Richthofen's War

[2] In 1966, Mike Carr designed a game of First World War aerial combat, Fight in the Skies, after watching the movie The Blue Max.

The Avalon Hill General Index and Company History claimed that "Although owing much of its inspiration to Flying Circus and Fight in the Skies, [Richthofen's War] was readily recognized as better than its predecessors.

"[3] Although SPI claimed that Richthofen's War was virtually identical to their Flying Circus game, their own poll showed that Richthofen's War enjoyed a higher initial popularity when it was released, and continued to be more popular than SPI's game at six months and one year after publication.

"[6] In his 1977 book The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming, Nicholas Palmer noted "this game has surprised many with its continuing success."

"[2] Bill Thompson, writing for the Wargame Academy, noted that Richthofen's War attracts an older demographic, saying, "its forte and foible is its simplicity and familiarity with old time gamers.

"[1] In Issue 22 of Moves, Carl Hoffman called SPI's Flying Circus "a much more limited game" compared to Richthofen's War.