All Quiet in the Trenches

World War I was one of the darkest chapters in human history, marked by the introduction of devastating new weapons and millions of lives lost in futile trench warfare. All Quiet In The Trenches, the latest release from indie developer Totally Not Aliens, thrusts players into the horrors of the Great War by putting them in command of a squad of German soldiers on the Western Front in 1915. This narrative turn-based strategy game provides a sobering look at the daily struggles and tragedies faced by soldiers in the trenches.

Gripping Storytelling Through Impactful Choices

One of the standout features of All Quiet In The Trenches is the branching narrative driven by the hard choices players must make. As an Unteroffizier (non-commissioned officer), you must weigh the needs of your soldiers against the demands of your superiors. How you navigate these decisions impacts the physical and mental well-being of your men, resulting in a deeply personal story. The game excels at making you feel the weight of command and putting faces to the masses that perished in the Great War.

The turn-based tactical combat manages to capture the disorienting chaos of early 20th century warfare. Machine guns, mortars, poison gas, and other new weapons changed the face of battle, and All Quiet In The Trenches reflects this through innovative gameplay mechanics.

The random element of combat means that no matter how carefully you position your men, one wrong move or stroke of bad luck can lead to tragedy. Just like the real commanders in the Great War, you are constantly challenged to adapt and survive against the cruel odds stacked against you.

Authentic Art Style Immerses You in the Trenches

The haunting art style transports players to the frontlines with remarkable authenticity. The realistic character models showcase the thousand-yard stares and weary postures of soldiers long-embattled in the trenches. Battlefields are littered with barbed wire, spent shells, dead livestock, and craters from artillery strikes.

The muted gray and brown color palette captures the dreary bleakness of the Western Front, accented by flashes of orange fire from explosions. The detailed environments and animations provide an impactful sense of place that pulls you into the struggles of the Great War.

Review: 9/10

All Quiet In The Trenches is an unflinching look at the horrors of war that no history book could fully capture. By letting you walk in the shoes of a German commander, it provides perspective on the humanity of the so-called “enemy.” It accomplishes what all great art strives for - using a specific story to reveal deeper universal truths. This game will haunt you long after you put down the controller.

Pros:

• Branching narrative with impactful choices
• Innovative turn-based combat
• Authentic and immersive art style
• Sobering perspective on the human cost of war

Cons:

• Occasional balancing issues with certain abilities
• Limited replay value once you explore the narrative paths

All Quiet in the Trenches takes us back to World War I. The player is a German Unteroffizier tasked with leading a squadron of soldiers during the war. As their leader, you can’t change history itself. World War I will finish exactly as history dictates. What you can change is the lives of the soldiers in your unit.

The game is thoughtfully designed to make players care about the characters beyond simple units. In order to keep soldiers in top condition, players must spend time getting to know them off the field as well as in battle. This means it’s painful when good men are lost. Some of the people on your unit are very young. They get captured. They get killed. It paints the story of war in a true light, one that needs to be heard.

Adored by Fans

All Quiet in the Trenches is still in early release. It does have some bugs. It’s currently very short, since the developers have not released all of the war yet. Despite this, legions of fans have come forward in their reviews to talk about this game.

The game is real and immersive, and helps players understand the cost of the decisions they are making. It’s a beautifully crafted game that has caused hundreds of people to flock to Steam to review it. Over 97% of all the reviews have been positive.

The few negative reviews were usually over the length of the game currently available. The developer has promised 15 hours of gameplay, but it’s currently closer to 2-3.

This isn’t really the fault of the developer, rather that the game is still in development and this is as far as they have gotten without putting out poor quality filler content. It’s a solid decision.

How The Game Works

The game is divided into three different phases. Trench Life, Camp Life, and Combat. Each phase gives you a unique set of tasks that need to be carried out by your men. Each man has a name card that allows you to reward them, punish them, or learn more about them.

How you manage your men can have a huge impact in how they perform in combat. The men need a certain amount of rest to help them perform better in combat, but doing additional tasks for the nurse or the Lieutenant can benefit the camp as a whole.

The game is balanced so that difficult choices need to be made all the time, and there’s a price to pay no matter what you choose. Every man in the camp is unique, and has their own dreams for life after the war. Interacting them makes you feel more attached to these men, raising the stakes during combat. Unfortunately, men in your unit die frequently in battle. It’s the cost of war, and nothing is held back in this game.

Pros:

• Lots of Replay Value
• Ongoing, invested developer
• Decent artwork

Cons:

• Some bugs
• Game is not complete yet