Best Military Simulation

Advance Wars is a turn-based strategy game for the Game Boy Advance featuring combat between the Orange Star and Blue Moon nations. The conflict expands to include Yellow Comet and Green Earth after an Orange Star officer’s actions trigger a global war. It is the first installment of the Advance War...

DCS World is a free-to-play combat flight simulator renowned for its unparalleled realism and depth. Featuring meticulously modeled aircraft, detailed weapon systems, and dynamic campaigns, it provides an intensely immersive experience for aviation enthusiasts and military simulation fans. The game'...

Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies is a PlayStation 2 game offering a detailed military simulation experience. Players control Mobius 1, a pilot engaged in a complex conflict between Usea and Erusea across a dramatically altered Earth following devastating asteroid impacts. The narrative focuses on stra...

Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis is a 2001 tactical shooter simulation focusing on combined arms operations during the Cold War. Players control United States military forces engaged in conflict with a Soviet invasion force across the islands of Everon and Malden, set in 1985. The game simulate...

Battlezone is a first-person vehicular combat game created by Atari in 1980. The game’s notable use of vector graphics to simulate a three-dimensional battlefield was groundbreaking for its time. Players controlled a tank navigating an obstacle course and engaging enemies via radar targeting. It rem...

Falcon 4.0 simulates combat operations utilizing the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft within a contemporary conflict scenario on the Korean Peninsula. The game focuses on a detailed, realistic representation of the Block 50/52 variant. It was developed by MicroProse’s Alameda studio and released in 199...

Virtual Battlespace 4 (VBS4) is a whole-earth military simulation platform developed by Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim). It provides a massive multiplayer online environment that allows armed forces to conduct tactical training and combat simulations across highly detailed virtual terrains a...

Digital Combat Simulator is a PC-based video game offering highly detailed military combat simulations. Developed by Eagle Dynamics, it recreates historical aerial warfare with realistic aircraft models and systems. The simulator appeals to aviation enthusiasts, military personnel, and those interes...

Virtual Battlespace 3 (VBS3) is a desktop-based, military-grade simulation developed by Bohemia Interactive Simulations for tactical training and mission rehearsal. It provides a highly detailed virtual environment where soldiers can practice infantry combat, operate vehicles, and simulate combined...

Squad is a tactical first-person shooter developed by Offworld Industries, drawing inspiration from the Project Reality modification for Battlefield 2. The game simulates modern warfare featuring large battlefields and military/paramilitary factions. It launched through Steam Early Access in 2015 be...

Ace Combat 3 is a first-person aerial combat game developed for the PlayStation in 1999. It’s notable for its expansive world map and cinematic mission design within a science fiction military setting. The game simulates dogfighting with advanced aircraft and emphasizes strategic objectives like pro...

Steel Beasts Pro is a highly detailed military simulation software designed to train armored vehicle crews. Its realism, developed through adoption by numerous national armies including NATO forces, makes it ideal for training tank and fighting vehicle gunnery, tactical maneuvers, and crew coordinat...

Hidden & Dangerous 2 is a tactical shooter released in 2003 for Microsoft Windows. It continues the gameplay established by its predecessor, focusing on stealth operations conducted by British Special Air Service units during World War II. The game’s setting draws upon historical SAS missions behind...

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is a military simulation FPS developed by Ubisoft. The game offers realistic tactical gameplay focused on stealth operations within modern conflicts. Players control a specialized reconnaissance team tasked with completing complex missions demanding strat...

VBS3, or Virtual Battlespace 3, is a desktop simulation platform developed by Bohemia Interactive Simulations for military training and mission rehearsal. It presents large virtual environments in which personnel can practice infantry tactics, vehicle operations, combined-arms scenarios, and command...

Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2) is a military training simulation platform developed by Bohemia Interactive Simulations and released in 2007. Built upon the technology of the commercial "Armed Assault" game engine, it provides a realistic 3D virtual environment for military organizations. Armed forces...

Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy game centered on World War II. Players manage nations, focusing on industrial production, research, and massive military campaigns. It features a complex system for front lines, logistics, and political maneuvering. While it has a steep learning curve, its abili...

Insurgency is a realistic first-person shooter focused on tactical military simulation. Developed independently, it emerged from a popular mod and offers a demanding experience mirroring modern combat operations. The game’s focus on methodical gameplay and team coordination makes it suitable for pla...

Battlefield Vietnam is a 2004 first-person shooter set during the Vietnam War. The game features numerous historically-based maps including locations like the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the Battle of Khe Sanh. A 2005 re-release, Battlefield Vietnam: Redux, added new vehicles and incorporated a World War...

Full Spectrum Command is a 2003 PC training game made by USC ICT and Quicksilver for U.S. Army officers to practice company-level tactical command.

Vietcong offers a historically-based first-person shooter simulation set during the Vietnam War of 1967. Players assume the role of an American soldier tasked with navigating and combating Viet Cong forces within a realistic tactical environment. The game’s detailed recreation of weaponry, tactics,...

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is a tactical first-person shooter focusing on realistic combat scenarios. Developed by Treyarch, it expands upon the original Call of Duty 2 narrative and offers a military simulation experience centered around the United States Marine Corps’ 1st Battalion, 8th Regiment...

Close Combat is a real-time tactical wargame series originally developed by Atomic Games, with its first installment released in 1996. The games are distinguished by their focus on command friction, featuring line-of-sight mechanics and psychological models where individual soldiers experience moral...

Soldier of Fortune is a first-person shooter originally developed in 2000 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game casts the player as a U.S. mercenary tasked with preventing a global terrorist threat involving nuclear weapons. It was released on Windows, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, and...

Project I.G.I. is a tactical first-person shooter developed by Innerloop Studios and released in 2000. The game utilized a custom engine, resulting in notable graphics, but faced criticism regarding its artificial intelligence and absence of multiplayer functionality. Reviews were mixed due to these...

Delta Force is a first-person shooter that realistically simulates tactical operations of the United States Army's Delta Force Special Operations Unit. Released in 1998, it provides a detailed military simulation experience centered on strategic planning and execution. The game appeals to players in...

The Kamov Ka-52M 'Alligator' is a heavily upgraded, all-weather variant of Russia's unique coaxial-rotor attack helicopter. Its most distinctive characteristic is the Kamov coaxial main rotor system, which eliminates the need for a tail rotor, providing exceptional agility, compactness for shipboard...

Hidden & Dangerous is a first-person shooter simulation game set during World War II. Developed by Illusion Softworks, it’s notable for its expansive campaign and detailed tactical gameplay within a historical setting. The game emphasizes strategic planning alongside intense action. It was initially...

After armored trooper pilot Chirico Cuvie is given orders to transfer to Planet Odon, he and all of the other new recruits are sent into a simulated battle to test their abilities. However, this 'simulated battle' turns out to be a serious fight to eliminate those without the necessary skills. Chiri...