To End All Wars
To End All Wars
Game
Game2014
Civil War II
Developer Ageod
You take the part of the military and political leadership, trying to lead your nation to victory, in the midst of some of the toughest operations of the Civil War. You will build, organize and command your armies over one of the largest maps of the USA ever made for a Civil War game. From the Steam store page
197 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Sep 27, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
79
LovedLoved
148 positive · 39 negative
95% range 73–84%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 148 | 39 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
233 of 299 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
79% recommend · 149 yes, 39 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 188 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (279 of 355 positive).
Many find the learning curve steep and the tutorials inadequate. [1][2][3] Some reviewers criticize the AI and performance issues. [4][5]
Liked
Representative posts
- [12]
If I could still refund this game I would do it without hesitation. Before coming to this conclusion I sat my arse down and committed hours in googling and watching youtube to "learn" the game. What I'm saying is that I have a pretty good idea on how to play the game. The main issue with this game (apart from the overhyped AI and gimmicky WEGO system) is that nothing you do really matters. Or maybe it does, but to …
- [6]
I have played a ton of Civil War games and read a ton of books on the era. These guys have nailed the mechanics of the war, from march times to unit dispositions in each bookmark. The supply dynamic really brings to life the cavalry tactics that the CSA employed to bring Union offensives to a halt, and forces you to make careful choices. I have lost a whole corps to a bad winter camp placement. It's a steep learning …
- [8]
It took me like 8 years to learn how to play this game but once I finally did it's pretty fun. Probably the best Civil War video game ever made.
- [11]
Civil War 2 is a game that succeeds in being entertaining by being a complete mess. The interface is clumsy, the rules manual is completely lacking, the game mechanics for logistics and combat resolution are nearly opaque, and nothing in this simulation is obvious. The moment you think you have untied this Gordian Knot... you haven't... and each turn leaves you "Frustratingly Entertained". That is my opinion of it. …
- [1]
This review is to serve as a warning to everyone who has a tendancy to return games for a refund, if they don't live up to expectations. Or people who hate lenghty tutorials. The game has the longest most reading intensive tutorial I have ever seen. I think I have been reading for 2 hours, just to complete the second of three tutorials. And I still don't know if the game is something that I will enjoy. Because I …
Summarised from 34 of the 198 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
79% of the 188 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Civil War II. The complaint that keeps coming up: steep learning curve and poor tutorials. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 197 · most liked firstI have played a ton of Civil War games and read a ton of books on the era. These guys have nailed the mechanics of the war, from march times to unit dispositions in each bookmark. The supply dynamic really brings to life the cavalry tactics that the CSA employed to bring Union offensives to a halt, and forces you to make careful choices. I have lost a whole corps to a bad winter camp placement. It's a steep learning curve, but it rewards you magnificently.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This Caitlin Clark stuff is totally bananas Every time a Black player makes any physical contact with her during the course of a game, 50000 sports talk guys who never watched an entire WNBA contest in their lives get on the air to try and start Civil War II
neutral · AI labelView post →The mechanisms of Civil War II are simple: the player gives the orders to his troops, and the resolution of the game turn is simultaneous. The map of the game represents the United States and North Mexico. Boxes also represent the Caribbean, France and England, to simulate a possible engagement of these countries in the conflict, but also to allow a blockade of the ships having traded with Europe. The map is divided into zones, each state of the United States being composed of several zones. A…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This review is to serve as a warning to everyone who has a tendancy to return games for a refund, if they don't live up to expectations. Or people who hate lenghty tutorials. The game has the longest most reading intensive tutorial I have ever seen. I think I have been reading for 2 hours, just to complete the second of three tutorials. And I still don't know if the game is something that I will enjoy. Because I still haven't seen every aspect of the game, or played for that matter. Mind you,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At first I was a bit overwhelmed, and felt like there was more micro-managing than I could handle. - I first played the game tutorials, but they covered mostly just the basics, but there was still so much I couldn't understand. - The manual is comprehensive, but doesn't deal with tactics, nor how or when to utilize the many nuances built into the game. - I searched YouTube and found several helpful postings, but most dealt with specific topics, and I still couldn't grasp how to connect all the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If I could still refund this game I would do it without hesitation. Before coming to this conclusion I sat my arse down and committed hours in googling and watching youtube to "learn" the game. What I'm saying is that I have a pretty good idea on how to play the game. The main issue with this game (apart from the overhyped AI and gimmicky WEGO system) is that nothing you do really matters. Or maybe it does, but to what degree you'll never know because everything is obscured behind the veil…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The union is historically driven. Which is boring. I know how the civil war went. Yet my hands are tied from having fun with the side I prefer. The Confederacy can win very easily at the start of the game, making the "Good" ending of Far cry 4 longer. It's too easy to cheese. So you're either playing historically and passing most turns doing nothing (or only historical things), or you're winning the game so quickly that it becomes the shortest game you've ever played.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is too complicated for no reason, it's really impossible to win as the CSA. Pure manure...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →in which we put on our snorkel and dive into the septic tank that was Civil War II, for a look at the first appearance of the indescribable Infinaut! who? SNAP players know who …
neutral · AI labelView post →The game is detail oriented and takes some time to learn. That is not an issue. My issue is with how the AI actually moves it's units. It is not realistic. Many times it breaks it's armies up and moves all these little units all over the place. It is not acting in a strategic manner. Seems to just be wandering around your territory. While there were raiding parties in the war, this takes it to an extreme. It gets to a point where it is more frustrating than just being enjoyable or fun to play.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A hidden gem If you are interested in Ageod games I recommend that you start with this one. It is the easiest to learn and is quite well functional, despite the old game engine. If you are interested in the Civil war on a strategic level I dare to say: congratulations, this is the game for you! Civil war 2 can be difficult to learn if you are a casual gamer. But it is far from the most complex game I've played on Steam. Start with small scenarios and the manual close at hand and you will…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It took me like 8 years to learn how to play this game but once I finally did it's pretty fun. Probably the best Civil War video game ever made.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is sort of a review in progress, as I'm currently in the middle of the grand campaign, so take this for what it's worth. Pros(in no particular order); 1) The setting. The Civil War/War of Northern Aggression/War Between the States/War of the Rebellion/Whatever was one of the most interesting and intense times in American history yet is rarely explored in video games. 2) The soundtrack. Dixie's Land, Battle Cry of Freedom, Johnny Comes Marching Home, Bonnie Blue Flag, et cetera, are all…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Disclaimer...... This is not for everyone.. This is a deep strategy game.. So if you think Civilization and total war are extreme strategy games... this is going to be over your head. Alright.. The UI is extemely difficult to learn. This actually was my first AGEOD Game. Most of my background in strategy games are from paradox games like europa style. So this was like a foreign language to me. So i spent a whole day just reading forums(by the way a lot of good information), watching what…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Imagine a Paradox grand-strategy game, but it controls like a hot-wheel with a f*cked up tire. That's basically what this games is. Oh and one other thing. This games performance is INEXCUSABLY bad for what it is. Now I mainly play strategy games so I don't have the best PC. But I can get away playing The Witcher 3 and the newer Total Wars on high with 60 FPS. But somehow this game, which is little more than a map with some unit counters on it. Runs at around 30 FPS, and every time you move…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Coming from somebody with thousands of hours in paradox titles - the difficulty curve on this game is too steep, and the tutorials are very very bad.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is without a doubt one of the greatest American Civil War games ever made. It has everything an RTS game should have. From Logistics to complete strategic freedom, signal corps, wagons, amphibious landings, the ability to blockade and prevent river crossings. If they make a Civil War 3 some improvements Id like to see is some actual battle animations that lets you see your units in action and a more detailed battle planner that lets you adjust tactics in between rounds, and the ability to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →During 25 years of gaming I've found no games that feels more historical correct than the AGEOD games. These games are also extremely realistic and the only thing you don't get is to fight the battles manually. Personally I like both genres and thus love the Total War games as well. Civil War II is one of the most fun AGEOD games. To fight with 2. Tennessee together with 4. Arkansas in Kentucky led by Johnston facing Grant and other historical generals is big fun. You should like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another bugged AGEOD wargame who crashes without demand. I had already tried Napoleon and the result was the same. STEAM should not keep games on sale with sistematic bug crashes reported by multiple players. If these games are not updated or patched anymore by the developer...take them out.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of the best Civil War strategy games I have played. The games runs smooth on my Windows 11 pc. The game itself is a complex strategy board game on the computer screen. It takes to learn the rules of the pieces to maximize your potential but there are a lot of tutorials and lets play that are superb at helping speed up the learning curve. Good Job. UPDATE: Now that I have played many more hours since my Original post and watched Strategy Gaming Dojo's 20 episode tutorial, I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Civil War 2 is a game that succeeds in being entertaining by being a complete mess. The interface is clumsy, the rules manual is completely lacking, the game mechanics for logistics and combat resolution are nearly opaque, and nothing in this simulation is obvious. The moment you think you have untied this Gordian Knot... you haven't... and each turn leaves you "Frustratingly Entertained". That is my opinion of it. Why recommend it then ?? Because, oddly in it's flawed state, it succeeds…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good army simulation for the civil war. takes some time to pick up the nuances but overall a great game depicting that eras warfare
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have no clue if anyone would ever read this review. But if you do, just know this game is very hard to get into , but once you figure out the mechanics, it is very fun. A campaign is pretty long, about 15-20 hours minimum. I managed to win as the Union in 1864, but it was only because the Confederate AI made an absolute insane push on DC when I had most my army gathered around there. It was a tough fight but I managed to make it out alright, and they never fully recovered after that.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There's a lot of janky civil war stuff on the market trying to replicate the magic of Sid Meier's Gettysburg and Civil War General, but this is the only effort of the past two decades that really scratches the itch. It's AEGOD, but AEGOD at its best, not trying to do too much with the engine. You can restrict the war to as limited a geographic region as you wish, or play the entire 2 theater (East and West) conflict from Ft. Sumter to Appomatox (or Washington, or Richmond in 1861, if you get…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love AGEOD game engine. I still play ACW I on my old laptop but ACW II does not run properly on my WIN 11 laptop which far exceeds all the recommended specs. The game takes longer to load than the older game on an older computer. The game is very laggy regardless of settings (I tried them at the lowest and highest), it won't scroll properly across the map. I could not actually advance past the first turn because the button would not respond to a click or multiple clicks because the machine…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has been out for longer than the confederacy Short Review: Tactics Strong, Slavers bad, Sherman Based, Georgia... Flammable Buy now for some pest control for the rebels. If you want a massive tactically broad Civil War simulator you've come to the right place
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Civil War II is a turn based grand strategy game with a peculiar historical inaccuracy, as the USA only had one Civil War, so suggesting there was a second one doesn't work very well. Just kidding. There's not much in the way of describing the game that shouldn't be obvious already, it's a deep strategic game with a lot of numbers and very little in terms of action. Gameplay involves careful planning, strategy, knowledge of units and tactics to make turns moving armies over various map…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a thinker's game, not a bells-and-whistles game, and a lot of thought clearly went into it. Many things are well done here. But, the map (especially the eastern US) just gets too congested to manage effectively or play enjoyably. I really, really wish I could give it a positive review, and it almost deserves one in my humble opinion. Perhaps something as simple as being able to zoom in further where the territories are small could tip the balance for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am enjoying this game. It is difficult to master, which I happen to like. Civil War Generals II had been my favorite US Civil War strategy game. I like turn based games where what you do affects what happens next, where as Ultimate General being real time with fixed results no matter what you do is far from interesting or compelling. The AI in CWII is tough to get right for your type of play. Following the ideas on Ageod's forums or the numerous Youtube vids will give you a starting point…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It takes a while to learn this and get into it, but once you have it is amazing. Well worth the effort to get to grips with it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is GARBAGE. I can't play the tutorial, it constantly crashes. Support websites are non-existent. Steam won't issue a refund because I "played" the game too long. Actually I was troubleshooting this game on my computer. At one point it crashed and would only launch in French. I was able to fix this by uninstalling and re-installing the game. You have been warned: DO NOT PURCHASE!!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played for many hours via the AGEOD version. Best CW strategic game I have ever played in 30 years. Have them all :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a beautifully produced game with considerable detail and interesting strategic challenges. That said, the AI could be both more aggressive and, as the Confederates, more offensively minded. That notwithstanding, I thoroughly enjoyed the game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short Version: Grognard Factor: 5/5 (lots of controllable details, which can usually be turned off) Playability: 3/5 (steep learning curve!) Interface: 2/5 (stuttery map scroll, out-of-date graphics, unintuitive) If you're the typical casual conflict gamer (the 4X stuff, like Civ, etc) this probably isn't for you. If you're an old school wargamer (especially the tabletop stuff that uses charts, counters, mini figs, and lots of dice rolling) you'll probably enjoy this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Spent 3 hours reading FAQ's and guides. 10 hours on you tube. Got a day off and am thinking, "Let's see...." Crashed in the tutorial...like every other Ageod game, stability is it's downfall. I refuse to deal with immersion breaking bugs in highly complex games. Too bad, looked like fun.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A relatively recent game on Ageod's AGE engine. For those who don't know, this dev uses their proprietary engine to create a variety of operational-level wargames which are similar in terms of gameplay, however each features a different historical conflict, including various specific battle and/or campaign scenarios therein. Once you've learned one Ageod game you've learned them all, so pick the historical period which you have the greatest interest/passion for (Ancient Rome, English Civil War,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its okay I guess
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is certainly not for everyone, but fans of deep strategy games will find much to enjoy here. +Tons of Replayability - campaigns never play out exactly the same, with even mid-level AI drastically altering its strategy from game to game +Historical Content - I was reasonably knowledgeable about the Civil War prior to playing, but the game prompted me to go down and wikipedia rabbit hole to learn more about some of the competent but often overlooked generals of the war +Ahistorical…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yes it's glitchy as f...! Sometimes I can't even run it but this game is still amazing! Very deep and addictive. Especially for true fans of War for Southern Independence.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game looks and feels great there is so much to do and many details that make this game good. alas i give a negative review. very non user friendly it took me hours of watching videos on youtube and reading the manual to understand basic controls. even once i understood the controls i felt i was getting worse at the game the more i played it. I just cant enjoy this game anymore and i really did try to enjoy it. felt like i was doing something wrong when i first played but i did better when…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A strategy game with depth and historical flavor.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing game - Well over 1000 hours in. Ongoing crashes during single player finally did me in. Fingers crossed that Slitherine will develop a CW 3. My dear friend, I bid you a fond farewell.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game though difficult and I have no clue what i'm doing after watching hours of tutorials and reading the forums but I do love it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ageod's best game by far
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is immersive, exhaustive, and well-detailed with logistics, economics, diplomacy, politics, national level decisions, regional level decisions, with your decisions actually impacting the gameplay and development of the national strategy [i.e. issuing the Emancipation Proclamation provides many dozens of regiments of freed slaves and freed people of color over the coming months]. However, the game is not intuitive, the interface is sort of clunky, and the AI does really stupid and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →one of few games that I return to thru out the years
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I enjoyed the older Ageod Birth of a Nation game. So, I thought I would give Civil War II a try. Sadly this is not a good game. The problem is micromanagement. This is a grand strategy game of the Civil War. Why am I moving individual regiments all over the map? Why am I controlling individual ships? Why am I responsible for moving ships back and forth to port to replenish? Add in that the mechanics of grouping units is clunky. It simply makes for a poor game. There needs to be some…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Way too complex for this guy. Not user-friendly in terms of understanding, the tutorials could use improving.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The UI has aged like milk.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very re-playable and enjoyable once you get used to the basics.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It’s too bad that Game Labs fell apart. I would have loved an Ultimate General: Civil War II with an expanded campaign. This was the spiritual successor to Civil War Generals II and it would have been great to see expansion of the franchise.
positive · AI labelView post →Difficult game to get a hang of. battle is not clear. economics not clear.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, not a simple one. No pretty 3D battles or graphics, but if you like the American Civil War, and you like complex board games and strategy, this is well worth the price.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is an accurate representation of the American Civil War, which was a war of attrition. Many games for this war overstate the abilities of Lee vs those of Grant in order to create an entertaining game that sells. This one does not.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Best Civil War game out there.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →bro don't let my time fool you i've playeed this for ten thousaandd hours offline i've killee more slaveers in this game thaan willy t and their death cries makee me ♥♥♥ thumbs up up up up up up
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have tried twice to like and understand this game, I have failed. After investing about 20 hours in learning the game play I am still lost. It seems to have the openness of not sticking with history and allowing free play that I was looking for. However it is way to complicated and gets into every minutia of battle too much. Units on the screen disappear for an unknown reason. The combat sequences are a complete mystery. No more I am done with this game. The best Civil War game I have played…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I watched videos and read the entire manual. But once I actually started playing the game, I was constantly thinking, "So ... what am I supposed to be doing again?" There is a tutorial, but it completely broke when I did a couple of things it didn't expect me to do. I started the main game, and engaged a force of 8k with my force of 45k. For whatever reason, I kept losing. Wasn't sure why, and could never find out. But even though the command point ratio was pretty similar, the more I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, especially if you like the underdog or overwhelming favorite. My best Southern strategy is to focus everything west early to capture Cairo then St. Louis. In the East, put your best leaders in the Shenandoah Valley with the best army of the East. Leave the road open to Richmond to get Lee as soon as possible.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Old school turn based strategy game based off of a board game. Very detailed, but also very realistic and satisfying.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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