Original War

Original War is an interesting game. At its core it is a strategy game with base building and ressource gathering. But unlike most such games where soldiers are endlessly reproducable, here soldiers are your most valuable ressource. You have a fixed number of them and almost everything needs soldiers. Constructing buildings and gathering ressources is done by them. If you want to research upgrades soldiers need to be tasked with research; you need tanks, someone needs to build them. And drive them. Some tasks can be automated later in a game but all automated options tend to be less efficient than using soldiers. So it remains a constant balancing issue. Pretty cool, imo.

The story campaigns have a quirky little time travel gimmick of fighting in prehistoric siberia but beyond that is pretty generic. A miracle mineral has been found in siberia and an aggressive russian regime convinces the American government to use a ludicrous plan. They dig up an alien time machine from Area 51 and send an expedition on a one-way trip 2 million years into the past where their job is to mine all of the mineral, transport it to modern American soil und rebury all of it there. An alternate timeline happens, Russians learn of american time travel shenanegans and this time they have the time machine and send an army to stop the american mission to keep the mineral. War happens.

On the technical level the game was clearly low-budget but most of the issues that caused have been fixed over the years by owsupport, a dedicated fan group that took over support for the game. The game's graphics are simple but timeless which works in its favor. The only thing that really remains is the dialogues. While the voice actors are not bad, at times the dialogue sounds weird, clearly bad direction. Also the occasional difference between what is said and what subtitles say is said. A special mention to the english voice acting: for cost reasons the developers used european voice actors which leads to several fake american accents, which can be bothersome to some.

Both GoG and Steam versions are missing the audio files for the original Czech dubbing, even though there's settings for different localisations. You can download the missing files here and just drop them into the install folder.
As for the game itself, it might come off as a Red Alert copycat, but that's way off the mark. With the typical eurojank ambition to outdo every possible competition in gamedesign it ends up being one of the most complex strategy games I've ever played. Over the years the jank parts of it also got ironed out and it's a higly polished, moddable game now (with workshop support!!!), with modernized graphics options, new interface, modern controls...
What makes this one of the most autistic strategy games?
complex damage system instead of just HP for every unit
every unit is a named unique unit with stats for physical and engineering ability
you can level up all of them, making every single soldier like a warcraft 3 hero
highground vision advantage, bushes and crawling like in Commandos
you get RPG choices and branching in the campaign mode
the more soldiers you keep alive the more veterans you'll have for the final mission
1st mission, game is already trying to play mind tricks on you
story is both americans and soviets going back in time 2 million years to cancel the 21st century
Yep, this game is absolute cinema.

One of the most unique RTS games with interesting game mechanics and perfect story. You either never heard of this game or you're life long fan and it's one of your favorite games - there's no between.

Original War, developed by Altar Games and published by Bohemia Interactive, stands as a fascinating relic of early 2000s strategy game design that dared to break from the genre's conventions. Unlike many real-time strategy games of its era that relied on resource-gathering loops and expendable armies, Original War introduced an ambitious blend of tactical warfare, role-playing mechanics, and narrative-driven gameplay set in an alternate history shaped by time travel. While it’s visually dated by modern standards, its core gameplay ideas remain remarkably bold and distinctive, making it a compelling title even decades after its initial release.
The game takes place in a divergent timeline where a mysterious alien substance called Siberite (or Alaskite, depending on the faction) is discovered—one with the potential to revolutionize energy as we know it. The twist, however, is that it’s only found in present-day Siberia but is theorized to exist in abundance in prehistoric Alaska. With the help of an alien artifact called the EON, capable of enabling time travel, both the United States and Soviet Russia launch covert missions to the distant past in a race to control this powerful resource and, by extension, the future of the world. The result is a narrative that balances speculative science fiction with geopolitical tension, offering multiple perspectives through two primary campaigns—one from the American side and one from the Soviet side.
Original War's gameplay diverges sharply from traditional RTS norms. Instead of infinite unit production or replaceable troops, every character under your control is a finite and valuable asset. Soldiers, engineers, scientists, and mechanics all have unique abilities and skill trees, and the death of a skilled unit can have long-lasting consequences. This imbues every mission with a sense of tension, forcing the player to weigh each decision carefully. You can't simply throw wave after wave of troops at a problem—you must use cunning, terrain, and smart planning to overcome your challenges. The RPG elements further deepen this by allowing characters to improve over time, becoming more proficient in their roles and more vital to your success. These characters can even carry over between missions, encouraging players to keep them alive not just for tactical reasons, but for emotional ones as well.
The missions themselves are varied and often complex. Objectives range from straightforward combat operations to intricate scenarios involving escorting convoys, capturing enemy technology, or navigating hostile terrain filled with prehistoric threats. The environment itself plays an active role in the strategy, with wildlife occasionally interfering and natural obstacles influencing movement and base placement. Players must also manage resources like fuel and supplies, which aren’t gathered endlessly but are instead salvaged from the environment or recovered from the enemy. These limitations make the strategy feel grounded and force the player to think several steps ahead.
Despite its ambition, Original War does show its age, particularly in its presentation. The graphics are functional but clearly rooted in early 2000s design, with relatively simple sprite work and limited animation. The voice acting varies wildly in quality, with some performances veering into awkward or overly dramatic territory. Pathfinding issues can also be a persistent annoyance, especially in larger, more complex maps where unit micro-management becomes essential. However, these flaws are largely superficial when compared to the depth of the systems at play, and many long-time fans argue that they add to the game’s charm rather than detract from it.
One of the game’s most innovative features is how narrative and gameplay are interwoven. Dialogue choices and mission outcomes can influence the direction of the story, including character relationships and campaign branches. There are multiple endings based on the player's actions, adding replay value and reinforcing the game's emphasis on consequence. Characters may desert you, grow hostile, or make sacrifices depending on your decisions, creating a storyline that feels reactive rather than scripted. This level of narrative integration was uncommon at the time and still feels unique within the strategy genre.
Over the years, Original War has maintained a dedicated cult following, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. The game’s Steam release and ongoing community support have helped preserve its legacy, with fan patches, mods, and balance tweaks keeping it alive on modern systems. It may not have achieved mainstream success in its time, but its influence and reputation have only grown, especially among players who appreciate games that challenge the norms of their genres.
In hindsight, Original War can be seen as a game ahead of its time. Its blend of strategy, narrative, and role-playing mechanics creates a uniquely personal experience where each unit matters, every choice counts, and the stakes are more than just territory on a map. While it lacks the graphical polish and quality-of-life features of modern RTS titles, its ambitious design and richly imagined setting make it well worth revisiting. For those willing to look past its rough edges, Original War offers one of the most original and rewarding strategy experiences of its era.
Rating: 9/10

An absolute cult classic. Blends RTS and light RPG elements, with interesting resource system.
Great story, with multiple endings (2 campaigns, multiple for both)
And best part - developer shared source code with community, meaning this game is STILL supported, after almost 25 years from release date. Multiplayer is alive, patches are released, it supports modern PC gaming (widescreen even!).
Check it out, you will not regret it.

I had this game on cd before steam existed and i played it till the cd burned out. I love this game. Since getting it on steam it has gone through several updates not only fixing issues but also updating some graphics, such as but not limited to the main menu upgrades, and even added more achievements. it did also fix bugs but i abused most of them so i didnt mind them being there :P

the game doesnt limit you too much in what strategies you can use. there are several mission in which you can, even on the highest difficulty, rush the enemy base with your starting units and wipe them out but this is mostly early to mid game. at least the way i play it is. there are also maps where you just chill, either waiting for triggers to go off or to research / build up a large enough force to take a point. normally later in game when the later tech is in use. i enjoy the game, i dont have to think too much when playing since im just relaxing and i return to it every couple of updates to see whats changed.

as a warning, the game has some branching paths and one of these is significantly harder than the others. have fun. XD

My childhood. Great game. Remaster would be good.. or the Original War 2.