strategy gaming Archives

AppWizard

November 9, 2025

Grab a free Steam key for an alternate-history Napoleonic strategy game that throws mechs into the mix

Bonaparte: A Mechanized Revolution is a strategy game set in an alternate-history version of 18th-century France during the revolutionary period, allowing players to control characters Céline or César Bonaparte. The game features mechanized warfare with giant mechs called Colossi alongside traditional combat units. Players engage in tactical battles while managing political dynamics and historical figures like Robespierre and Lafayette. The game recently launched version 1.0 and is celebrating with a giveaway of ten free Steam keys, with entries closing on November 14. It is currently available on Steam at a 17% discount until November 23, priced at .74 / £17.42.

AppWizard

November 7, 2025

Hearts of Iron 4 has a fresh challenger in new WW2 game promising “month-long battles” with “unparalleled realism”

Hearts of Iron 4 has been a leading World War II game on Steam, but Slitherine is introducing a new competitor called Battleplan, developed by Foolish Mortals. Battleplan simulates extensive battles with hundreds of thousands of troops, featuring a detailed mission briefing and a daily planning phase for players to strategize troop movements. The main objective is to capture the fortified town of Caen, with players needing to make high-level strategic decisions while managing their forces. The game emphasizes the importance of timing in assaults, with operations planned for both day and night. Players can refine tactics over multiple days, and upon mission completion, they will assess casualties and assign veterancy bonuses. The campaign includes ten missions on the Western Front from 1944, allowing players to assume roles of British, American, or Canadian leaders. A release date has not been announced, but players can add it to their Steam wishlists.

AppWizard

November 6, 2025

Europa Universalis 5 console commands and cheats

Europa Universalis 5 allows players to use console commands to enhance gameplay after enabling Debug Mode. To enable Debug Mode on Steam, players must right-click the game in their Library, select Properties, and enter "debug_mode" in the launch options. For the game launcher, players should toggle the option to open the game in debug mode. The console can be accessed by pressing the tilde key (~). Some impactful console commands include: - disaster, activate_disaster []: Activates a specified disaster. - screenshot: Captures a screenshot. - settings: Opens a settings GUI. - create_character [] [lowborn/random/new]: Creates a new character. - event [eventid] [target]: Triggers a specific event. - setflag []: Overrides the flag of a selected country. - Manpower: Adds manpower to reserves. - Sailors: Increases the number of sailors. - cash: Provides cash to the treasury. - WarExhaustion: Adjusts war exhaustion. - killallunits []: Eliminates all military units in a specified country. - population []: Modifies the population of a location. - freeze []: Freezes the ocean in a specified area. - religion []: Changes the state religion of a country.

AppWizard

November 1, 2025

If you’re tired of Total War, 18th-Century strategy game Master of Command feels like a breath of fresh air

Master of Command is a grand strategy game set during the Seven Years' War, emphasizing resource management and the importance of individual soldiers. It features over 150 historically inspired units and requires players to analyze terrain and deploy formations strategically. Players must establish settlements and ensure their troops are well-fed and equipped, with the potential for troops to gain ranks and promotions. Customization options allow players to personalize their army's appearance. The game includes improvements such as enhanced battle AI and adjustments to artillery accuracy. Master of Command is available on Steam for .99, with a 10% launch discount until November 3, reducing the price to .49.

AppWizard

November 1, 2025

Europa Universalis V (PC) Review

In 1993, French game designer Philippe Thibaut released the tabletop game Europa Universalis, which focused on the geopolitical dynamics of European powers from the late 15th century to 1792. The game was complex, featuring nearly 1500 counters and extensive manuals, with some sessions lasting over 60 hours. Thibaut collaborated with Paradox Development Studio to adapt the game for PC, launching the video game version in late 2000, which introduced real-time gameplay with a pause feature and an open-ended structure. As of 2025, the franchise has evolved to include four mainline titles and a spin-off, culminating in Europa Universalis V, which introduces a new starting date of April 1, 1337, and ends on December 31, 1836. The game features a detailed world map with 28,570 locations and 1,523 playable nations. New features include a revamped military system, balancing estates, and scripted situations that reflect real-world events. Despite advancements, Europa Universalis V has a high barrier to entry, particularly for newcomers, and may require additional content to reach its full potential. The game has shown stability on mid-range systems, though performance on handheld devices may be lacking.

AppWizard

October 31, 2025

Europa Universalis 5 review

Paradox Tinto, a subsidiary of Paradox Interactive, will release a new historical strategy game on November 4, 2025. The game is priced at a premium level and has been reviewed on a high-performance setup with a Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card, Ryzen 9 5900 processor, and 32GB of RAM. Compatibility with the Steam Deck is not yet disclosed.

AppWizard

October 31, 2025

Warhammer 40k Dawn of War dev’s new turn-based tactics game pays homage to one of the greats, and you can try it for free

Relic Entertainment has released a new turn-based strategy game called Earth vs Mars, which is available on Steam along with a free demo. This game is the first title from Relic Labs, a label focused on experimental projects. In Earth vs Mars, players defend Earth from a Martian invasion using a weapon called the Splice-O-Tron to create hybrid soldiers. The game features over 30 campaign missions, various modes including AI challenges and online multiplayer, and draws inspiration from classic games like Advance Wars. It is currently offered at a discounted price of .79 until November 12, after which it will revert to .99.

AppWizard

October 26, 2025

Europa Universalis 2’s launch was a desperate gambit for Paradox’s survival: ‘It needs to be done so it’s sold in the US market before Christmas, because we need the money else we cannot pay people’

Europa Universalis was developed under significant pressure, with tight deadlines and a focus on survival. Johan Andersson, the lead developer, noted that the team quickly generated ideas for Europa Universalis 2 to ensure its release before Christmas to secure funding. The original game allowed players to select from a limited number of scenarios, which led to interest in broader gameplay. Henrik Fåhraeus, a mod maker who proposed making any country playable, was hired as a content designer for the sequel and later became chief creative officer at Paradox Interactive. Upon its release, Europa Universalis 2 received good reviews, but distribution was initially limited to Germany, affecting its audience reach. Despite challenges, a dedicated community formed around the game, with fans ordering it from Germany to play.

AppWizard

October 8, 2025

The next Total War Warhammer 3 DLC will “take a back seat” as dev focuses on fixing game-breaking bugs

Total War Warhammer 3 is experiencing significant issues with AI recruitment, particularly affecting the Lizardmen and Tomb Kings factions, which are unable to recruit units due to complications from legacy code. The AI fails to consider unit caps, leading to recruitment deadlocks that hinder gameplay and strategic depth. The game's codebase, managed by various teams over nearly a decade, has introduced unforeseen errors, especially with major updates. Recent player feedback has declined, with only 25% of reviews in the past month being positive, exacerbated by a recent patch that negatively impacted the Tomb Kings and Lizardmen factions. A hotfix is forthcoming, but deeper issues may persist. The Tides of Torment DLC has been postponed, originally scheduled for a summer release, with uncertainty regarding its planned October launch. Players can explore alternative Warhammer titles and engage in community discussions about ongoing bugs.