Liberty or Death
↘ 4.7%
🙂 6.8/10
(Super Nintendo - US, Strategy)
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Developed_By:
Koei
Published_By:
Koei
Released On:
01 Jan 1994
Also available on:
Liberty or Death is a strategy game set during the American Revolutionary War. The European Wars against Spain and France have been costly to the British Empire, leading to protests and boycotts in the New World colonies without representation. To quell these rebellious efforts, the Crown sends troops, provoking the Thirteen Colonies to revolt.
As either the "rebels" - the American Continental Army or the "Crown" - the British Royal Army, you must balance your treasury for the war effort. Each state provides money that supports your cause, with more states contributing resulting in greater funds available. Money is spent on wages, strengthening the fleet, and recruiting new regiments.
The game features various factions, including Revolutionary Militia (American supporters but not yet fully supportive of Continental Army), Loyalist Militia (supportive to the Crown), French Army, and Spanish Army, which can ally with the American cause after a formal agreement is made. You can also command your Navy officer to blockade enemy ships and seize goods for added treasury.
Turn-based combat takes place on the battlefield, with units such as Infantry, Guerrilla, Cavalry, Artillery (Engineers), and Naval units like Fleet and Fireships available. The top-down combat system allows you to strategize and make tactical decisions during battles.
UPC-A:
040198000666 (United States)
eBay Product ID:
4387 (United States)
ASIN:
B000035Y1A (United States)
Part #:
SNS-7L (USA)
Nintendo Media PN:
SNS-7L-USA (United States)
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Number of Players Supported:
1-2 Players
Miscellaneous Attributes:
Battery Backed RAM
Prices as of 30 Jul 2026
Typical $125.30–$125.32 (last 90 days)
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Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
This historical wargame recreates the pivotal campaigns of the American Revolutionary War, focusing on key conflicts such as the New Jersey Invasion and the Battles of Saratoga. Players take command of either the American Continental Army or the British forces, utilizing historical troop numbers, map locations, and real-life military commanders like George Washington and Thomas Gage. By managing troop movements and tactical engagements across famous battlefields, players attempt to either suppress the colonial rebellion or secure American independence.
Story
The New Jersey Invasion
The Americans retreated to Brooklyn, losing Jamaica Pass to the British. By August 29th, however, Washington abandoned all hope of rescuing his positions and withdrew from Brooklyn. On a rainy night, a brigade of fishermen under Colonel John Glover ferried 10,000 American troops and their equipment from Brooklyn to Manhattan. When Howe's troops finally arrived at Brooklyn, they encountered no resistance; not a single American had stayed behind to meet them.
Following the British success at Long Island, the Continental Army was hounded by the British. The approaching winter found the American forces weary and demoralized, yet Howe was unable to deliver a decisive defeat.
Battle of Trenton
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2,400 American Troops
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1,400 British Troops
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4 American Casualties
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114 British Casualties
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0 Americans Captured
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948 British Captured
Battle of Princeton
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4,000 American Troops
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1,200 British Troops
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105 American Casualties
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210 British Casualties
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0 Americans Captured
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244 British Captured
The Battles of Saratoga
In the summer of 1777, British General Howe was fighting in Pennsylvania, caught in a struggle with General Washington. As he had requested, General John Burgoyne was en route from Canada to provide backup support.
Burgoyne moved down Lake Champlain without event, and successfully drove the Americans out of Fort Ticonderoga along the way. However, after this victory he held back instead of charging ahead, and from this time on his accomplishments were few.
West of the Hudson, General Horatio Gates positioned his American troops in Bemis Heights, well-fortified with an entrenchment and redoubts by the Polish Engineer Colonel Thaddeus Kosciuszko. When Burgoyne finally crossed the Hudson, he met up with Gates's troops in a battle to gain Freeman's Farm.
Burgoyne divided his army of 4,600 into three attacking columns and attacked in fan-like formation. Artillery batteries were ready to back up each column. On September 19, 1777, Brigadier James Hamilton moved forward.
When American Colonel Daniel Morgan saw Hamilton's advance, his men took aim at every advancing officer. Hamilton's troops held Morgan to a standoff, and Major General Benedict Arnold charged ahead to support Morgan. Simultaneously, Major General Riedesel charged in and the British won the day.
Burgoyne was trapped after his minor victory. With Howe in Pennsylvania, General Henry Clinton was his only hope for reinforcement. Clinton was in no hurry to rush to his aid, however, and left the majority of his troops in New York as he set off at a moderate pace.
By the end of September, Clinton had seized two American forts in his path. Having lost some troops in the skirmishes, he refused to move on until he received reinforcement for his own army. Meanwhile Gates' army was increasing in size each day. By October, Gates was in command.
Battle of Freeman's Farm
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3,000 American Troops
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3,000 British Troops
•
283 American Casualties
•
600 British Casualties
Battle of Bemis Heights
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2,200 American Troops
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2,200 British Troops
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200 American Casualties
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426 British Casualties
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0 Americans Captured
•
200 British Captured
Saratoga Map Locations
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Burgoyne
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FREEMAN'S FARM
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Morgan
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Arnold
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Learned
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Poor
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Gates
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BEMIS TAVERN
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HUDSON RIVER
Thomas Gage
Thomas Gage was born the second son of a noble house in England. After eight years at Westminster School, he found that the army was one of the few promising paths open to younger sons of nobility. Thus, he opted for a career in the military.
In his first fifteen years of service, Gage's career was not unusual in any way. He rose in rank through the purchase of vacant commissions, became a Captain at twenty-three, and was a Lieutenant Colonel in his early thirties.
In 1755, Gage embarked for Alexandria, Virginia, under the command of Major General Edward Braddock. By 1759, he had raised a regiment of light infantry and obtained a permanent position as Brigadier General. Although Gage rose through the ranks in a consistent manner, his skill seemed to be in making his men look like soldiers rather than training them for battle.
Gage turned down the chance to campaign in the West Indies, and in 1760, chose to serve as Military Governor of Montreal. In this position combat experience was less important than qualities such as intelligence, patience, and tact. Under peacetime conditions, Gage was an asset.
By the eve of the Revolution, Gage was promoted as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in North America. However, Gage's troops suffered heavy casualties in the battles of Lexington and Concord and in the Battle of Bunker Hill. His army was eventually blockaded in Boston and Gage was recalled from his position.
Sir William Howe
William Howe was the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in North America from 1775 to 1778. In his three years as C-in-C, Howe was unable to end the rebellion in America.
In June 1776, Howe went to New York with the intention of engaging in a
How to Play
Game Synopsis
The thirteen original colonies of North America, plus the British colonies of Florida and Canada, are divided into 53 Districts. It is within these 53 Districts that the battle for the North American continent will take place.
To be victorious you must skillfully manage your men and resources, being careful not to spread your forces too thin. You must also win the favor of both the people and the government to remain in power.
In Liberty or Death, each game turn represents approximately two weeks. There are 24 game turns per year. At the beginning of each season, you must answer to your government. Currying favor with the government is essential to success in the game.
The ability to field an army is more important than acquiring territory in this game. Using fleet support effectively in battle is also strategically important. Keep your regiments intact and deliver decisive blows against the enemy.
Set-Up
•
Insert the game pak.
•
Turn the Super Nintendo Entertainment System ON.
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The Liberty or Death opening story will begin. Press Start to skip to Game Set-up.
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Select New Game.
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Select the Player vs. Computer setup. (The 0-player game will run a demo).
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Game Setups: Player vs. Computer, Player vs. Player, Computer vs. Computer.
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Select to play either the Americans or the British.
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Commander-in-Chief information will appear. Review the C-in-C information. Select Aye to confirm your selection.
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Set Game Options: When all options are set, select Done.
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Final Confirmation of Settings: Select AYE if you are content with your Commander-in-Chief selection and your Options selections. The game will begin.
Enter the Game
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Continental Congress: Review budgetary information for the season.
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Request Support: Ask the Board of War Chairman and the Marine Committee Chairman (America), or the Secretary of War and the Lord of Admiralty (England) for support. (Hint: We recommend requesting additional regiments and joint attack support in the Northern region).
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Determine Officer Salaries: When the salary screen comes up, the Officers' normal salary appears. Hit A to set Officer salaries. (Hint: We recommend allocating the normal salary).
First Time Players
If you are playing this game for the first time, we suggest that you play on the American side, with the Game Level set to Easy. Liberty or Death is much more challenging to win while playing on the British side.
Victory Goal
To win Liberty or Death, eliminate the entire enemy force or cause your opponent's government to admit defeat. If your opponent's government votes to dismiss its Commander-in-Chief, or if the enemy Commander-in-Chief is eliminated or imprisoned in battle, the game will continue with a different enemy Commander-in-Chief.
In a two-player game, if the opposing player is eliminated, a computer controlled Commander-in-Chief will finish the game for the player.
Defeat
The game is lost when you are dismissed, when your government capitulates, when you are eliminated or imprisoned in battle, or when your entire army is defeated. If you wish, you may continue to watch the computer play after a new Commander-in-Chief is installed.
The game ends automatically with the passing of King George III on January 1, 1820, with a default victory for the American side.
District Resources
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Prices: Shows the general trend of the cost of goods, such as Cannons or Rations. This data is displayed as a range of 50% (half the normal price) to 200% (twice the normal price).
•
Cannons: Shows the number of cannons available in the District. One cannon unit represents enough cannons to supply an artillery unit of 250 troops. Artillery units are much more effective in battle when supplied with cannon.
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Boats: Shows the number of boats available in the District.
Warring Factions
At the beginning of the game, you choose the side of the Americans, who control the Continental Army, or the British, who control the Royal Army. Your allied forces are controlled by the computer up until the time you recruit these forces. Allied forces can be recruited or can provide reinforcements when you launch an attack on the enemy.
The allied forces of the Continental Army are the Revolutionary Militia, the French Army and the Spanish Army. The only allied forces of the Royal Army are the Loyalist Militia.
You may enter an allied district by land or by sea. When you enter an allied district, the highest ranking officer in the district will automatically become the district commander.
If you move low ranking Continental Officers into a district with higher ranking allied Officers, the top ranking allied Officer will remain in control of the district. If there are two Officers of equally high rank in a district, district command will be given to the Continental or Royal Officer over an allied Officer. If there are two allied Officers of equally high rank in a district, district command will be given to the allied Officer with the highest total abilities.
Note: When the armed forces listed above occupy a District, the District will change to the color of the occupying army. During battle, the Continental Army and its allied forces will appear in Blue, and the Royal Army and its allied forces will appear in Red.
Officer Information Screen
When you view an Officer (INFO-OFFICER), information is displayed on a special Officer Information Screen. Officer attributes are displayed in different colors to indicate the Officer's strength in that area:
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Green: Strong
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Yellow: Average
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Red: Weak
In the example shown above, the Officer Aaron Burr is
Controls
Control Pad
Scroll through commands, subcommands and selections.
Control Pad (Left/Right)
Highlight Aye or Nay to Y/N questions.
Control Pad (Up/Down)
Scroll through Officer lists.
Control Pad (Left)
Maximize the value on Number Input.
Control Pad (Right)
Set the value to zero on Number Input.
Button A
Input commands, subcommands and selections.
Button B
Cancel commands and selections.
Control Pad (L or R arrows)
Access a second District Data Screen.
Tips & Maps
England's Colonies in North America
A map showing the colonies including Canada, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
The New England Colonies
A map featured in the maps section of the manual.
The Middle Colonies
A map featured in the maps section of the manual.
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