Civil War: Battle of Petersburg

Civil War: Battle of Petersburg

For the price, what’s the risk? BATTLE OF PETERSBERG will appeal to hisorical and strategy turn based gamers. Sure, there is room for improvement, especially with the hexagonal map, camera perspective and color scheme, which make it difficult to see terrain and to select units. And, I can’t speak to historical accuracy because I’m no expert. But you get an entire campaign providing several hours of gameplay through multiple battles. The gameplay is simple and no-frills that gives artillery a lot of power (they can move, condutct ranged attack, and destroy entire units, all in one turn). Your strategy will focus on using artillery to blast away entire sections of the enemy front line, followed up by infantry to clean up anything missed by the artillery, and cavalry to exploit the hole you’ve just punched. My recollection of the Petersburg campaign is that this is basically the strategy used. Recommended despite its problems.

Real player with 11.0 hrs in game


Read More: Best Hex Grid Wargame Games.


In short - quick and easy to play, arcade game with strategic elements. Low price but also low content.

  • Quick and easy to play

The game is far from being complex. You need only 1-2 minutes in menu to adjust all the graphic settings and the same amount of time spent using tutorial is more than enough to start first scenario. Simple rules of combat, relatively small maps as well as not much of a variety of units make the play fast and easy to finish even during eating dinner.

  • Hot seat

It is always nice addition to the simple&short games. It could be strategic game but the truth is that you won’t make complicated plans and cunning strategies as this game lacks of any strategic depth. So there is no fear to play against each other using “hot seat” option as it suits such “strategic-arcade” game.

Real player with 9.2 hrs in game

Civil War: Battle of Petersburg on Steam

Conquicktory

Conquicktory

Conquicktory is a minimalistic turn-based strategy focused on top-level decisions in your civilization’s development. You’ll control the diplomacy relations with neighboring countries, declare wars, plan the key strikes and distribute funds to the peaceful/military issues. Your subjects will do the rest of work - there is no need to deeply micromanage all the aspect of your glorious growing empire.

The game map has 3 views:

1. Military view. If you see a spear with a flag over one of your cities, it means that you can create an army in it. Simply touch and drag from it and you’ll see the army path. Army will capture cells around its path. The same dragging way is used to plan the movement of your existing armies. Also you can see the cells defense ratings on this view. Cells are defended by nearby armies, cities and forts.

2. Diplomacy view. Here you can select a country and see its current enemies (red) and allies (green). You can select a country and suggest a treaty to it, or declare war. Also here you can answer the treaties suggestions from other players

3. Economy view. You can see how much each of your cities brings to you, and set the funds spreading to war, peaceful growth and treasury. You can fund new cities and fortresses in this view.

Game features:

  • easy control mode which lets you focus on the top-level questions of you empire

  • simultaneous moves, which are performed once all the players have issued orders

  • challenging AI, which does not cheat but can make clever moves

  • spectator mode, where you can relax and spectate how the AI play (and try to guess the winner)

  • prebuilt maps of the world, continents and countries, which you can conquer


Read More: Best Hex Grid Minimalist Games.


Conquicktory on Steam

Hex of Steel

Hex of Steel

English/French

My feeling about the game is mostly negative but I give it a good review anyway because, you know, you got to support your local businesses and also there’s a free demo, so you can’t really accuse the product to be a rip off.

Mon appréciation du jeu est surtout négative mais je mets une appréciation positive parce que, bah premièrement il faut soutenir les petits producteurs français, et deuxièmement il y a une démo gratuite, donc ce ne serait pas juste de dire qu’il y a tromperie sur la marchandise.

Real player with 49.9 hrs in game


Read More: Best Hex Grid Historical Games.


Mon avis est mitigé, autant j’aime le concept et le travail de base sur la conception de ce jeu, et de l’autre coté deux points essentiel me dérange profondément.

L’échelle de jeu et l’échelle de temps sont les points les plus incohérent de ce jeux.

L’échelle grand stratégique alors que les unités sont de type régimentale ou de type bataillons et la vitesse des unités.

je m’explique, prenons la campagne 39 pour exemple, impossible de prendre la pologne en 21 jours avec les troupes de l’axe comme cela c’est passé , le probleme est que soit les troupes de la pologne sont trop forte ou soit les troupe de l’axe trop lente ou bien elle ne sont pas sufisament forte…

Real player with 32.0 hrs in game

Hex of Steel on Steam

1943 Deadly Desert

1943 Deadly Desert

For the 0.5$ that I’ve paid for it, 1943 Deadly Desert is actually quite a solid turn-based tactical wargame, theming Allies-Axis struggle in North Africa.

Sure, the visuals are static, making it look like something from the ’90s, like KOEI games Operation Europe: Path to Victory or P.T.O.

However, the gameplay process is actually closer to the Men of War series. About the same AI depth of engagement, the maps, and mission goals principles… yeah, but flattened into 2 dimensions, lacking visual effects and some of the more complex game mechanics.

Real player with 29.6 hrs in game

Small little indie game, normally I would not really bother with it but theatre of war in North Africa is my favourite and games don’t really take us there so I thought why not and bought it :)

It’s actually mobile game but controls are nice and there are no problems. There are 2 things I really dislike about it, if you zoom then graphic that you can see on screenshots (really nice i must say) is pixelated and not so much fun to look at any more. So you have to play with camera as high as possible to enjoy a view. Another thing is that every unit face only 1 way, so you always see one side facing wrong way and shooting there. A bit immersion killer and I think with a bit of work it could actually be fixed.

Real player with 28.4 hrs in game

1943 Deadly Desert on Steam

Panzer Tactics HD

Panzer Tactics HD

Only real men can get all 3 stars in this game. It’s impossible not to get a real lesson in history and tactics. You WISH chess could be this fun. I play this game, or whatever remake they have of it, every 5 years becuase it’s the only game that still bends my mind. Please message me if you know something as smart as this.

Here’s some things I’ve learned both about this game and the real WWII:

Pioneer infantry is more useful because they can cross rivers faster.

Germany had design issues. Like old VWs, sometimes older models worked better than the new stuff.

Real player with 138.2 hrs in game

For a wargamer like me who play wargame more than 30 years (no lie), to skim, before purchasing it, I noticed that it is simple, but with good quality that the game was made graphically speaking, in leads you to believe in it, and we hope that some factors in the game better, (being the intention of the creators), otherwise, if they wish to keep it in level of beginner / intermediate, is EXCELLENT for those who want to start in the world of wargames!

For already passed this stage will have a good game to remember the basic functions of a wargame, if you have been a long time without playing.

Real player with 82.3 hrs in game

Panzer Tactics HD on Steam

War of the Human Tanks - Limited Operations

War of the Human Tanks - Limited Operations

Warning: 1000+ word review from a guy that’s way too passionate about a trilogy that features chibi girls that shoot at each other and explode. Please read if you have spare time.

The first two War of the Human Tanks games are among my favorite PC-exclusive games I have played so far. So, I bought the third game on the same year it was released and… it wasn’t my cup of tea. What made the Human Tank games so special to me is the ability to break the game with overpowered tanks and pit those tanks against other overpowered extra stage enemies in a game of dark chess. This game takes that away and makes you play fair and square with the opponent in a normal strategy game.

Real player with 34.1 hrs in game

I’m going to write a lot of words about anime tanks because I really like this series and I don’t think anyone else knows it exists. The last game in the series, Limited Operations, has been out for around 9 months and has about a dozen reviews. Here’s a really long one and consider this a review for the series in general.

The War of the Human Tanks series is essentially anime Battleship. Fights are real time and pause when you click a unit to choose an action. There’s always a large fog of war and most units are of the one hit, one kill variety. Tanks are of the mass-produced style, outside of a couple of special NPC’s, and are permanently destroyed when killed in action. Tanks can also equip modules that you can create which do things like increase shooting range and area, increase movement and so on. Limited Operations changes the last few parts up, though.

Real player with 31.1 hrs in game

War of the Human Tanks - Limited Operations on Steam

Gary Grigsby’s War in the West

Gary Grigsby’s War in the West

With some concerns I am changing my view of this game to somewhat positive. I’d love to give this game 5 stars for its historical research and because I love the genre, but there are issues. The detail is amazing, and the air war represents an addictive breakthrough in game design. OTH: The user interface is difficult, clunky and click intensive. Too much info is hidden below small text buttons. You will have to decide if you like the high detail and the micro-management it entails. You either enjoy the detailed representation of the war, or get bogged down in the layers of that detail. The AI could help more, you cannot trust any of the human player AI provided to help for your air force, you must micro-manage. The May and D-Day start scenarios are broken due to sea interdiction caused by the German Hs 293 radio controlled bomb. The Allies had effective countermeasures largely nullifying this weapon by D-Day so you need to go into the editor generic data section and reduce the accuracy of the Hs 293; or your troops get beaten up badly going across the channel (even with a good air plan). Wargame designers in general largely ignore US advantages in artillery (Hitler’s Last Gamble, Dupuy), and in some game factors used herein, the decline of German pilot quality (Strategy for Defeat, Murray) so maybe an Allied player is always at a disadvantage to history (or you mod with the editor). Playing as Axis against the AI was, last time I tried, too easy as the AI is very bad at attacking. The game play is very engaging if you can handle the detail involved, especially the air game.

Real player with 4056.1 hrs in game

The one turn-based game to rule them all

Setting

This game let’s you take command of the combine air and land powers of the western allies or/and the axis powers in the western European theater of operations from the invasion of Sicily in 1943 to the summer of 1945. This game is turn-based and each turn represents a week in the historical timeline.

You will constantly face the same historical dilemmas as the commanders of the time, both on a tactical and a strategic level.

Real player with 576.4 hrs in game

Gary Grigsby's War in the West on Steam

Möbius Front ‘83

Möbius Front ‘83

I think this is my first Steam review; I watched a talk from Zach and he said that he takes feedback seriously so I figured, why not?

I love Zachtronics’ coding games, and I also love turn-based wargames, so I was pretty excited for this one. Unfortunately I think they’ve missed the mark this time. There’s a lot to like, but while it has the pleasing simplicity of games like Into the Breach (single-digit numbers for health, damage, range, and speed, grid map, etc.) it lacking some of the elegance.

Real player with 53.5 hrs in game

Möbius Front 83 is a simple and good game. Yet to finish it, but played enough of it to say what I think.

PROS:

  • Great presentation, graphics is aesthetically pleasing, great animations of units – I love how dust animation is used to indicate direction of movement of vehicles.

  • Outstanding sound design. Muffled sound of weapon fire and explosion sound like you hear weapons firing in the distance or if, like I imagine it would be to hear sound of weapons firing while you sit in an armoured vehicle.

Real player with 39.7 hrs in game

Möbius Front '83 on Steam

War of the Human Tanks

War of the Human Tanks

Battleships and chess with lolis.

Fantastic fun, interesting story with many twists and several endings, engaging gameplay that demands strategic thinking and an incredible soundtrack throughout.

The game’s story is told through visual novel format, which sets the state of affairs and the stage for the battle to follow. Battles are fought in real-time, but with a sort of turn-based system that runs on ticks, for example after giving a unit orders to move you must then wait for it to radio in asking for new orders before it can be moved again. Battlefields are presented as a grid of octagons, and before the round commences you must first place your units as in Battleships. Each unit has it’s own special properties and characteristics similar to chess, for example some may move 2 spaces at a time whereas others may only move 1, or one unit might only be able to attack horizontally whereas others must attack at least 2 spaces ahead of itself. The aim of each battle is to eliminate the opponent’s ‘Command Tank’ before they destroy yours which, regardless of how many units they have remaining, wins you the battle. The battlefield is covered by a shroud as seen in most real-time strategies with sight range varying between your different units, so early game tactics may usually consist of Battleships-esque artillery strikes into the dark hoping you’ll hit something, as your units gradually advance closer to the enemy, thinning out their ranks until their command tank is within firing range.

Real player with 73.6 hrs in game

The first time I saw War of the Human Tanks, I was put off by how obviously low-budget it is; that was a huge mistake. Apparently, the art style just needed some getting used to, because once I got into it, I thought the graphics were actually pretty good. There’s full voice acting, fun animations and even some really catchy music that makes me itch to buy the soundtrack.

But what about the meat of the game? That, for me, comes in two packages (or perhaps Amasson boxes): the story and the gameplay. Let’s get this out of the way: The story is awesome. I loved it. This is definitely not a “skip-the-dialogue” kind of game; in fact, after a certain point, the story became the main appeal. It’s simultaneously lighthearted and grim, with a really interesting setting that ends up being much more detailed than you might suspect at first. There are four endings (two main paths, with two endings each) that all end up being pretty radically different and are all fantastic in their own way. I’m really in love with the setting, and all the little things you can learn about the rather disenfranchised battle-androids they call Human Tanks; the story really exceeded my expectations in every way. The translation is great, and the writing is clever, funny and serious when it needs to be; some of the big twists were huge gut-punchers. I’d definitely say the story was maybe the best part for me, and it’ll stick with me and inspire me for other personal projects for quite a while.

Real player with 53.0 hrs in game

War of the Human Tanks on Steam

Battle for Iwo Jima

Battle for Iwo Jima

yes, but:

1. It goes so extremely slow, mainly i think due to unnecessary graphic duration. The very worst is the flare shooting into the air at each nite attack. It goes dramaticly on & on, but, you know, after the very 1st time, ok, we get it. Actually same re artillery & j attacks, and movement in general - i think the units could move a lot faster if the sound&graphics were abbreviated.

2. I play over&over & lose EVERY time. OK i learned, but this last time was especially bad: Day 13 end turn, i’ve achieved green on 3 of the so-far 4 objectives, red on the 4th :(, several days remain to get to the next 1, only 235/320 j points, truly it feels the opposition is COLLAPSING, i am racing to the final objectives with plenty of time left, seems i’ve finally got this fig’d out, and suddenly “japanese decisive victory”. WHY?

Real player with 55.0 hrs in game

38 hours playing to lose after 7 days max every single game. jap artillery hits and always causes casualties, they can fire 2 hexes always causing casualties, they can ambush and always hit, they banzai and always hit, the Americans have support which does nothing, they cannot hit anything, they cannot assault. Pointless game made to look pretty and that is it.

Real player with 42.9 hrs in game

Battle for Iwo Jima on Steam