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Armchair General presents this list of games on historical topics, divided by eras. While nowhere near comprehensive—thousands of games have been produced to simulate command decisions from all periods of history—we hope this list will aid our readers in finding games on the battles or periods they wish to explore. A link indicates there is a review of that game on ArmchairGeneral.com. The publisher is listed after the title. If the company that distributes the game is not the publisher, both are listed.
- Ancient, to around 5 AD
- Medieval, 5 AD to 1499
- Early gunpowder, 1500 – 1699
- Age of the musket, 1700 – 1865
- Age of the rifle, 1866 – 1913
- World War I era, 1914 – 1934
- World War II era, 1935 – 1945
- Post–World War II, 1946 – 2000
- Twenty-first century
Europa Universalis Rome (Paradox) – PC Game
Ancient Battles (Decision Games) – Board Game
Field of Glory (Hexwar, Slitherine) – PC Game
Dawn of Discovery (Sunflowers Interactive, Ubisoft) – PC City-Building Game
Medieval II Total War (Creative Assembly, Sega)– PC Game
Chainmail (Worthington) – Board Game
Empires of the Middle Ages (Decision) – Board Game
Men of Iron: The Rebirth of Infantry (GMT) – Tactical Combat Board Game
Warriors of God: The Wars of England and France 1135 – 1453 – Board Game
Conquest! Medieval Realms (Illustrious Software) – PC Game
Thirty Years War Quad (Decision) – Board Game
Mount and Blade (Paradox) – PC Game
Age of the musket, 1700 – 1865
Richard Berg’s Flintlock: Black Powder, Cold Steel –Vol. I, Carolina Rebels (Lock ‘n Load) – AWI Board Game
Serpents of the Seas (GMT) – Naval warfare in the Seven Years War, American Revolution and War of 1812, Board Game
Empires in Arms (Australian Design Group, Matrix) – Napoleonic Grand Strategy PC Game
Napoleon: Total War (Creative Assembly, Sega) – Grand Strategy PC Game
Napoleon’s Campaigns (AGEOD) – PC Game
John Tiller’s Battleground Napoleonic Wars (Talonsoft, Matrix) – PC Game
Prussia’s Glory II (GMT) – Tactical Battles of the 7 Years War Board Game
Birth of America 2 (AGEOD, Matrix) – PC Game
Age of Empires III (Ensemble, Microsoft) – PC Game
Campaign Austerlitz (HPS)– PC Game
Rebels & Redcoats series – (Decision) AWI Board Games
Hold the Line (Worthington) – AWI Board Game
Horse and Musket, Vol. 1 (Boku, Matrix) – Wars of Frederick the Great PC Game
The Mexican War (HPS Simulations) – PC Game
Summer Storm: The Battle of Gettysburg (Clash of Arms) – Board Game
War Between the States (Decision) – Board Game
John Tiller’s Battleground Civil War (Talonsoft, Matrix) – PC Game
Ironclads: High Seas (Totem Games) – Naval warfare in the American Civil War, PC Game
Blue & Gray – (Decision) Board Game
Gary Grigsby’s War Between the States (2 x 3, Matrix) – PC Game
War of the Empires: Battles of 1866 (Avalanche) – Board Game
The Sun Never Sets (Decision) – Board Game
Wings of War WWI series (Fantasy Flight) – Cards and Miniatures Games
RTC: Royal Tank Corps (Kokusai–Tsushin, Moments in History) – Board Game
The Great War at Sea series (Avalanche) – Board Games
Infantry Attacks: August 1914 (Avalanche) – WWI tactical Board Game
Nine Navies War (Decision) – WWI Naval Board Game
Jutland (Storm Eagle) – WWI Naval PC Game
Gary Grigsby’s Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich (2×3, Matrix) – PC Game
The Hell of Stalingrad (Clash of Arms) – Cards & Counters Game
World War 2: Time of Wrath (Wasteland, Matrix) – PC Game
Panzerkrieg: Burning Horizon 2 (United, Ascaron) – PC Game
Battlestaions Pacific (Eidos, Warner Brothers, Interactive) – PC Game
John Tiller’s Campaign Series (Talonsoft, Matrix) – PC Game
Combat Commander: Europe (GMT) – Board Game
Close Combat series (various; most recently distributed by Matrix) – PC Game
Defiant Russia (Avalanche) – Board Game
Darkest Hour (Darkest Hour Team, Valve/Steam)– PC Game
Theare of War 2: Africa 1943 (Battlefront) – PC Game
Theatre of War 2: Kursk 1943 (1C Company, Battlefront) – PC Game
Advanced Squad Leader series (Multi-Man Publishing) – Board Game
Panzer Grenadier series (Avalanche) – Board Game
Memoir ’44 (Days of Wonder) – Board Game
Lock ‘n Load: Band of Heroes series (Lock ‘n Load) – Man-to-Man WWII Board Games
Wings of War WWII series (Fantasy Flight) – Cards and Miniatures Game
Strategic Command 2: Weapons and Warfare (Battlefront) – PC Game
Tiger of Mayala (Avalanche) – Board Game
Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear (Academy) – PC Game
D-Day at Omaha Beach Solitaire (Decision) – Board Game
Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich – PC Game
Mannerheim’s Cross: Finland at War 1939-1945 (Critical Hit) – Board Game
Field Commander Rommel (Dan Verssen) – Solitaire Board Game
Pacific Battles (Decision) – Board Game
Destination: Normandy – Board Game
June ’44 – Board Game
War in the Pacific Admiral’s Edition (Henderson Field Designs, Matrix) – PC Game
Post–World War II, 1946 – 2000
The Forgotten War: Korea – (Decision) Board Game (3 battles)
Twilight Struggle: The Cold War, 1945–1989 Deluxe Edition (GMT) – Card-driven Board Game
Across Suez (Decision) – Board Game
Modern Air Power: War Over the Mideast (John Tiller, HPS) – PC Game
Lock ‘n Load: Forgotten Heroes (Lock ‘n Load) – Man-to-Man Vietnam War Board Game
World at War: Eisenback Gap (Lock ‘n Load) – Hypothetical WW3 Board Game
March to Baghdad: Decision at Tallil Air Base – Free Downloadable PC Game from Armchair General and ProSIM
Combat Mission Shock Force: British Forces (Battlefront) – PC Game
Combat Mission Shock Force: Marines (Battlefront) – PC Game
America’s Army 3 (U.S. Army) – PC Game