Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
War has been heavily depicted within media for decades, from blockbuster films to video games. Consumers are always interested in an over-the-top war story, and over the years we’ve seen some incredible titles released into the market based on World War I. Check out the list below if you’re craving a trip to the trenches.
#16 Conscript
Platform: PC, PS4, XBO, PS5, SWITCH
Release Date: July 23, 2024
Genre: Horror
PC | PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo
Not all games set in times like World War I are meant to be “100% accurate.” Instead, they often take the settings of those wars and create a special story within them. For example, Conscript features you as a French soldier who searches for his lost brother. He was last seen in the battle of Verdun, and he must navigate the horrors of war, both natural and artificial, to find him and get out alive.
You’ll use the weapons of the period to fight off enemy soldiers and keep your search going. Due to the wide array of things to do in search of your brother, you can get different endings. So, if you don’t like how things turned out…go and try it again!
#15 Last Train Home
Platform: PC
Release Date: November 28, 2023
Genre: RTS
While not technically set in World War I, it’s actually set after it, Last Train Home puts you in the shoes of a unit who are attempting to get soldiers from their home nation back to their families on the literal last train that can save them. So, what’s the problem with that? Despite one war being over, another is rising up! They’ll have to go through lands filled with dangers and overcome numerous obstacles to keep the train going and save as many lives as they can.
Plus, you need to watch over your unit to ensure they stay alive and don’t lose hope!
#14 Rising Front
Platform: PC
Release Date: January 14, 2023
Genre: Strategy
There were many things that World War I was famous and infamous for, and the biggest thing on the latter front were the tactics that allowed it to go on for so long. Trench warfare was diabolical in the worst ways, and Rising Front highlights that in numerous ways. You’ll dive into the battlefields of World War I and see how you fare when you’re dealing with hundreds of soldiers coming after you from trenches and beyond.
Oh, and the battles can get even larger! There can be thousands of enemy units on the battlefield! So play wisely, or quickly be overwhelmed.
#13 Beyond The Wire
Platform: PC
Release Date: October 21, 2020
Genre: Shooter
This is a game that is set in the muddy trenches of WW1 and uses a 50v50 multiplayer FPS mechanic that is as chaotic as it is immersive. There are a huge variety of classic weapons for you to use, as well as several maps, playable factions, vehicles, and an impressive melee combat system as well. The game is a great one, to be honest, but the biggest problem is down to activity. Due to the game being released in 2020, there isn’t a huge number of players getting involved, the servers are a ghost town of sorts, and that’s just disappointing because this really is a very decent WW1 game.
#12 Commander: The Great War
Platform: PC
Release Date: March 15, 2012
Genre: Strategy
Commander: The Great War is a title that highlights the entirety of the war, from 1914 to 1918. This turn-based strategy game takes players through different battles with five start dates to choose from. It quickly becomes a fight to manage your resources and deal with a very tricky AI opponent. Without a continuous campaign, players begin with different situations each time rather than building up XP or resources to use in the future. As a result, you may need to change your strategy depending on what a particular game calls for, making this endlessly replayable.
#11 Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game
Platform: PC
Release Date: April 5, 2011
Genre: Real-time grand strategy
Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game is a real-time strategy title released in 2011. This title is split into two scenarios, with one based on The Great War and the other on World War II. When a scenario is selected, players are given different campaign missions based on certain nations or operations. From there, it’s up to the players to determine how they will build up their forces. For instance, you may decide to build up more troops, aircraft, or ships for naval warfare. Not only do players engage in active battle, but they can choose to enter into alliances to make things easier. Likewise, players can opt to build their nation and alliances around democratic policy or more authoritarian control.
#10 Valiant Hearts
Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch
Release Date: June 25, 2014 (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One – June 25, 2014 / iOS – September 4, 2014 / Android – November 26, 2014 / Nintendo Switch – November 8, 2018)
Genre: Puzzle, adventure
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
Valiant Hearts is Ubisoft’s unique take on a game based around The Great War. The title focuses on four characters that grow close throughout the war, each attempting to save one another during the countless battles of World War I. Unlike the typical war-based game, Valiant Hearts is a puzzle adventure where players must complete certain tasks, with many requiring players to locate specific objects.
Within the mixture of puzzle-based levels, Valiant Hearts also includes sections of melee combat along with time-based minigames. Not only does Valiant Hearts have an incredibly touching story but it utilizes Ubisoft’s UbiArt Framework, the in-house engine that was used to deliver Rayman Origins and Child of Light.
#9 Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land
Platform: iOS, PC, Android
Release Date: PC – May 5, 2012 / iOS – January 30, 2012 / Android – July 6, 2013
Genre: Tactical role-playing
Based on the novel The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft, Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land is a tactical RPG released in 2012 for iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows. This particular game utilizes a more fantasy-inspired storyline compared to other titles on this list. Instead of a traditional war setting, players take control of a team of investigators as they investigate a conspiracy within the German ranks during World War I.
Apparently, the German armies have started to re-animate the corpses of their fallen soldiers to create a massive army of the living dead. The tactical RPG tasks players with engaging in turn-based strategy combat while upgrading stats through an action point system. Fans of Fire Emblem and XCOM may take an interest in Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land.
#8 To End All Wars
To End All Wars is a slightly advanced strategy title that is based on World War I. Players take control of a faction that attempts to overpower Europe. From there it’s all about maneuvering troops around a map and enacting a grand strategy to take out other factions in the hopes of gaining control over other nations and leaders. Fans of strategy-based video games will likely enjoy To End All Wars, but this has a steep learning curve for newcomers.
#7 Victoria II
Platform: PC, Mac OS X
Release Date: August 13, 2010
Genre: Grand strategy
Victoria II, much like To End All Wars, is a grand strategy title, but unlike To End All Wars, Victoria II takes place from 1836 through 1936. Players are given control of a 19th-century state where they must oversee the nation through the dawn of the 20th century. Not only will players take part in World War I–they must also manage the political, diplomatic, and economic aspects of their state, as well as the military and any technological advancements. Each action a player makes will have global consequences that may benefit your particular nation. They could also be fatal mistakes, causing battles or inspiring a revolt of the nation’s people.
#6 Toy Soldiers
Platform: Xbox 360 (XBLA), PC
Release Date: PC – April 27, 2012 / XBLA – March 3, 2010
Genre: Action, strategy
PC | Xbox | PlayStation
Toy Soldiers is an action strategy title by the developers at Signal Studios. The video game features miniature toy soldiers within a World War I setting. Players will find themselves inside a model diorama in various home locations such as a child’s bedroom.
Likewise, players will be able to control a variety of units and give commands in order to take down enemy forces. Toy Soldiers includes a total of fifty different units to control during its many campaign battles. Multiplayer is available on Xbox only and can be played online or with two-player split-screen.
#5 NecroVisioN
Platform: PC
Release Date: May 25, 2009
Genre: First-person shooter
NecroVisioN is an FPS that is set during the First World War. Players take on the role of Simon Bukner, a new recruit into the British Army in 1916. During his journey, Simon discovers he won’t only have to battle men but a slew of mysterious supernatural forces as well. Players will be taking on zombies, vampires, and demons, stepping away from the traditional WWI setting that many other titles adhere to. This unique twist to the genre gives players a completely different experience.
#4 Isonzo
Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: September 13, 2022
Genre: Shooter
PC | Xbox | PlayStation
Isonzo was fresh on the market back in September, and the game has been received pretty well too. It features unforgiving alpine warfare that will test all your tactical and physical skills. Isonzo is a really authentic FPS game and allows players to battle on incredibly scenic peaks, rugged valleys, and some beautifully rustic Northern Italian towns. What this game has going for it compared to Battlefield is the fact that everything is slowed down, every decision matters and you can become really immersed in the accuracy of the whole thing. You’ve got to hand it to BlackMill Games, they can sure make a war game.
#3 Verdun
Platform: PC, OS X, Linux, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: PC, OS X, Linux – April 28, 2015 / PS4 – August 30, 2016 / Xbox One – March 8, 2017
Genre: First-person shooter
PC | Xbox | PlayStation
Verdun is a first-person shooter putting players deep within the trenches of WWI while gearing them with authentic weapons from the time period. The gameplay is intense and merciless with developers focused on showcasing a more realistic World War I setting on the western front between 1914 and 1918.
Since the game intends to be as realistic as possible for the time period, players are also able to play with friends in a tactical squad-based game mode. You and your squad mates fight through battles within the trenches to fend off enemy factions through a dense fog of dirt and gunpowder.
#2 Tannenberg
Platform: PC, OS X, Linux, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: PC, OS X, Linux – February 13, 2019 / PS4, Xbox One – July 24, 2020
Genre: First-person shooter
PC | Xbox | PlayStation
From the same development team behind Verdun, Tannenberg was released in 2019. Although it features a similar style of gameplay as Verdun, this title revolves solely around the Battle of Tannenberg which took place in East Prussia. This first-person shooter aims for authenticity, featuring weapons, equipment, battlefields, and uniforms right for the time period. Even the injuries that soldiers sustain are authentic. Over sixty players can join the title’s multiplayer on PC, with forty able to play together on consoles. Multiple game modes are available, including one focused on capturing points, another for fans of standard-style team deathmatches, or a simple free-for-all.
#1 Battlefield 1
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: October 21, 2016
Genre: First-person shooter
PC | Xbox | PlayStation
Developed by EA DICE, one of the more popular entries to the Battlefield franchise takes players back to World War One. Battlefield 1 was the fifteenth entry into the Battlefield series and much like past installments, it’s a well-done FPS that holds up today–especially given the current state of Battlefield 2042.
While the game features fully fleshed-out multiplayer capabilities and multiple game modes, players who pick up the game also have the choice of playing the narrative campaign, featuring different characters from around the globe who offer up their own personal accounts of the war.
