1- Combat Mission Games
The only franchise that can hold a dimly lit candle to Mius Front in terms of tactical complexity is -arguably- Combat Mission. A game that strives to faithfully recreate the experience of tactical warfare in true 1:1 scale and 3D environments, from World War 2 to the 21st century. True to life ballistics and the realistic fog of war are paired up with “soft factors” (morale, experience, etc.) and attention to detail to every single aspect of the battlefield, to deliver a wargame that, akin to Mius Front, cautiously threads the thin between simulation and game.
As pointless as discussing the weather, which Combat Mission is best comes down to what theatre you enjoy the most. The sunny Mediterranean? Go with Fortress Italy! The cold winter? Let it be Final Blitzkrieg. The rainy days, heavy with fog? Battle for Normandy. Destroying what’s left of the German war machine during Operation Bagration? Red Thunder. Maybe you’re in the mood for modern tactical combat: Go with Shock Force 2 and Black Sea.
Personally, this is the game I always go back to and measure every other title against. It ticks almost all of the boxes I enjoy in a wargame: It’s realistic and not abstract. It’s simple enough that someone who never played it can get a basic understanding of it after a couple of hours with the game. And it has a ton of content centred around some of my favourite conflicts to simulate. As a plus, it’s now available on Steam and it’s also a lot cheaper than it used to be. If I could only play one wargame series for the rest of my life, Combat Mission would be it.
Edit: This article was updated for 2026
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