Image credit: Slitherine

You may have heard that the pen is mightier than the sword, but did you know that the pencil is mightier than the 7th Panzer Division? Here is Battleplan to educate us on the subject. In this WW2 real-time strategy game , you issue orders by drawing on a big pseudo-paper map based on geographical survey data. Then you sit back and watch as thousands of troops, tanks, planes and artillery wotsits strive to transform your arbitrary doodles into actual conquered territory.

While you don't control units directly in Battleplan, the devs say there's a lot of nuance to the pencilling. It's not just writing "PLS BOMB XOXOXOX" over the nearest enemy supply dump: you can try your hand at curving breakthrough attacks, planned withdrawals, preparatory bombing runs, reconnaissance, counterattacks, and other such majestic strategickal balderdash.

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You'll also apparently want to spend a lot of time organising your forces before (re)drawing any frontlines.…