The Troop is a promising new small-scale World War 2 wargame

As much as I like the odd mega-scale wargame, I quite like a platoon-scale one too. A game where you're in charge of sixty soldiers, a half-dozen vehicles, and a chunk of battlefield not much larger than a suburban neighborhood.

The Troop is just such a wargame, one set in World War 2 and focused on the British and Canadian forces fighting across Normandy from the early hours of D-Day. That immediately makes it stand out, as not nearly so many games focus on the Brits and Canadians as the US forces. What else makes it stand out? Unlike a lot of other wargames, it seems to really get that this is a game, not a simulation. Realism, though a concern, takes a back seat to enjoyable gameplay.

From what I've seen so far, the AI understands and plays by the same rules as the player. It'll stay out of your line of sight, choose angles that don't let you fire back effectively, and if it can't see your troops it'll act like they're not there. This is a game, with rules, and the AI is playing to win. I like that.

wargame the troop — (Image credit: Giant Flame)

The Troop also has a nice storytelling conceit, and gives its units a bit of character. It's something that's helped by its entirely fictional battles and missions.

You can find The Troop in early access on Steam. Developers Giant Flame intend to keep it in early access for about a year, aiming for a full release in something like December 2022 or January 2023.

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.