It’s not every day that you get to rewrite the history books, but some games allow us to explore alternative timelines without having to face the real-world consequences of our actions.
While many games have their own particular elements of lore and world-building, others go the extra mile to show off interesting concepts and posit questions about what could have been if past events had taken a different course.
From the discovery of ancient mysteriesto a never-ending Cold War, the bounds of historical fiction are almost unlimited in their scope and creativity, ranging from a supernatural-steampunk Victorian England to a robot-dominated Soviet future.
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Drawing inspiration from these unique settings, and often utilizing a cast of real-world historical characters, these titles exemplify the creativity and breadth that define historical fiction as a genre.
So, whether you’re looking to snipe Hitler personally or forge a life inthe ruins of a nuclear apocalypse, the following games undoubtedly rise to the task of delivering authentic alternative histories.
10Iron Harvest
WW1 With Mechs
Iron Harvest
Set in an alternate steampunk version of World War 1, Iron Harvest is a highly original strategy game in which the brutal reality of trench warfare combines with the imaginative innovation of frontline mechs. As well as being very impressive visually, these steam-powered units are crucial to dominating the battlefield and achieving victory.
Along with its unique setting, Iron Harvest also has its own factions based on the Allies and Central Powers, as well as a great campaign mode exploring an alternate European history.
Veterans of the Company of Heroes series will be right at home here as the construction-assembly-deployment pipeline is virtually identical to the WW2 series.
Theunique designs of the mech unitsare a particular standout, and the game is considerably more polished now than it was at its initial launch.
9Sniper Elite (Series)
Rewrite The Events of WW2
Sniper Elite: Resistance
The Sniper Elite series is known for its dramatic slow-motion kill cams and relatively open mission design, but it also gives players the chance to reshape the course of history in its own way. In Sniper Elite 2, 3, 4 and 5,players can assassinate Hitlerin a number of creative ways, from drowning him in a toilet to skewering him through the head with a bowling pin.
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While there’s nothing hugely fantastical or especially far-fetched about the ways in which Sniper Elite alters the overall course of the war, assassinating “The Führer” using these ridiculous methods can be extremely satisfying and hilarious.
Aside from these unique kills, the game does have a reasonable degree of historical authenticity - utilizing real-world weapons and events, as well as basing many of the stunning locations in each game on real-world settings.
The combination of strategic stealth and vicious engagement is what sets Sniper Elite apart from many other WW2 series, and though the games are far from perfect, they certainly deliver when it comes to assassination.
8The Order: 1886
An Alternative British Empire
The Order: 1886
The Order 1886 is set in an alternative steampunk version of London in, you guessed it - 1886!
As Sir Galahad, a member of the Holy Order of Knights, you will have to defend the city from various threats ranging from anti-government paramilitaries to supernatural creatures like werewolves and vampires.
Technologies such as railguns and zeppelins are present, which really gives the game a unique feel, even among the already popular steampunk genre. Additionally, the Knights of The Order receive assistance from a young Nikolai Tesla who appears as an in-game character.
As advanced as Great Britain was in the 19th Century, it’s fair to say that this constitutes an alternate history - even if it is still largely grounded in real-world aesthetics.
While the game follows a relatively short and linear story, its action sequences are very well done, andthe setting is a visual masterpieceto behold. At the time of writing, The Order 1886 remains a PlayStation 4 exclusive, though many fans have been hoping for a PC port at some point in the future.
7We Happy Few
Orwellian and Psychedelic
We Happy Few
If you want to know what toxic positivity looks like when taken to the extreme on a societal level, look no further than We Happy Few. This psychological-action-thriller is a highly unique and memorable experience with a surreal, almost Dali-esque visual style.
Set in the 1960s after analt-history version of World War 2, the game mainly centers around the idea of a small population having their minds and behaviors controlled by the hallucinogenic drug “Joy”, which prevents them from seeing the bleak reality all around them.
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In addition to being very clever in its premise, We Happy Few is also highly entertaining and is inspired by the likes of Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World. The result is an eerie yet humorous adventure which gradually unravels its smiling facade and descends into a world of darkness and decay.
While any direct reference to historical events is subtle, the game’s socio-political commentary brings to life many of the terrors that were discussed among the intellectuals of post-war Britain - these ranging from the mass prescription of synthetic drugs to a full-blown tyrannical police state.
6Atomic Heart
Soviet Science Gone Mad
Atomic Heart
Atomic Heart is certainly one of the most visually striking games to be released in recent years, which is little surprise since developers Mundfish started out as an animation studio. The game’s revision of Soviet history imagines a world in which the scientific powers of the USSR are fully realized, putting advanced robotics and genetically modified ‘polymer’ into their hands.
In addition to sentient humanoids and giant mechs, the game world also featureslots of Soviet-inspired architecture, music, and artwork. This is not to say it glorifies the Soviets by any means.
Pretty quickly, things will fall apart as the limits of scientific inquiry are pushed beyond their boundaries. Nonetheless, it is interesting to see how the brutalist architecture and systems-based approach to science might have looked in a future setting.
What makes the game especially memorable is being able to view Soviet society before its collapse, and then retracing many of the same areas after the all-out chaos that has unfolded. Although the gameplay can be relentless and unforgiving at times, the brief moments in which you are able to take in the world provide a glimpse into a radically alternate timeline.
5Command & Conquer: Red Alert (Series)
A Continuous Cold War
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Command & Conquer has long been atthe forefront of the RTS genre, but the majority of its sci-fi games take place far into the future, often on different planets entirely. The Red Alert series is somewhat different in that it imagines an alt-history cold-war in which Hitler never existed.
Instead, Stalin and the Soviets initiated a new world war, and one with heightened technologies ranging from powerful combat mechs to space-based weaponry.
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Like most Command & Conquer games, the gameplay exemplifies the RTS genre at its peak, but for many players the Cold War aesthetic elevates the series beyond that of its sci-fi counterparts.
The campaign certainly has its share of stand-out moments, including a legendary performance from Tim Curry as Premier Cherdenko, but the most enjoyment is usually to be had in setting up large-scale battles in skirmish mode.
The series might be somewhat dated now, at least in terms of its graphics and narrative, but if you’re able to take it less seriously and enjoy it for the retro classic that it has become, the Red Alert series will reward you with hours of intuitive gameplay.
4Wolfenstein (Series)
Fight Your Way Through The High Castle
Wolfenstein: The New Order
When it comes to alt-history, few games have done it quite so well as the legendary Wolfenstein franchise. Dating back to 1981, the series depicts a world in which the Axis forces won World War 2 and now assert their tyrannical reign over the United States and Europe.
The series has become known for its over-the-top and brutal gameplay combined withcomical and entertaining cutscenes. As B.J. Blazkowicz, you’ll be tasked with taking down hordes of hyper-industrialized Nazis, along with their menacing technological creations.
There are a total of eight games in the Wolfenstein series, but they exist largely in two separate eras. The classic games include Wolfenstein 3D, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, and the highly-acclaimed Return to Castle Wolfenstein while the modern Alt History Collection consists of The New Order, The Old Blood, The New Colossus, and Young Blood.
There is also Activision’s 2009 Wolfenstein, but it is quite an outlier in the series and doesn’t particularly bridge the gap between the classics and newer titles.
Out of all the games, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is the one which showcases Nazi-occupied America, and it even features a DLC titled The Freedom Chronicles centered around the lives of everyday people in such a society.
3Cyberpunk 2077
Japanese Corporatism Conquers California
Cyberpunk 2077
Although it may not be obvious at first glance, the lore and history of the Cyberpunk universe is very extensive and dates all the way back to the Second World War. Following Japan’s defeat, the Arasaka family rose to prominence as a tech developer in the 1960s, eventuallyestablishing themselves as a dominant global megacorpon the world stage.
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Eventually coming out on top as the winner of America’s “Corporate Wars” in 2021-23, Arasaka asserted near-total dominance over Night City until Johnny Silverhand’s nuking of Arasaka Tower in 2023.
Night City itself is said to have been established in 1994, but over the decades leading to the year 2077, several major events, such as the collapse of the American federal government and the rise of Free Net technology, have helped to shape the game world.
In fact, the game world is so extensive that it reaches into several multi-media formats ranging from comic books and theEdgerunnersanime to the full-lengthNo Coincidencenovel by Rafal Kosik.
2Bioshock (Series)
Art Deco Dystopia
Set in an alternate timeline in which cities are constructed deep underwater or high in the clouds, the Bioshock series is certainly one of the mostinnovative and original titles in the retrofuturism genre.
The submerged art-deco city of Rapture is said to have been constructed in the late 1940s, while the flying city of Columbia dates back to the 1893 Chicago World Fair. While Rapture’s buildings are said to have been constructed above-water and then submerged, Colombia was a part of the USA before becoming a breakaway society in the year 1902.
The eerie environments of both Rapture and Colombia are fascinating and mysterious, with plenty of socio-political commentary interwoven through the series' unparalleled environmental storytelling.
In addition to the novel settings, players will also encounter imaginative technologies and constructions inspired by the respective time periods. Nonetheless, they share the commonality of being rooted in American exceptionalism and capitalist innovation.
1Fallout (Series)
If The Cold War Kept Cooking
The Fallout series is one of the most recognizably retro-futuristic video game franchises around. Set in a world wherethe Cold War turned out to get very hot indeed, a number of key events are noticeably different from reality.
In the Fallout universe, China becomes an expansionist superpower and even invades the United States, who are already utilizing nuclear power to build servant robots,powerful weapons, and other technologies.
Additionally, atomic power is harnessed as a part of everyday life and a number of fictional corporations such as Vault-Tec hold substantial power over government policies.
The locations in the series range from Washington DC and Boston to the bright lights of New Vegas and even London now thanks to Fallout 4’s enthusiastic modding community.
While the nuclear war itself doesn’t take place until 2077, there are many factors leading to it that necessarily alter the course of history - however, not so different as to make it entirely fantastical.
If you’re looking to leave your own mark on the historical record, each game features extensive choices and consequences - with some even allowing players to nuke entire settlements!
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