Wars Across The World

About

Wars Across The World is a single player and multiplayer turn-based strategy game with warfare and historical themes. It was developed by Plug In Digital and was released on May 4, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

WAW is a unique game concept which aims at simulating in one single system ALL conflicts throughout the world (and beyond) from Prehistoric times to nowadays, from grand massive wars to asymmetrical conflicts.

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 116 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

stability7 negative mentions

Covers a wide range of historical conflicts from ancient to modern eras with a single consistent rule set, allowing players to experience various campaigns without relearning mechanics.
Easy to learn, fast-paced gameplay with a card-driven system that adds variety and historical flavor, providing intellectual challenge and replayability.
Good balance of abstraction and historical detail, with clear maps and units that emphasize strategic decision-making over micromanagement; includes multiplayer and scenario editor support.

Frequent bugs, glitches, and technical issues including freezes, AI thinking locks, and broken scenarios detract from gameplay experience.
Weak and sometimes incompetent AI that fails to provide a consistent challenge, often making poor strategic choices or irrelevant moves.
Steep learning curve due to poor tutorials, confusing UI, incomplete documentation, and awkward language that can overwhelm new players despite relatively simple core mechanics.

gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
Gameplay offers a turn-based, operational-level strategy experience with mechanics reminiscent of board games, featuring unit cards, dice rolls, and modifiers that provide depth and historical variety across many eras. While it has a satisfying learning curve and continuity between different time periods, some players may find the mechanics simplistic, rigid, or complicated by language and presentation issues, making it better suited for enthusiasts of classic, strategic wargames than those seeking modern visuals or streamlined play.
- “Players are free to jump between eras without needing to relearn the core mechanics, which creates a strong sense of continuity despite the massive historical range.”
- “The core gameplay is basically a board game with unit cards with hit counters, dice rolls, and cards you can play to affect gameplay in various ways (introduce new units to the board, get bonuses during battle, increase income, etc.); it's basically a deeper and more historical alternative to Risk.”
- “Gameplay operates at an operational level, with armies and formations moving between large regions instead of individual hexes or tiles.”
- “This game sadly suffers from some really stupid RNG mechanics in regards to the battles.”
- “Too many convoluted and overly complicated mechanics.”
- “Most scenarios available from the start appear to be rather short and contained with the above mentioned lack of deeper gameplay mechanics.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
37%
19%
The graphics are generally praised for being historically accurate, clear, and appropriate to the game's themes, with well-designed unit counters and leader portraits enhancing the experience. While not always visually stunning, the artwork effectively supports gameplay and varies across different historical periods. Overall, the game balances aesthetic appeal with functional design to deliver an engaging visual presentation.
- “Great graphics and variety of covered conflicts.”
- “I love this game and its concept, the graphics, sounds, and operational warfare throughout the ages.”
- “The counter artwork is excellent and historical, and the leader portraits are something you would only expect in an AGEOD game.”
- “The graphics are not stunning but the units in each game have appropriate pictures on the game pieces.”
- “Unit counters, control markers, and terrain features are designed to communicate information efficiently rather than impress aesthetically.”
- “Wars across the world avoids this trap by a) using different graphics for different periods and b) devising scenario-specific rules to better represent the challenges of the campaign in question.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from frequent glitches, freezes, and general instability, impacting the overall experience despite its potential and interesting scenarios. While some players find it still playable and appreciate the developer responsiveness, many criticize the inconsistent quality, buggy performance, and lack of effective fixes.
- “Too many game glitches to be an enjoyable experience.”
- “Great game, but 'grey screen freezes' in many scenarios.”
- “Game reinstall, restart, verify files, go back to saved files no good once it locks and freezes... playing with Windows 11.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers high replayability thanks to its numerous expansions, diverse scenarios, and a versatile engine that balances complexity with clarity. The combination of variable elements, card mechanics, and multiplayer options ensures engaging and varied gameplay experiences. However, the breadth of content may feel like a long-term commitment rather than a single cohesive product.
- “The engine is robust yet clear to understand, offering immense replayability with countless battles. The card system adds an RPG feel to the strategy board game.”
- “The many variables in the game allow for countless hours of long-term replay value that can also be shared with a human opponent via email (PBEM).”
- “Scenarios are quite replayable and don't last too long, so you can easily beat an average scenario in a couple of hours after work with a bottle of beer.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate the game's carefully crafted atmosphere, highlighted by stylized maps and interfaces that reflect the era's setting. Playing at a slower pace enhances immersion, allowing players to fully experience the historical flow and mood of the battles.
- “I like the stylization of maps and interface in different scenarios to fit the atmosphere of the age.”
- “Play it slowly, to feel the flow of the events and indulge yourself into the atmosphere of the history of that battle that you play - and you would understand what I am talking about.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story aspect is praised for its immersive Lovecraftian theme, particularly the Innsmouth scenario that allows players to reenact the iconic raid. Event cards contribute to the narrative by adding flavorful context, enhancing the overall experience despite minimal mechanical impact.
- “Being a Lovecraft fan, I of course went with the Innsmouth scenario which lets you play out the raid on Innsmouth from the famous story. You command the American forces or the Mythos forces. I had a blast with it!”
- “The event cards are immersive. Even though it's only +1 to attack, it always tells a story.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game enhances the historical atmosphere and provides an immersive experience, especially when played quietly in the background. However, the game sounds can be intrusive and drown out other audio, limiting options for listening to music or podcasts simultaneously.
- “I usually play the game with two displays - one is for the game itself, and the other is for the book or wiki article about the battle I am playing. With the right music in the background, it provides an unparalleled historical experience for late-night sessions.”
- “Therefore, you can't listen to music or podcasts while playing because it will always get drowned out by the annoying game sounds, and there isn't anything you can do to stop it (except not to play the game ...).”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization is widely criticized for being overly aggressive, with users feeling the game is primarily focused on extracting money rather than providing a fair experience.
- “Now it is a cash grabber.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted through amusing and unexpected scenarios, such as the rapid demise of large army groups, which players find entertaining despite some gameplay realism concerns.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization appears to be lacking, with performance issues notably affecting the UI and making tasks like planning air strikes cumbersome and slow.
- “Furthermore, the UI seems to have performance issues. Planning an air strike is just hard work; you have to really stop in each area you fly through. If you go directly there, it won't work.”

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20h Median play time

20h Average play time

20-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Wars Across The World is a turn-based strategy game with warfare and historical themes.

Wars Across The World is available on PC, Mac OS, Phone, iPad and others.

On average players spend around 20 hours playing Wars Across The World.

Wars Across The World was released on May 4, 2017.

Wars Across The World was developed by Plug In Digital.

Wars Across The World has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Wars Across The World for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Wars Across The World is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Order of Battle: World War II, Field of Glory II, Lock 'n Load Tactical Digital, Aggressors: Ancient Rome, Unity of Command 2 and others.

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