A hex-based WWII wargame across every front
Hex of Steel is a turn-based strategy game played on a hex grid, with a top-down view of large maps covering Europe, North Africa, the Pacific and beyond. You command units including tanks and infantry, and the game includes 45 playable nations, from Germany to Mongolia to Iraq. Scenarios are big and detailed, and campaigns let you carry core units through branching paths where your decisions change how the war plays out. Alongside the fixed scenarios there is a random scenario generator, so you can start a fresh map without hunting for one.
Playing with your friends
Your group can play together in a few ways. Real time multiplayer lets you fight each other directly, and there is also cross-platform PBEM for a slower exchange of turns. Co-op is available too, so part of your group can take one side against the AI or another team. Multiplayer works across PC and mobile, so people on iOS and Android can join the same match. Diplomacy is part of the play: you can form alliances, declare war and negotiate truces, which matters when several people share a table.
What to know before you start
The AI plays without cheats and reacts to what you do, and you can play solo against it across Europe, Africa or the Pacific. Before a game you can tune the rules: over 50 policies and doctrines cover military tactics and occupation, and optional settings include zone of control, realistic supplies and fog of war. Weather and seasons change during play and affect the battlefield. If your group wants to build rather than only play, the editors let you make your own scenarios, units and maps. The game has been updated over 400 times, so mechanics and balance keep shifting between sessions, and there is nothing to buy inside the game itself.