Making History: The Great War (v1.0.60687.36 & DLC)

The First World War becomes a sprawling political and military sandbox where every nation, from imperial powers to smaller independent states, can attempt to reshape the century. Making History: The Great War treats conflict as more than a series of battles: factories, trade routes, public stability, diplomacy, colonies, and revolutionary pressure all matter as much as the armies on the map. Its tone is sober and methodical, focused on the brutal realities of industrialized warfare rather than heroic battlefield spectacle. Players take the role of head of state during an era in which a bad campaign, a collapsed economy, or an angry population can dismantle an empire.

Turn-based strategic decisions revolve around managing regions, raising forces, securing resources, negotiating agreements, and moving armies across a global map. Combat reflects the deadlock of the Western Front through trenches, artillery barrages, and costly assaults against prepared defenses, while airships, biplanes, fighters, and anti-aircraft units add another layer to campaigns. Naval control is equally important, since submarines can target warships and commercial shipping while blockades and disrupted sea lanes starve enemies of essential goods. Economic management gives every decision weight: nations buy and sell on a world market, acquire raw materials, manufacture equipment, and decide how conquered territory functions through colonies, protectorates, or puppet governments.

Its strongest feature is the sheer scope of choice. Rather than locking players into one of the familiar great powers, the game allows nearly any independent country to pursue survival, neutrality, expansion, or an alternate path through the war. Historical events provide context and pressure, but diplomacy and player action can create outcomes that history never saw. The interface and slower pace can feel demanding, especially for newcomers, yet the depth rewards patience. Fans of Hearts of Iron, Paradox-style diplomacy, and detailed historical simulations find a thoughtful World War I strategy game built for long campaigns and alternate-history experimentation.