Fit check
Is Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- Historical strategy players who want campaigns spanning the Great War through the Cold War
- Players who prefer controlling nations rather than individual soldiers
- Grand-strategy fans who want both broad campaigns and focused historical battles
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players seeking direct, unit-by-unit battlefield combat rather than nation-level historical strategy
- Players who prefer a narrow, single-period campaign instead of scenarios covering several decades
- Players looking for a modern setting beyond the onset of the Cold War
Our take on Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game
The broad historical scope comes with less focus on any single conflict. Campaigns cover multiple wars and decades, so players seeking a tightly bounded scenario may find the range sacrifices depth within one period.
What is Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game?
Darkest Hour is a standalone historical strategy game covering the period from the Great War to the beginning of the Cold War.
It offers shorter scenarios and larger campaigns, including starts in 1914, 1933, 1936, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1945. Grand campaigns allow selection from the nations involved, while battle scenarios limit the choice to a smaller group of countries. The game includes a detailed map for strategic and tactical play, a diplomacy system that can alter historical events, and artificial intelligence capable of responding to hundreds of situations at once.
How Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game plays
- 01Historical Campaigns
- Scenarios begin between 1914 and 1945 and continue through the onset of the Cold War.
- 02Grand Campaigns
- Players can select any of the nations involved in the larger campaign scenarios.
- 03Battle Scenarios
- Focused conflicts such as the Russo-Japanese War and the Invasion of Poland restrict selection to a smaller set of nations.
- 04Dynamic Diplomacy
- Diplomatic decisions can influence how events develop during a campaign.
- 05Reactive Artificial Intelligence
- The artificial intelligence responds to hundreds of different situations simultaneously.
- 06Detailed Strategic Map
- The redesigned map provides strategic and tactical opportunities during play.
Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game compared to similar games
Men of War: Assault Squad centers on direct control of units during a tactical World War II experience, while Darkest Hour operates at the level of nations, diplomacy, and campaigns spanning 1914 to the onset of the Cold War. Xenonauts focuses on a Cold War-era Earth defending against alien invasion with small persistent squads, whereas Darkest Hour presents historical conflicts involving selectable nations.
Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game: platforms & release
Is Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game worth it?
It is worth it if: historical strategy players who want campaigns spanning the Great War through the Cold War. Skip it if: players seeking direct, unit-by-unit battlefield combat rather than nation-level historical strategy.
Where can I download Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game on?
Windows only.
