Methinks a hint is in order :)

Hah I'd forgotten about this...

I'll give a few hints.

It was released in 1997, it's part empire management and part RTS (as shown in screenshot). It did not receive great reviews.

Edit:
Yeah you're absolutely right :D.

I remember seeing the game in a budget bin a long time ago and it stuck with me because it was called Dracula (I don't remember it being called Vlad Tepes) and yet was a RTS that had nothing to do with vampires.
Alrighty here is mine, should be pretty easy.

Hmm here's a hint, the filename is not a hint!

Dark Castle, perhaps?

If correct, someone else can take my turn.

Of course it is.
Someone else, hurry up! It's your turn!

This was one of the games I played during my formative years.

Bollocks never mind

That's a toughie.

It's Cythera, right? It's written in the screenshot.
Link.
Link 2.

You win the prize.
I was certainly worried about the embedded title though.

Yay. :-)
I am passing my turn to someone else. FraterPedurabo perhaps?

here's a good one. and for extra rep, name both names that this game goes by.

Need for Speed: High Stakes, or apparently also known as Road Challenge?