I hear you all, and I understand you wanted more interviews and more in-depth coverage of up-and-coming wargames, so I have decided to reach out to Kraken Studios, the developers of Total Victory: World Conflict 1939-1945, which also went on to develop the fairly well-received WarPlan in 2019, and WarPlan Pacific in 2022. For this rapid-fire interview, I ask the tough questions: How does Total Victory manage to set itself apart? What makes it special from other wargames, and why should people care for it? Let’s dive right in!
What made you decide to create the game?
The idea has actually been brewing since the early days of working on WarPlan. Back then, I’ll admit I didn’t have the deep coding experience required to pull off a game with this level of complex underlying systems, so I had to start smaller and work my way up. I’ve been playing grand strategy wargames for decades, analyzing what works and what doesn’t across countless different mechanics. This game is me finally putting all that history and my matured development skills into the exact project I’ve always wanted to make.
How does the game set itself apart from Warplan and Warplan Pacific?
The biggest shift is scale and customization. WarPlan looks at the war through a corps-level lens, but Total Victory brings you down to the division level. Every nation has its unique unit types, from historic division sizes to individual ship models and aircraft. I’ve also overhauled how the game runs under the hood. Instead of relying on complex scripts as WarPlan did, I’ve hard-coded those systems into the game engine. The result? A massive, grand-scale wargame that is actually easier to read, smoother to play, and gives you much tighter control over your forces.
Why should people care about a new, grand wargame when there are titles like Hearts of Iron and Strategic Command going around?
It really comes down to finding that perfect balance of complexity and accessibility. On one side, you have Strategic Command, which is an excellent, lower-complexity turn-based game that’s highly accessible and full of historical flavor. On the other side, you have Hearts of Iron, which is a massive, real-time firehose of micro-management where you have to track every single minor detail.
Total Victory sits right in the sweet spot between them. It’s a turn-based grand strategy game that gives you a high level of strategic depth without burying you in tedious micro-management. I wanted to build a game where you can focus on the big picture and the joy of maneuvering, combined with an interface that doesn’t require a manual the size of a phone book. As several players told me during the demo: ‘It hits the sweet spot.’
What design decisions have you made that you think are unique to it?
The biggest design decision was strictly defining where to stop adding detail so the game remains highly playable without losing its strategic weight. To achieve that, I focused on a few core mechanics. First is the automated supply system. Like my work on WarPlan, logistics is the beating heart of this game, but here it runs smoothly in the background. Second, I wanted to give players meaningful tactical choices without relying on gamey gimmicks. And third, I built a completely distinct naval system featuring mobile sea zones and fleet formations, encouraging players to construct a more balanced, realistic naval force.
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