Today you can play the demo of the next gen World War 2 wargame - Task Force iral. A Kickstarter is being launched to fund a 1990s-style boxed edition

Task Force iral is a nostalgic throwback for all strategy fans. This Indie war sim is bringing WW2 naval and aerial combat back in style.

Olga Racinowska

February 18, 2025 03:30

Today you can play the demo of the next gen World War 2 wargame - Task Force iral. A Kickstarter is being launched to fund a 1990s-style boxed edition Source: Task Force iral; Developer: Drydock Dreams Games.

Calling me a fan of strategy war games is putting it lightly – I’m all in! So, when I heard that Task Force iral is getting a 90s-style big box (which, by the way, I have a solid collection of), my mind was blown. This single-player aircraft carriers sim, packed with incredible detail, drops you into the early Pacific War of 1942. The demo is available now on Steam, and a Kickstarter is launching soon to bring that glorious Big Box edition to life.

Task Force iral blends wargaming & simulation in the most authentic way yet

Task Force iral is a single-player war sim coming in 2025, delivering deep strategy and realism by blending wargaming with full 3D simulation. No dice rolls, no artificial stats – just real-time decision-making, historical authenticity, and intense naval-air combat. With over 90 ship classes, 40 aircraft types, and 30+ historical and hypothetical scenarios, it looks like one of the most detailed WW2 naval command games ever. Task Force iral is like a love letter to classic naval sims like Carriers at War and Pacific Air War.

Source: Task Force iral

We step into the shoes of a U.S. Navy flag officer, making real-time decisions from the flag plot with an advanced fog of war system, or switch to a classic top-down view with flexible camera controls and customizable realism settings. We can relive legendary battles of 1942, commanding historical ships and squadrons with authentic camouflages and markings. We can also our own carrier battles using the mission builder and scenario generator or replay key moments with the 3D post-battle system.

Here’s a glimpse at the fighter combat module being tested in the game.

Strategy and Wargaming got an early hands-on with the demo and shared exclusive first impressions, concluding that:

I would like to emphasise how authentic and massive everything feels in this game, and how much freedom there is for experimentation with different tactics that stray way from their historical counterparts…

…It’s hard to put into words how impressed I was with Task Force iral, because it feels like a next-gen wargame, if that’s even a thing.

And now the best part, that always buys my attention. Task Force iral is a true indie ion project, built by just a handful of dedicated people at Drydock Dreams Games: iral (producer), Julien (illustrator), Rizki (3D artist), and at the heart of it all, Jean-Baptiste, the mastermind behind it all and Lead Dev.

The classic Big Box dream

To mark the launch of Task Force iral, the developers are soon launching a Kickstarter campaign that will feature multiple reward tiers:

Digital Edition & Deluxe Version: The base game via Steam key, plus a variety of digital extras, all redeemable at launch.
Big Box Physical Edition: A true MicroProste-style 90s throwback, packed with a manual, historical supplements, posters, postcards, and all the nostalgic goodness fans of Task Force 1942 or 1942: Pacific Air War will love.
Mega Box (Deluxe Physical Edition): Everything from the Deluxe Digital Edition, but in physical form: stunning art books, a digipack for the soundtrack, and re-edited US Navy doctrine manuals from the era.

The Big Box edition - a retro treat for strategy fans!

But that’s not all! If we want to go all in, there’ll be some exclusive goodies: limited edition prints, challenge coins, or even getting our own likeness features in the game!

For more of the Kickstarter campaign and latest updates of Task Force iral be sure to check their X, Bluesky, or YouTube channel.