Afghanistan '11
A turn-based wargame focused on counterinsurgency and hearts and minds.
Vladimir Lysenko (I.) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Afghanistan '11 is a turn-based strategy computer wargame from developer Every Single Soldier and publisher Slitherine Software. The player commands a US forward operating base during the War in Afghanistan, with the goal of capturing villages from the Taliban, gaining the trust of the local population, and eventually handing the area over to the Afghan National Army.
The player controls US forces, capturing territory held by the Taliban across an 18-mission campaign or in individual skirmishes. Each game lasts 60 turns. On turn 50, US troops withdraw, leaving the Afghan National Army—which the player has been training—to defend the area until turn 60. Victory requires holding the area and achieving a Hearts & Minds score above 50 by the end.
The Hearts & Minds score rises by disarming IEDs, delivering humanitarian aid, building infrastructure and water systems, and eliminating Taliban fighters. It falls when civilians are killed or when the Taliban raid villages and destroy US structures. A higher score makes locals more likely to share intelligence. Political Points, representing domestic support, are used to deploy new units; these points increase when the Taliban are defeated but decrease when US troops die. Destroying poppy fields also boosts Political Points and weakens the Taliban, though it hurts Hearts & Minds. Random events can occur, such as an Afghan National Army unit deserting or an airstrike accidentally hitting a hospital, which temporarily raises the cost of airstrikes.
The game is a spiritual successor to Vietnam '65 and was designed by Johan Nagel, a former South African soldier with counterinsurgency experience. A DLC pack, Afghanistan 11: Royal Marines, was released on September 6, 2018, adding ten missions, new vehicles, and a mechanic involving civilian vehicles—some of which contain car bombs. In 2018, the game was removed from the iOS App Store for depicting a real government or entity as an enemy. Critics noted that other historical games like Twilight Struggle and Civilization VI remained on the store despite similar content. Slitherine responded by saying Afghanistan '11 is likely the only wargame where killing the enemy is not the main focus.
Reception varied. GameWatcher gave it 7.5/10, praising graphical improvements over Vietnam '65 and unit variety, but criticizing bugs, unclear UI, and shallow gameplay.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Afghanistan '11
- Released
- May 23, 2017
- Developer
- Every Other Soldier
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows / Android
- Modes
- Single-player
- Publisher
- Slitherine Software
- Designer
- Johan Nagel
- Genre
- Turn-based strategy
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Afghanistan '11 was developed in 2017 by Every Single Soldier, with Johan Nagel, a former South African soldier with counterinsurgency experience, as the designer. The game was removed from the iOS App Store in 2018 for depicting a specific real government or entity as enemies, a decision criticized given other historical games like Twilight Struggle and Civilization VI remained. Slitherine responded that Afghanistan '11 is probably the only wargame where killing the enemy is not the main focus.
The DLC pack Afghanistan 11: Royal Marines, released on September 6, 2018, added ten new missions, new vehicles, and a mechanic involving civilian vehicles, some of which contain car bombs. The game's random events include an ANA unit deserting or an airstrike accidentally hitting a hospital, temporarily increasing airstrike costs.
Reader's Guide
Afghanistan '11 models a 60-turn game where the US military withdraws on turn 50, leaving the Afghan National Army to defend until turn 60. Victory requires retaining control of the area and a Hearts & Minds score over 50. The H&M score increases through disarming IEDs, providing humanitarian aid, building infrastructure and waterworks, and eliminating the Taliban; it decreases when civilians are killed or the Taliban destroy infrastructure. Political Points, representing domestic support, are gained by defeating the Taliban and destroying poppy fields, but decrease when US units are killed. Destroying poppy fields also weakens the Taliban but costs H&M. The game received mixed to positive reception: GameWatcher scored it 7.5/10, praising graphical improvements and unit variety but criticizing bugs and poor UI explanations. Rock Paper Shotgun called it 'quietly brilliant' but noted irritants like single save files and no undo. Vice found it refreshing but inferior to Vietnam '65, with overly long, similar missions. Quarter to Three gave a perfect 5-star score, commending historically accurate gameplay changes. Wargamer criticized the game's counterinsurgency model as unrealistic, given the real-world failures of such strategies.
Did You Know?
- The DLC Afghanistan 11: Royal Marines added civilian vehicles that may contain car bombs.
- The designer, Johan Nagel, is a former South African soldier with counterinsurgency experience.
- On turn 50, the US military withdraws and the Afghan National Army must defend until turn 60.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Afghanistan '11?
It is a turn-based wargame developed by Every Single Soldier and published by Slitherine Software in 2017. The player takes command of a US forward operating base during the War in Afghanistan, with gameplay centered on counterinsurgency and winning local support.
What is the core objective in Afghanistan '11?
You work to retake Taliban-held villages, build trust among the civilian population, and stabilize the region so the Afghan National Army can assume responsibility. The design prioritizes a 'hearts and minds' approach over pure military conquest.
How long is the Afghanistan '11 campaign and how does a single game unfold?
The full campaign consists of 18 missions, and each individual game runs for 60 turns. Players can also jump into standalone skirmish scenarios for shorter, self-contained sessions.
What happens when US forces withdraw in Afghanistan '11?
On turn 50, American troops pull out of the area and the Afghan National Army steps in to hold the ground you have secured. Your earlier investments in local trust and village stabilization directly determine whether the ANA can maintain control after the withdrawal.
Why do fans consider Afghanistan '11 notable among 2010s wargames?
It stands out for making civil-affairs and population-trust management the central strategic challenge rather than straightforward unit-on-unit combat. The requirement that your stability gains outlast the US withdrawal adds a long-term planning layer that many wargames of that era simply skipped.
More in Turn-Based Strategy Games of the 2010s 1-24
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