SGS Afrika Korps

About

"SGS Afrika Korps" is a turn-based strategy game set in the North African desert during World War II. Players can command either the Axis forces, led by Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps, or the British 8th Army, known as the Desert Rats, in various scenarios ranging from small battles to grand campaigns. The game aims to realistically portray the desert warfare in Libya and Egypt from 1940 to 1942, with a focus on historical accuracy and tactical decision-making. Scenarios vary in duration, with some taking only a few hours to complete, while others can last for several days.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+11

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 77 reviews

graphics9 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

The game features an interesting combat system that is different from classic hex-and-counter wargames, providing a fun and engaging experience once the mechanics are understood.
The presentation is visually appealing, with good art for the screens, maps, and counters, making it easy to read and understand.
The card-based strategic layer adds replayability and simulates political and military events, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

The rules and tutorials are poorly explained, leading to a steep learning curve that can be frustrating for new players.
The AI is considered weak and lacks challenge, making it less engaging for solo play, and there are reports of numerous bugs that hinder gameplay.
The user interface is clunky and not well-suited for a wargame, with design choices that detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
Gameplay in this title features a unique d20 attack mechanic that requires some time to master, particularly due to its lack of armor or defense factors for defenders. While the AI can be easily defeated once the mechanics are understood, players can still enjoy around eight hours of engaging gameplay, especially with its classic board-game style and beautifully crafted unit cards. However, the game struggles with supply mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “Fluid gameplay, after you understand the mechanics.”
- “The mechanics of the game seem like a fine way to simulate this campaign, and I did occasionally have some interesting battles trying to break through at some points while holding others.”
- “The gameplay reminds me of a classic board-game style; the counters are informative and beautifully crafted. Every turn consists of a number of phases in which you draw and play event cards, place reinforcements, move air wings, troops, and resolve battles.”
- “It takes a while to get used to the d20 attack mechanics against no armor/defense factor for the defender.”
- “This game has a tremendous problem with supply and supply mechanics.”
- “The AI in this title is a bit wonky, wherein it is very easily beaten once the mechanics are understood, but you can easily get 8 hours of fun against the AI if it appeals to you.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics of the game are consistently praised for their visual appeal, featuring slick designs and detailed unit cards that enhance the overall aesthetic experience. Players appreciate the clarity and pleasing imagery of aircraft and ground vehicles, which contribute to a nice feel, despite frustrations with the game's strategic elements. Overall, the visuals are a standout aspect, showcasing significant potential that some feel is not fully realized in gameplay.
- “I bought this game because I had previously been a great fan of Philippe Thibault (when he was at Ageod), a fan of the North African theatre, and because the visuals looked so nice and slick.”
- “It looks really nice though. Unit cards depicting Osprey men-at-arms graphics and really pleasing images of aircraft and ground vehicles give it a nice feel.”
- “The graphics are really nice, and you don't have to use a magnifying glass to figure out who's who!”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with users reporting frequent bugs that hinder gameplay, such as unresponsive units and AI issues. Many players experience frustrating freezes, particularly during the reinforcement section, necessitating restarts. Overall, the game's stability issues contribute to a negative perception of its quality and value.
- “This company is quickly gaining a track record for releasing overpriced buggy games with little effort or communication to improve.”
- “Most of the time it is too buggy... can't move units, AI is stuck... very frustrating.”
- “The only downside is that my game constantly freezes on the reinforcement section, so I have to exit out and restart from a saved game.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The music in the game, featuring both original and commissioned tracks, is well-suited to the time period and subject matter. Players suggest adjusting settings to enhance gameplay, such as setting the delay to 0 and turning down the music and audio.
- “The music, both the original and the commissioned tracks, is appropriate to the time period and subject matter.”
- “Recommend playing with delay set to 0, expert AI, music and audio turned down.”
- “The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous over time.”
- “The original and commissioned tracks do not enhance the gameplay experience as expected.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers strong replayability due to its polished design and the variety of campaign sizes available, allowing players to tailor their experience. Additionally, the different cards players receive provide unique choices, enhancing the overall replay value.
- “Overall, it is a really polished product, with good replay value and the ability to take on small or large campaigns to suit your preferences.”
- “There's replayability because the different cards you get give you different choices to make.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its high level of immersion, creating a captivating and engaging experience for players.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
- “The ambiance created in this game is truly captivating, making every moment feel alive.”
- “The game's atmosphere is rich and engaging, enhancing the overall experience.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story aspect of the SGS games is criticized for lacking several basic features typical of the genre, such as a filtered map display, mission objective summaries, detailed order of battle lists, and records of lost or destroyed units, which detracts from the overall narrative experience.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of SGS Afrika Korps to be tedious and poorly designed, with an excessive number of micro-phases that reduce gameplay to repetitive clicking, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “Unfortunately, SGS Afrika Korps turned out to be an incredibly tedious, annoying, and badly designed experience, and simply the opposite of fun.”
- “The game is turn-based, but the turns are split into a tedious amount of micro-phases that basically just ask you to make 1 or 2 clicks.”