40 – Classified: France ’44
It appears that the Second World War is back in vogue for 2024.
I’ve always been puzzled by the scarcity of video games set in occupied France that showcase the heroic efforts of the French resistance. Now, combine that setting with XCOM-style combat and progression systems, and Classified: France ’44 might just have a winning formula.
While there’s no specific release date available at the moment, the game is anticipated to launch sometime in 2024. This promises an exciting gaming experience that captures the spirit of resistance and strategic combat in a historically significant backdrop.
39 – Celestial Empire
Celestial Empire is a promising historical city builder that brings me fond memories of Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom, with a pinch of the supernatural mixed in. Not really sure how to feel about this, but I’m willing to go with it.
Fortunately, the curious and industrious don’t need to wait until 2024 to give it a whirl, as a demo is available right now.
38 – Commandos: Origins
After nearly two decades, one of my favourite real-time-strategy titles is back, looking better than ever. Commandos: Origins takes you back to the early days of the (in)famous elite force. The Green Beret, Sapper, Sniper, Driver, Marine and Spy are back and ready to spread mischief and trouble behind the enemy lines. The details on the available screenshots are very reminiscent of the incredible detail the first and second games in the series had at the time.
Here’s Commandos: Origins
And here’s Commandos 2: Men of Courage.
37 – Conscript
Conscript is game in development by a single person, Jordan Mochi, and being published by Team 17. It’s a self-described survival horror set in World War 1. You play as a French Soldier during the Battle of Verdun, fighting alongside your brother. So what’s so special about Conscript? Didn’t Amnesia: The Bunker, just come out a couple of months back? And isn’t it also set in World War 1?
Well, for starters, it sports a beautifully pixelated art style, and the enemy, instead of being a 500-pound massive rat-man is just your fellow men from across the borders. And it works surprisingly well. Trenches are labyrinthian, cramped and crawling with what remains of dead soldiers; enemies feel like faceless zombies, and it doesn’t take more than a couple of shovel smacks to bring you down.
Conscript pulls no punches in the brutality department: the Germans can be killed with a single, well-placed shot, but engage in hand-to-hand combat, and things get messy, and expected to bring a shovel down five or six times before your opponent’s skull finally caves. I loved every second of it, and can’t wait for the final release!
36 – Crossroads Inn 2
Tavern Master has always lived in my mind as the kind of game I know I would love (after playing the demo some years back), but never got around to playing it, just because new shiny things kept on launching. Crossroads Inn 2 launch might be the final push I need to finally get on with serving beers, managing my staff, and pleasing my guests.
Reading this out loud reminds me of why I never picked it up… it’s too real for comfort!
35 – D.O.R.F. Real-Time Strategy
Remember the first time you played Red Alert 2? How amazing its pixel art look? And remember when you came back to it 20 years later and how disappointed you were that things in the 90s are a bit too pixelated for our, more refined taste of this day and age? And how the controls weren’t at all that intuitive? I’m pretty sure the developers of D.O.R.F. felt the same, and that’s why they decided to recreate what I can only assume Red Alert 3 was supposed to be. Amazing artistic direction, fast-paced action, and ridiculous weaponry are just *chefs’ kisses*. I’ll be anxiously expecting a release date
34 – Dungeons 4
Dungeons 3 was my best game of 2018, and it’s hard to believe 5 years have gone by, especially since I remember writing a review of it somewhere and never publishing it. If Dungeons 4 is half as charming as its predecessor, half as funny and half as challenging, then it will be an absolute blast.
33 – Dying Breed
“Dying Breed, is an RTS” is something one might hear from Master Yoga. What it is, instead, is a new and explosive RTS from times gone by, updated to modern standards. Set in a twisted version of the Second World War, it promises to blend “fast-paced action with strategic decision-making”.
Published by Microprose, this homage to the golden era of RTS will have you fighting evil, over-the-top arch-enemies, zombies, giant worms, what looks like devilish dogs, and retro-futuristic enemies. It’s all very cheesy and, same as other cheesy titles from the 90s, it’s going to be complemented by live-action FMVs and a metal soundtrack.
32 – Earth of Oryn
Earth of Oryn is yet another indie city-builder/strategy game, but this time it’s set in a medieval world, and it’s looking charming as hell! The main premise behind it is the modular building creation that will allow for the mix-and-mash of different materials to achieve stronger buildings, capable of withstanding the tides of war and the forces of nature.
31 – Field of Glory: Kingdoms
It’s far from being a secret that Field of Glory II: Medieval is one of my favourite games of all time. Sure, this might be due to my bias toward Medieval Warfare, rather than it being just an absolute gem of a game. But if that was the case, how come my attitude towards every World War 2 game isn’t exactly the same? Probably because FoG II is just that great.
The question is: what happens if the team behind the AGEOD series of games decides to design a grand-strategy layer similar to the ones found in Total War and Paradox? We’ll have our answer in 2024, hopefully. 375 Factions, 325 units, 600 buildings, 14 religions, and 90 cultural traits will keep many a medieval enthusiast entertained for months.
Strategy Games | Strategy and Wargaming 
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