Red Baron 2013 Remake

Last updated: January 23, 2026

Overview

Red Baron 2013 Remake was an ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful attempt by Damon Slye, the original creator of the Red Baron franchise, to revive the beloved World War I flight simulation series for modern audiences¹. The project was developed by Mad Otter Games, who had acquired the rights to the Red Baron intellectual property on September 9, 2009². The remake aimed to recapture the magic of one of the most acclaimed flight simulators of the early 1990s, which had been described as “the best dogfighting game the PC has ever seen”³.

The Kickstarter campaign for the remake launched on October 22, 2013, seeking $250,000infundingtobringtheprojecttofruition{[}^{r}ef-2].Despitethelegendarystatusoftheoriginalgame—whichhadsoldmorethan500,000unitsworldwideandearnedComputerGamingWorl{d}^{\prime }s1991SimulationoftheYearaward{[}^{r}ef-4]—thecrowdfundingeffortfaileddramatically,raisingonly$40,493 before being cancelled⁴. The developers acknowledged several missteps, including failing to build a community before launch and presenting the game with graphics that looked “a little arcade-ey” rather than conveying the “living history, interactive history” aesthetic they intended¹.

Following the failed Kickstarter, Slye’s team regrouped and continued development, later seeking a more modest $50,000 for a prototype with a planned 2016 release¹. The project was listed on Steam Greenlight and aimed for a November 2014 release, though this version was ultimately cancelled as well⁵. The remake was planned to be DRM-free for single-player content with no subscriptions and no pay-to-win elements⁶.

Game Info

Developer: Mad Otter Games² Designer: Damon Slye¹ Publisher: Unreleased (Cancelled)⁴ Engine: Unknown Platforms: Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8⁵ Release Year: Cancelled (Planned 2014)⁵ Series: Red Baron Protagonist: Player-created WWI pilot Sierra Lineage: Dynamix Heritage

Story Summary

The Red Baron remake was intended to transport players back to 1914, the dawn of World War I, when patriotic fervor ran high across Europe as young men prepared for a new age of warfare⁷. For the first time in history, men would take to the air with the sole objective of blasting enemy aircraft from the sky, in an era when aviation was still in its infancy⁷.

The game’s narrative framework drew from the romanticized memories of Great War aces, promising players the chance to experience “all the excitement, challenges, emotions, and exhilaration that the pilots of this cutting edge era experienced”⁵. As in the original game, players could choose to fly for either the Royal Flying Corps (British) or the German Air Service, experiencing the Western Front from both perspectives².

The developers’ vision extended beyond simple gameplay, as they described their project in ambitious terms: “We are not just building a simulation. We are not just building a game. We are building a time machine”⁶. This philosophy reflected the original game’s approach to historical immersion, which had featured combat against famous aces including Manfred von Richthofen himself—the legendary Red Baron⁸. The official website even featured one of the Red Baron’s famous quotes: “I am a hunter. My brother Lothar is a butcher”⁶.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

The remake was designed as a dogfight flight simulator recreating the World War I period⁹. Following in the footsteps of the original Red Baron, which featured 28 different aircraft from both Allied and German sides presented in actual 3D graphics⁸, the remake promised authentic aerial combat with period-appropriate controls and mechanics.

The planned control scheme would support modern peripherals while maintaining the flight simulation depth that made the original famous. The original game had been designed with the Microsoft Sidewinder Version 1 joystick in mind¹⁰, and the remake was expected to offer similar peripheral support for dedicated flight sim enthusiasts.

Structure and Progression

Based on the original game’s design philosophy, the remake would likely have featured a career mode where players could rise through military ranks⁸. The original Red Baron’s career mode allowed pilots to progress from inexperienced aviators to legendary aces, and the remake was positioned to offer similar long-term engagement.

Mission types planned for the remake drew from the original’s varied objectives:

• Fighter Sweeps: Patrol missions seeking enemy aircraft
• Balloon-Busting: Targeting enemy observation balloons to blind their artillery⁷
• Zeppelin Hunting: Engaging massive German airships⁷
• Escort Missions: Protecting bombers deep into enemy territory⁷
• Night Missions: Undercover operations under darkness⁷
• One-on-One Combat: Dueling famous aces including the Red Baron himself⁸

Puzzles and Mechanics

As a flight simulation rather than a puzzle game, the remake’s core mechanics centered on mastering aerial combat in primitive WWI aircraft. The developers emphasized that “flight sims are one of those things where good graphics really matter” and that simulation “is something where it’s part of the visceral thrill of what you’re doing”¹.

The original game had been praised for creating a situation where “there are no books, no teachers—here and now, these young pilots must invent the skills and strategies that will keep them alive”⁷. Only the very best would survive to become Aces, and the remake promised to recreate this challenging learning curve with modern technology.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

As the Red Baron 2013 Remake was never released, no contemporary reviews exist for the project itself. However, the context of its development was shaped by the overwhelming critical acclaim of its predecessor and the negative reception of an unrelated Red Baron game released in the interim.

The original 1990 Red Baron received universal acclaim:

• Computer Gaming World awarded 5/5 stars, calling it “the best World War I air simulator ever done”¹¹
• Dragon Magazine gave 5/5 stars in December 1992¹¹
• PC Gamer US ranked it the 17th best computer game ever in 1994¹¹
• Computer Games World placed it in the top five best PC games ever in 1995¹

In stark contrast, the unrelated Red Baron Arcade (2008/2009) for PSN received devastating reviews:

• IGN awarded a mere 2/10, calling it “a lifeless, joyless abomination of its namesake”¹²
• GamesRadar described it as “one of the most poorly presented PSN titles in recent memory” with “36 missions of face-melting monotony”¹³

Modern Assessment

The failed Kickstarter campaign demonstrated that despite nostalgia for the original, modern audiences were skeptical of the remake’s presentation. The campaign’s $40,493raisedagainsta$250,000 goal represented only 16% of the target⁴.

The original 1990 game maintained strong retrospective scores:

Aggregate Scores:

• MobyGames (Critic): 73% (15 reviews)³
• MobyGames (Player): 3.9/5 (63 ratings)³
• GamesNostalgia Editorial: 83/100⁴

Community members continued to praise the original decades after release. One Steam reviewer declared that “Red Baron is unique amongst the flight simulation genre, and hands-down, one of the finest games I’ve ever played”¹⁰, while forum discussions noted that “Red Baron is still fun twenty years (holy moly!) after its debut”¹⁴.

Development

Origins

The Red Baron remake originated from Damon Slye’s desire to revive the franchise he had created at Dynamix in 1990¹. The original game had established Dynamix’s reputation in the flight simulation genre⁴ and launched what became known as the “Great Warplanes Series”¹¹. Sierra had acquired Dynamix during the original Red Baron’s development¹¹, and the game went on to become one of Sierra’s most successful titles.

Mad Otter Games acquired the rights to the Red Baron intellectual property on September 9, 2009², four years before launching the Kickstarter campaign. The development team included veterans who had previously worked on Red Baron, Aces of the Pacific, Aces over Europe, A-10 Tank Killer, and Ace of Aces⁶.

Production

The Kickstarter campaign launched on October 22, 2013, seeking $250,000 to fund development². The team planned to support Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8 platforms, with Linux support also under consideration⁹. The game was promised to be DRM-free for single-player content⁹.

After the Kickstarter failure, Slye candidly assessed what went wrong in an interview with Polygon: “We didn’t build a community before we launched the Kickstarter. We didn’t present it very well. The game didn’t look right. It looked a little arcade-ey. It didn’t look like living history, interactive history, which is more what it should look like”¹.

Development Credits:¹⁶

• Lead Designer: Damon Slye
• Development Studio: Mad Otter Games

Technical Achievements

The remake was planned to address the significant visual improvements Slye felt were necessary for a modern flight simulation. He acknowledged that “good graphics really matter” in the flight sim genre and that the Kickstarter presentation had failed to convey the visual fidelity players expected¹.

Technical Specifications

Minimum System Requirements:⁵

• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 2.6 GHz or better
• Memory: 1 GB RAM
• Video: Nvidia GeForce 7XXX series or higher, AMD Radeon 1XXXX series or higher
• DirectX: Version 9.0 or better
• Storage: 4 GB available hard drive space
• Network: Broadband Internet Connection (for multiplayer)

Recommended System Requirements:⁵

• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 2.6 GHz or better
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Video: Nvidia GeForce 460 or higher

Cut Content

The entire game represents cut content, as the project was cancelled before release. Planned features that were never implemented included:

• Full career mode with rank progression
• Multiplayer dogfighting (advertised as having no subscriptions)⁶
• No pay-to-win monetization model⁶
• Linux platform support⁹

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
Kickstarter Build	October 2013	Windows	Demo footage shown in campaign2
Steam Greenlight	2014	Windows	Listed for November 2014 release5
Cancelled	2014-2015	N/A	Project abandoned4

Technical Issues

The primary technical issue with the remake was its visual presentation, which Slye admitted looked “a little arcade-ey” rather than conveying the intended historical authenticity¹. This presentation problem was significant enough to contribute to the Kickstarter’s failure.

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• The development team explicitly referenced the Red Baron’s famous hunting philosophy on their official website, quoting Manfred von Richthofen: “I am a hunter. My brother Lothar is a butcher”⁶
• The original 1990 Red Baron game manual included detailed plane specifications, medals information, and WWI history that set a standard the remake hoped to match¹⁴
• The original game came with paper maps, creating an immersive experience the digital-only remake would need to replicate differently¹⁴

Voice Cast

No voice cast information is available for the cancelled remake.

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

The Red Baron 2013 Remake had no commercial impact, as the Kickstarter campaign raised only $40,493ofits$250,000 goal before being cancelled⁴. This failure stood in stark contrast to the original game’s tremendous success, which had sold more than 500,000 units worldwide¹¹.

Awards

The original Red Baron (1990) earned significant accolades that the remake hoped to build upon:

• Computer Gaming World’s 1991 Simulation of the Year¹¹
• Computer Gaming World Hall of Fame inductee (1993)¹¹
• 4th best PC game of all time (1996)⁴

Collections

The remake was never completed and therefore never appeared in any collections. However, the original Red Baron’s inclusion in various compilations demonstrated the enduring appeal that motivated the remake attempt.

Fan Projects

The failed remake prompted renewed appreciation for the original games. Fan communities continued to maintain and discuss Red Baron 3D (also known as Red Baron II), with community patches like the “super patch” helping the 1998 game remain playable on modern systems¹⁴. Forum user Lufbery noted that “RB3D (with the super patch and a Glide wrapper) is better in almost every way than the original and, frankly, better than even newer flight sims like CFS2 in terms of game play”¹⁴.

Related Publications

The original Red Baron series included extensive documentation:

• Game Manual: Included detailed plane specifications, medals, and WWI history¹⁴
• Paper Maps: Physical maps included with the original release¹⁴

Critical Perspective

The failure of the Red Baron 2013 Remake represents a cautionary tale about the challenges of reviving beloved franchises through crowdfunding. Despite the original game being hailed as “an astonishing accomplishment” by Warren Spector and earning recognition as “the best World War I air simulator ever done”¹¹, the remake could not translate nostalgia into funding success.

The project’s failure highlighted several key lessons for game revivals: the importance of community building before crowdfunding campaigns, the critical role of visual presentation in demonstrating a game’s potential, and the difficulty of recapturing lightning in a bottle. As one community member philosophically noted after the Kickstarter’s cancellation: “Thank god you can still play the original one!”⁴

The original Red Baron continues to be celebrated as a groundbreaking achievement. One reviewer declared it “the best dogfighting game the PC has ever seen, bar none”³, while another stated that “this game represents a ground-breaking achievement in computer air combat simulation”³. The remake’s cancellation ensures that these accolades remain attached to the 1990 original rather than being passed to a successor.

Downloads

Original Games (Not the cancelled remake)

Purchase / Digital Stores

• Steam - Red Baron Pack (includes Red Baron and Red Baron 3D)

Download / Preservation

• DOS Games Archive - Original 1990 version⁷
• GamesNostalgia - MS-DOS version 1.1 and 1.31⁴

Related Resources

• Red Baron Game Official Site - Remake project page (historical)⁶

Series Continuity

The Red Baron 2013 Remake was intended to revive a franchise that began with the groundbreaking 1990 original and continued through Red Baron II/3D in 1997-1998¹⁴. The original game was the first installment in Dynamix’s “Great Warplanes Series”¹¹ and established a template for WWI flight simulation that remained influential for decades.

The series took an unfortunate detour with Red Baron Arcade (2008/2009), an unrelated PSN title from Stainless Games that was universally panned and described by IGN as representing the sentiment: “F you, one of the greatest franchises in PC history”¹². The 2013 remake was positioned as a return to the franchise’s simulation roots under its original creator.

• Previous: 1998 - Red Baron 3D
• Next: None (cancelled)

References

Footnotes

1. Polygon – The Red Baron is Ready to Fly Again – Damon Slye interview, Kickstarter failure analysis, development plans ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

2. Dynamix Fandom Wiki – Red Baron Series – IP acquisition date, Kickstarter launch date, series history ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

3. MobyGames – Red Baron Reviews – User reviews, critic scores, platform information ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

4. GamesNostalgia – Red Baron – Kickstarter amount raised, freeware release, editorial score ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

5. Sierra Classic Gaming – Red Baron Remake – System requirements, planned release date, Steam Greenlight ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

6. Red Baron Game Official Site – Development philosophy, team credits, business model ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

7. DOS Games Archive – Red Baron – Official game description, mission types ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

8. Sierra Gamers – Red Baron – Aircraft count, mission variety, release date ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

9. CD Projekt Red Forums – Red Baron Kickstarter Thread – Linux support, DRM-free plans ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

10. Steam Community – Red Baron Reviews – User testimonials, joystick compatibility, technical issues ↩ ↩²

11. Wikipedia – Red Baron (1990 video game) – Release dates, awards, sales figures, review scores ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

12. IGN – Red Baron Arcade Review – Review score, technical criticisms ↩ ↩²

13. GamesRadar – Red Baron Arcade Review – Review criticisms, technical issues ↩

14. The Aerodrome Forums – Red Baron Discussion – Community patches, compatibility, retrospective opinions ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸