Games set during World War 2 are a dime a dozen, and it's been that way for over two decades. But the same isn't quite true for the Great War that preceded it. Though World War 1 has been the focal point of major successes like Battlefield 1 and Valiant Hearts, it's still quite rare to see a game choose the War to End All Wars over the Second World War. Naturally, this means that any new entry in the limited WW1 video game scene is watched very closely by enthusiasts, and Vitar Games' Dig In should be the next title on their radar.
The Best War Games recently had the opportunity to speak with some of Vitar Games' founding members and go hands-on with its WW1 strategy-management game, Dig In, which the game's director described as "RimWorld meets Company of Heroes." Though it was a very early build, Dig In showed some real promise, with it being willing to take some big risks when it comes to the gameplay conventions of the strategy genre.
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A Top-Level Overview of Dig In's Gameplay
At the top level, Dig In is a World War 1 strategy-management game that sees players become commanders of the Allied forces. Dig In's gameplay loop revolves around trench creation and troop management, with both components offering a surprising amount of depth, even in the game's pre-alpha state.
Players begin by digging a trench near their headquarters. Soldier groups who have been assigned to work will automatically begin to dig the trench, while those assigned to guard will ensure they're not ambushed by the Central Powers. Once the trench has been dug out, players will be able to customize it with an assortment of fortifications, such as a step that allows soldiers to shoot over the top of the trench, sandbags that will offer extra protection from oncoming fire, and machine guns that can cut down enemy troops in seconds. If players want troops to occupy the trench, they'll need to place a handful of guard posts in the ditch, being careful to point them in the direction of potential enemy ambushes.
The general goal of Dig In is to try and gradually take control of the entire battlefield, and the key to achieving this is patience and careful planning. Players need to tentatively creep their way up the battlefield bit by bit, as if they venture too far out they risk being attacked by hidden Central Powers soldiers who could be lurking anywhere.
Dig In's Innovative Runner Mechanic
Trench construction is key to Dig In's gameplay loop, but so is troop management. Most real-time strategy games see players clicking on their units, clicking on a spot on the map, and watching as their troops march there immediately. Dig In puts a rather unique spin on this core RTS mechanic.
In an attempt to make players feel like an army commander and not an omnipotent god, Dig In requires players to use a Runner system, where one soldier carries the player's orders across the battlefield in real time. A good example of this Runner system in action is during one of Dig In's large-scale Assaults.
If players have earned enough Command Points, they'll be able to issue an army-wide Assault. They'll be prompted to select which platoons are participating in the charge, where they'll be attacking from, which POI they'll be attacking, and most importantly, what time that attack will take place. Once decided, a Runner will take these orders to each of the platoon leaders, a process that could take quite some time depending on how spread apart the player's army is. Once these orders have been delivered, they can't be easily revoked, so players need to plan their attacks very carefully.
It's going to take a lot of time for long-time RTS fans to wrap their heads around this Runner system, but it's easily Dig In's most innovative feature and one that could pave the way for a wealth of memorable moments that come from the emergent gameplay.
Though we didn't get too much time to explore it, Dig In will feature a sprawling research tree that will eventually offer players better trench defenses, more advanced weaponry, more efficient ways to transport crafting materials, and even vehicles like rudimentary tanks.
How Dig In Merges Brutality and Humanity
Though they're few and far between, games set during World War 1 tend to have a similar gritty art style that relies on dark and muted grays, greens, and browns for their color palette. Dig In sets itself apart once again by featuring a surprisingly bright and even cheerful aesthetic that uses cartoony character models and cel-shaded environments.
According to Vitar Games' lead artist (who accompanied The Best War Games during its hands-on preview), this art style is deliberately designed to evoke the messaging of early WW1 propaganda, where the war was being portrayed as an honorable conflict being fought by civil gentlemen. Of course, World War 1 ended up being one of the most brutal and bloody wars in human history, and Dig In uses its cartoony art style and gameplay features to show that extreme juxtaposition.
Soldiers die quickly in Dig In. When they're dead, they're gone for good, and their bodies stay on the ground as a permanent reminder of the player's failures as a commander. This juxtaposition is further reinforced by Dig In's weather and season systems, which will see soldiers contracting Trench Foot, dying from starvation, and even suffering from severe psychological issues. To top it off, each of Dig In's in-game soldiers comes equipped with their own distinct name, background, and occupation that they had prior to the war. This splash of personality goes a long way in forging a human connection between the player and their soldiers, which can quickly lead to heartbreak in this unforgiving theater of war.
Dig In Still Has a Ways To Go
From the little time we had to play Dig In, it's clear that Vitar Games has something special in the works. The innovative Runner system, the deliberate dichotomy of the game's art style and tone, and the elaborate trench-building system all set Dig In apart from other WW1 games out there. But the game is far from finished.
When trying to put fresh spins on genre staples, players must be given clear instructions. Dig In needs to ship with a dedicated tutorial. Dig In's UI could also use quite a bit of work, with players being bombarded with a ton of information on-screen at any one time. Some important features were also missing during this pre-alpha hands-on session, such as the ability to cancel work-in-progress trenches, which led to an unfortunate – albeit hilarious – soft lock where our troops wouldn't stop rushing into enemy gunfire. Still, there's plenty of time left for Vitar Games to get Dig In ready to ship. Dig In is currently aiming for a Steam Early Access launch in September 2026.
A public demo for Dig In will be available on Itch.io on June 23 for 10 days.
Dig In is slated for a September 2026 release on PC in Steam Early Access. The Best War Games was provided with travel and lodging.