Vietnam ‘65

About

It is 1965 and the US ground war in Vietnam is in full swing. As a US Army commander, wage a counter-insurgency (COIN) war to secure the Ia Drang valley, on the border with Cambodia. Vietnam '65 is a tun-based operational game that captures the true essence of the Vietnam War, where airmobile operations are paramount, fire support bases play a critical role and air strikes can save the day.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 276 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Unique approach to a war game that emphasizes logistics and counter-insurgency tactics.
Easy to learn with good replayability due to randomly generated maps.
Engaging gameplay that balances resource management with strategic decision-making.

Repetitive gameplay with limited unit variety and lack of depth in combat mechanics.
Frustrating controls that can lead to misclicks and unintended unit movements.
Resource management can feel tedious, with units quickly running out of supplies.

gameplay
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
57%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by simple yet deep mechanics that are easy to learn but can become tedious and repetitive over time. While the game offers a realistic portrayal of counter-insurgency operations and features a variety of challenges and replayability due to changing maps, players may find the interface cumbersome and some mechanics frustrating. Overall, it appeals to those interested in Vietnam War strategy, but may not satisfy everyone due to its linear objectives and occasional lack of depth.
- “Takes some time to understand the rules and mechanics, but offers an enjoyable return if you're willing to invest a bit of time into it.”
- “The game offers a lot of replayability as the map changes each game and there are plenty of challenges to vary your gameplay.”
- “It's a budget wargame where most of the money has gone into developing absolutely compelling gameplay with mechanics that would be at home in any serious wargame.”
- “The game mechanics alone make keeping your units supplied in Vietnam '65 about five times more annoying than that, and it's made much worse by the god-awful interface which makes it a nightmare to keep track of where your units are, how many turns they have left until they explode from lack of supplies, how many hexes away they are from each other (and what type of hexes are between them) etc. The really crazy thing is that despite all this fiddly management, there's a freaking airstrike button that lets you instakill any enemy unit, and there is a permanent progression system that reduces the cooldown for the airstrike based on how much grinding you've done.”
- “However, the experience of gameplay is tedious; Vietnam '65 has more DNA in common with a German board game than typical strategy or war games.”
- “About the gameplay, drawbacks are that whatever game you start, it will be the same basic objectives, and although the map changes between games and differs a lot, the main gameplay will follow certain principles, which can become somewhat repetitive.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
61%
11%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising the random map generation and custom settings that enhance replay value, while others find it limited due to repetitive gameplay mechanics and a lack of depth. Many reviews highlight that while the game can be fun and challenging, the excitement to replay diminishes after mastering its core strategies. Overall, the replayability varies significantly among players, with some enjoying the variability and others feeling it lacks long-term engagement.
- “The depiction of the Ia Drang Valley randomly changes with each playthrough, so it retains some good replayability.”
- “Easy to grasp, but not to master; the enemy will give you a run for your money, particularly on harder difficulty, and the randomly generated map will offer a lot of replayability and a chance to try out new tactics and approaches.”
- “This game may look simple, but there are a number of different tactics to try, and every game you play will have a different map, making the replay value huge!”
- “Suffers a little on replayability, as even though the maps are never the same, once I was successful in beating the VC/NVA I really didn’t care to play again.”
- “My major complaint is a lack of replayability.”
- “There are quite a few downsides to the game such as its limited replayability; once you realize that holding 5 of the 10 villages while keeping units supplied pretty much guarantees a win, then the game becomes slightly boring.”
graphics
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
67%
11%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users describing them as cheap-looking and reminiscent of mobile games, lacking in detail and polish. While some appreciate the atmosphere and find the visuals adequate for gameplay, others criticize them as outdated and unremarkable. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics are not a standout feature, they do not detract significantly from the overall gaming experience.
- “The atmosphere is really above par, with decent graphics and good (if sometimes corny) voice acting and sound effects ramping up the sense of paranoia and urgency that a good Vietnam game should have.”
- “It's not fancy in the graphics department, but it really tries to capture the essence of what it was like for our troops fighting over in Vietnam.”
- “While not setting the world alight, the graphics here are very likable too in their own way.”
- “Cheap looking graphics and ugly UI (looks a lot like a mobile game).”
- “The only downside is the graphics; they are quite ugly.”
- “There's absolutely nothing special about the graphics of this game, which is the reason Vietnam '65 normally doesn't retail for over ten US dollars.”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
71%
14%
The game's story aspect is criticized for its lack of a clear narrative or campaign, leaving players feeling disconnected from the overarching conflict. While it captures the complexities of the Vietnam War through mechanics like "hearts and minds," many reviewers express a desire for a structured storyline to provide meaning and variety to the missions. Overall, the gameplay is seen as repetitive, with each mission lacking a compelling narrative context.
- “I felt it also captured the feel of the Vietnam War in how you have to win hearts and minds, not just destroy the enemy from the map.”
- “From there, you fight against Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units of various types, send US and South Vietnamese (ARVN) infantry into villages to get intelligence on the enemy and/or raise support from the locals (called 'hearts & minds'), purchase more units with the game's version of currency (called 'congressional support'), make sure units are supplied, and hope that you have at least a 50% score in hearts & minds when the mission ends.”
- “Every mission is different as the map changes each time, giving you a new challenge and offering new obstacles to overcome or a different way to utilize a unit.”
- “There is no clear mission to do in this game.”
- “However, it would be nice if there was a campaign/storyline as well.”
- “Game had no real meaning to it, same thing every mission.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
62%
23%
The game's music is minimal, featuring only a brief tune during victory and defeat screens, with no background music during gameplay. Players noted the absence of era-specific music, which detracts from immersion, leading many to supplement their experience with external 60s soundtracks. Overall, while the lack of music may go unnoticed initially, it ultimately leaves a void that some players find hard to ignore.
- “There is no music, but put on a 60s soundtrack from YouTube and it gets you in the mood pretty quick.”
- “Not that Vietnam '65 needs music to be enjoyed; the music is next to non-existent.”
- “There's a very short tune at the victory/defeat screen, a song at the uniform screen, and that's it.”
- “No music plays during the gameplay other than sounds of nature occasionally accompanied by a howitzer turning a red into chum.”
- “The sounds are generic and there is no period music in the game.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of "Vietnam '65" to be excessively tedious and frustrating, primarily due to cumbersome micromanagement and a poorly designed interface that complicates unit supply tracking. Despite the presence of an airstrike feature that can alleviate some challenges, the overall experience is marred by repetitive tasks and limited replayability, leading to a sense of boredom as players navigate through the game's mechanics.
- “Too many design decisions that just make it more tedious than fun.”
- “Not sure what person designed this game, but it is so unrealistic and just extremely tedious and boring.”
- “Micromanagement becomes very tedious towards the end of a campaign.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is highly praised, featuring impressive graphics and effective voice acting and sound effects that enhance the feelings of paranoia and urgency typical of a Vietnam-themed game.
- “The atmosphere is really above par, with decent graphics and good (if sometimes corny) voice acting and sound effects ramping up the sense of paranoia and urgency that a good Vietnam game should have, in my opinion.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers find humor in the irony of others complaining about game mechanics, particularly the supply system and the elusive nature of the NVA/VC, suggesting a lighthearted take on the frustrations expressed by the community.
- “I find it pretty funny that many other reviewers are complaining about the importance of supply in the game and the elusiveness of the NVA/VC.”