Wargames of 1939 is back and remastered!

After quite a few years, Wargames of 1939 is back — this time as a fully remastered version. It is available as soon as the game has passed the Google Play review process. Those players who purchased the original game back in the day, should get it simply as an updated version of the current game.

UPDATE: It seems the review was fast! Game is now available for download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ww2strategy.wg1939

The original game was released back in 2013, inspired by the classic turn-based hex strategy games and board wargames many of us grew up with. Over time, I had the feeling that there was still more potential in that idea, and that it deserved to be recreated for modern devices.

This remastered version is not just a small update. The game has been rebuilt with modern technology, new visuals, modifications to the original scenarios, and a completely rewritten AI opponent. One of the biggest goals has been to make the gameplay feel more dynamic and consistent, while still keeping the original spirit intact.

Another major addition is the tooling around the game. The remaster includes a built-in scenario editor, as well as AI vs AI simulation tools that can be used to analyse and balance scenarios. These are the same tools I’ve been using during development, and it’s been really interesting to see how they open up new ways to approach both playing and designing scenarios.

Under the hood, the game now runs on a completely rewritten engine. This not only improves the current game, but also makes it much easier to build and release future titles and expansions compared to the original version.

At launch, the game is available as an early access version. The core gameplay is fully playable, but there are still things to improve and expand — for example, sound effects and additional polish will be added in upcoming updates.

Looking ahead, the plan is to bring the same remaster treatment to Populus Romanus and Populus Romanus 2: Britannia. Both are already running on the new engine, but their scenarios still need some fine-tuning before release.

If you try the game and have feedback, ideas, or find anything interesting (especially when experimenting with scenarios), I’d be very happy to hear about it.