Paradox Interactive’s beloved WWII strategy game, Hearts of Iron, is getting a fresh take courtesy of Steamforged Games with their new board game adaptation. Announced on Friday, “Hearts of Iron: The Board Game” offers a three- to four-hour gaming experience for groups of two to five players. It’s promising a rich layer of gameplay, historical accuracy, and the exciting twist of creating alternative timelines. While some might see this as just another iteration, I see a bright opportunity to reshape historical strategy games on the tabletop.
Reflecting on a chat I had in 2016 with Johan Andersson, who was then Paradox’s executive VP of game development, he shared a memorable story about his unconventional job interview for the company back in 1998, which ended with a game of Axis & Allies, a classic now under Renegade Games.
“The producer back then wrapped up the interview saying, ‘Alright, we’re done here. We’re playing some Axis & Allies in the office, wanna join?’” Andersson was deep into strategizing Britain’s aerial assault and planning beach landings at Normandy when the producer casually told him he landed the job.
When Hearts of Iron 4 hit the scene just six months later (coincidentally on June 6), it was a far cry from Axis & Allies’ look and feel. Andersson and his team drew initial inspiration from Larry Harris Jr.’s classic, yet the Hearts of Iron series evolved into something far beyond Harris’ original concept. You still had the epic tank showdowns across Europe and fighter planes taking flight across the Pacific, but Hearts of Iron 4 excelled in offering alternative histories, something most war games, including Axis & Allies, still can’t fully deliver.
Andersson shared, “I’ve witnessed setups like a Berlin/Moscow Axis taking on the rest, the United States joining the Axis, and alliances between Britain and Japan. All these scenarios make for unexpected gameplay. When people get involved, the challenge and fun multiply.”
With this new board game announcement, it’s clear Steamforged grasps the essence of what sets Hearts of Iron apart. “The board game will let players control multiple nations,” Steamforged explained, “customizable through their ideologies. Players can either stick to historical paths or shake things up, engaging in political strategies and sweeping battles to redraw the map. This range of nation and ideology choices offers endless replayability.” It’s an audacious vision and I’m eager to see how Steamforged brings it to life with just cardboard and miniatures.
I’m curious how this adaptation will shape up. Nevertheless, my advice would be to check out plenty of gameplay videos and other info before committing to its crowdfunding campaign. “Hearts of Iron: The Board Game” will debut on Gamefound early next year, and you can sign up for a launch alert right now.
