Wars and Battles: Normandy

Wars and Battles is a game system developed by French indie game studio Battle Factory, originally released in November 2014 for iOS and Android with the first campaign, 1944 Normandy. The plan was to follow up with more campaigns in the same system, titles like 1973 October War, 1943 Kharkov, 1944 Market Garden, 1950 Korean War, 1863 Gettysburg, etc., to be released in 2015-16. But somewhere along the way Battle Factory went under, leaving a website (warsandbattles.com) whose forums have now been over-run by spammers. Recently, British game publisher HexWar took over the game, re-releasing the first campaign as Wars and Battles: Normandy for Windows and macOS. But you won't find it on their website (www.hexwar.com). So this game was developed by a now-defunct French company, and is now distributed by a small British company, without either company stepping forward to advertise or host the new release on their website. Very strange. The game itself has both single and multiplayer options. But the multiplayer option requires submitting your e-mail address to the Battle Factory server. This server still appears to be functioning, but since I don't currently have a throw-away…

Got this on 50% sale. Well worth the money although the game is not supported anymore. The game has just the right balance of easy to get into without being too simplistic. You have reinforcements, artillery, bombers, naval support and simple but effective supply rules when playing the grande campaign. Terrain modifiers and replenishment and also a limited amout of action points so you have to prioritize which troops to move and fight with. Every turn summarises the victory points achieved by capturing or holding objectives and destroying enemy units. All units have their right historical units with some history as well as description for the unit types themselves. Since the game is not supported anymore it is not possible to save different save games slots. Only when you exit to the menu you are allowed an automatic save. I had some crashes when starting the game or returning to the main menu but nothing that corrupted my grand campaign autosave. While the game lacks certain features like bonus for flank attacks and - in my meaning - limited drawbacks of being out of supply the campaign offers you several challenges against the A.I which plays ok. It is often falling into my tra…

Brought this game some time ago, but only played the smaller scenarios. Frankly, they are a bit of a slugfest. OK to learn the game system, which is hardly complex for a Wargame, but you'd not play them more than a couple of times. Over Xmas I had time to delve deeper into a few games I own, but had hardly played, of which this was one. I jumped into the full campaign, as the Allies, and I am so glad I did. For a fairly simple game system, this is a very enjoyable game. The action point system means you will never have enough resources to attack along the whole front, and this is where the game shines for me. Should I favour a US breakout attempt over a British one, or vice versa? Perhaps try to maintain a steady pressure along the whole line? Which ever you choose, try to cut off enemy units from supply for the best results. Not played from the Axis side yet, but anticipate a dilemma over where to spend my even more limited resources. This is a fairly simple, but very enjoyable, game. Well worth the asking price,but play the campaign as soon as you are comfortable with the game system. Brought the October War game on sale as a result, and hope more titles in the series make th…

I decided to give this game a thumbs down, not because it is bad, but because it is too expensive for what you get. What you get is a map representing Normandy and the surrounding areas. It is big enough to play out the landings, the subsequent expansion of the beachheads, the capture of Cherbourg, the bocage battles, the breakout, the liberation of Caen, and the Falaise pocket. You can fight a campaign on the whole map or in small battles on parts of that same map. That is it. The entire system is too basic. The units have no hierarchy or relation; you can mix them up regardless of what division, corps, or army they belong to. Lines of communication and logistics do not exist. Bocage has little impact. You can't dig in or cut off supplies. The widespread interdiction campaign and strategic bombardment lacks representation. Allied airpower is a shot in the dark. Artillery is supreme(and perhaps rightly so). You can't regulate the behavior of your troops(like a retreat or standing fast when there are overwhelming odds). You can bypass troops and drive in deep inland as no supply lines are needed. It is a basic game that might be amusing for a short while, but only for a few …

Wars and Battles: Normandy is a methodical and historically focused strategy title that aims to recreate the tension, complexity, and decision-making of the Normandy campaign during World War II. Developed collaboratively by Battle Factory and HexWar Games, and published by Hunted Cow Games, the game is clearly designed with traditional wargame enthusiasts in mind rather than players seeking cinematic spectacle or fast-paced action. Its strengths lie in careful planning, historical grounding, and a pace that rewards patience and foresight. The game is structured around the Allied invasion of Normandy in the summer of 1944, offering a collection of scenarios that reflect key engagements and operational challenges from the campaign. Rather than telling a dramatic personal story, the narrative is conveyed through mission context and historical framing, allowing the player’s decisions on the battlefield to become the primary source of drama. Whether commanding Allied forces pushing inland from the beaches or Axis units attempting to delay and disrupt the advance, players are consistently placed in situations that emphasize the difficulty of maneuvering troops, holding territory, and r…

It is a compex/realistic game. Very surprise for its value