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“War, huh, what is it good for?” – Edwin Star, War from the album War and Peace
Well… apparently, it’s good for good times. War games are all over the map. So, to honor our ever-present source of joy and soul-crushing doom, Mac Gamer HQ presents you with a four-star general overview of the best war games for Mac.
Outnumbered and outgunned by high-tech Nazi forces, B.J. Blazkowicz returns to fight for an underground resistance movement in an alternate-historical 1960 where the Nazis won World War II and achieved global dominance. Company of Heroes 2 is a tactical-heavy World War II real-time strategy PC game that focuses on unit-based tactics in battles in the Eastern Front theater. Despite the small group of armies you’ll be commanding, the game lets you focus deeper on controlled management that’s methodical and gives a personalized experience of gameplay.
Mar 10, 2017 “War, huh, what is it good for?” – Edwin Star, War from the album War and Peace Well apparently, it’s good for good times. War games are all over the map. So, to honor our ever-present source of joy and soul-crushing doom, Mac Gamer HQ presents you with a four-star general overview of the best war games for Mac. Games Games Software Software. Browse the newest, top selling and discounted World War II products on Steam. Strategy, World War II, Turn-Based Strategy, Wargame. Free military strategy games online for PC, Mac, iPad with no download: Endless War: Defense game is a top flash World War 2 strategy game for kids (boys & girls), teens & youth to play now on the web. Army games, fast reactions strategy games for one player, cool new tower defense action games. One of the best World War II strategy games. Conquer the World War II! New sequel, free offline WW2 strategy game. Terrain and generals, arms, troops with any combination, so that all strategy can. Jun 24, 2019 How to Install World War II for Windows PC or MAC: World War II is an Android Strategy Game that is developed by Strategy War Games and published on Google play store on Apr 29, 2019. It has already got around 10,000+ downloads so far with an average rating of 4.0 out of 5 in play store.
As always, we’re going for different styles and genres, as well as different price points and system requirements. We aim to help you discover great new games and perhaps one of these will be perfect for you:
Want even more good games for Mac? These are the 100 Top Mac games you can play today.
No round-up of the best Mac war games for Mac would be complete without touching on the big franchises that have left their mark on Mac gaming, so I’ll start with two of the major ones. These are perfect for those of you who enjoy crushing your enemies under the heel of your polished and well-kept boots.The condition of man… is a condition of war of everyone against everyone – Thomas Hobbes
War is all-encompassing and to give you the taste of blood you crave, the Total War series relies on a dual-engine approach. First, there’s a real-time war theater which allows you to command your troops’ every move on the battlefield. It lets you deploy your soldiers, define your engagement strategy, groupings, pace, and more. In between battles, there’s a turn-based strategy interface (think a very stripped down version of Sid Meier’s Civilization series) that lets you construct the whole of your war machine. Different games in the Total War franchise take you from before the birth of Christ to the end of the Napoleonic period and all over the globe.MacGamer HQ’s head-honcho Ric is a fan of the franchise’s take on feudal japan, Total War: Shogun 2, but I’m definitely fond of the most recent release, Total War: Attila. Attila takes you to the end of the western Roman empire and puts you in control of one of the Mediterranean or Germanic tribes that carved up former Roman territory, and their enemy’s hides in the process. The game features a skirmish mode, historical battles mode (which lets you relive some epic battlefield confrontations of the period) and a campaign mode. Campaign mode features a dynasty interface that allows you to play the court game of intrigue if you’re the type that likes your war in intimate settings. You can purchase additional campaigns and culture packs if your favorite war-mongering pack of blood-thirsty maniacs isn’t in the base game.
The Wargame series, from Eugen Systems, is a real-time strategy (RTS) wargame that gives you control of Cold War Era militaries across the globe. One of the biggest selling points is Eugen’s effort to bring you as close to the real battlefield as possible, accurately reproducing hundreds of military vehicles, troops, and weapons. The campaign modes have grown with each release and the multiplayer modes are worth hundreds of hours of replay value. A unique aspect of the game is the satellite camera mode which, on its own, is little more than a cool video effect but, in reality, demonstrates the scale of the game’s battlefields.Wargame: European Escalation, gives the player the chance to control one of the Cold War militaries in Thatcher-era Europe. The game’s sequel, Wargame: Airland Battle, takes you right back to the battlefield in a conflict between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces. But if you had to buy just one, the series’ latest, Wargame: Red Dragon, brings you near the end of the Cold War and adds a variety of the Asian communist states, expanding the theater of war to a truly global scale.
The RTS genre is dominated by war games, but the variety of styles still leaves Mac players with plenty of options for demolishing their foes.The two most powerful warriors are patience and time – Leo Tolstoy
Another Mac Gamer HQ favorite, Company of Heroes 2 is the sequel to the original Company of Heroes, released over a decade ago. The sequel takes you directly onto the Eastern Front of WWII for a close-up look at the vagaries of the war you’re waging. The Essence 3.0 engine provides a beautifully rendered war theater that utilizes a variety of in-game systems to enhance the realism of the battlefield and encourage victory by skill rather than firepower. The destructible environments never cease to amaze me and the many ways the enemy can be countered with the right units is equally impressive.The three released DLC packs introduce more armies for single and multiplayer modes (including action on the Western Front), each of which carries their own strengths and flaws. You can pick up the CoH2: Master Collection for a tidy $39.99 and choose how you want to win and on which map to reign supreme.
Paradox Interactive is well known for its grand-strategy simulations. Each of their titles features an adjustable real-time clock allowing you to watch your decisions play out in a matter of minutes or extending the results of your strategic decisions to hours and days. Their games can bring you from the start of the crusades through the end of the WWII; the company’s most recent offering, Stellaris, will even take you hundreds of years into the future for galaxy-wide statecraft. Each game has it’s own idiosyncrasies and loyalists, but they’ll all give you your fix if grand strategy is your thing.Hearts of Iron 4 is the company’s most war-oriented, giving you god-like command over pretty much any country that existed in the WWII period. An almost ridiculously complex technology system lets you guide your country’s development as you like, while diplomacy systems let you conduct trade, form and break alliances and treaties, and appoint advisors to help you turn the world from a divided battleground into one of your making. The military system provides you with the chance to specialize your battalions. Pause the game, set your plans, bump up the game-clock speed, and unpause and you can watch your grand vision bring the war to a close on your terms, or bring your country to ruin.
It would be hard to find a gamer in the world that isn’t at least aware of Blizzard’s Starcraft 2. The game extends a nearly decade and a half’s long campaign of real-time space war with an RTS system that serves as a cross between the resource acquisition of traditional 4x turn-based strategy games such as the Civilization series and the RTS battlefield play of the Total War series.Starcraft 2 gives you control over one of three races, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, to craft a mobile war machine from, almost literally, the ground up. Nearly every aspect of your fighting force, from securing resources to front-line battle commands, is under your control and while the battlefield is yours for the taking, it’s also everyone else’s.
While Blizzard controversially released each race’s story as its own game, as opposed to the original which had all three in one package, Wings of Liberty, Legacy of the Void and Heart of the Swarm can now all be bought and played separately. With a variety of playable races, Starcraft 2 can easily satisfy any urge to dominate your fellow man … or alien.
Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. – Sun Tzu, The Art of War
XCOM 2 follows the events of the first XCOM release of the new era, placing you in command of an XCOM team living on the run in a world controlled by the alien forces. The open-ended campaign mode lets you pick and choose what to do, and where and when to do it as you regain control of Earth.Schoolastic mac games list. The tactical combat system provides turn-by-turn control over 5 classes of warriors that you can tailor to your own strategy. The technology system of the previous game remains, in expanded form, giving you control over how you’ll exterminate your alien overlords. A greater cast of friends, foes, NPC’s, and increased diversity in weapons and gear complete the game’s customization options, giving you total control over your forces in both the campaign and multiplayer mode. With XCOM 2, you are humanity’s last stand, again, after the first last stand against alien invasion forces failed.
Easily one of the most highly regarded series’ on Mac, The Banner Saga takes you into a fantasy Viking world for an RPG epic story. A turn-based tactical battle system gives you control of 25 customizable characters, each of 2 different races and 7 different classes, in both the campaign story mode and multiplayer skirmish modes. The narrative is an important aspect of this series and each of your choices over the course of the game affects the rest of your experience in an open-ended story-mode that requires strategic decisions on the battlefield but also outside.The 2-D graphics call to mind the old-school style of Dragon’s Lair with beautifully animated battlefields and story animations. The campaign mode is currently 2 games deep, with a third episode in development, and since decisions made in the first game carry over to the second, I recommend you start with part one and play through the second.
No look at the top war games would be complete without a look at the First Person Shooters (FPS) that put you right onto the front lines in the muck and the mire of warfare. The three discussed here are just a sample of the FPS war games available for Mac gamers.I’m better when it’s breathing. – Chris, American Sniper
In truth, it’s hard to find anything to say about the Call of Duty series. After all, who isn’t familiar with Call of Duty’s trademark fast gameplay and shoot everything that moves style. But of all the versions available for Mac gamers, Modern Warfare 3 is the one Mac Gamer HQ head honcho Ric recommends. MW3 is on Steam, features cross-platform multiplayer, a spec ops co-op mode and survival modes. Call of Duty games all have fun campaigns with production values worthy of a Michael Bay film. Yet Multiplayer is where they all shine and MW 3’s cross-platform multiplayer makes it the best Mac alternative.The entire MW series (CoD4MW+MW2+MW3) is also available on Steam in one bundle that puts all of Modern Warfare in your hands, along with DLC, for a reasonably tidy sum. There’s really not a lot to say about it. It’s Call of Duty, but on Mac hardware. Just aim, run, and shoot people in the face.
Arma 3 puts you in control of a variety of battlefield soldiers and mechanical vehicles of destruction. The single-player story mode puts you in the boots of Ben Kerry for a 3 episode campaign. Single player training and scenarios help you beef up your battle-chops before you enter the sandbox multiplayer mode featuring both official and unofficial community-made maps and scenarios. Unique to the Arma 3 multiplayer mode is the Zeus mode, which gives players god-like influence over other players and the contingencies of the battlefield. A content editor also gives you the chance to design your own maps and scenarios for both the community and yourself. The Mac version of the game is currently inThe Mac version of the game is currently in experimental beta mode so you might want to hold off on buying the game until it receives official support. Then again, if you really can’t wait, you can buy the Windows version and then hype your friends on the Mac beta to help the process along.
A personal favorite of Ric’s and mine, this 3rd-person shooter from Yager Development studios takes you into the darker psychological recesses of war. Taking control of Special Operations Force’s Captain Martin Walker, you lead his three-person team through a single-player campaign in post-apocalyptic Dubai in search of mysterious Colonel John Konrad. I won’t spoil the story for you, but let me just say that it’s different and unique. Call of Duty and Battlefield should both take notice.The gameplay is good too, featuring some exploration but mostly taking cover and shooting (similar to Gears of Wars games). You’ll find yourself short of ammo, time, and patience often enough that you might end up needing a new controller in this game that, for myself, calls to mind the 1999 film Fight Club, but instead of not being about war, it’s about war. Post-script spoiler alert.
This final entry comes from 11-bit studios and is easily one of the most intriguingly heartfelt approaches to the war genre in gaming history.Our nation exists because of the people! We exist because of them. – Cidolfas Orlandu, Final Fantasy Tactics
Another personal favorite of Ric’s and mine, this scavenger-hunt game is about choices when choices are too few. Putting you in control of three civilians trapped in a building in a war-torn town, your goal is to keep these people alive amidst sniper fire that keeps you inside during the day, and among thieves and other civilians just trying to survive at night.Only the dead have seen the end of war – attribution questionable
Resource management, scavenging missions, and housekeeping are central to the survival of your group. Decisions on how your players behave toward remaining survivors affect the morale and health of your characters in the randomly generated world brought to life in a beautifully animated tale of survival and loss in a devastated world.
This is far from an all-encompassing list, but any of these games should provide hours of good times. MacOS war games come in all shades, styles, and sizes and there’s no end in sight to the destruction you’ll reap upon your adversaries. That being said, keep count of your ammo, your eyes on your scopes, and your wits about you and don’t forget to be at least reasonably respectful to your fellow gamers. As Einstein was fond of saying: Say what you want about me and how I play the game, you’ve at least gotta admit that I’m the guy with the rocket launcher.I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. – Albert Einstein
Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission (this is how we pay the bills). This commission comes at no additional cost to you.
Please understand that I only mention games because I believe they’re interesting, good, and/or fun. Never because I received a free copy or to earn a small commission.
This article comes from Thomas Trono.
The war of the 'greatest generation', WW2's allure and appeal has been hyped beyond all reason. Aside from perhaps the ancient world, it is the single most fertile ground for strategy and war games. With so many takes on this globe-spanning conflict, it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.
We’ve tried to get a range of different types of games, from close-up tactical experiences to sweeping strategic overviews. So, without further ado, here's our guide to the best World War 2 strategy games. We're a computer war games website, we can't be wrong!
What are the best WW2 Strategy Games?
- Panzer Corps 2
- Unity of Command 2
- Panzer Campaigns (series)
- Steel Division 2
- Hearts of Iron IV
- Strategic Command WW2: World at War
- Command Ops 2
- Combat Mission: Final Blitzkrieg
- Men of War: Assault Squad 2
- Gary Grigsby's War in the East
- Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault
- The Operational Art of War IV
- Close Combat (series)
Panzer Corps 2
Publisher/Developer: Flashback Games / Slitherine
Tags: Operational, North Africa, European Theatre, 1939 - 45, Turn-based, Campaign, Multiplayer
Purchase: Steam, Direct
The first Panzer Corps game has been a staple on this list for a while, but we can confidently say it's been replaced by the long awaited sequel. Panzer Corps 2 updates everything from the engine, to the mechanics.. it even adds a semblance of a logistics system! You can take your hard-as-nails corps of German tanks and infantry units from the invasion of Poland in 1939, all the way through Barbarossa, Normandy and even some alt-history scenarios involving the invasion of the American mainland.
Panzer Corps 2 has almost as much content as the first game, including expansions, with the exception of scenarios for non-German factions. Those will probably be coming in future DLCs, but in the meantime you can always make your own using the powerful Scenario Editor. Multiplayer is also souped up, with hot-seat, PBEM and 'true' live multiplayer options available. The 'King of Wargames' indeed.
You may also like: Order of Battle
If you're a fan of the Panzer Corps format and looking for something else to play, then Order of Battle is another Matrix-owned series that may entice you (assuming you haven't come across it already). It was once described to me by a Producer at Matrix as 'Panzer Corps, but with logistics', so you'll find a very similar experience.
Unlike it's sibling it's not looking at doing a sequel any time soon (that we know of), and is currently working on a new trilogy of expansions that follow the Soviet Union's trials through WW2. The first entry, Order of Battle: Red Star covers some of the lesser known conflicts in the east that preceded the main events of WW2, which you don't see often.
The base game Order of Battle WW2is actually free-to-play and comes with a handful of scenarios so that you can try it out.To date thrre are 12 expansions you can purchase to then enhance your game and play through different parts of the war from various perspectives.
Unity of Command 2
Publisher/Developer: 2x2 Games
Tags: Operational, North Africa, European Theatre, 1943 - 45, Turn-based, Campaign, Hot-Seat Multiplayer
Purchase: Steam
We'd have been very surprised if the recently release Unity of Command 2 wasn't good enough to knock the original game off its top spot. UoC 1 will always be remebered as a wonderful simple wargame, and a great gateway into the hobby, but Unity of Command 2 just takes all of the core concepts and turns it up to 11. Better visuals, better mechanics, better scenarios.. there's a reason Jack was so impressed in his Unity of Command 2 review.
Mac classic games free. Common criticisms of the first game usually centre around it being more of a puzzle than a 'true' wargame, which is a similar accusation levied against games like Panzer Corps. You can still see traces of that in Unity of Command 2's design - many scenarios present you with an initial set-piece or deadlock that you need to break through, but the ways in which you can achieve it have multiplied. Plus, once you do break-through it's still a pretty gripping fight to claim your objectives, and the AI will punish and push through to your back-lines if it sees an exploitable gap. This is definitely one of the year's best releases to date, however, and if you're even remotely interested it's well worth picking up.
Panzer Campaigns Series - Japan '45 & Japan '46
Publisher/Developer:Wargame Design Studio
Tags: Operational, Hex-and-Counter, Pacific Theatre, Alternate History, John Tiller, Turn-Based
Purchase: Direct
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John Tiller is a house name with a certain generation of computer war gamers. While he's not as involved in game-making as he used to be, his legacy stands proud through his wide-ranging series of hex-based operational and tactical wars that look like old-school counter board wargames rendered on a screen. They're not much to look at, but they've always provided a level of depth and detail not seen in many other places. Wargame Design Studio is a small development team that's taken up the mantle of JTS, remastering a lot of the old games but also making brand-new experiences in the same style.
We're highlight one of their more recent endeavours on this list, because it covers something not really seen before - the hypothetical invasion of the Japanese mainland. Officially part of JTS' Panzer Campaigns series, there are currently two titles that follow this 'what if' conflict - Japan '45and a sequel Japan '46. We've reviewed both and are pretty impressed with not only WDS' attention to detail in terms of the research they've done into the Operations that never were, but also in terms of how they've tried to modernise the format somewhat. If you're looking to explore some plausible alt-history in an old-school package, these are some excellent games to start with.
You may also like: John Tiller's Panzer Battles
If you're a fan of the John Tiller style of games in general then there have been some other newer releases that may take your fancy. Other recent Wargame Design Studio releases include a 'Gold' edition of El Alamein '42and the brand newBattles of North Africa 1941.If you want to consider something a bit more 'old school' then there's always John Tiller's Campaign Series, of which we have a review of West Front.
Close Combat Series
Publisher/Developer: Matrix Games / Various
Tags: 2D, Tactics, Real-Time, Series, Various Theatres
Purchase: GOG.com, Steam
No WW2 list would be complete without the father of modern WW2 tactical strategy games. Close Combat struck the perfect balance between ‘grog’-like wargaming tradition and mainstream strategy design. Depending on which title you played, it manged to straddle the line between hardcore and mainstream with remarkable grace. The one I played the most was Close Combat 2: A Bridge Too Far - it what made me fall in love with the idea of persistence forces and armies, and I don't think I ever completed it.
There are mixed opinions regarding the ‘Matrix-era’ of Close Combat games, but the series in general remains a shining example of WW2 strategy game heritage. Thanks to GOG.com, you can now legally purchase the original classics once more.
Close Combat: The Bloody First
This isn't an official entry in the list but since Close Combat as a series is mentioned we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention the latest entry into the game - Close Combat: The Bloody First. It was always going to struggle in the face of the significance of the series, and it also didn't help that the game took a bit longer than planned to actually release (it's at least a couple of years 'late' at this point). Still it did the best job it could and it's actually a pretty decent game in most respects. It's perhaps not good enough to knock the classics off their camouflaged thrones, but it's a decent modern Close Combat game that just has a few kinks that need ironing out. Read our Close Combat: The Bloody First review if you want to know more.
Hearts of Iron IV
Publisher/Developer: Paradox Interactive / Paradox Development Studio
Tags: Grand-Strategy, Strategic, Global, Real-Time, Divisions, Sandbox
Purchase:Paradox Store, Steam
Hearts of Iron 4 makes it's debut on this list thanks to the recent release of the Man the Guns expansion. This WW2 sandbox game has been going from strength to strength, and while its still got some ways to go Paradox's flagship war game can now finally attempt to stand amongst its contemporaries. Take command of any nation in existence in 1936, and try to guide them through turbulent period leading up to the second world war. With an open-ended nature and three competing ideologies, what form the second world war takes could be different through multiple playthroughs.
You can create your own Divisions, specialising them for specific tasks. A Battle Planner allows you to draw detailed strategies for your armies that the AI will execute for you, and there's plenty of DLC worth checking out that help elevate the base package into something special.
There is actually an important caveat to add to this entry. While Hearts of Iron 4 is becoming a great WW2-era game, it's not necessarily a great 'WW2 game' in the sense that getting a historical outcome is now only one of many possibilities, and we're not sure if it's the most common one at this point. While plenty of historical events and key decisions are modelled, the course of the war can vary, so if you're an enthusiast who wants a more 'on rails' experience, this may not actually be the game for you. The most recent expansion, La Resistance, added some new occupation mechanics and a more interesting Spanish Civil War.
Wargamer is affiliated with the Paradox Store.
Steel Division 2
Publisher/Developer: Eugen Systems
Tags: Division-level, Real-Time Battles, Operational, Turn-Based Campaign, Team play, Eastern Front
Purchase:Steam
We had to stop an think about this one before committing it to the list - there's no denying that Steel Division 2 has it's problems. Multiplayer balance is an on-going concern, and generally the new campaign mode is a little bit rough around the edges. Still, we're confident in our assessment that it's overall a better game than its predecessor, and the new campaign mode is one of the finest solitaire wargaming experiences we've ever played (warts and all).
If you were a fan of the real-time tactical battles in Normandy '44, then you may have trouble warming to this - the operational realities of the Eastern Front and how it's been translated into the game make for some brutal fights, both in SP and MP. If you felt that the first Steel Division game needed more in the campaign space however, we dare you to not be impressed by the new Army General mode. Once Eugen sort out the last of the kinks, this will truly be a war game for the ages. Check out our Steel Division 2 review for more. The most recent DLC, Fate of Finland, is also a pretty good.
Strategic Command WW2: World at War
Publisher/Developer: Matrix Games / Fury Software
Tags: European Theatre, Pacific Theatre, Global, Grand-Strategy, Turn Based, Hex
Purchase: Direct, Steam
World at War easily supplants it's younger sibling, War in Europe, for the simple fact that while this is in some ways 'more the same', it's 'more the same' on a global level. Our initial concerns that this one might fall prey to the same problems the SC Classic entry Global Conflict suffered turned out to be ill-founded. Fury have learned the lessons of the past and managed to create a compelling grand-strategy sandbox, at scale, that leaves plenty of meaningful gameplay options whether you're in Europe, or the Korean peninsular.
As fun as tactical or even operational level warfare is, there’s something empowering about taking control of a nation’s entire strategic resources; from industry and production to the military assets. Fury Software’s Strategic Command series has been around since at least the early 2000’s and is a great example of grand-strategy wargaming. You command either the Axis or the allied powers (and you can have the AI take over individual nations if you want) and must decide where to invest your nation's production capacity across research, mobilisation, diplomacy and maintaining your armed forces. Units represent Corps, Army Groups, Fleets & Air Groups. Read our Strategic Command WW2: World at Warreview.
Command Ops 2
Publisher/Developer: Lock'n Load Publishing
Tags: Simulation, Operational, Planning, DLC
Purchase: Steam, Direct
Lock'n Load's flagship computer wargame makes its debut on our list of best games. This more recent iteration of the series approaches a very detailed and complex subject with a system of play that is both easy to learn and smooth as silk to play. Mastering play is not easy, but that’s the hallmark of an exceptional product. Other games of this subgenre should take note.
The base version of this game is free, and the download comes with three scenarios that include Return to St Vith, Manhay Crossroads and Greyhound Dash. In this respect LnL has taken the same approach as the World War I flight simulator Rise of Flight, where they charge for additional expansion modules. Read our Command Ops 2 review to find out more.
Combat Mission: Final Blitzkrieg
Publisher/Developer: Battlefront
Tags: Tactical, Simulation, Battle of the Bulge, WEGO, 3D
Purchase:Direct
It seems you can't have one of these lists without at least one Combat Mission game. To be fair, they remain at the fore-front of tactical combat simulations and are must-plays for anyone who enjoys the hardcore-end of WW2 games. Combat Mission offers an immersive military experience, with a fully 3D engine and a turn-based/WEGO strategy layer that then plays out in real-time. Units are represented down to individual squads and tanks, however players can play anything from a Company-sized force, to a reinforced Battalion.
You could have a passionate debate about which CM game is the best CM game, but the 2016 iteration mightily impressed the late Mr. Cobb in his Combat Mission: Final Blitzkrieg review with its attention to detail and the general improvements to the legacy of Combat Mission as a whole: 'The series remains the epitome of World War II tactical simulations. Is it too early for a Game of the Year nomination?'. Final Blitzkrieg is set in Europe, 1944-45 and mainly centres around the Battle of the Bulge.
Men of War: Assault Squad 2
Publisher/Developer: 1C Company / Digitalmindsoftau
Tags: Real-Time, Tactics, Simulation, All Theatres
Purchase:Steam
The Men of War series is one with humble (and slightly confusing) origins, but also one that’s grown to become a must-have staple of real-time WW2 tactical combat. For fans of Company of Heroes (see below) wanting a little more bite, this is one of the most immersive experiences you’ll ever have the pleasure of playing. There’s a depth and granularity to combat that you rarely see outside of hardcore turn-based counter wargames, and yet it remains easy(ish) to learn and interact with. It can be brutal and punishing (I don’t think they’ve ever gotten the balance quite right between tanks and infantry), but it is also thrilling.
Assault Squad 2, despite being four years old at this point, represents the pinnacle of the series’ development. The series in general has seen many different iterations and experiments, but all of that learning finally comes to together here. As official support has waned, a dedicated mod-community has arisen to provide scenarios ranging from WW1 to the Cold War. If we ever see a new Men of War game, it will be world-class.
Gary Grigsby's War in the East
Publisher/Developer: Matrix Games / 2by3Games
Tags: Turn-Based, Operational, Eastern Front, Hex-Based
Purchase: Direct, Steam
No conversation on digital wargaming can exist without starting, ending or at the very least, co-existing with, a nod towards the beast set in the east. Gary Grigsby’s 2010 opus represents what happens when you take traditional hex-and-counter wargaming and use computer software to bring out its maximum potential. No-one ever said it would be accessible or easy to get to grips with– but it is the ultimate military simulation of war in the eastern front of World War 2. To paraphrase the game's official blurb:
Gamers can engage in massive, dramatic campaigns, including intense battles involving thousands of units with realistic and historical terrain, weather, orders of battle, logistics and combat results. Factors such as supply, fatigue, experience, morale and the skill of your divisional, corps and army leaders all play an important part in determining the results at the front line. The game comes with 4 massive campaigns as well as many smaller scenarios all with different strategic and operational challenges. This is not for the feint-hearted. There is also Gary Grigsby's War in the West if the Eastern Front isn't your thing.
Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault
Publisher/Developer: SEGA / Relic Entertainment
Tags: Real-Time, Tactics, Strategy, Western Front 1944, Single-Player
Purchase: Steam
One of the most mainstream games on this list, the advent of the Western Front Armies, overhaul of its War Spoils system and years of balance refinement cemented Company of Heroes 2's place as a respectable and enjoyable competitive RTS. With the creation of the Ardennes Assault campaign, Company of Heroes 2 now boasts one of the best replayable single player experiences in modern WW2 strategy games. It's even available as a stand-alone expansion, if you really don't want to get the core game.
Ardennes Assault provides players with a strategic territory-capture meta-game layered over the single-player missions; including semi-random events and time-based objectives that change with each playthrough. You have four Companies to command (of which you can utilize 3 in each campaign run) and hard choices in an Iron Man setting that forces the player to think through each move and live with sub-optimal strategies. If you're looking for something less hardcore, or something with a larger player base, then this is a perfect choice.
The Operational Art of War IV
Publisher/Developer: Matrix Games / Talonsoft
Tags: Operational, Turn Based, Scenarios, Various Theatres, Hex-and-Counter
Purchase: Direct, Steam
The world’s secret best wargame of all time, it’s surprising The Operational Art of War hasn’t made all other hex-based wargames obsolete by now. Infinitely flexible, this game has the potential to contain all other wargames inside… a bit like Google and the internet, I guess? The fourth iteration of the series may have only offered a modest amount of improvements, but it keeps the series in place as one of the best titles for deep, operational level warfare. While the 300+ scenarios span everything from WW1 to the Korean War, there are plenty of meaty WW2 scenarios for players to enjoy, and the easy-to-use (ish) editor means that you can add plenty more. From Bill's The Operational Art of War IV review:
Wwii Strategy Games Mac
Trust me it’s worth it. Whether you have all the previous editions as I do, or you are a newcomer just starting out, this game is a must buy. Now toss in over 300 included scenarios, online play not to mention a Jim-dandy scenario editor, and plunking down a few shekels is an even easier decision to make. Yes, I know, most film sequels are never as good as the original, so what are the odds here? They’re pretty good actually. This latest TOAW edition has indeed made an almost perfect classic even better, well deserving a five star rating if not an entire constellation. Two thumbs up for a job very well done.
All it needs now is a WEGO option, and then it’d be damn-near perfect.
Other WW2 Strategy Game Recommendations
Not every game releases gets to take a spot in our 'Best of' lists, and some games that do earn themselves a place get rotated out for newer titles, just to keep things fresh. Neither category deserves to be forgotten so here's a quick summary of recent releases and past 'best' games:
- Battles for Spain
- Barbarroja
- IL-2 Sturmovik
- Graviteam Tactics
- Panzer Corps
What would your list of favourite WW2 war games look like? Answers on a post card!