Two years ago, developer Game-Labs released Ultimate General: Gettysburg, a streamlined real-time strategy focused on the various conflicts within that single battle. Rather than the base-building and micromanagement of a typical RTS, Gettysburg focused on the larger scale of the battlefield, commanding entire battalions while the general AI, morale, and confidence dictated the behavior of individual units. It was an interesting entry in the genre, with historically accurate maps, a zoomed-out tabletop aesthetic, and surprising depth with simple controls.

Slated for release on Steam Early Access this month, Ultimate General: Civil War promises to take that concept and expand it from the scope of a single battle to dozens of battles spanning the entire war.
As suggested by the title, Ultimate General: Civil War spans the four years of the conflict, from the battle portrayed in its predecessor to Shiloh, Antietam, and Richmond. The core of the game remains the same - commanding infantry brigades, keeping morale up, flanking and maneuvering - but now on a much larger scale. Battles take place in and around forts, along cliff faces, inside trenches, within towns and spanning rivers. Steamboats unleash artillery from the sea. Vital resources and weapons can be gathered by raiding enemy supplies. Cavalry can charge to press an unprotected flank, or even dismount to ambush more effectively.

All these strategies aren't just important for your current battles, but the ...