PC Gaming Corner: Good Things from Slitherine/Matrix

For those of you that have followed my posts over the years know that I am also a die hard PC gamer. One of the publishers that has always captured my attention (and Dollars) are the guys from Games who have been hard at work putting out some great games over the last few months that you should not miss.

I have been talking with Paolo Paglianti, who is the public relations manager for Slitherine/Matrix Games [editor: and is now contributing to NDNG in Table-Top wargaming, mainly on FOW and TY coverage].

He has given me a few preview codes for some of the hot new releases they have published in 2018, and some of these games were way to fun and addictive to stop playing and tell you about them. What I have always liked about this publisher is how the games they produce cover the gamut of war gaming, historical to fantasy, strategic to tactical and ancients to a future conflict, these guys have everything you can think of and I am sure they have something that will also suck you into your computer for a few hours.

Check Your 6!

Some of you mini grogs are thinking that this game is the same name as a popular miniatures game, well you are right on that, however, this CY6 is a PC port of the popular miniatures game. In this game, you take to the air above England during the Battle of Britain and you can slug it out playing either the Germans or British flying over 14 different period aircraft which are modelled based on real-life stats, so you can make that quick turn in your Spitfire like any real ace. The game has 2 campaign modes (British or German) and over 18 scenarios that cover fighter sweeps, bomber escort or interception and even airfield attacks.

I have played CY6! at cons in the past and while I liked the game enough, it was not something I decided to invest in at that time. While my miniature CY6! experience is limited, a lot of more serious CY6! players tell me that the game is a very decent port of the tabletop version. I have played the game a bunch of times and beating the AI is not easy, who knew it was that hard to flame an ME-109 over the channel.

What is also neat about this and many of the titles from Slitherine/Matrix is how easy it is to play against someone else with the multi-player server they host for most of the games they produce.

Order of Battle: Sandstorm

This title is the tenth expansion for the free to play , a game that truly covers all the span of the Second World War. This DLC puts you into the boots of Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox himself as you lead the Afrika Corps and their Italian allies during the 1941-1943 North African game. You can play the entire campaign or try your luck in any of 14 scenarios that are included in the title.

I have been playing Order of Battle since it first came out and own most of the 10 DLCs, I cannot stop playing this game. Many folks think this game is somewhat “arcadey”, however, under the hood the game mechanics are tight and I have had hours of fun playing this game. It is challenging and each of the scenarios is different enough to have you coming back for more.

My favourite games in the series are the US Marine and US Pacific DLCs. In these, you play as the US player in the Pacific and have to balance your land, air, and naval forces to beat the defending Japanese. I have played both of these titles more than once, its fun and a game that has real replay value.

The game also has DLCs that cover the Russo-Finnish Winter War, the Japanese in China, the British in Burma as well as the German Blitz during the start of the war. I like how this game has given some love to the Asia and Pacific regions of the war which was way overdue.

March to Glory

was a title that I did not get from Paolo to review, it was an impulse purchase I made when I was looking for something new to play. Despite the initial arcade look of the game it became a game I have been playing a lot of recently.

The game covers the Napoleonic Wars in Central Europe in a neat campaign system where you re-fight some of the most bloody conflicts of the period. Much like Order of Battle, this game is not very complex, however, it is addicting and fun. I will admit I have not finished the campaign yet, the game is hard to beat because the AI really gives you a challenging time.

In March to Glory, you really have to know the capabilities and status of your units before you make any moves. Infantry in towns are tough to reduce and beware of enemy cavalry in the open, they will drive you into a square which will make that formation ripe for an attack by your opponent’s infantry formations. So while the game seems simple, you have a lot going on under the hood to consider each turn.

Desert War 1940-1942

So while the previous games are fun but simple games, takes things up a notch.

As most veteran board wargamers will notice, Desert War 1940-1942 looks like an old title from Avalon Hill or SPI. I was a playtester on this title and until the tutorial and rulebook came out I was clueless as to how this game worked. Once I got into the game I noticed how the game engine is very good and I like the fact that you plan your moves ahead of time in this “we-go” game.

The game comes with 12 scenarios that cover all of the major battles up until the Second Battle of El Alamein in late 1942.

While I can recommend the first three titles to you, I have to reserve judgement on Desert War 1940-1942 until I have played it a few more times. So far I think it is a great game, however, it is taking me a little longer to understand the nuisances and flow of the game so far. Maybe it’s me, I was never known to be very bright. As with most of the games from Slitherine/Matrix, the website has videos that teach you how to play most of their games. I need to invest some time in these videos to get into what looks like a great game.

Overall

I am certain many of you know about the great titles this company has published over the years. However, if you do not, I recommend you hit their website and browse some the games they have for you. As I stated before, they have a very broad selection of games and finding one you like will be easy. I know the guys from Slitherine/Matrix have a lot of great titles in store for us this year and I will promise Paolo now that I will make sure I tell you about them when they release so you do not miss out on any of the fun.