If you’re an armchair general, you’ve probably noticed something: we’re living in a golden age of wargaming. With standout releases like Armored Brigade 2, Scramble: Battle of Britain, and Sea Power: Naval Combat in the Missile Age, along with a steady stream of titles from Wargame Design Studio, strategy fans in 2025 have little to complain about.
But being a wargamer also means chasing the next big tactical challenge — the next “one more turn” obsession, the next system that pushes realism just a little bit further. And this year’s lineup delivers. Big time.
As we head further into 2025, PC wargames are evolving fast. Developers are blending classic hex-and-counter design with more accessible mechanics, and a surprising number of titles are shifting toward real-time gameplay. That evolution is bringing fresh energy — and hopefully new players — into the genre.
This guide breaks down the most anticipated wargames of 2025: the historical simulations, the hardcore strategy titles, and the innovative experiments that are poised to dominate your screen time. Whether your sweet spot is deep operational planning or high-adrenaline battlefield action, these are the games worth adding to your Steam wishlist.
20 — NAPOLEON: RULE OF IRON
One of the most ambitious announcements of the year comes from Eisengeist Studio: NAPOLEON: RULE OF IRON. This massive real-time Napoleonic wargame aims for something rarely attempted — a true 1:1 scale representation of warfare during Napoleon’s campaigns.
Yes, that means hundreds of thousands of individual soldiers on screen, with battles like Leipzig featuring more than 500,000 troops in motion.
The game delivers a story-driven campaign spanning 33 historical battles and lets players step directly into the role of the Emperor himself. If you’ve ever dreamed of leading the Grand Armée with real scale and real chaos, this is a must-watch title — and it’s already available.
19 — The Mighty Eighth VR
WWII flight simulations are nothing new, but The Mighty Eighth VR—from longtime strategy favorite MicroProse Software—aims to deliver the definitive B-17 Flying Fortress experience.
This is a fully cooperative VR title where you and up to nine other players (or AI crew) operate every station aboard a Flying Fortress during bombing missions over Europe. Pilot, bombardier, radio operator, waist gunner, tail gunner — every role matters.
The focus is on teamwork, pressure, and survival. While not everyone owns a VR headset, the concept alone makes this one of the most exciting WWII simulations on the horizon.
18 — Lines of Battle
The genre is clearly experimenting in 2025, and Lines of Battle is a perfect example of that shift. Developed by Sophie Games, this Napoleonic strategy title uses a WeGo (simultaneous turn-based) system — a rare mechanic in modern competitive games.
That design turns every engagement into a tense mind game: you commit to your tactics, your opponent commits to theirs, and both plans unfold simultaneously. Anticipation becomes as important as execution.
With ranked multiplayer, 1v1 and 4v4 modes, and a commitment to historical unit detail, this fresh take on Napoleonic warfare is earning early buzz for all the right reasons.
17 — Call to Arms: Panzer Elite
This one may raise eyebrows among genre purists, but Call to Arms: Panzer Elite earns its place on the list. Set for Early Access in summer 2025, this WWII tank simulation and tactical RTS from Digitalmindsoft drops players directly into the commander’s hatch of a German armored battalion in 1944 France.
What truly sets it apart is the direct tank control — both first-person and third-person — across up to five vehicles. Built in Unreal Engine 5, the environments feature advanced destruction, realistic armor modeling, and component-based damage.
Whether defending a village, executing a counterattack, or threading a Tiger through hedgerows, the game promises a gritty, granular take on armored warfare.
16 — Commander: Europe at War (Remake)
If you want a WWII wargame that’s deep and approachable, this updated version of the 2007 classic Commander: Europe at War should be at the top of your list.
Developed by Fury Software and published by Matrix Games, the remake modernizes the visuals, interface, and quality of life features while keeping the strategic heart intact. It’s shaping up to be the perfect gateway title for players new to hex-based strategy — and a welcome nostalgia trip for veterans.
Here is the full rewrite for #15–#1, adapted into the same American-editor tone as the earlier sections — clean, confident, energetic, and designed to read like a feature from a major U.S. gaming publication.
15 — Panzer Strike
For veterans of classic real-time strategy and newcomers craving pure, old-school tactical combat, Panzer Strike from the ISAK Team is shaping up to be a standout arrival for late 2025. Scheduled for a Q4 release, the game aims to drop players straight back into the muddy, smoke-filled battlefields of World War II with an RTS experience clearly inspired by series like Sudden Strike and Blitzkrieg.
Details remain limited, but community anticipation is sky-high. The tone from early discussions is unmistakable: wargame enthusiasts believe Panzer Strike is poised to hit a niche the genre has been missing for years. If you’ve been waiting for a gritty, boots-on-the-ground WWII RTS without modern gimmicks, this is one to wishlist and watch closely.
14 — Spearhead 2
High-quality tank simulations are surprisingly rare these days. Outside of the excellent Gunner, HEAT, PC!, players have had few modern options to really scratch that armor-combat itch. Enter MicroProse with Spearhead 2, announced in June 2025 and already generating buzz with its high-fidelity focus on 21st-century armored warfare.
You’ll step inside the M1A2 Abrams — arguably the most advanced main battle tank ever made — and operate it with a level of detail that borders on obsessive. Early previews suggest a deep dive into in-field repairs, maintenance, and the logistical demands of keeping your vehicle mission-ready under fire. Whether that’s the gameplay direction you want or not, the ambition is undeniable.
If you’re looking for a modern alternative to Gunner, HEAT, PC!, Spearhead 2 might be exactly the armored-op sandbox you’ve been waiting for.
13 — Carthage: Bellum Punicum
If ancient history and tactical warfare are your passions, Carthage: Bellum Punicum from Mindebyte deserves a top spot on your wishlist. This real-time tactical wargame thrusts players into Hannibal’s legendary struggle against Rome during the Second Punic War.
Expect sweeping real-time battles across carefully researched historical locations, from the shores of North Africa to the hills of Italy. Engagements like Cannae, Lake Trasimene, and Trebia are reimagined with a strong emphasis on formation management, flanking, morale, stamina, and terrain advantage.
Influenced by history-focused channels like HistoryMarche, the game blends authenticity with cinematic battlefield intensity. For ancient warfare fans, this one looks like a dream in the making.
12 — Master of Command
Set during the brutal conflicts of the Seven Years’ War, Master of Command from Armchair History Interactive blends real-time strategy, classic wargame design, and roguelite grand strategy into something genuinely fresh.
Players lead 18th-century armies through long, resource-demanding campaigns where logistics, unit experience, supply, equipment, and battlefield readiness are just as important as tactical maneuver. The roguelite layer may divide traditionalists, but based on early previews, the combination might bring a compelling, replayable twist to a rarely explored era.
Releasing in September 2025, this is one historical RTS experiment worth keeping on your radar.
11 — General Staff: Black Powder
For wargamers who prioritize rigorous simulation and uncompromising historical accuracy, General Staff: Black Powder is a major event. Created by Riverview Artificial Intelligence, LLC, the game’s claim to fame is its MATE AI — originally developed for DARPA — which analyzes the battlefield and generates tactical decisions in real time.
That means the computer opponent doesn’t just react; it plans. It thinks. It challenges you like a real commander.
Featuring detailed simulations of major engagements from Waterloo to Gettysburg, the game includes a streamlined “Game Mode” and a deeper “Simulation Mode,” where orders are delivered by couriers and combat results hinge on morale, fatigue, weapon ranges, and leadership quality.
This is hardcore historical wargaming at its finest.
10 — Modern Naval Warfare
When a game gets snapped up by military organizations the moment it’s announced, you know it’s doing something right. Modern Naval Warfare, developed by The Maslas Bros and published by Slitherine, offers a next-generation submarine simulation built around the U.S. Navy’s SSN-774 Virginia-class attack submarine.
Every system — from sonar management to reactor operations — is modeled with painstaking precision, all shown within a richly detailed, fully explorable 3D control room (with full VR support). You’ll navigate dynamic underwater soundscapes, manage sensors and weapons, execute covert missions, and coordinate with friends in multiplayer, each manning different stations.
If you want authenticity, this is the submarine sim to beat in 2025.
9 — Total Victory: World Conflict 1939–1945
Formerly known as Warplan 2, Total Victory: World Conflict 1939–1945 builds on the strengths of Warplan and Warplan Pacific, delivering a grand-strategy wargame that simplifies the classic hex-and-counter formula without losing depth.
The scale is global. Players manage production, research, economics, diplomacy, and — of course — vast military operations across every major front. Events in one theater ripple across others, reinforcing how interconnected World War II truly was. For fans of strategic planning and global-scale decision-making, this is shaping up to be a strong modern successor to traditional tabletop-style wargaming.
8 — Wargame Design Studio: Age of Longbow
Wargame Design Studio has a sterling reputation, and with Age of Longbow: Volume I — Hundred Years War, the team shifts its focus to the sweeping medieval battles that defined the rise of the English longbow.
Designed as the second entry in the Sword & Siege series, Age of Longbow emphasizes open-field engagements like Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt — battles where tactics, discipline, weather, supply, and missile superiority determined everything.
WDS is known for its accuracy, deep OOB research, and tactical nuance. If you love medieval warfare, this is one of the most important historical wargames of 2025.
7 — B-17 Flying Fortress: The Bloody 100th
MicroProse and Outerra are teaming up for B-17 Flying Fortress: The Bloody 100th, one of the most anticipated WWII aviation simulators in years.
This isn’t just about flying. It’s about surviving.
You’ll manage a 10-man crew, handle injuries and damage, navigate massive formations, and fight your way through intense bomber missions inspired by the legendary “Bloody 100th” Bomb Group. With its global terrain engine, hyper-detailed damage modeling, and campaign spanning 25 deadly missions, this title aims to set a new benchmark for historical bomber simulations.
If you love aviation or WWII history, put this one right at the top of your list.
6 — Platoon Commander
I was tough on Platoon Commander during its early preview — and for good reason. It was rough around the edges, still searching for its identity, and clearly early in development. But beneath that, there’s undeniable potential.
Set during Operation Barbarossa, the game blends a real-time tactical engine with a turn-based strategic layer, allowing players to manage operational momentum before dropping into fast, brutal squad-based battles. You’ll fight across 20 maps as either the Wehrmacht or the Red Army, navigating weather effects, destructible environments, and evolving combat conditions.
It still needs polish, but there’s a promising WWII tactics game taking shape here.
5 — The Last General
Possibly the most ambitious project on this entire list, The Last General is the brainchild of solo developer Wakety — and it’s turning heads for good reason.
This RTS/wargame hybrid gives players control over massive real-time battles spanning up to 400 square kilometers, with thousands of simulated units across air, land, and sea. You can issue strategic plans directly on the map or jump down into the action and control individual units yourself.
Think Broken Arrow or WARNO, but on a jaw-dropping scale. Ambitious, risky, and potentially groundbreaking, this is one of the most intriguing strategy titles in development.
4 — Espiocracy
While most Cold War strategy games focus on armies, nukes, or diplomacy, Espiocracy flips the script entirely: you control the intelligence agency.
Spanning from 1946 onward, this grand strategy espionage game features 74 playable countries and lets you shape global events through agents, propaganda, assassinations, coups, proxy wars, and political influence campaigns. Forget commanding tanks — your weapons are information, subterfuge, and manipulation.
Refreshing, bold, and strategically rich, Espiocracy is one of the most exciting non-military wargames in years.
3 — Strategos
Where Carthage: Bellum Punicum focuses on specific ancient battles, Strategos goes big — really big. Published by MicroProse, this real-time tactics wargame delivers vast ancient warfare with more than 120 factions, 250 unit types, and armies numbering in the thousands.
Formations, morale, fatigue, and courier-based command all play major roles. You’ll fight famous battles like Issos and Raphia or design your own. The game aims to merge tabletop wargaming authenticity with real-time tactical execution, and based on the 2025 demo, it may deliver exactly that.
This could easily become the definitive ancient warfare simulation.
2 — BattlePlan
Even with only a brief reveal trailer to go on, BattlePlan has already positioned itself as one of the most innovative WWII RTS titles in years.
Published by Slitherine and announced during the company’s 25th anniversary, the game focuses on operational-level command in real time. Instead of micromanaging everything, you draw your plans directly onto the map — multi-phase assaults, defensive lines, breakthroughs — and your units execute them autonomously using advanced AI coordination.
Morale, supply, experience, and terrain all matter. With the smallest unit set at company level, this is a true general’s RTS. Hearts of Iron IV veterans and Ultimate General fans should pay close attention.
This one has “genre-defining” written all over it.
1 — Task Force Admiral
Few games have generated the kind of long-term anticipation that Task Force Admiral: Volume 1 — American Carrier Battles has. I’ve covered it extensively for years, and with good reason: it’s shaping up to be one of the most important WWII naval wargames ever created.
Set in the Pacific in 1942, the game blends real-time-with-pause strategic command with immersive, cinematic 3D detail. You’ll manage American carrier task forces, coordinate scouting flights, plan airstrikes, track Japanese forces, and command dozens of ships and aircraft types — all supported by meticulous historical research and state-of-the-art damage modeling.
Carrier warfare has never been represented with this level of fidelity, atmosphere, or tension. If you’re serious about naval history or WWII strategy, this is the must-wishlist wargame of 2025.
Your 2025 Battle Plan: A Year Packed With Strategy Powerhouses
From the massive operational battles of BattlePlan to the shadowy intrigue of Espiocracy…
From the cutting-edge realism of Modern Naval Warfare to the next-generation detail of Task Force Admiral…
2025 is shaping up to be one of the strongest years for strategy gaming in over a decade.
The genre is evolving — moving beyond traditional hex maps and dated UI conventions into bigger, bolder, more immersive designs that welcome both veterans and newcomers. Whether you’re an aviation buff, a Cold War scholar, a medieval tactician, or a die-hard WWII fan, there’s something on this list calling your name.