War Hospital

64%
Game Brain Score Based on 394 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
War Hospital Game Cover
War Hospital is a bleak and brutal management game, but one with an incredible theme and plenty of depth to keep you engaged.
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In "War Hospital," you play as Major Henry Wells, a British combat medic in WW1, tasked with running a field hospital near the French Front. With limited resources, your duty is to treat severe injuries and build a community of survivors. The game features real WW1 equipment and medical procedures that evolve over time, and your choices significantly impact the outcome of the story.

  • PC
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Epic Games
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

64%
Audience ScoreBased on 394 reviews
gameplay31 positive mentions
stability32 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique perspective on managing a war hospital during WW1, providing a fresh take on resource management.
  • Gameplay is engaging and challenging, requiring players to make tough moral decisions about patient care and resource allocation.
  • The atmosphere and graphics effectively convey the grim realities of war, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs that can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, including game-breaking issues and performance drops.
  • The user interface is clunky and lacks essential features like hotkeys, making management tedious and cumbersome.
  • The pacing can feel uneven, with early chapters being too easy and later chapters becoming overwhelming without proper balancing.
  • gameplay117 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of engaging resource management and strategic decision-making, set against a compelling World War I backdrop. While many players appreciate the originality and depth of the mechanics, they also note significant issues such as repetitiveness, bugs, and a lack of clarity in tutorials, which detract from the overall experience. The balance between challenge and enjoyment is often criticized, with some players feeling overwhelmed by the constant pressure to manage resources and personnel effectively.

    • “I really enjoyed all of the different mechanics and challenges presented by the game.”
    • “The gameplay is a bit stressful but very satisfying, and it ticks all the boxes for the 'make interesting decisions, suffer consequences' urge for me.”
    • “The strategic elements keep you on your toes, and the WWI vibe is authentically portrayed, making it a compelling recommendation for those who enjoy both strategic gameplay and the historical backdrop of World War I.”
    • “I thought you could actually watch the doctors perform surgery or go into the casualty control center, but you just see the buildings, not what’s going on inside like it shows in the gameplay footage.”
    • “It forces a gameplay of balancing everything, and because it is forced so much, it is not an enjoyable challenge. You will be struggling the whole time to keep everything balanced: your resources, your personnel, your patients, and anytime you start to feel like you’re getting somewhere, it throws something at you to screw it all up, keeping you on that brink of collapse.”
    • “As you progress beyond the initial hours, the gameplay becomes bogged down by repetitive mechanics exacerbated by an inadequate user interface with insufficient tooltips and unclear instructions, accompanied by a host of frustrating bugs that compelled me to frequently reload older save files and restart entire chapters.”
  • story75 mentions

    The story in the game is generally considered weak and lacking depth, with many players finding the cutscenes too long and unengaging. While it attempts to explore the horrors of World War I through a management lens, the narrative often feels repetitive and linear, leading to low replayability. Despite its unique setting and some interesting story elements, technical issues and design flaws detract from the overall experience, leaving players wanting more substantial storytelling and gameplay mechanics.

    • “It is a management and triage game with a driven story that offers some glimpse into the horror of the Great War and the everyday struggle to maintain humanity.”
    • “This game is not meant for everyone, the game reminds me of 'This War of Mine', a game that was not graphically pristine, but was made to just show the horrors of war, and drive the player into difficult decisions that, if you immerse yourself into the story plot and each soldier, your heart would break.”
    • “It's a unique experience of the Great War that we've never seen, with a decent storyline, hindered somewhat by narrative gotchas that can spoil a run and randomness that can feel overly hard.”
    • “The cut scenes are too long and add little to no story, so they should be shortened or fixed. I started skipping all of them, and unless you check the scouting map very frequently, you will miss scouting opportunities because there is no easy notification to tell you a mission is available.”
    • “The storyline is very short, there are no challenges, and you can't build things; you can only upgrade an existing set of buildings.”
    • “The story is weaker though, and while it kept me interested, it did not fully engage me.”
  • graphics45 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the unique art style and atmospheric visuals that effectively convey the game's war theme, while others criticize the quality of cutscenes and graphical glitches that detract from the experience. Many players find the graphics acceptable for the game's genre and budget, though performance issues like lag and low frame rates are noted by some. Overall, the aesthetic appeal is appreciated, but technical shortcomings and inconsistencies in visual quality are common points of contention.

    • “The graphics are also very well done.”
    • “The atmosphere is great, I also like the art style and atmospheric music, the hard choices to make.”
    • “Came for the beautiful stylized graphics, stayed for the serious subject and interesting gameplay.”
    • “The cutscenes of German attacks are simply a joke and look like someone filmed toy soldiers.”
    • “Full of bugs and ugly graphics.”
    • “Once major drawback is the graphics; not sure if it is not optimized or what is happening, but in between chapters and during gameplay, it is lagging like crazy.”
  • stability33 mentions

    The game is widely reported to be plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, affecting both gameplay and user interface, which detracts significantly from the overall experience. While some players find it enjoyable and playable after recent patches, many express frustration with the persistent issues, suggesting that it feels more like an early access title rather than a polished release. Frequent crashes, unresponsive menus, and graphical glitches are common complaints, leading to a consensus that stability remains a major concern.

    • “Pretty much bug-free.”
    • “The game is fun, but too buggy to play.”
    • “But, the game is currently a buggy mess and becomes ultimately unplayable after chapter 2.”
    • “War hospital is a very cool idea, showcasing the horrors of war from the perspective of the medical corps, that's let down by how buggy and sloppy the entire experience is.”
  • optimization24 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, bugs, and stuttering, particularly in later chapters. While some users noted improvements after patches, others experienced persistent problems, including poor default settings and frame rate drops. Overall, the game is perceived as needing substantial work to enhance its optimization and fix existing bugs.

    • “It runs smoothly after the patch and I haven't encountered any issues since.”
    • “It runs smoothly on Linux with Proton, which is great.”
    • “It's also a well-optimized project, no issues playing on a laptop with a dozen things open in the background.”
    • “Great concept, needs work on bugs, UI, and performance.”
    • “Looks like an early access game, although I played early access games with much fewer bugs and a whole lot better optimization.”
    • “All of that is excusable; what isn't is the terrible optimization and performance.”
  • atmosphere18 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and gritty portrayal of wartime challenges, enhanced by strong graphics, sound design, and music that create a suspenseful environment. However, some players note inconsistencies, such as jarring dialogue and filler content that detracts from the overall experience. While the atmosphere is compelling, there are calls for improvements in gameplay mechanics and bug fixes to fully realize its potential.

    • “There's a heavy wartime atmosphere to it, and decisions aren't always as straightforward as they may seem at first glance.”
    • “The music, sound design, and seamless graphics create a suspenseful, sometimes grim but not overly heavy atmosphere that further emphasizes what's at stake.”
    • “It is an incredibly challenging title that pulls you into its intense atmosphere, making you feel like you're genuinely fighting for real human lives.”
    • “The people are quickly reduced to a resource and any atmosphere is gone.”
    • “The game has very static feeling, which absolutely kills the atmosphere.”
    • “I love what they are aiming for, I really do, but sadly this game currently has little more than atmosphere to offer.”
  • grinding10 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the resource management challenge, many criticize it for becoming tedious and clunky over time. The gameplay loop initially engages users, but repetitive tasks and a cumbersome user interface detract from the overall enjoyment, leading to frustration with the management systems. Overall, the grinding can feel rewarding but often becomes a chore due to its tedious nature.

    • “Hopefully an update makes this part of the game less prominent because it gets tedious very fast.”
    • “Unfinished cutscenes and repetitive grindy gameplay with no frills.”
    • “The management system is very, very clunky; it's tedious to check inventory, perform ordering, and managing and building structures is more annoying than it needs to be.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game is highly praised for its dynamic nature, adapting to gameplay events and enhancing the overall atmosphere. Reviewers note its ability to create suspense and a grim tone, reminiscent of titles like Frostpunk, while remaining engaging over long play sessions. The combination of outstanding sound design and visuals contributes significantly to the immersive experience.

    • “I listened to the music for maybe 20 hours and I didn't get tired of it.”
    • “The music, sound design, and seamless graphics create a suspenseful, sometimes grim but not overly heavy atmosphere that further emphasizes what's at stake.”
    • “The dystopian music is a plus, and much of the game resembles Frostpunk in terms of its animation style and game mechanics.”
    • “The atmosphere is great; I also like the art style and atmospheric music, the hard choices to make.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its very low to nonexistent replayability, with many players noting that while they enjoyed the experience, the lack of additional content or modes limits the incentive to play again. Some aspects, like random events affecting individual characters, offer slight variability, but this is not enough to significantly enhance replay value. Despite the enjoyable gameplay, many feel the price does not justify the limited replay potential.

    • “It also does not have a 'sandbox' mode, and the overall story plays out on a calendar timeline on top of your screen, a lot like Frostpunk. Although the global timeline events are set in stone, the individuals, their injuries, the severity, and complications are all random, giving the main storyline more replayability.”
    • “However, the replayability of it is very very low to nonexistent, and other than scout missions beyond the half to two-thirds mark of the game, it is autopilot.”
    • “In short, for me the game is worth your time, but the price was a little too steep given the lack of polish and the relative shortness of the game and lack of replayability.”
    • “Aside from that, it was a moderately fun game that you might get 10 hours out of if you are lucky, with no replay value.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game appears to be poorly integrated, with players expressing frustration over the inefficiency of the medic system and the design of certain areas, such as the ads and graveyard. Users report that the mechanics lead to unnecessary exhaustion of resources without effective gameplay, suggesting that monetization may be impacting overall game balance and enjoyment.

    • “I can have 2 people working ads on a 12-hour shift with no work to do, and they just get exhausted without even doing any work.”
    • “Then also some parts of the game, like ads or the graveyard, are relatively poorly designed, and you can never handle the barrage of wounded (and also dead).”
    • “Why is it necessary to carry everyone to the ads before putting someone in the ambulance standing next to it?”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted as a powerful exploration of the harrowing experiences faced in a World War I field hospital, emphasizing the moral dilemmas and emotional toll of decision-making in a war setting. While it effectively conveys the chaos and devastation of the era, players seeking a more traditional resource management experience may find it lacking in emotional depth.

    • “A brilliant game about the hectic and demoralizing experience of operating a field hospital in the Great War, with all the challenges and physical/emotional devastation that come with it.”
    • “If you are looking for an emotional anti-war game that lets you overthink every decision and gets you emotional, look elsewhere.”
    • “And there are never enough games touching on the lesser-known World War One.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its absurdity, particularly in the chaotic processing of soldiers, which contrasts with the more serious tone of other titles like Frostpunk. Players find the experience amusing, especially when juxtaposed with claims of the game being overly stressful or difficult.

    • “At the end of the game, it's more 'hah hospital go brrr' and you're processing so many soldiers it's funny.”
    • “It sort of feels easier than Frostpunk, and it's kind of funny when you look at the other reviews that claim it's too stressful and hard.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

74% average critic score

Buy War Hospital

Play time

14hMedian play time
16hAverage play time
5-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs

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