A World at War

Publisher: GMT Games · Creator: Bruce Harper

Anecdote

A monumental work by Bruce Harper published by GMT Games, A World at War extends the legacy of Rise and Decline of the Third Reich with an encyclopaedic ambition unmatched in WWII strategic wargaming. The system covers the entirety of the world war from 1939 to 1945, across all theatres — Europe, the Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and Asia. Two to six players take command of the major powers and simultaneously manage production, research, diplomacy, and large-scale military operations. A full game requires several hundred hours, sometimes spread over multiple years in the hobby's longest sessions. The learning curve is extremely demanding, and the title is aimed at the most dedicated wargamers. Harper, a veteran of strategic wargaming, delivers here the culmination of thirty years of work on the Third Reich system, grounded in colossal historical research. GMT's components are of very high quality, featuring a gigantic map and rulebooks totalling several hundred pages. A World at War is unanimously regarded as the most ambitious WWII wargame ever published, and occupies an absolute place in the genre's pantheon. Its critical reception was excellent, with several major awards including a Charles S. Roberts Award. The title's influence can be seen in the new wave of mega strategic wargames, though none has truly matched its ambition. The community is very active but limited to veteran wargamers, filling the internet with accounts of multi-year campaigns. A French translation does not exist, though the material remains accessible to proficient French-speaking players. For strategic wargaming purists, A World at War represents an absolute summit. The title embodies the peak of GMT Games' editorial expertise in total conflict modelling. It serves as a reference for anyone seeking to understand the ultimate complexity of strategic wargaming.