J is for June no-show? Tally4: Operation Mary, a Hawaii-based “military aviation thriller” promising simmy FMs, sizeable dogfights, and constantly evolving AI pilots (“The more people play, the smarter and more unpredictable the opponents become.”) was meant to enter Early…
E is for Errors are always punished in Strategic Surge. I’m really not sure what to make of one of the latest hex wargames to hit Steam. Currently available in two-scenario playtest form only, Strategic Surge looks to be inspired…
W is for Will WARCOM: Fortress Europe need interesting battlefields and solid AI to realise its full potential? While it’s impossible not to be excited by Broke Protocol’s vision and ambition (the dev aims to fuse traditional WW2 hex operational…
V is for Very hexy. Today’s round-up is heavy on the honeycomb. All four games mentioned below either insist military units capable of moving due North and South are incapable of moving due East and West, or military units capable…
U is for Unlikely combination of UBOAT and Papers, Please. Of the three sub games mentioned in today’s dispatch, False Echo is the hardest to classify. An in-development solo project from a dev who previously worked on franchises such as…
P is for Periscopic peak. Purchasers of Modern Naval Warfare, a military-grade modern sub sim due to enter Early Access later today, will encounter a learning curve shaped like “a mountain not a hill”. Publishers Matrix Games have taken the…
J is for Judicious jugular slicing. If the Red Recon: 1944 trailer (see below) tempts, try the demo while you can. Available until Thursday, the single-mission taster for Varangs’ upcoming Commandos-like launches in Russian. Tap this menu button to access…
E is for Exceptionally elastic engine. No-one could accuse Lado B da História of lacking ambition. The Brazilian YouTubers behind a library of short WW2 history documentaries are working on a wargame-cum-visualisation tool able to sim warfare of all eras.…
Ask an AI about the risks of developing games with AI assistance, and it will probably mention ethical, PR, and legal issues, quality control implications, and the possibility of producing a plaything that’s short on character or fun. What it…
A is for American Revolutionary War released. The bibliography for the game I’m working on, currently consists of four tomes. I’ll need to pull my socks up if I wish to out-swank ARW’s ‘recommended reading’ list. Mike Cox, the lead…
As I’ve done it hundreds of times, you’ve probably done it hundreds of times too. You’re embroiled in a virtual battle and, faced by a particularly stiff challenge or tough adversary, find yourself scouring your force for ‘old hands’ –…
For thirteen of the Allied soldiers involved in THC’s 2025/26 play-by-comment Combat Mission marathon, there will be no joyful homecoming, no grey hairs or grandchildren. Thirty-four others will carry physical mementos of the Battle of Nottingheim until the day they…