Battle of Leyte Island

Joni Nuutinen

About this game

Battle of Leyte Island 1944 is a turn based strategy game modelling the American ground-campaign on the island of Leyte in Philippines at the regimental level. From Joni Nuutinen: by a wargamer for the wargamers since 2011. Time of the latest patches: August 2026.

When withdrawing from the Philippines in 1942, General Douglas MacArthur made a promise: The US would be back! In October 1944, American forces made a bold amphibious landing on the island of Leyte, surprising the Japanese defenders, who were expecting a safe landing on one of the southernmost islands.

Anyone who has ever gathered with old friends over a long weekend, pushing units across a map and reliving military campaigns, will recognize the inspiration here - only without the endless setup and the impossible task of syncing everyone’s schedule.

The surprising timing (before monsoon season) and location (Leyte is located in the middle of the Philippines) guaranteed the American forces an easy start to the campaign. However, the Japanese headquarters decided to settle the fate of the Philippines on Leyte and started transporting all the reinforcements they could spare from the nearby islands. The fighting on Leyte eventually escalated into a massive battle that required the U.S. to commit all their reserves to staying true to their promise.

The Leyte campaign is most famously known for the image of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur wading ashore, fulfilling his promise to return to the area he was forced to flee in 1942.


FEATURES:

+ Historical Authenticity: The campaign faithfully reflects the historical context while keeping it challenging to play.

+ Versatile AI: The AI opponent has a dynamic approach as it considers strategic objectives vs small tactical maneuvers such as attacking nearby support units, etc.


“People of the Philippines, I speak to you tonight from Corregidor. I have just left your shores. I say that I shall return. I shall keep that promise.”
-- General Douglas MacArthur in a radio address on March 17, 1942. And MacArthur kept his word. On October 20, 1944, he waded ashore on Leyte Beach.

Ratings and reviews

Joni's strategy games are little gems for those of us with fond memories of Avalon Hill and Tiller games. These are well researched, well-tuned, and very fun to play. I'm hooked.

This is the first game I bought from your series. Great game to pass the time.

Game board is too big. And, if you're hoping to finish this game in less than 100 turns, forget it.

What’s new

+ Big bug fix: A dozen Japanese units were blocked from being added into the play. Apologies, that should have been caught earlier.
+ New forest and water drawing options
+ Campaign: Removing few dugouts from smallest towns