| The Global Dilemma: Guns or Butter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Chris Crawford |
| Publisher(s) | Mindscape |
| Platform(s) | Macintosh, DOS |
| Release | 1990 |
| Genre(s) | Strategy, Wargame |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Global Dilemma: Guns or Butter is a 1990 video game written by Chris Crawford and published by Mindscape. It was originally released on the Macintosh, and then for IBM PC compatibles. The game is a simulation of macroeconomics in which the player attempts to improve the economy of their country in an effort to outproduce the computer players. Over time this allows them to build up a military superiority and take over the opposing countries. If the computer beats the player, the game shows them facing an animated firing squad.
The Global Dilemma failed to achieve the play balance that Crawford desired, and he considered it among the worst games he released. It was commercially unsuccessful, earning Crawford no royalties past the advance. He used some of the same basic concepts as the basis of his next game, Balance of the Planet.