1 – Hearts of Iron IV
Say what you will about Paradox games, but it’s undeniable that few strategy games managed to have the widespread appeal and commercial success Hearts of Iron IV had (and still has), and the reasons for it are many. Despite its complex systems, Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy wargame with a surprisingly accessible user interface and gameplay design. Instead of having to micromanage every division, new players can draw a simple battle plan and watch their armies execute it. This allows beginners to focus on the high-level strategy of national production, research, and diplomacy—the real core of the game—without getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of units.
What’s incredible about Hearts of Iron IV is how the game manages to insert mechanics which are often seen as too complex in a simple way to understand and play with: Players must account for, manage the production, and even design each weapon, tank, plane, supply trucks, and navy vessels. Players are also responsible for managing logistics, which has a massive impact on their battlefield strategies, and they also have to contend with army composition and organization, all the while managing the politics, diplomacy, and economics of their chosen nation. The best part of all of this? Doing it is extremely fun!
By picking a powerful, historically safe nation like Germany or the USA, you can learn the fundamentals of managing your economy and military production, making it a great, albeit challenging, introduction to the grandest scale of modern wargaming. With constant updates and new DLCs coming out, Hearts of Iron IV is the definitive best wargame for beginners in 2025.
Your First Move: Choosing Your Wargame
In this article, I’ve covered a wide range of titles, from the real-time wargames like Ultimate General: Civil War, turn-based operational tactical puzzles of Panzer Corps 2, to the grand-scale, yet accessible, nationwide planning of Hearts of Iron IV. Each of these games offers a unique entry point into the diverse world of wargaming, proving that the genre is more approachable than ever before. If you’ve ever been curious about the thrill of strategic command, whether it’s on the ground, in the air, or at the head of an entire nation, there’s a game on this list for you. Now, all that’s left is for you to choose your first battlefield.
What do you think? Do any of these games spark your interest? Let us know in the comments below which title you’ll be playing first, and feel free to ask any questions you have about getting started. Happy wargaming!
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