8 – Burden of Command
No other genre is home to as many classics as World War 2. First-Person and Third-Person Shooters like Call of Duty and Sniper Elite dominate the moment-to-moment action. Company of Heroes and Call to Arms are the kings of modern RTS. The Troop and Headquarters: World War 2 lead the charge in making turn-based games more accessible, and even games like Commandos: Origins came out to widespread praise. The fact that Burden of Command manages to stand out with a unique premise only makes it even more special.
It’s the focus on leadership, a story-driven and sometimes emotional campaign, and the care and love for History that earns BoC a place on this list. As Company Commander for the fictional Nickel (but set during the very real events of the Cottonballers during World War 2), the player is tasked with taking their men from boot camp in 1942, all the way into the heart of Germany in 1945. Not everybody will make decisions that will be harsh, with consequences even harsher. You’ll have to juggle the mission and your orders with how far you’re willing to risk the lives of your men. It’s a fantastic game that every wargamer should play at least once. The turn-based battles are equally well made, and the focus is on controlling and commanding your forces. Also, a very unique system, I very much enjoyed it to the core.
7 – Field of Glory II
I have sounded the ancient trumpet and horns of praise to Field of Glory II and Field of Glory II: Medieval since the day the games came out. “Wait! But aren’t those two separate games?” – I hear you ask. They are, my dearest of readers. They sure are, but the wonder-like appeal of FoGII is the fact that you can play both and use the armies from FoGII to fight in FOGII: Medieval. That means that, if you’re like me and you were wondering how well the French cavalry would fare against a Roman legion, you can finally put those doubts to rest with these amazing turn-based tactical wargames. Hundreds of factions, units, and army lists make Field of Glory the go-to strategy game for those wishing to get the most plausible of melee combat resolutions.
6 – Panzer Corps 2
It seems like this past decade is the decade where every amazing wargame got a better, second term. After the huge success of the original Panzer Corps (a game I still highly recommend you buy), the king of wargames returned in 2020 in the form of Panzer Corps 2 and blitzed its way to the top of every wargamer’s favorite list. The basics are the same: hex-based combat, amazing graphics, a focus on a massive amount of units and scenarios, grand campaigns, and an easy-to-use and powerful editor. Add on top of that a random map generator, which the first game didn’t have, and technically, you have infinite replayability on your hands. The constant stream of DLC that followed only served to thicken an already content-rich game that deserves its place in every wargamer’s library. Oh, and it also has 3D graphics! I know, what a surprise!
5 – Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front
If War In The East 2 is the all-encompassing, definitive World War 2 Eastern Front wargame at the strategic and operational scales, the Graviteam Tactics: Mius Front is its tactical equivalent. Only dragged back by a User Interface that looks like it was designed by a team of aliens, this is the end-all be-all combat simulation if you’re the kind of wargamer that enjoys looking at individual soldiers and tanks moving across the battlefield instead of abstract chits moving over hundreds of miles on a single turn and colliding into a very elaborate game of dice. Just in case you’re wondering how detailed this game is, consider the fact that if you want to use your artillery, you have to manually lay down wire to connect the one asking for it and the one sending it. And yes, the wire can get cut. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that things like realistic soldier behavior, armor penetration simulation, detailed ballistics, and destructible terrain also exist, and they’re the best of a generation.
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