New WW2 strategy game is the latest case of a tabletop classic going digital, but it retains the joy of painting miniatures

I lose track of the number of times people have tried to translate the tabletop experience to the world of videogames. Even putting the countless Warhammer and Dungeons & Dragons adaptations aside, there are Battletech, Pathfinder, and Cyberpunk games aplenty. Even the original Fallout is loosely based on GURPS. Never before, however, has a Second World War tabletop game made the move to the digital realm. At least, that's what Bolt Action publisher Slitherine says, and I'm struggling to prove them wrong.

Hoping to stand out from the countless brilliant titles that make up our best strategy games list, the videogame adaptation of Bolt Action will differentiate itself from the competition by doubling down on that tabletop DNA.

Your little soldiers, circular bases and all, will recreate the events of World War 2, and they'll face the same morale tests and line of sight issues that face miniatures in the tabletop game. But all of this will occur in seamless 3D environments rather than on a green battle mat laid across your kitchen table.

My favorite aspect, however, is the painting. Bolt Action will feature a virtual painting desk to digitally recreate the artistic side of the hobby, too. While many players will faithfully recreate the period-accurate uniforms of Axis and Allied troops, I'm percolating ahistorical ideas to make my army stand out on the battlefield - camoflage be damned.

While the likes of Tabletop Simulator have been a resounding success, this isn't a sure-fire profit-puller. Moonbreaker, an underrated digital miniatures game with fun PvP gameplay, a great painting system, and a Brandon Sanderson-penned story told through in-game podcasts, released with a whimper last year despite 'very positive' Steam reviews. Bolt Action has the existing brand recognition to make a bigger splash, and I hope it works out for them.

The Bolt Action videogame will release in 2026. Slitherine promises a faithful interpretation of the existing Bolt Action rules in solo and multiplayer modes, a Normandy campaign, and forces from the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany. We'll keep you posted whenever new information is revealed in the coming months.