Spies & Soldiers
Spies & Soldiers is a low fantasy strategy game with procedural content and simple mechanics, providing a hit of pure strategy gameplay without the overwhelming complexity often associated with the genre.
The game is a two-player, turn-based digital board game, based on simple mechanics from which complex strategies arise. Each match plays out across a uniquely generated world map, so every game is different.
Key features include:
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Online head-to-head multiplayer.
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Simple mechanics and complex strategies.
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Fast-paced gameplay.
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Simultaneous turns.
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Procedural maps.
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Single player skirmish mode.
Game Mechanics and Strategy
There are two primary systems: military strength and subterfuge. To grow an empire and win, players must carefully balance both elements. Because a fresh map is created for each game, players also need to adapt their strategies to each new world.
Military strength is represented by Soldiers. They are straightforward and effective, relying on strength of numbers, and are used to take control of the castles that are needed to win. Soldiers combine to form armies, and battles are won by the largest army in a region.
Subterfuge is the domain of Spies. They are more complex than Soldiers, dealing with hidden information, surprise and paranoia. Spies are used to take control of cities, which provide the action points needed to power all activities. They can also turn the tide of battle, assassinate other spies, sabotage castle defenses and more. A spy’s effectiveness is determined by its rank, with the most highly ranked spy in a region having the upper hand. Working from the shadows, spies are hidden and can only be seen by an enemy spy of superior rank.
Read More: Best Asynchronous Multiplayer Procedural Generation Games.
Front Wars
first of im a advanced wars fan and this game is that . there are a few bugs like in the map edit you have probs with putting anything down in the lower left of the screen , but manged to strech click it down in the end . and they don t realy explain what all the buildings do and how many units the transporter carries , and the music can t be muted its just a basic loop repeating all the time and does get anoying after awhile , and the graphics of the game are a bit basic , so why do i give it a thumbs up , well the gameplay is why it does what it says on the tin , the units ai works and there are 3 difficulty options and if you been looking for a no frils advanced wars clone this is it , i used to play this game on this web site like this game and it was basic but gameplay was good but site closed down , this game is like that , and it has a map edit so you can design your own maps which makes the game worth a buy and you can download the maps from other players have nt tried mp cos new game and not many players on but this would be good if more players where on , apart from the few issues i ve had i love this game if you like advanced wars ( cheek it out old game) you will love this , i don t write reviews but i had to tell you about this game , i spent a few hours designing large map played it had fun , speant hours enjoying the game and at the price its a steel and not at a dicount its still a steel , this game is for you if you like turn based war games like me , i have a few of them in my library and this is by far the most easy to use and most stress free game of its type ,and if you can play your freinds it would make the game cool as hell , i d like to thank the devs for makeing this game it has filled the hole of where that game i played on the web has gone , i have been looking for a advanced wars clone for the pc for ages and this is by far the best i v seen its graphics are basic but i it does the job and the gameplay is where it is at and this game has it i would buy this game for double the price , coz its worth it and i m gona recommend it to my friends .
– Real player with 19.8 hrs in game
Good game simple advanced form of " Risk"type strategy. Hitting first gives advantage etc so encourages aggressive play right from start.
To Devs if they still working on this.
AI needs work charges an artillery unit towards 3 heavy tanks….. bad plan.
AI units dont seem to want to take neutral cities for their own benifit.
I suppose good AI is hard to do but if the AI was better I would be happier as I have no friends.
Unit skill advancement be good Veteran units in war are what wins them.
– Real player with 7.2 hrs in game
Battle of the Bulge
Very good game. What I like is the simplicity. You can play this game immediately and have a good game with the AI wrapped up in 30-60 minutes. The real enjoyment is verus other players and PBM. It is a cross of chess and a traditional board wargame. The game is well balanced and both sides will be on offense and defense for roughly half the game. You do need to know the nuances of the rules but they are not overly complex. I hate when I play games that are about say Operation Barbarosa and you have to get down to the detail of how many tires need to be ordered for your motorized units…if you take my meaning. This game does not have that detail. Your big issues will be guessing the enemy’s next move, concentrating your forces for offensive action and sometimes trying to withdraw from sticky situations. Offense and defense both take skill and preplanning. This is because once your forces are committed and engaged it gets hard to unengage and redirect. I feel this is historically accurate.
– Real player with 1319.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Asynchronous Multiplayer War Games.
This is a beautifully designed and executed game, a real gem. It looks great, plays quickly, is well balanced, and offers both sides multiple potential strategies and paths to victory. The PBEM system hosted by Slitherine works well, and a small but dedicated cadre of players is available to challenge you online.
A notable weakness is that the AI is not consistent enough to make a challenging opponent. It can execute quite good moves but as often will make terrible blunders. It also seems to try to play on general “good tactics” criteria but doesn’t seem very concerned with the specifics of the victory conditions, which acts to its disadvantage.
– Real player with 529.8 hrs in game
Concordia: Digital Edition
Great electronic version of the game. There are options that make scoring easier to visualize during the game. The UI allows take-backs before finalizing an action, which is also very helpful. Realtime games would be a great update.
– Real player with 43.6 hrs in game
It’s really addicting. I only play vs AI but it’s just a joy and with my novice experience every game feels close. I would recommend turning off visible scoring to mimic the board game and not make bad decisions looking at short vs long game.
UI could be improved a little bit for me to easily see what I have (housing resource count) at a glance, the various overlays don’t quite do it for me. Maybe there is a better way and I’m just too new.
Music is great though I wish there were some more varied tracks instead of what feels like the long “one” song built in.
– Real player with 37.2 hrs in game
Battle Worlds: Kronos
Summary
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+Turn Based Strategy, Advance Wars style
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+Long campaign (I haven’t finished it yet)
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+Skirmish mode (custom maps)
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+Varied units with slick designs [1]
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+Tactical and challenging
! git gud
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+Map editor [2]
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+DRM free (look into the game folder)
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+Available for Linux (though not the Map Editor)
– Real player with 71.6 hrs in game
Turn-based strategies. It’s hard not to love them. Especially if you’re old enough to remember the genre at its best, when every new Battle Isle game used to make a huge impact. Battle Worlds: Kronos wants you to remember about those times. Unfortunately, it fails to be entertaining enough. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
First of all, the game looks surprisingly cute, while being both nostalgic (even though this game clearly tries to be some sort of Battle Isle spiritual successor, visually it reminds me a lot of 1995 cross-platform game called Return Fire) and fresh. In other words, visually, it’s pretty much exactly what you may want from modern TBS. Nothing groundbreaking, but just good enough to look fine on modern systems.
– Real player with 53.3 hrs in game
Khet 2.0
As promessed, here is an update to my original review. The original is below.
The devs certainly do their best for us. Every bug or question has been answered and followed up and as far as I know, has been solved. The bugs that I have encountered seem to be fixed now.
So thumbs up for the developer!
Read my original message for the rest of the game:
This game certainly has its flaws, but it is a very nice game and its core usually works.
At this time of writing, I experience crashes every time I try to do a rematch. No problem, I go back to the main menu and start a new game. One time, I had a crash mid-game (and I think I was winning). Too bad.
– Real player with 14.3 hrs in game
To summarize in few words - the game is a gorgeous mixture of Chess with Deflektor, taking the best ideas from both. ( (Btw. - does anyone know what the 2nd game is? ;-)
! a computer game for some 8bit machines from 80’s, you may find some free remakes in the net, eg. Deflektor X4)
Funs of lasers and even light sabres will realize soon that there is not much of an FPS here ;-) Just a ‘boring’, almost static board with some 2-colour pieces. And some rules that you have to read about - on how to play and win or lose…
– Real player with 10.5 hrs in game
Barnard’s Star
In the 25th century, humanity began to travel the stars. Barnard’s Star, a mere 6 light-years away and home to the closest habitable exoplanet, was first to be colonized. However, even with the blindingly fast velocity of half the speed of light, the trip takes 12 Earth years. So when the colonists ran into trouble, they were on their own.
The trouble they faced took two main forms. First, their robot companions who served as butlers and guardians staged a rebellion and broke free of their human masters. It got ugly quickly – blood and bolts covered many a space station floor. The second was the Critters: weird, otherworldly brutes from the other side of the galaxy who arrived on the scene shortly after the colonists from a nearby wormhole. The colonists were able to estalish contact them and even tried to enlist their help against the mechanical threat, but negotiations were cut short when the Critter ambassadors ate all the humans they were supposed to be talking to.
These three factions – Humans, Robots, and Critters – are locked in a vicious struggle for control of the galaxy. Now is the time to rise up, lead your faction, and fight for your life. The fate of the universe is in your hands.
Features
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3 factions (Humans, Robots, and Critters) with 7 character classes per faction
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Each character has unique attacks and abilities
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2 maps, each with unique tactical opportunities such as teleporters and destructible cover
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3 layouts for each map, for a total of 6 different playable fields
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Play offline vs. AI or a friend (or even pit two AI’s against each other, if you just want to watch)
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Challenge friends and strangers with online multiplayer
For a comprehensive list of all the fighters in the game and their abilities, see the wiki .
Carrier Battles 4 Guadalcanal - Pacific War Naval Warfare
I know the current “thing” are the RTS type naval games commanding individual or groups with the awesome shoot ‘em up graphics. Carrier Battles isn’t that. It’s Better!
I grew up in the classic era of board games. My favorite genre was/is WWII Pacific. And Specifically Carrier based games. Flat top, Dauntless, War in the Pacific, Pacific War. Then the early PC games; Carrier Strike, Carriers at War, War Plan Pacific,etc. Then finally Grigsby’s War in the Pacific Admiral’s Edition. So I know a great WWII Pacific Carrier Warfare game when I see you!
– Real player with 393.8 hrs in game
I’ve been playing wargames for many years now. When I saw the game published, I thought that it would be one more game of the many that already exist about the war in the Pacific.
Apparently the simplicity of its graphics may make you think that it is not a title that attracts attention, but as you scratch the surface you discover the great potential that lies behind its apparent simplicity.
It seems to me a marvel on the tactical plane. It has a moderate learning curve, but once you get the mechanics and learn to control takeoff times, air navigation, reconnaissance, attack and landings on deck, it is a delight. The timing in all this process is the most complex thing to master in the game, and at the same time it is the key to control the battle.
– Real player with 155.1 hrs in game
Cauldrons of War - Stalingrad
This game is a good sequel for the last game of this series CoW barbarossa and it seems to have improved a lot. The AI seems much smarter in this game than in the last one and there are a lot more actions to do than before.
I intend to play this game for a long time just like I did with Barbarossa.
I RECOMMEND that you check the game out if you are interested in a large scale operational strategy in a WW2 setting.
– Real player with 92.0 hrs in game
Pros- URAAAAAA!
Cons- the 6th Army is surrounded in Stalingrad please send help.
I’ve had the game since the beta dropped, and I’m happy to say I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. It gives fresh perspective to the massive amount of challenges both sides face during 42’, while still being very tasteful or pulling punches, which I respect.
It’s not a game where one strategy works every time, where yesterday’s blitz straight to Stalingrad means today’s attack will also proceed flawlessly. It’s not a game where the AI will sit and let you roll over them; it’s a fight, sometimes for every inch.
– Real player with 58.3 hrs in game
Eclipse: New Dawn for the Galaxy
TL,DR: It is rough around the edges, but it is a worthy implementation of the board game and does scratch the itch for playing it, when you can’t get a real game going. It takes some getting used to.
Longer:
So, I have been waiting for a way to play this game ever since I first came across the boardgame. I have so far only tried the single player version.
The good:
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It is a mostly faithful adaption of the board game’s base game version
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AI is competent enough to make for some interesting games, especially if you are still on the low or middle part of the learning curve
– Real player with 47.7 hrs in game
While the game is mostly implemented correctly I can’t recommend the video game version of this over the boardgame exception as a single player training tool to learn how the different alien races play. I’ve played multiple games online in real time while voice chatting with my friends and we’ve lost count of the number of times the game will locally desync. This leaves the players on the line unsure if their friend is just thinking critically about his next move, or unaware that it’s even their move. The usual fix is that you can just close and reopen the game to rejoin the game session. However, twice now the game has kicked a player out after round 7 and they’ve been unable to see the private game listed in the game lobby. Obviously, whether a game can be completed or not is a huge turn off from even thinking about starting an online game.
– Real player with 42.2 hrs in game