenarios, set in 1914 (the year World War I broke out), 1939 (when World War II broke out in Europe), and 1995, as well as a fictional scenario set on a post-apocalyptic Earth in the year 2500, after an asteroid impact on the Pacific Ocean occurs in 2030.

Players could choose to challenge other humans or a selection of AI mostly based on famous world leaders.

Some of the AI players featured in the game include historical figures such as General Custer, Napoleon Bonaparte and Queen Victoria.

Chuck Moss wrote in Computer Gaming World in February 1994 that Global Domination "is at once both a failure and a surprising success".