Valiant Hearts : The Great War

Valiant Hearts : The Great War Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a 2D puzzle-adventure set on the WWI Western Front. Follow intertwined characters and their dog companion Walter as you explore, solve stealth puzzles, and uncover a moving story.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Valiant Hearts is a standout puzzle-adventure that drops you onto the Western Front of World War I. You follow a group of soldiers along with their canine companion through a tense, high-stakes journey. Expect vibrant, hand-drawn 2D art and story moments told through the eyes of different characters. Along the way, you’ll interact with items, solve puzzles, and push the plot toward a powerful, thought-provoking conclusion—making it a memorable way to revisit a difficult chapter of history.

Key Features

Graphic-Novel Style Storytelling

The game presents the war using hand-drawn visuals, lively animation, and a clean, minimal UI. Its focus is on themes like duty, separation, and , avoiding sensational shock value. Valiant Hearts won multiple honors at the 2014 Game Awards, including Best Narrative and Most Transformative Game, reflecting its strong writing and presentation.

Fates Interwoven (and a Helpful Dog)

You’ll control several heroes whose stories connect across the conflict. One constant helper is Walter, a loyal dog who supports you in multiple ways. This setup lets you experience the same events from different angles, keeping the gameplay varied.

• Retrieve objects you can’t reach directly.
• Slip through tight spaces to reach hidden spots.
• Assist with obstacle-solving to keep each scene moving.

Exploration, Puzzle Solving, and Stealth

Valiant Hearts mixes straightforward exploration with item-based puzzles and stealth sections. Typically, you’ll need to locate items, combine them to clear routes, and time your actions to avoid patrols or other dangers. Rather than constant combat, the game shifts between these systems so chapters flow at a steady pace.

Historical Context and Optional Reading

The game recreates major battle locations such as the Marne and Somme rivers. It also includes optional articles created with help from Apocalypse: World War I and Centenary 14–18. These entries add context about daily life, military gear, and well-known battles of the era. You can open them from the pause screen or the collection menu as the story progresses.

How the Game Plays

In this side-scrolling puzzle adventure, you guide one of four heroes who help a young German soldier navigate a trench maze to find his lover. The playable characters are:

• Émile (Frenchman)
• Karl (German son-in-law)
• Freddie (American soldier)
• Anna (Belgian nurse)

And don’t forget Walter. Interact with people, objects, and Walter himself to uncover answers to the puzzles. Keep progressing, collect items, learn more about the realities of war, and sometimes infiltrate enemy territory.

Helpful Tips

• Launch the game, select a save slot, then pick a chapter or mini-drama from the story screen. The opening animation sets the scene and shows your current goal.
• Use the on-screen joystick or directional keys to move. Tap interactive prompts to pick up items, read notes, or activate levers. Follow visual cues to move through each area.
• When you find items, open your inventory and combine or place them when needed.
• If you get stuck, look closely at nearby prompts, signs, or sound cues—they usually point you to the next action.
• If an item is out of reach or a switch is blocked, call for Walter. Tap the dog icon, aim at the target, and wait for the action to finish—especially near hazardous zones.
• During stealth moments, watch patrol patterns, stay behind cover, and move only when enemies aren’t looking.
• Between levels, you can open the collectibles/history menu to read optional backstory without disrupting the main narrative.

User Reactions

• “It’s an amazing game. I find it nostalgic. The gameplay feels comforting and gives detail about how subtle life could have felt during and after the war. I first watched a YouTuber play it when I was 11, and since then it’s stayed among my favorite games.”



• “I really enjoyed it. The controls were a bit sticky on my phone, but it didn’t reduce my overall experience. It’s unique and creative to have a WWI game with a message we can still learn from today—more than just a ‘war’ game. It’s about friendship, equality, courage, and love.”
• “Great story continuation and a must-play. I hope the port comes to PC so it can shine. I also hope we eventually get a proper sequel, since the original teased one set in WWII. The only complaint: there don’t seem to be enough achievements.”