WW1 Games: Top Picks for History Buffs
The First World War was one of the most iconic, violent, and blood-pilling events of the past century. With over twenty countries having participated in the conflict, more than 70 million soldiers fought on the battlefield on different fronts. As such, this warlike scenario has been a source of inspiration for many WW1 Games you must play if you want to experience this time of history.
WW1 Games: Top Picks for History Buffs
What Are the Best WW1 Games?
All the games we discuss below are set during the First World War. Still, all of them offer a unique approach to the global conflict. Check out them and pave your path to the glory!
Beyond the Wire
Release Date: August 31, 2022
Developer: Redstone Interactive
Publisher: Offworld Industries
Platforms: Microsoft Windows
Metascore: N/A
If you’re looking for the perfect trench war, Beyond the Wire is a serious candidate to win this award. It’s because BtW has hyperrealistic gameplay and scenarios where trenches and violence are perfectly depicted.
When playing Beyond the Wire, you feel like you are in the middle of a warlike terrain on the western front of World War I. Chaos, devastation, and flying shots are everywhere, and at every moment, you feel you’re on the edge of death.
It’s impressive how this title stands out by its historical accuracy. Guns, clothing, engineering, and tactical close-quarters melee combat are like those you can see in photos, movies, and recreations of the time.
Beyond the Wire is a WW1 game for those who love multiplayer first-person shooters in which teams of fifty combatants battle to conquer the territory. Hence, communication with other members of your squad is crucial to deploy strategies and an aspect that converts this title into one you cannot miss out on.
No doubt that Beyond the Wire is one of the best games taking place during World War 1, and one that makes you feel you’re amidst historical events of the beginning of the past century.
Key Features:
True gunplay that makes you feel you’re in the middle of the Italian front.
50 vs 50 gameplay. Choose your side and relive the darkest hour of human history.
Massive, dizzy, and realistic violence, as you’re in a real battle.
Beyond the Wire Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Release Date: June 25, 2014
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Stadia
Metascore: 79
Ubisoft has the habit of releasing, from time to time, an interesting title with a unique visual style or mechanics. This is the case with Valiant Hearts: The Great War, a puzzle adventure game that stands out due to its cartoonish style and brutal violence.
Valiant Hearts is a strategy game that balances puzzle-solving, side-scrolling, and adventuring in trench scenarios amidst the great war. This mix makes this title special, with no space for improvisation or hesitation.
Valiant Hearts encompasses four different characters, each with unique abilities, advancing through different scenarios with distinctive puzzles. In this sense, the gameplay is enriched in mechanics and tactics which allow you to apply divergent strategies to survive battles and progress through the plot.
In general, Valiant Hearts is a satisfying experience from start to end, which perfectly combines narration with gaming and high-level decisions in a dangerous scenario. Every choice you make in Valiant Hearts builds the course of your commandos on the battlefield.
Key Features:
One of the best games based on the Great War and an amazing real-time tactical experience.
Four characters and four game styles to achieve victory from different points of view.
Beautiful and emotional campaigns that touch the human side of the war.
Valiant Heart: The Great War Ubisoft Connect CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
WW1 Tannenberg: Eastern Front
Release Date: February 13, 2019
Developers: M2H | Blackmill Games
Publishers: M2H | Blackmill Games
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Metascore: 72
The battle of Tanneberg is cited as one of the largest, bloodiest, and most heartbreaking of the First World War, which faced two central powers, Russia and Germany, in east Prussia. Based on these events, this game accurately reflects the brutality of this conflict, with the strength of facts as a support.
And you can expect WW1 Tannenberg: Eastern Front is all the previously mentioned and more! This title is a realistic depiction of the crucial battle, deploying armies on the battlefield and unleashing devastation of great proportions. In this context, you take part in a squad together with other acquaintances or friends to defeat your enemies.
As a realistic title based on this warfare time of the 20th century, WW1 Tannenberg pays special attention to depicting realistic weapons, clothing, ambiances, and environments that will put you in the middle of the real eastern front of the war.
A funny game where the potential of WW1 FPS/Simulator is taken to another level, and the border of its possibilities realistically shows the calamity of the biggest of the wars.
Key Features:
Sixty-four players are fighting for control of the vast territory. Select your side on history: Nations or Allies.
Seven squads, over fifty weapons, and eight large maps to perform the best co-op game based on WW1.
Action across forests, lakes, plains, and mountains.
Tannenberg Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
WW1 Verdun: Western Front
Release Date: April 18, 2015
Developer: M2H | Blackmill Games
Publisher: M2H | Blackmill Games
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Metascore: 70
Verdun is the counterpart of WWI Tannenberg since it was a battle that took place on the western front, in the Eastern North area of France, facing the German and France armies. It was the largest battle of the Western Front, which ended with the victory of France over the Austrian Empire. Still, like in the other games in this list, you can change history as you take part in the conflict.
WW1 Verdun is pretty similar to WW1 Tannenberg in its general conception of action and mechanics. Like Tannenbeg, Verdun is a massive first-person shooter where you take part in a squad performing different activities on the battlefield. It also features a 32 vs. 32-player gameplay, in which violence, explosion, and flying bullets abound.
Verdun entails a more devastating scenario than its counterpart since this battle was a real trench conflict in a plain with nothing to cover yourself. It makes certain despair invade you when facing the enemy and seeing other squads advancing through the map. As a member of up to four-member squad, your role is to gain abilities and experience to conquer the territory.
WW1 Verdun is one of my favorite games based on WW1 since it’s methodic and pays special attention to strategy and pacing. I know it’s not for all gamers, but people who really love realistic warfare will adore Verdun.
Key Features:
Realistic gameplay with impressive bullet physics, real weapons, an ability system, and much more!
Authentic trench combat where there is no place for diplomacy.
Several game modes to try your artillery, planning, strategy, and teamwork.
Verdun Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
The Great War: Western Front
Release Date: March 30, 2023
Developer: Petroglyph Games
Publisher: Frontier Foundry
Platforms: Microsoft Windows
Metascore: 71
Of all the games mentioned in this list, The Great War: Western Front is the only one totally focused on strategy. In this title, you’ll deploy all your forces on a vast territory where you control dozens of units, mainly infantry, facing another army on the opposite side.
Think of The Great War: Western Front as a Starcraft or Warcraft, but with a battle in the middle of gameplay and, of course, without the strange creatures wandering by the map.
The budget administration is an interesting aspect of TGW: WF. You need to spend gold on building a proper network of trenches, artillery batteries, and machine gun nests before the combat begins. This way, you set your strategy based on your forces.
The Great War: Western Front teaches you what is the relevance of knowing the battlefield before starting any battle. Having conducted deep research, developers put unique efforts into representing the most detailed aspects of this massive war.
You can play as a Theatre Commander in turn-based gameplay or as a Field Commander in real-time battles.
If you want to expand your knowledge about WW1 and feel you’re not just watching but participating in the great war, this is the game for you.
Key Features:
Historical authenticity.
A brutal gameplay that shows the dehumanizing side of the war.
Trenches like never before and a representation of action like you won’t find in any other war, either the Second or the Cold War.
The Great War: Western Front Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Battlefield 1
Release Date: October 21, 2016
Developer: EA Digital Illusions CE
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Steam
Metascore: 88
Battlefield 1 is likely the most popular game based on WW1 and one that features multiple mechanics to expand warlike and action. It’s a first-person shooter game heavily focused on cooperation and squad strategies. Battlefield offers a very accurate melee combat system featuring weapons such as sabers, shovels, and trench mallets.
Battlefield 1 features larger scenarios than previous installments of the franchise, which is great for deploying different squads and forces throughout the terrain. Maps contain different paths to look for success. In this context, you can take the path you prefer and maneuver the strategy you think is the best to achieve your goals.
Battlefield 1 brings a high-quality and fresh experience of the Great War and hours and hours of excellent gunplay with substantial details. Cooperative modes are the best I’ve seen in any shooter and single-player campaign of most warfare games in the market. Since its gameplay is addictive, you probably will spend hours in this conflict taking place in Europe.
Key Features:
Multiple environments from shore to shore of the war bring to life this conflict.
A fully destructible environment and changing weather affect gameplay and how squads spread across the maps.
A lot of weapons, vehicles, and resources to release the greatest fight ever.
Battlefield 1 Global Origin CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Summing It Up
Not all WWI games’ central concept is gore or blood; some of them are based on strategy and resource management. The titles we’ve discussed in this article are the best of both worlds and perfectly portray this period of the past century. We recommend you choose the one you believe is for you and try it. Join your squad on the battlefield and serve your army, either on the Nation side or the Allies side.