Paradox Interactive’s iconic World War II strategy game, “Hearts of Iron,” is getting a new lease on life as a board game, thanks to the folks at Steamforged Games. Announced on Friday, “Hearts of Iron: The Board Game” promises players an immersive three to four-hour experience, catering to two to five participants. It’s touted to offer “multi-layered gameplay, historical richness, and the chance to explore alternative timelines.” While some might see this as reinventing the wheel, I see it as an exciting step forward, offering a fresh take on grand historical strategy in a tabletop format.
I still vividly recall my conversation in 2016 with Johan Andersson, who was then Paradox’s executive vice president of game development, about “Hearts of Iron 4.” He shared an interesting tidbit from his 1998 job interview at the company, which ended with him playing a round of Axis & Allies—a board game now managed by Renegade Games.
Andersson reminisced about that moment, recounting how the interview wrapped up with the producer suggesting, “The interview’s done. Fancy sticking around for some Axis & Allies here in the office?” Midway through strategizing Britain’s air and sea campaign at Normandy, the producer casually announced that Andersson had secured the job.
When “Hearts of Iron 4” finally hit the shelves six months later on June 6, its divergence from Axis & Allies was evident. While inspired by Larry Harris Jr.’s classic, Andersson and his visionary team at Paradox expanded the concept into something tremendously more nuanced and expansive over two decades. Sure, you could still pit American, British, and German forces against each other in loud, intense skirmishes across Europe, or engage in aerial dogfights over the Pacific. Yet, what truly set “Hearts of Iron 4” apart was its ability to craft alternate histories—a feat not many war games, including Axis & Allies, could achieve even now.
Andersson noted, “I’ve witnessed a Berlin/Moscow alliance against the rest, seen the U.S. join the Axis, and even a Britain-Japan pact. All these unexpected scenarios make the game incredibly challenging and a blast to play.”
Steamforged Games seems to grasp what makes “Hearts of Iron” so unique. Their announcement highlights the game’s inclusion of multiple nations players can mold through ideological choices, whether staying true to history or rewriting it. They emphasize political strategies and massive battles to alter world maps, promising high replayability due to countless nation-ideology combinations. It’s a bold vision, and I’m eager to discover how they intend to bring this to life with paper and plastic.
While I’m keen to see how things unfold, I suggest potential backers watch playthroughs and gather details before investing in the crowdfunding campaign. “Hearts of Iron: The Board Game” is set to launch on Gamefound early next year, and you can sign up now to receive alerts when it goes live.
