The world of real-time strategy took a big leap forward 12 years ago when the first “Command & Conquer” game came out for PCs. Developed by Westwood Studios (who were later bought out by Electronic Arts), “C&C” dazzled gamers with its emphasis on strategy and blowing the hell out of the other guy before he did it to you. Set a couple of decades in the future after a mysterious crystalline substance called Tiberium has begun to grow on Earth, you can play as either GDI (the good guys) or the Brotherhood of Nod (the bad guys). Each faction harvests the Tiberium as a resource, then constructs buildings, vehicles and weapons. The game has both single-player campaigns for GDI and Nod as well as supports multiplayer.

To celebrate the longevity of the franchise EA is giving away the original “Command & Conquer” as a free download. The original game got a fresh update to its graphics recently and is now compatible with Windows XP. Grab it from EA’s C&C website here and then start your harvesting, fortify your construction yard and prepare for Nod’s inevitable rocket cycle rush at your base.