Ash of the Front

Marshal Weyland finishes the briefing, you pick a squad, point at the ground, and your gas-masked soldiers run there, firing as they go. That's your first ten seconds in Ash of the Front, and it sets the tone.

The war has ground down the Valley of Sorrow for forty years. The Ash Corps holds the valley, the Rust Legion is coming through, and Calder, the last city where the lights still burn, sits behind you. It's a grim real-time strategy game in a fictional dieselpunk world, with tanks and artillery to command alongside the infantry.

The campaign runs 12 missions: breakthroughs, last stands, tank battles, a raid with no reinforcements and a citadel siege. Hundreds of soldiers share the field. Infantry goes prone, rushes, and occupies houses to fire from the windows. If you like your mission games with a grim streak, this one has plenty. It's free, it's one player, and it runs in your browser.

Lead your companies through the 12-mission campaign and hold the Valley of Sorrow against the Rust Legion.

Tap a squad to select it, then tap the ground and it runs there, firing on the move. Tap a building and the company occupies it and fires from the windows. One finger pans the map, two fingers zoom. On the right, the All button selects your whole army, and Line lets you draw a firing line.

Tip: listen to Marshal Weyland's briefing before each mission, and tuck your infantry into buildings when you can.