Panzers on the Steppe
Panzers on the Steppe (c) is a turn-based two-player historical war game that is played on a hex grid using a double-impulse movement and combat system, with many features that make it fast to play and easy to enjoy:
– WWII Eastern Front campaign simulation
– Large 43 x 34 Game map covers European Russia and adjacent regions
– Overrun attacks and adjustable initial attack shock level
– Army/corps level units for Russian, German, and allied forces
– Leaders, headquarters, partisans, workers, and tactical air
– Supply, weather and terrain effects, rail and sea movement
– Reinforcements and replacements automatically scheduled
– Movement, retreat, air attack and paratroop drop range displays
– Comprehensive movement and retreat undo capability
– Flexible, fast multiple-unit combat resolution
– Campaign and yearly progress victory conditions
– Save and reload games from your game library
– Automatic game snapshots for replay and alternate scenarios
– Game log and statistics export for spreadsheet analysis
– Single-computer (2-player), local network, and play-by-email modes
– Available for Windows and MacOS
– Full details in the Game Manual
Game Discussion
Steam User 18
PotS is a nice game, no simulation like GG's WitE, but in general an enjoyable experience with abstract modelling of certain aspects like German air superiority, the capture of additional oil fields in Maikop and near Grozny will deliver more German armor corps in the next replacement phase. Also Soviet industrial capacity is nicely included in Form of "workers", which are more or less what factories are. It's pretty fast paced and can be played in one evening. Game modes are hot seat mode, pbem (no server) against the AI, which is way better than in WitE, although no challenge for the experienced wargamer. All in all I would highly recommend the game and if you're interested, you can read the manual, if it suits you.
Steam User 0
I am not a novice to war games although I would not classify myself as an expert either. I finally finished this game with an axis win in January 1945, having attained all required objectives against the Russian AI. After having attempted to play the board game version of The Russian Campaign (Basis for this game) several times but not able to finish more than a few turns each time for a variety of reasons, it was very rewarding to complete this campaign.
This computer version eliminates much of the tedious bookkeeping that the board game requires and the Russian AI was very challenging at different times during the game. I believe that the rules are explained very well and are a faithful representation of the board game.
The game is over priced and offers little "eye candy"....the map is very basic , faithfully recreating the board game map. In my opinion if the programmer had embellished the visual presentation, it would have perhaps justify the price.
Overall, if you were fascinated by the board game but unable to play it for whatever reason, this computer version is a very viable option. I encourage Demetrious to update this game and try his hand at others as I believe that it is very enjoyable for gamers like me who perhaps don't have adequate physical environments to play large board games.