Winter Falling is a free browser game that reenacts the Battle of Winterfell

(Image credit: Arek Rebacz)

If you stalwartly stuck with Game of Thrones until its finale a few months back, you'll know how the Battle of Winterfell ends. I don't. I read the books several years ago and refused to watch the show for reasons I can't explain so now I'm feeling quite left out.

But in Winter Falling, a short browser game very heavily based on Game of Thrones' finale, I can decide for myself how the battle goes. Or I would, if I were skilled enough to win on purpose. For now I'll claim that I meant to bring a fresh new perspective to the story by repeatedly losing in a total rout.

Game designer Arek Rebacz got to work on this fan project for his collection of small personal projects after finding fault with HBO's epic battle portrayal. "I was so disappointed with their Hollywood representation of a battle that I made my own little battle simulator," he says in the game's description on Newgrounds.

Winter Falling is relatively simple, allowing you to place trenches and several types of units prior to battle. You'll also make a few decisions about whether to let your army rest or build trenches, how many support troops to call in, and whether to have your defenseless civilians join in battle with the army. The battle moves nearly faster than I can make any intelligent decisions. White walkers converge on my meager handful of units, tearing through my single cavalry unit before it can retreat.

There are a few skills available on the right bar that go on cooldown timer after used. You can command your cavalry or infantry to charge, call down dragon breath for an area of effect, or attempt to set your own trenches on fire as a last ditch effort. The very bottom skill, "PLOT ARMOR!", is what I really need to figure out how to unlock.

"Can you defend Winterfell better than Game of Thrones screenwriters could?" Asks Rebacz in the game description. Maybe? I guess I won't know until I swallow my pride and watch this dang show. You can try Winter Falling yourself on Newgrounds.

Lauren has been writing for PC Gamer since she went hunting for the cryptid Dark Souls fashion police in 2017. She accepted her role as Associate Editor in 2021, now serving as self-appointed chief cozy games and farmlife sim enjoyer. Her career originally began in game development and she remains fascinated by how games tick in the modding and speedrunning scenes. She likes long fantasy books, longer RPGs, can't stop playing co-op survival crafting games, and has spent a number of hours she refuses to count building houses in The Sims games for over 20 years.