Ageod's Wars of Succession

Lore & Background

Wars of Succession was released on January 25, 2018, and was developed by the French company AGEOD and published by Slitherine Ltd. The game covers the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1713) and the Great Northern War (1700–1721), with a map that includes all of Europe, from the Atlantic to Russia and from Southern Spain to Scandinavia, containing over 5,000 different regions.

Reader's Guide

The game tasks the player with leading the armies of the nations involved in the two major wars, managing logistics, production, attrition, battlefield tactics, and naval warfare. It includes numerous historical leaders such as Charles XII of Sweden, John Churchill (Duke of Marlborough), Prince Eugene of Savoy, and Admiral George Rooke. The game portrays hundreds of historical units, from regular infantry to Winged Hussars, life guard units, various mercenary troops, and ships ranging from small riverine boats to huge ships of the line. Wars of Succession has five separate scenarios: one covering the entire Great Northern War and four dealing with the War of Spanish Succession. Critical reviews were generally positive, with praise for historical accuracy. Big Boss Battle noted that 'the ease of movement, army structuring and information access makes an exceptionally deep strategy game immediately accessible.' A Wargamers Needful Things wrote that 'the game is meat and potatoes for a wargamer and the AGE engine; even if it is long in the tooth, it still gives the wargamer a great experience.' SpazioGames gave it a score of 65, noting that it 'is a real turn based strategy game, but it has some technical problems.'

Did You Know?

• The map includes over 5,000 different regions spanning Europe from the Atlantic to Russia.
• The game has five separate scenarios: one for the Great Northern War and four for the War of Spanish Succession.

Historical Scope and Geographic Breadth

Wars of Succession distinguishes itself among strategy titles by the sheer scale of its historical canvas. Rather than isolating a single conflict, the game interweaves two of the early eighteenth century's most consequential wars: the War of Spanish Succession, which raged from 1701 to 1713, and the Great Northern War, spanning 1700 to 1721. This dual-war framework lets players confront overlapping diplomatic and military crises across an entire continent. The map stretches from the Atlantic coast all the way to Russia, and from the southern reaches of Spain up through Scandinavia, encompassing more than five thousand distinct regions. That granular geographic detail enables a level of territorial control and strategic positioning that few wargames of its era attempt. The net effect is a simulation in which a single campaign can swing from Iberian peninsular warfare to Baltic naval engagements, all within the same overarching European power struggle.

Simulation Depth and Military Detail

At its core, Wars of Succession demands that the player assume the full weight of eighteenth-century command. The simulation layers logistics, production, attrition, battlefield tactics, and naval warfare into a single cohesive system, meaning a victory on the field is hollow without the supply lines and industrial base to sustain it. The roster of historical commanders includes figures such as Charles XII of Sweden, John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, Prince Eugene of Savoy, and Admiral George Rooke, each lending a distinct character to the campaigns they lead. The unit roster is equally expansive, spanning from standard infantry formations to the famed Winged Hussars, elite life guard regiments, and assorted mercenary contingents. On the water, the naval arm ranges from modest riverine craft to massive ships of the line. The game is structured around five distinct scenarios: one dedicated to the full arc of the Great Northern War and four exploring different facets of the War of Spanish Succession.

Development and Release

Wars of Succession was the product of a collaboration between two well-known names in the strategy gaming world. The title was developed by AGEOD, a French studio with a long history of producing grand-strategy wargames, and published by Slitherine Ltd., a company that has become a staple publisher for European strategy titles. The game hit shelves on January 25, 2018, arriving as a modern entry in AGEOD's ongoing line of historical strategy simulations. Its release positioned it as a contemporary offering for players who wanted a deep, region-based wargame covering the early 1700s, a period that had not seen a dedicated AGEOD title in some time. The partnership between a French developer and a British publisher also reflected the broader European ecosystem that sustains the wargame genre, where smaller studios build complex simulations and specialist publishers handle distribution to a dedicated global audience.

Critical Reception and Player Perception

The critical response to Wars of Succession was broadly favorable, with reviewers consistently highlighting the game's commitment to historical fidelity. The gaming news outlet Big Boss Battle singled out how the title balances depth with usability, noting that the ease of movement, army structuring, and information access makes an exceptionally deep strategy game feel immediately approachable. The wargaming blog A Wargamers Needful Things described the title as "meat and potatoes" for the genre's devoted fans, acknowledging that while the underlying AGE engine is no longer young, it still delivers a satisfying experience for those who know what they want from a turn-based wargame. Not every review was unqualified, however. Italian outlet SpazioGames recognized the game as a genuine turn-based strategy experience but flagged certain technical issues, ultimately awarding it a score of 65. The overall picture is one of a respected, if imperfect, entry in a long-running series.