War Stories: A World War 2 RPG is now available to pre-order from the folks at Firelock Games. Gabriel Garcia's Historical roleplaying game puts you in the boots of World War II soldiers and has you battling it out across Normandy and deeper into Axis-held territory.

War Stories: A World War 2 RPG - Core Book // Firelock Games

You and your friends will take on the role of heroic soldiers that parachuted into Normandy during Operation Overlord in June 1944. You could also take on the role of a tank crew that is powering its way through France, pushing back the Axis. Maybe you could even play as war correspondents and underground resistance fighters who are working to document the war and fight in the shadows to undermine the Axis threat.

The purpose here is to create a roleplaying game using the Year Zero Engine (think Tales From The Loop etc) that allows you to tell the stories of normal men and women who did amazingly heroic things in the face of adversity. The game doesn't pull any punches either when it comes to how deadly this can all be.

If you'd like to see an early playtest of the game in action then check out the video down below...

Let's Play: War Stories - A World War II RPG | Firelock Games

...and then an interview with the designers exploring what it was like to bring the game to life.

War Stories: Exploring Roleplaying In World War II | Designer Interview

The game was seriously good fun to play and it felt like they used the Year Zero mechanics to create a game that felt realistic whilst opening up options for storytelling and heroic moments.

Expansions & Accessories

As well as the Core Rulebook that you've seen above, Firelock Games has also introduced a Campaign Book to get you started with some pre-made stories.

War Stories: Rendezvous With Destiny - Campaign Book // Firelock Games

Rendezvous With Destiny has you take on the role of the paratroopers of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the US 101st Airborne Division. You will find yourself dropped deep into German-occupied territory during Operation Overlord.

There is loads of information within for GMs to create stories based around Operation Overlord and the fight to control Normandy. This also means it's going to be a fierce fight and you'll end up facing down against the worst that the Germans can throw at you. Will you find your team, join up and be able to secure your objectives in aid of the war effort?

If you want to go all-in then there are some additional accessories you can pick up. A Weapons Card Deck will give you some quick reference options for when you're in the heat of battle.

War Stories - Weapons Card Deck // Firelock Games

You can also pick up a set of special War Stories Dice that come with special designs on the d6 and d10. They are, for all intents and purposes normal d6 and d10 but they match up to Year Zero mechanics and the need to quickly identify sixes!

War Stories - Dice Set // Firelock Games

They look very cool and I'd be tempted to snap those up just to keep things feeling a little more in-world. You can play with normal dice if you like but I think this adds to the atmosphere at the tabletop.

There is also a GM Screen that comes with that amazing artwork on the cover and LOADS of information on the back allowing you to keep things on an even keel when it comes to the flow of gameplay.

War Stories - GM Screen // Firelock Games

If you want all of this and you are stoked to play War Stories then that's where the All-In Bundle comes in. You can snag this and get your hands on everything Firelock Games have available to pre-order.

War Stories - All-In Bundle // Firelock Games

If you pick up any of the PDF versions of the books OR you go All-In, the digital content will be delivered much earlier to your devices. The physical books, dice, cards and such will then be released properly in Q4 of 2022. So, not too long to wait.

I had good fun when I played War Stories. The team had done a great job of making a game that felt historically realistic whilst also having enough in there to give it that "war movie" feel, adding to the heroics. Because it's based within the real world and features weapons, places and people that are very well-known, it also felt like it was an opportunity to learn about the period.

I am very much looking forward to seeing the final rules and how they have brought this all to life!

Are you going to be snapping this up?