First Bull Run

Lead your troops in desperate, brutal Civil War combat! Fight to end slavery and preserve the Union! Earn promotion through impetuous bravery or tactical brilliance. Stand in the battle line or fix bayonets!

"First Bull Run" is an 88,000-word interactive novel by Dan Rasmussen. It's entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

The fledgling Union Army is yet to meet the Confederates in a major battle. The north expects a swift and decisive victory, but they are overconfident. They will soon discover the brutal, drawn-out nature of industrial warfare.

As a regimental commander in the Union Army, you must navigate a series of desperate decisions to keep your men alive and prevent military disaster. Face down howling artillery shells, massive musket volleys, and vicious hand to hand combat with bayonets and sabers.

Serve alongside the real officers and regiments who fought at First Bull Run in this historically accurate depiction of the battle. Manage twelve real subordinate officers who live or die by your decisions! Will you capture howitzers and turn them on the enemy, or storm their positions with infantry? Will you deploy your companies as skirmishers or concentrate your forces for the attack?

• Customize your character with 30 portraits and 4 distinct backstories--professional soldier, political leader, German revolutionary, or Irish nationalist.
• Personalize your regiment to be from any of 21 different states and territories, all chosen based on historical research.
• Guide the army with a plan of attack. Support exhausted units, try to outflank the enemy, or charge up the middle.
• Balance multiple priorities while under enemy fire. Face real consequences: mistakes will cost lives.
• Keep track of your regiment with a detailed, highly interactive stats screen. • Watch your battalions lose strength with each volley you receive, and see junior officers step up to fill the roles of killed or wounded superiors.
• Attack aggressively or outthink your enemy. Tailor your strategy to the situation. Shoot morale-breaking volleys, fire at will for maximum damage to personnel, or fix bayonets and charge the enemy.
• Select companies to deploy as skirmishers. Split your battalions and delegate command to a subordinate or concentrate your forces for greater strength.

Can you do what it takes to turn the tide of battle and keep your soldiers alive?

Recent changes:
You can now choose a font in the Settings menu. Switch to Helvetica for crisp sans-serif text, or try the OpenDyslexic font, designed against some common symptoms of dyslexia. If you enjoy "First Bull Run", please leave us a written review. It really helps!