A fun fact about me is that I have an Master’s degree in War Studies. Before I was writing about videogames I wrote my dissertation of allohistorical (alt-history) fiction and its relationship with World War II, looking at book turned movie Look Who’s Back (Er ist wieder da) specifically. As a result, I have a complex view on alternative histories that I could write 17,000 words on, but don’t worry, I won’t do that here. Instead, I’ll introduce you to Sumerian Six, a weird yet wonderful WWII-set RTS that has me set to break away from my somber WWII traditions.
“Kammler is really trying to summon a demon from another dimension? What a twat.” This is the opening to the RTS game‘s trailer, and honestly, I almost projectile spat my coffee across my desk. Set in 1944 at the height of World War II, you’re thrust into the various shoes of the Sumerian Six, a group of scientists that have been sent behind enemy lines to take down the Nazis as they, well, try to summon monsters. Think Indiana Jones, but with more goo.
You’ll choose from a roster of six characters (no shocker there), including Rosa Reznick, an exiled scientist with a penchant for melting people, and Wojtek the werebear, a hulking beast that’s no doubt inspired by the Syrian brown bear that a Polish regiment adopted in 1942.
Each character has their own unique approach to things – Rosa, as I mentioned, uses chemicals to turn people into slime, where Wojtek prefers to take down enemies head-on with a set of nasty-looking claws.
Games play out in real-time, akin to Command and Conquer and Age of Empires. You’ll be able to chain together abilities to unleash devastating combinates on hordes of twisted, infected Nazis, raining hell on their fiendish parade. As you progress you’ll visit new locations inspired by real-life counterparts, and delve into a world where conspiracy, folklore, and pure evil collide.
Despite my degree, I’ve never really been someone for war games. I’ve never liked Call of Duty, and even the over-the-topness of Command and Conquer never really appealed to me. Following Ed’s comments that Conscript is the best horror game of 2024, however, I’m slowly coming around to wartime-set adventures, and Sumerian Six is now very much on my ‘must-play’ list.
But it turns out you don’t have to wait; the Sumerian Six Steam demo is live right now. If you played it back at Steam Next Fest, your previous saves will “most likely, not be compatible,” but Artificer has added a slew of improvements to “make for a more enjoyable Nazi-hunting experience.” You can download it right here.
If you’ve already completed the demo and love all things history, we have a list of all the best WW2 games. Alternatively, if you’re looking for something a little more serious, we have a guide to some of the most hardcore simulation games, too.
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