Spanish Civil War

Joni Nuutinen

About this game

Spanish Civil War 1936-1939. From Joni Nuutinen: by a wargamer for the wargamers since 2011. Most recent update on January 2026.

You are in command of the armed forces of the Nationalistic Faction, which after its semi-failed coup finds itself in control of two separate areas inside Spain, while the majority of soldiers and the biggest cities of Madrid and Barcelona stay loyal to the left-leaning Republican side. While most countries choose a non-interventionist policy in the Spanish Civil War (Guerra Civil Española), the Communist Soviet Union gives its support for the Republic (Popular Front), which also operates famous International Brigades, while Germany and Italy provide support for the conservative Nationalist side.

Can you navigate the chaotic and dispersed setup of your forces (from weak under-strength Militia to battle-hardened Army of Africa) to consolidate enough area under your control to entice more support from abroad to continue the struggle for full control of Spain?

"The Spanish Civil War was the dress rehearsal for World War II"
-- Albert Camus

This is a non-political strategy game meant as entertainment, not as a personal ideological belief or statement.


FEATURES:

+ What-If alternate history settings: You can choose to allow (historical default) or disable:
1) German Tanks and Airforce
2) Italian Troops and Airforce
3) African Army (5 units).

+ Historical accuracy: Campaign mirrors the historical setup as much as it is possible while still being fun and challenging to play.

+ Thanks to all in-built variation and the game's smart AI technology, each play-through provides a unique war gaming experience.

+ Challenging scenario: The extraordinarily chaotic opening setup offers something a bit different, as you start without properly formed front lines, and many difficult strategic and tactical decisions need to be made early on.

+ Multi-layered AI: Instead of just attacking on direct line towards the target, the AI opponent balances between strategic goals and smaller tasks like encircling nearby units.

+ A huge list of options and settings. Many aspects can be changed from the style of the map/terrain all the way to the resources and unit types. Many of the pop-up dialogs can be disabled to speed up the game-play. And obviously, there is a difficulty level switch as well.


"I went to Spain to fight for what I believed in, and I'm proud of that. I wouldn't change a thing."
- George Orwell, who fought on the Republican side

Ratings and reviews

The unit buildup with regular infantry is nice. But on Normal difficulty, it's nearly impossible to hold the north at the beginning without mass retreating into the NW corner. And that makes the gameplay really static, which is surprisingly historically accurate.

I have been playing war games for almost forty years and had never played a game covering the Spanish Civil War. So I purchased this game and have enjoyed immensely.

Generally fun to play... although with many inexcusable historic inaccuracies

What’s new

+ Warn of uphill combat both via line between units and confirmation dialog
+ MP/HP can be made to alter the size of icons (ie units losing HP get smaller)
+ Airlift: Airforce units, generals, low HP units can transport from airfield to airfield