Players are military and political leaders trying to lead the troops of their nations (armies and fleets) to victory, while making political and economical/financial decisions throughout the game that affect the outcome.
Most of the individual years of campaign between 1861 and 1865 are playable via a separate scenario. Advanced scenarios allow recreation of yearly and/or theater campaigns.
A sequel, titled Civil War II, was developed by AGEod and published by Slitherine Software. Developed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War,[7] it was released in 2013. The developers partnered with the Civil War Trust, and a portion of proceeds from the sale of the game was donated to the trust.[8]