WW2 Rebuilder

After the world's most significant armed conflict runs its course, who's left to pick up the scraps? You, of course. At least, that's the premise of WW2 Rebuilder: a title that puts you in command of the renovating efforts in Europe after World War 2.

While most games set in the period involve some form of complex warfare and the like, this unique simulator game lets you renovate an entire continent after the war has left it ravaged. Fixing instead of destroying is a bold take on WW2 – one that, in all honesty, should've been explored before in this setting.

Turn Over a New Leaf

WW2 Rebuilder is a game where the player takes the role of a worker living in post-WW2 Europe. Their task will be to restore buildings and infrastructure in Italy, France, and Germany to their pre-war glory. It might sound daunting, but the game makes a great effort to turn a tragic event into an entertaining building simulator.

Have you ever thought "well, House Flipper is pretty cool, but it would be even cooler if it was set in post-WW2 Europe"? If that's the case, then WW2 Rebuilder is the game for you.

The title features many of the same gameplay elements that make House Flipper so inexplicably addictive, like painting and redecorating spaces – only this time it's on a much more chaotic landscape.

Still, it's not all building and picking up trash in WW2 Rebuilder. Some of the war-torn buildings you come across are irreparably damaged, leaving you with just one option: demolition. As much as this is a game about restoring a continent to its former glory, WW2 Rebuilder sure does a great job being a satisfying demolition simulator.

Tear Down the House

When it comes to demolishing damaged structures, the game stops being a House Flipper clone and becomes something more akin to Teardown, complete with the satisfying demolition physics.

Buildings and walls react in real-time to an outside force, breaking and crumbling before the might of your machines. You just can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs, right?

Still, it's not all fun and games in WW2 Rebuilder. Besides a sandbox simulation game, the title also has a light narrative component that ties together the many missions you'll undertake in the game's campaign.

You'll be tasked with finding a woman's husband who was lost in Hamburg. This eventually becomes the main reason why you're even cleaning the streets of Europe, giving the game the usual drama narrative that comes with every WW2-era video game. It's not on the same level as, say, This War of Mine, but it still gives the title a satisfying story that's worth playing.

All being said, WW2 Rebuilder offers a unique take on a very common setting for a video game, throwing in a highly addictive gameplay loop into the mix for good measure.

Pros

• Impressive visual
• Amazing physics and debris simulation
• Engrossing narrative that serves as the conductor for the whole campaign

Cons

• While it's good to keep you hooked, the story can feel a bit unnecessary at times
• Some minor performance issues, even on relatively new hardware
• UI design might be a bit archaic for new players