Guardians of Gridvale
Push enemies into water or set them on fire. Use the environment and smart positioning in this tactical, turn based RPG. Enemies telegraph their moves and an optional timing mini-game decides the damage of your attacks. Equip and level up your heroes and take control of the Guardians of Gridvale!
Use the environment
Push enemies into the water, blow up rocks to make shortcuts, freeze water to create bridges, stand on hills to extend the range of your projectile attacks or set grass on fire and enjoy watching the world burn.
Optional Timing based attacks
While dice rolls can be fun and all, missing that 99% shot can feel worse than a kick in the family jewels. The swingmeter let’s you use your timing and skill to determine the result of your attacks instead! Don’t worry if your reflexes sucks though. The Guardians of Gridvale never “miss”. Even botched attacks do some amount of damage. You can turn this off if you prefer a more traditional, random damage system.
Peek into the future
Enemies clearly show who they will attack and change their target as you make your moves so you don’t have to waste actions based on crazy guesses and hearsay. Plan accordingly! Enemy about to slaughter your fragile bard? Take the enemy out first or move the bard into the woods to increase her defense and mitigate damage.
Unique skill trees
Each hero has their own unique skill tree that you can tweak to suit your play style. Don’t like to play defense? Then turn your pacifist cleric into a bloodthirsty mass-murderer that leaves piles of corpses in his wake… Well, maybe not exactly like that but you get the point!
Go camping
All heroes need to relax and clear their heads a little between sessions of stomping baddies and what better way of doing that than going camping? Rest and tend to your wounds, hang out with friends or sharpen your weapons to make stabbing poor goblins an even more satisfying experience! It’s your camp and your heroes, so you decide how they should waste their time.
Other features
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Fast paced turn based combat. No need to go and make coffee while waiting for excruciatingly slow animations to complete.
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Customizable difficulty. Make the enemies frail like soft tissue paper or reduce their damage. If your reflexes are a thing of the past you can always make the timing mini-game go slower or turn it off completely and rely on random damage. I won’t stop you if you want to make the game harder either.
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Classic 2D perspective and old school pixel art. Grandparents generally can’t handle rotating cameras nor fancy “3D” graphics so I made a game that works for them too!
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A story full of idiots and stupid jokes. Who said that saving the world needs to be boring, dark and dull?
Read More: Best Strategy RPG Pixel Graphics Games.
Guile & Glory: Firstborn
I just completed Guile & Glory: Firstborn (it took me 17 hours – story + delve runs), and I had a great time adventuring in the Drowned Lands. If you like turn-based tactics games, and if fighting epic battles against mythical beasts gets your blood pumping, you should definitely pick this game up.
Guile & Glory: Firstborn is described by its dev as being inspired by Into the Breach (gameplay) & the Golden Axe series (atmosphere), and this is exactly what the game delivers.
– Real player with 33.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best Strategy RPG 2D Games.
A lot of people compared this to Into the Breach, but it’s really more like Deadly Rooms of Death for people who aren’t masochists. Like DROD, there’s no miss chance, no random choices from the AI, and no excuses besides your own incompetence if you get yourself killed. But unlike DROD, you can level up, change your loadout, or even take a hit and accept a lower score. There are outcomes in between “choose exactly the sequence of steps the dev intended” and “die horribly,” and the bonus objectives encourage excellence without mandating it.
– Real player with 10.7 hrs in game
Strike Team Gladius
Strike Team Gladius is a typical Wave Light game, and in my book that’s a good thing. The story serves as the framework for the game campaign’s 40 combat missions, so it’s all about building a team and tactical combat. Finishing the campaign twice took me about 100 hours.
There are 12 different classes, each with a male and a female version. They all have different stats, skills and abilities. You choose 6 of them and off you go. After each mission your units get EXP points and after roughly 5 missions they get an upgrade - if you can keep them alive, that is.
– Real player with 145.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Strategy RPG 3D Games.
Update:
The game has improved tremendously in early access and a lot of the rough edges have been removed. And the difficulty curve has been mostly smoothed out. A tutorial has also been added that helps quite a bit in getting the player oriented. Two new classes (exo armor troopers) were also added an are a lot of fun! And now it is out of early access!
Definitely recommended for fans of tactical turn based games!
Original Review:
Strike Team Gladius is a solid squad based strategy game by WaveLight games. Your 6 squad members will fight aliens in a variety of outdoor environments, with a large variety of allies and enemies. It is currently in early access and has some rough edges, but progress has been fast on sanding them down. Definitely worth a buy if you are a squad based strategy fan!
– Real player with 119.9 hrs in game
Tactical Vanguard Saga
Nice game sofar,, but right now it seems only the first Mission is playable, it will not let me continue to the next Map after the 1st intermission.
For a Game that lasted less than 30 minutes 4€ is a bit much, hope it will bne updated in Future with more Missions.
For now sadly i cannot recommend it
– Real player with 0.9 hrs in game
A slightly-edited worked example of TShadowKnight’s SRW Engine MV, featuring some unique assets but just one stage that’s all of 15 minutes long. So, this is blatantly unfinished crapware trying to get money out of people by promising a game but then not actually creating the game.
Can’t recommend buying this for any reason.
– Real player with 0.3 hrs in game
Age of Fear 5: The Day of the Rat
The adventure begins as the Undead King meets his end by Sir Edward’s blade. Indulf Blackheart, mercenary leader in the Undead Legion, must balance his need for bloody revenge with his thirst for wealth and power. Together with the young witch Lexa, the dashing Black Knight Indulf sets out on a quest of infamy to plunder the realm’s riches and build a criminal empire to call his own. With allies in short supply, a previously unseen faction lurking in the sewers may prove to be the key to the Black Knight’s dark dream…
AGE OF FEAR is a long-running series of fantasy turn-based strategy games loved by fans for its tabletop wargame battle system and in-depth RPG customization (scroll down for a list of features).
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1647938873
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2065806851
FEATURE LIST
⭐NON-LINEAR CRIMINALITY - pick your assignments and loot King William’s lands for all they’re worth. Forge your way through a twisted plot into the realm’s seedy underbelly!
⭐CRAFTING - collect ingredients from enemies and environment, and craft all the most powerful artifacts!
⭐INVISIBILITY - are you tired of enemies seeing all your moves? Cast a spell and whoop… you disappeared. However, the AI can do it too.
⭐HEX-FREE BATTLES - test your tactics with a novel movement system where size matters and units aren’t constrained by artificial grids!
⭐OPEN WORLD - are you bored with the main storyline? No worries, you can always take a side-quest or play procedurally-generated battles. Play this game as you want!
⭐GLOBAL EVENTS that occur while exploring the World Map, à la Battle Brothers. This feature is still being developed and could serve to provide more lore and fun unit interactions conditional on the player’s party!
⭐FACTION BASES which can be upgraded as you explore the Age of Fear world. Investing in base upgrades will unlock additional recruitable units, skills and locations to explore!
⭐MERCENARIES - recruit your troops from multiple races and factions! Will a Dwarven Warrior work with a bloodthirsty Orc?
⭐ALIGNMENTS such as Evil and Holy. Units from opposite sides won’t like each other and may desert. A bit of diplomacy (or charisma!) is needed to manage such relationships.
⭐EXTENDED STORY including many sub-quests, optional events, alternative endings, more detailed lore, etc.
⭐FREQUENTLY UPDATED - we take our work seriously and patch our games often with new features and content. Also, whenever possible, those updates are back-ported to all our previous games!
⭐COMMUNITY-DRIVEN - we listen to our players and continuously improve! Go and check our forums, everyone has their say and we implement those suggestions.
⭐FULL OF JOKES - who said strategy games have to be serious? All the best fantasy jokes have a home here!
⭐PARTY CUSTOMIZATION - build and upgrade a custom army from more than two hundred unique units, skills and spells (but be aware of racial animosities!).
⭐DEEP BATTLE MECHANICS - learn the basics in a hurry, then develop new strategies around a huge variety skills, spells and battle hazards like neutral factions and environmental effects (yes, you can anger bystanders!).
⭐EASY TO MOD - create your own missions, or even full-fledged campaigns, to be shared with the Steam community!
⭐FANTASY STORYTELLING - get wrapped up in a spectacular storyline featuring a motley crew of characters, globetrotting adventures and fantasy shenanigans galore. All hand-illustrated!
⭐PERMANENT DEATH - accept the grim realities of death where all units that fall in battle stay dead… unless an evil Necromancer raises them as Zombies.
⭐ARTEFACTS AND RELICS - discover numerous unique weapons, armours, potions and treasures, with the rarest granting powerful OP skills and stat bonuses.
⭐ADVANCED AI - our AI is built upon a self-organizing network of agents and meta-heuristics algorithms (yes, we are PhD-smart!). Discover one of the most sophisticated AI systems you’ve ever played against!
⭐LOW HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS - run the game even on that old potato laptop of yours. Your stone-age computer is good enough!
⭐COLOR-BLIND MODE - a special mode with higher contrast and outlined fonts.
⭐**…everything else we come up with!** Purchase only if you want access to the latest features in the Age of Fear series, and please keep in mind that this is an evolving product.
If you’re hungry for a no-nonsense, old school turn-based strategy game, you’ve met your match in the Age of Fear series. Enter the fantasy world of Age of Fear today!
Lost Patrol
As a kid, I used to play this game on the Commodore Amiga when it first came out….it was frustratingly hard, but had a good story and was really atmospheric (including the music).
When I saw it on Steam, I was really excited and looked forward to trying out an ‘old classic’ again.
Unfortunately, the game has no sound and the controls (after figuring them out) can only be described as horrendous, at best. No mouse, no instruction, no music, and I’m sure a couple of the features don’t work. Such a shame - not a good version of the game.
– Real player with 3.2 hrs in game
War of Velana
War of Velana is a single player 16-bit RPG that combines world exploration and interaction with an orthographic grid-based tactical battle system. In many ways, War of Velana is in many ways a spiritual successor to the Shining Force series on the Sega Genesis. Elements of those games are the core, and combine with some design ideas from Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics to create a new tactical experience. In War of Velana, your characters have static classes and gain a variety of skills and equipment upgrades as you progress through the game. In between combat, you’ll be able to explore and interact with the world around you.
Setting:
The world of Velana, in its current state, has four nations:
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Alta, a royal kingdom of sprawling green fields, meadows, and riverlands.
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Kovell, a nation with a wide plain of autumn-gold, a dark forest, and a northern tundra.
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Ishdar, a small desert island nation of artisans and warriors to the far east.
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Jakka, a jungle archipelago with towering mountains and devout monasteries.
Story:
Our story starts in Alta near the foothills of the Goravia Ridge, outside the small village of Pell. A pair of hunters close in on their mark. As they make their way back to the village, they run into Jon, a trader who frequents the northern roads. They help him repair his cart, but quickly realize that bandits have taken over their home. Events continue to unfold, the party bears witness to a mysterious encounter and potential sparks of a new war.
Characters:
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Arnen, a hunter from Pell Village. He is skilled with a bow and keen to help people. Arnen lives with his sister, Karissa.
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Krell, a hunter alongside Arnen. He wields an axe and is learning to cook from his grandmother’s journal
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Dolvis, a soldier from Dellador City. He is a sword and shield fighter and vows to right wrongs in the world.
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Prym, another villager of Pell, she left for a number of years to train in magic at the Archive in Glasmere. She takes care of her sister Pryscilla.
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Karissa, Arnen’s younger sister. She is a priest in the Velana Order and has been training in healing and holy magic for the last year.
Gameplay Overview
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Grid-based tactical combat based on unit speed. Each unit moves in Turn Order, rather than Player-vs-Enemy phases.
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Unit inventories can be managed in and out of combat. Equipping items and even trading them between units is possible and doesn’t count as a turn action.
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Each class has different magic spells and weapon skills to learn. Though you may find two allies of the same class, each will have unique abilities and different stat growth ranges.
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When a unit levels up, their HP, SP, and stats increase based on growth ranges for their class. Melee units will focus on Attack, Defense, or Speed growth whereas casters will focus on Magic and Resistance, in most cases.
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There are many allies, items, and secrets to uncover all over the country of Alta. As you adventure around, you’ll be able to interact with most everything you see, talk to townspeople and visit all sorts of shops.
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In battle, you’ll have an active party of 8 units to face off against enemies. You can configure your active party before or after combat, but not during.
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There are many areas around the world where enemies gather. While you’re never required to engage them, you can choose to enter combat and hone your skills or earn some extra gold.
Demo Changelog
0.0.14.17
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Added additional world text
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Added food items
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Added visual tutorials
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Added additional world items/pickups
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Added new late-level specials for Arnen, Dolvis, and Krell
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Adjusted Guard SP cost and Exp gain
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Adjusted level up particle sizing
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Adjusted button mapping for keyboard (added WASD set, adjusted Skip/Snapshot buttons)
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Updated colors for item icons
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Updated Yes/No choice framing for better contrast
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Remade Skip Mode UI pop up so it’s more noticeable
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Fixed grass animation layering in Tratas Plains West
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Fixed Karissa’s tombstone offset
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Fixed lock when using Guard during skip mode
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Fixed ! event audio issues
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Fixed Sleep spell AI and damage shown
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Fixed various typos
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Fixed various minor visual issues
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Fixed bug where healing a fallen unit revives them (sorry)
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Fixed bug in self-heal HP/SP bar issues
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Fixed bug where items equipped during battle disappear after battle is won
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Fixed various bugs related to Skip Mode
Adventurers Guild
Adventurers Guild is a tactical RPG where the player manages an adventurers guild in a dangerous and unpredictable fantasy world.
Gameplay
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Guild Management - is an important part of the game. You can hire new guild members, settle their wages or kick them out.
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Guild Members - each guild member has character traits that affect the gameplay.
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Exploration - explore vast world map where you can find various map objects.
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Quests - accept and complete quests from different towns. Each quest offers a different challenge.
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Battles - engage in turn-based, tactical battles, against many different enemies. Each enemy has its unique abilities.
Features
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Tactical battle system
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Guild management
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All guild members have their own character traits
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Unique recruitment and quests systems
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Interactive map objects
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Character events and map events
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Randomly generated characters
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Randomly generated battlefields
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Many other things
Recruit new members, complete quests, and become the greatest adventurers guild in the Kingdom!
Age of Fear: The Undead King
Truthfully, Age of Fear in general has a bit of a dated, clunky feel to it, which I’m aware it is a turnoff for many people. I’m not one of those people however, and I’m sure there are many of you out there that can also overcome the lack of modern day luxuries, because this game has a lot of depth to it in terms of gameplay and freedom for your experimentation, and improving your strategic skills.
With that out of the way, and granted that “old type games” don’t scare you away, Age of Fear is a very solid experience. It certainly had a bit of getting used to in the beginning for me, which gave me some frustrations, but once that period passed, I had nothing but fun, on the higher difficulty settings in particular, the game becomes a real brain-teaser, your strategic mind and thinking are going to make the biggest impacts on how battles play out. A little shift in your tactics, planning or approach can mean the world. And you’re definitely not short on options on what you can try.
– Real player with 37.5 hrs in game
This year, during the winter sale, I decided to try Age of Fear: I bought all 3 episodes in a bundle I started to play from the first one: Age of Fear – The undead King.
I completed the two campaigns (about 15 scenario/battle each: roughly 5 easy, 5 medium and 5 hard) included (human campaign and undead campaign) in about 22 hours at “experienced” level (the second of four).
PROs
- The strange movement system based on circles is interesting and you must learn to exploit it to cover your range-units and to reach the opponent ones.
– Real player with 22.8 hrs in game
Age of Fear 4: The Iron Killer
As with the other Age of Fear games:
Great Story
Great/Challenging Gameplay
Unique Characters
Perfect Music
It also now has many performance bug fixes so everything is extra smooth.
If you like strategy, this is a must buy.
– Real player with 70.5 hrs in game
In my opinion weakest title in the series for two reason:
Just one campaign, so it’s quite a bit shorter than the others
The new faction doesn’t really feel at all central to the story. Sure you field naga units but the story is entirely centered around humans with the faction just being randomly attached. It could just as well be orcs or possums and nothing would change.
Still the game is good enough to give it a thumbs up. If you are looking to enter the series for a first time I’d start with the others.
– Real player with 28.9 hrs in game