Order of Battle: World War II
Order of Battle: World War II is a turn-based World War II wargame built around classic hex-and-counter style decision-making, but presented with modern 3D maps and a broad mix of ground, naval, and air operations. You command historical formations across varied theaters, playing official campaigns or diving into community-made scenarios, with an emphasis on positioning, combined arms, and keeping your forces supplied.
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Publisher: Slitherine Software Playerbase: Low Type: Turn-Based Strategy Release Date: April 30, 2015 Pros: +Hex-based warfare that rewards planning. +Integrated land, sea, and air layers in one battle space. +Supply rules add meaningful logistics choices. +Robust built-in scenario editor. Cons: -Free access is mostly limited to the tutorial and DLC previews. -Occasional issues with historical authenticity. -Interface and menus can feel unintuitive at first. |
Order of Battle: World War II Overview
Order of Battle: World War II (originally released as Order of Battle: Pacific) is a 3D, hex-based historical strategy title that will feel familiar to fans of Panzer General-style campaigns. Despite sometimes being discussed alongside free-to-play strategy games, the “free” portion is essentially an extended sampler, covering a tutorial campaign plus DLC demonstrations that add up to roughly 10 hours. To access full-length campaigns, you will need to purchase the relevant expansions.
On the battlefield, you assemble forces from a large roster (over 700 units) by purchasing army, naval, and air units aligned to your chosen faction. Combat is built around a clean combined-arms flow where aircraft operate on their own layer, letting planes share a hex with ships or ground troops, which helps the game handle multi-domain battles without overcrowding the map.
A standout system is logistics. Supply lines matter, and units fighting out of supply suffer major efficiency penalties, so capturing bases, protecting support vessels, and maintaining a functional frontline becomes part of the puzzle rather than an afterthought. Beyond the single-player content, the package includes an accessible in-game scenario editor, 4-player multiplayer options, Commander characters that provide unit bonuses, and Specializations that let you shape your approach between missions.
Order of Battle: World War II Key Features:
- Hex-Based Strategy – classic hex movement and combat that emphasizes positioning and tempo, rather than simple square-grid brawling.
- Over 700 Unique Units – a huge catalog of faction-themed units, each with distinct roles and presentation, including unique traits and camouflage options.
- Land, Sea, and Air Combat – field infantry, armor, aircraft, and warships together, using each branch where it performs best.
- User-Generated Content – download and play community scenarios, or craft your own missions with the included editor.
- 4-Player Multiplayer – support for PBEM++ and Hotseat modes, including last man standing, team formats, and co-op play versus the AI.
Order of Battle: World War II Screenshots
Order of Battle: World War II Featured Video
Order of Battle: World War II Review
Order of Battle: World War II aims for the sweet spot between traditional wargames and more approachable strategy titles. It is not as mechanically dense as some hardcore simulations, but it still expects you to think like a commander, managing combined arms, anticipating counterattacks, and making sure the front does not outrun its supply.
At a moment-to-moment level, the hex system keeps decisions readable. Flanking, zone control, and terrain advantages are clear, and battles tend to revolve around building favorable engagements rather than chasing twitchy execution. The multi-layer approach for air power is particularly effective. Instead of forcing aircraft to compete for the same space as ground units, the game treats them as a parallel layer, which makes air support feel like a natural part of the operation rather than a clumsy add-on.
Logistics is where the design separates itself from many lighter WW2 strategy games. Supply is not just a passive stat, it is a strategic constraint that shapes your routes, your priorities, and your risk tolerance. Pushing too aggressively can lead to units fighting at a major disadvantage, while careful staging through captured bases and protected support assets can turn a difficult map into a controlled advance. It encourages planning several turns ahead, especially in scenarios where the front is wide and objectives are spread out.
Progression is campaign-driven and built around expanding and maintaining your forces. Since you purchase units and build up a roster, you are incentivized to preserve veterans and avoid wasteful trades. Commanders and Specializations add a layer of customization, letting you lean into a preferred style, whether you value stronger elite formations, better support play, or more flexible combined-arms options. The end result is a satisfying strategic arc, even when individual missions are relatively self-contained.
The biggest friction point is presentation and usability. While the game generally communicates its rules well, the interface can be awkward, and some information is not surfaced as cleanly as it could be for newcomers. It is also worth setting expectations around content access. The free portion is best treated as a trial, with the full experience living in the paid expansions, which can be disappointing for players expecting a fully free-to-play structure.
Historically, the game captures the broad feel of the era and its equipment well enough for most players, but purists may notice occasional inaccuracies. Still, as a playable operational-level strategy game that supports both official campaigns and a strong custom-scenario ecosystem, it offers a lot of value for anyone who enjoys deliberate, turn-based WW2 planning.
Order of Battle: World War II Online Links
Order of Battle: World War II Steam
Order of Battle: World War II Game Manual
Order of Battle: World War II System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: XP, Vista, 7, 8 / Mac OS X 10.7+
CPU: Pentium 4 or equivalent
RAM: 2 GB
Graphics: 512 MB DirectX 9 with shader model 2.0
Hard Drive: 1 GB
Order of Battle: World War II Music & Soundtrack
Coming Soon…
Order of Battle: World War II Additional Information
Developer: The Artistocrats
Publisher: Slitherine Software
Expansions:
- Rising Sun Expansion Release Date: January 28, 2016
2. U.S. Marines Expansion Release Date: April 7, 2016
3. World War II Release Date: June 14, 2016
4. Winter War Expansion Release Date: July 21, 2016
Release Date: April 30, 2015
Development History / Background:
Order of Battle: World War II was created by The Artistocrats, an independent studio known for focusing on historically themed strategy design. Publishing duties were handled by Slitherine Software, a UK-based strategy specialist recognized for both tabletop-inspired and digital wargames, including titles like Legion Arena and Panzer Corps. The base game launched on Steam on April 30, 2015 as a buy-to-play release.
Over time, the game expanded beyond its original Pacific framing. Several expansions followed, including Rising Sun, U.S. Marines, and Winter War, and the project was rebranded to Order of Battle: World War II to better reflect its wider scope of global scenarios on June 14, 2016. From that point, the overall product structure effectively became a free starter offering (tutorial campaign plus DLC demos) paired with paid DLC campaigns that provide the full-length content.