Salt and Soil: A Frontier Family Sim
Let’s take a step back from all this combat and trade weapons and tanks for historical survival. Meet Salt and Soil: A Frontier Family Sim, which is a unique turn-based colony sim spanning three centuries of North American frontier history. Instead of controlling an entire town, or a company, or an army, in this game you guide a single family- one year per turn- as they expand their homestead, navigate shifting trade routes, and react to major geopolitical upheavals. Really cool take, and one that I would love to see expand into settings more familiar to me too.
Steel Wolverines: Modern Armored Combat
I have spent my entire Sunday morning sipping coffee and being tutored by Steel Wolverines, a solo-developer project that rivals major wargames in the industry. I have to say, I was rather impressed with what I saw. Set in a modern setting, the game simulates aspects of combat that most turn-based wargames dare not touch: Drones, electronic warfare, and even things like imaging systems. The best part is that it does all of that with a simple UI and uncomplicated mechanics. Armed with dozens of modern vehicles, drone reconnaissance, loitering munitions, active protection systems, and a set of tutorials and 2 substantial missions, this is a masterclass in modern tactical depth.
Steel Company
In the same vein as Steel Wolverines, we can also find and play Steel Company, a game that’s basically a spiritual successor to legendary titles like Steel Panthers. Covering all major theaters of WWII, this demo is the meatiest of this bunch. It features 19 full scenarios, including Stalingrad, Omaha, and Peleliu. Alongside those 19 missions, you can learn the game by engaging with its three tutorials. The demo also packs a powerful scenario editor with hundreds of units. The demo is expansive enough to give you a taste of its incredibly grounded combat engine, clean UI, and, of course, all the deep simulation going underneath.
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