Worthplaying reviews American Civil War: 1861-1865 - The Blue and The Gray

AGEod's American Civil War: The Blue and the Gray represents an ambitious effort to encapsulate the events of the American Civil War from 1861-1864. AACW utilizes a WEGO ("We-Go") turn-based resolution system, which means that turns for all players are executed simultaneously after a planning and order phase. With over 300 historic leaders and hundreds of Civil War events, AACW is a serious strategy simulation with details such as climate, supply, attrition, loyalty and morale all factoring into the balance of the game.

Playing as either the leader of the United States or the Confederate States (CSA), you are tasked with managing your armies and fleets in an efficient manner while striving to capture and hold key objectives. Although the game promotes reduced micromanagement, there is still a considerable amount that's required. Even with its well-managed complexity, AACW has a fairly steep learning curve, but luckily, two in-game tutorials can help you get acclimated to the interface and basic gameplay. The game is packaged with a 90-page manual that you'll want to keep handy for reference. 8/10