Against History: WW2

What is Against History: WW2?

Against History: WW2 is a turn-based card game about command at two pivotal moments in the Second World War. Rather than controlling every unit directly, you draw a hand of orders each day and spend only a few. The available actions include attacks, entrenching, mine clearance, diverting an enemy attack, and requesting bomber support. At night the enemy responds, and intelligence can reveal intentions in advance. The game contains two campaigns: France in 1940, where you command the French army at places such as Sedan, Bulson, Stonne, Montcornet, Abbeville, and Amiens; and North Africa in 1942, where you lead the German-Italian army from Mersa Matruh toward El Alamein, Alexandria, and the Suez Canal. Between battles you build a deck, upgrade or remove cards, manage fuel, and develop a commander with ranks, traits, doctrine, and staff officers. It is free to play in a browser and is in development.

How to play

Each battle is split into days and nights. During the day you draw cards and choose a limited number to play; these orders cover offensive and defensive tasks, from assault and fortification to mine clearing, attack diversion, and air support. At night the opponent acts. Intelligence matters because it can expose enemy plans before they resolve. Armored attacks burn fuel, and a tank force without fuel deals half damage, so resource management is part of card play. Between battles, add cards, upgrade cards with a before-and-after preview, or remove weaker ones. Keep a commander across battles to earn ranks and traits, shape doctrine, and recruit staff officers who may improve or be lost. Battle objectives vary: some require pushing an offensive, while others reward holding the line until the final evening. Strategic choices appear too, including Malta versus the Nile, concentrating armor versus sealing gaps, and choosing Gamelin or Weygand. Historical briefings sit beside alternative-history battles and What if notes, and decisions can be compared with recorded history.

Controls

The game runs as an HTML5 browser build with a small input set. Cards can be selected and played with a mouse or with touch controls. On the keyboard, the number keys 1 through 9 play cards, and Esc cancels. The input choices match the card-driven loop: choose a card and target with a pointer or touch, use the number row for quick card play, and press Escape when a pending choice should be cancelled. The guided tutorial is the intended entry point, and fullscreen is recommended on desktop. Browser-generated sound effects can be switched off. Commanders and doctrine are stored in the browser; continuing a run requires the same browser. The interface is in English and offers three difficulty levels: Story, Commander, and Marshal. The build is in development, and feedback on clarity, difficulty, and technical issues is invited.

Tips for your first run

Start with the guided tutorial, then choose the difficulty that matches the session; Story, Commander, and Marshal are the three options. Check the day's order hand before spending, because the night response can punish a plan that ignores enemy intentions. When intelligence holds, use the advance warning to decide whether to attack, dig in, clear mines, divert an attack, or request bombers.

• Confirm fuel before armored attacks; tanks without fuel deal half damage.
• Between battles, use the before-and-after preview before upgrading a card, and remove cards that no longer fit the deck.
• Carry commander progression forward: ranks, traits, doctrine, and staff officers develop through actions, and officers can improve or fall.
• Read the battle's demand; some objectives reward an offensive, while others reward holding the line until the final evening.
• Use keys 1 through 9 for card play and Esc to cancel a pending action.

Content and replayability

The content frame is two campaigns at two turning points. France 1940 focuses on the French army and locations including the Meuse at Sedan, Bulson, Stonne, Montcornet, Abbeville, and Amiens. North Africa 1942 follows the German-Italian army from Mersa Matruh through El Alamein to Alexandria and the Suez Canal. Each campaign mixes historical briefings, clearly labelled alternative-history battles, and What if notes, so replay comes from testing decisions against recorded outcomes. Three difficulty levels, Story, Commander, and Marshal, change the pressure. Between battles, deck construction, card upgrades, removals, fuel management, commander ranks, traits, doctrine, and staff officers create run-to-run variation. Strategic forks such as Malta or the Nile, massing armor or plugging holes, and Gamelin or Weygand add decision points. The commander and doctrine save in the browser, so continuing depends on using the same browser. The game is in development, so the current content should be treated as a working build rather than a final statement.

Presentation and performance

Against History: WW2 is text based, and its command layer is built around cards, briefings, and battle reports rather than real-time action. Text carries the historical briefings, alternative-history labels, and What if notes, while the card layer carries the order choices. The playable HTML5 frame is the format, with mouse or touch input and keyboard shortcuts. A guided tutorial is available from the start. Fullscreen is recommended on desktop. Browser-generated sound effects can be turned off. Commanders and doctrine are saved in the browser, so continuity depends on returning with the same browser. The English interface has three difficulty levels: Story, Commander, and Marshal. The build is in development, which means clarity, difficulty, and technical issues are still being evaluated.

Who should play it

Against History: WW2 suits players who enjoy turn-based card games where the challenge comes from spending a small number of orders well. The two campaigns offer distinct command perspectives: the French army in 1940 and the German-Italian army in North Africa in 1942. Deck building, card upgrades, fuel management, commander ranks, traits, doctrine, and staff officers give planning-minded players plenty to track between battles. Historical briefings and alternative-history battles should appeal to readers who like comparing decisions with recorded events, while the What if notes make counterfactual choices explicit. The game is text based and runs in an HTML5 browser frame, so it is a natural fit for desktop browser sessions with a mouse and keyboard; touch controls are also available. It is less suited to players seeking real-time action, and the in-development status means the experience is still being refined. The two perspectives explore military turning points without glorifying any ideology. Those who enjoy three difficulty levels, from Story to Marshal, can choose the pressure that fits.