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Making History: The Second World War similar games & best alternatives

Making History: The Second World War

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Linux • 2018

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Quick resume

Choose a nation and prepare for the greatest conflict in human history, World War II. Build your military and industrial power, form alliances and race to achieve the advanced technologies that will bring total victory in this global-wide turn-based Grand Strategy struggle.

Global score

78/100

Genres

Indie, Simulator, Strategy

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep and complex micromanagement
    • Robust scenario editor and modding
    • Historical and alternate history depth
    • Active developer support and updates
    • Many playable nations and strategic options

    Cons

    • Steep learning curve and poor tutorial/manual
    • Bugs and crashes especially late game
    • Clunky and outdated ui
    • Performance issues and memory errors
    • Limited multiplayer and social features

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Competition, Fellowship, Domination, Status. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Intimacy, Fellowship.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have extensive control over nation management, production, diplomacy, and military strategy with many options and freedom to direct their own actions."

    • Competence
      4

      "The game involves complex micromanagement, balancing economy, production, and military, requiring skill and strategic thinking."

    • Competition
      1

      "Mostly single-player focused with AI opponents; multiplayer exists but is limited and buggy, so competition is not a strong motivator."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Many reviews mention long play sessions, deep engagement, and habitual return to the game despite bugs."

    • Cooperation
      0

      "Limited evidence of cooperative gameplay; mostly single-player or competitive multiplayer with little emphasis on teamwork."

    • Creativity
      4

      "Robust scenario editor, modding support, and ability to create alternate history and custom nations encourage creative play."

    • Domination
      2

      "Players often seek to dominate the world map and control other nations, but no strong evidence of social domination or toxic behavior."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game to immerse themselves in alternate history and complex world management, escaping real life."

    • Expectation
      -3

      "Players engage voluntarily out of personal interest and enjoyment rather than obligation or pressure."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players explore different nations, strategies, and alternate history scenarios, experimenting with game mechanics."

    • Exploration
      1

      "Some exploration of alternate history and scenario possibilities, but limited physical map exploration."

    • Expression
      2

      "Customization of nations, creation of vassals, and modding allow some self-expression, though limited cosmetic options."

    • Fantasy
      1

      "Based on historical events with some alternate history elements; mostly realistic but allows rewriting history."

    • Fellowship
      0

      "Limited social community interaction; some multiplayer groups exist but not a major focus."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players learn complex systems of economy, diplomacy, and warfare, improving skills over time."

    • Health
      -5

      "No physical activity involved; sedentary gameplay."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires sustained attention and micromanagement; not suited for idle or casual background play."

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No evidence of close social or emotional relationships formed through gameplay."

    • Leadership
      3

      "Players lead nations and armies, making strategic decisions and managing resources."

    • Progression
      4

      "Strong emphasis on accumulating resources, technology, and military power to progress and conquer."

    • Relaxation
      -1

      "Some find the game relaxing and immersive, but others mention frustration due to bugs and complexity."

    • Sensation
      1

      "Visual and auditory elements are functional but not highly stimulating; focus is on strategic depth."

    • Status
      0

      "Little emphasis on social recognition or popularity within the game."

    • Story
      3

      "Historical and alternate history event chains provide narrative immersion and flavor."

    • Strategy
      5

      "Core gameplay revolves around deep strategic planning, problem solving, and decision making."

    • Thrill
      1

      "Some suspense from warfare and diplomacy, but overall a controlled and turn-based experience."

    • Value
      2

      "Generally considered good value for fans of the genre, though some mention bugs and lack of polish."

    • Violence
      3

      "Combat and destruction are central to gameplay, though presented in a strategic and abstract manner."

    • Survival
      3

      "Players must manage resources and military to avoid defeat and maintain their nation’s survival."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026