Conquicktory
Conquicktory is a minimalistic turn-based strategy focused on top-level decisions in your civilization’s development. You’ll control the diplomacy relations with neighboring countries, declare wars, plan the key strikes and distribute funds to the peaceful/military issues. Your subjects will do the rest of work - there is no need to deeply micromanage all the aspect of your glorious growing empire.
The game map has 3 views:
1. Military view. If you see a spear with a flag over one of your cities, it means that you can create an army in it. Simply touch and drag from it and you’ll see the army path. Army will capture cells around its path. The same dragging way is used to plan the movement of your existing armies. Also you can see the cells defense ratings on this view. Cells are defended by nearby armies, cities and forts.
2. Diplomacy view. Here you can select a country and see its current enemies (red) and allies (green). You can select a country and suggest a treaty to it, or declare war. Also here you can answer the treaties suggestions from other players
3. Economy view. You can see how much each of your cities brings to you, and set the funds spreading to war, peaceful growth and treasury. You can fund new cities and fortresses in this view.
Game features:
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easy control mode which lets you focus on the top-level questions of you empire
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simultaneous moves, which are performed once all the players have issued orders
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challenging AI, which does not cheat but can make clever moves
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spectator mode, where you can relax and spectate how the AI play (and try to guess the winner)
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prebuilt maps of the world, continents and countries, which you can conquer
Read More: Best Turn-Based Strategy Minimalist Games.
Guards of the Gate
I am definitely having fun with this game, so I can recommend it. I didn’t really like it at first, but as I experimented with the different team combinations and learned more about the game play, I really started to get into it.
This isn’t a fancy game. You create a team of three characters. Mutant, Knight, Ninja, Ranger, Wizard, and Shaman. You navigate a world map by moving from spot to spot. Each spot is either empty, has a battle grid with monsters, has a reward statute, has a merchant, has a new skill, etc. The maps aren’t that big.
– Real player with 22.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best Turn-Based Strategy Top-Down Games.
I like turn-based tactic games, and I am hardcore gamer who dedicated many hours to the XCOM series. However, sometimes I turn to obviously more simple games, like Guards of the Gate.
Pros:
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Nice look, for the game of that kind quite fair;
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Interesting map system without out-of-battle healing and statues which strengthen teams in next runs;
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Some skills that I have not encountered in other games of this type;
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Simple but enjoyable battle system on small hexagonal fields.
Cons:
- The game is very badly balanced, for now. Some classes are more useful than others; teams of certain type make walkthrough very easy, and others - very hard, but irritating hard, because of bad skills combination and artificial weaknesses. This is very important, because for turn-based tactic game to be replayable it must have various strategies and approaches. Now there is only one effective approach.
– Real player with 19.8 hrs in game
Lords of the Shattered Kingdom
I’m a PVE type player. I don’t enjoy playing against other players, because almost always there is someone better than me just around the corner. And I’d rather enjoy fighting the environment.
I’m 49 hours into this game, still happily grinding away. For those that played the Heroes of Might and Magic games, the base building games, this is close to it. Except more detailed in the army management/equiping. The graphics are rather basic, but I can see that being fixed easily as they go.
For the current $5 cost of the game, it’s well worth it. And as the special currency is currently set, that’s not an issue, though I understand that will change.
– Real player with 63.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Turn-Based Strategy Turn-Based Combat Games.
Tank Battle: 1944
Nice simple game. Easy to play and understand, but quite hard to master. I played it first in 2016 and got stuck on a mission in the first campaign that I couldn’t get through, even on Easy, and abandoned. Tried it again in 2018 with different tactics and after a few attempts I found the right recipe. Now breezing through most missions and enjoying it. I think this is an underrated and misunderstood game. It isn’t an in-depth detailed wargame with missions taking days to complete, but rather a light skirmish game with missions lasting under an hour, sometimes mere minutes. And the price is very light too.
– Real player with 57.3 hrs in game
Not amazing but not bad for the price and suprisingly addictive and very easy to pick up. But yes it’s an Ipad port so not overly complex except one or two of the bonus missions which seem damn nigh impossible even on casual! Still plenty of content for a quick 10-30 minute gaming fix for the day if that’s all you’ve got and that’s the beauty of this series. 19.3 hrs and I’m only halfway through the content. $10 well spent I’d say!!!!
– Real player with 30.5 hrs in game
Spire of Sorcery
A party strategy with its very own style and identity.
The graphics are nice and well designed, and the music is great. Hopefully they add more of it later.
The interface feels like it was designed by a madman that completely ignored everything we know about mainstream gaming interfaces, and just branched it into its own evolutionary path. On the other hand, many games today have an interface that looks nearly identical, and here it’s finally different and fresh.
The spell and combat system is incredibly deep and flexible. You need to adapt your spells to your party, and figure out how to effectively combine them with potions and the environment, and even with other spells and effects. This game greatly rewards experimentation and exploration. There are many insane combinations to discover, and every party requires a different strategy and resource management. A murderhobo group plays very differently from a group that has a pacifist in it.
– Real player with 31.1 hrs in game
A game where you control only mages! If you are tired of extremely generic fighters who smell of sweaty socks and too much ale, and you are a cultured scholar who appreciates basking under arcane arts and good books, then this game might be for you :P That was the reason for me to try demo, then game’s uniqueness made me buy it and keep on journey.
Honestly, even the idea of “controlling only mages” is already so exciting and engaging to me. Now I know that this game is mostly strategy and all but there’s an attempt right here so I must interfere… story is not very infused with the game itself, I’d personally expect more passages that would drag me in. Don’t know what the devs are planning on release, but a good background story would be a huge game changer in my opinion. People who like magical powers tend to care about these, no? If there’s such plan (yes this is a big issue of indie developers but) adding just one voice actor who is going to narrate the story would be very pleasant.
– Real player with 21.3 hrs in game
Bubbleland
In Bubblelands you will lead a team of cartoon heroes - the brave bean brawler, the fluffy feline defender, and the outlandish onion with oseledets - through a series of tactical turn-based battles on a grid of hexes. Each hero on the team has a different potential use in battle, skill set and development opportunities. The combat rewards smart positioning and using skills appropriate to the situation on the battlefield.
On their way, the heroes may encounter characters who need their help and allies who will join their party and strengthen the team with their special powers. You can meet them later at the party’s camp, where the heroes can also improve their skills and buy upgrades.
Bubbles are what fuels the technology and economy of this land. However, one day the soapy resource ceased to flow from the taps and fountains. In the atmosphere of the apocalypse, three heroes set off on a journey through foreign lands to find out where the life-giving Bubbles have gone.
Tactical Yet Simple Combat
The game is rules-light, you’re not going to find long statblocks and hour-long battles here. You may just hop in for a few fights any time!
Simple Yet Deep Mechanics
Bubbleland is not crunchy, but you still have to think before you act. Cautious positioning of the heroes and planning your actions is crucial!
Deep story… Not Really!
The world and story of Bubbleland is colorful and fun to watch. Find out if fluffy cats, angry cucumbers and onion cossacks fighting each other over bubbles have any deeper meaning!
Firezone
With the break up of the Superpower blocks, colonial wars ravage the world.
The development of powerful beam weapons and defensive energy shields have revolutionized ground warfare giving a new lease of life to the concept of the Armored Fighting Vehicle.
Propulsion systems have advanced beyond recognition. The development of the GRAV engine means tanks can skim across a battlefield at the speed of todays helicopter gun-ships.
FIREZONE simulates this new style of combat. It can be played as a solo game against a tough computer opponent or as a two player game. The player can control either of the two main protagonists - the EUROPEAN LEAGUE or the PACIFIC COMBINE - in any of the set scenarios. Victory is yours when the opposing forces are either wiped from the map or forced into mass retreat. Also incorporated is a scenario editor program allowing the player to design his own battles.
FIREZONE is a phased game and incorporates the latest in Artificial Intelligence techniques.
Features
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Phased game
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Highly intelligent computer opponent
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9 pre-set missions on disk
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Unique scenario generator
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Hidden or open movement
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1 or 2 players
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Multiple terrain types
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Hex based scrolling maps
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Variable unit types
King’s Bounty: Dark Side
After 1 official patch (9/2/14) that I’m aware of, this game has very few bugs (compared to KB: WOTN), w/ the caveat that the Mac version seems to be a little behind the PC. I’m expecting a new patch soon, and hopefully the Mac faithful get a better game. Because this game is super fun.
I was mystified to read some reviewers thought it the worst in the series (or maybe the “weakest”). That’s not my impression at all. I think they stepped up their game significantly w/ the writing, quests, and overall sense of humor. Also, for those of you tired of playing the same old standby human and dragon units, this is the game for you. You can of course over time get a significant medley of old favorites, but I would recommend trying to stay close to the thematic choices that fit the 3 PCs: Mage (Vampire) Undead units; Paladin (Demoness) Demon units; Warrior (Orc) well you get the idea. I’ve only played as the Mage, but I suspect I won’t feel differently after playing the next 2 PCs.
– Real player with 399.5 hrs in game
This review is for players that are familiar with the King’s Bounty games and to answer the question “is Dark Side a worthy addition?”. If you’ve not played any of the KB games before I highly recommend you do them in order, they are all excellent.
I’ve just completed this game, it took me 300 hours and I enjoyed every minute of it. However this is the only KB game that had features in it that I didn’t like. Lets start with the beginning, it is absolutely terrible, enough to put you off playing the game. You are given no tutorial (not a problem for veteran players), instead you have to follow a linear path where most of the enemies are too tough to fight, there is no loot to boost you and you can’t refresh your army. Eventually you reach your first garrison. You can now refresh your army but have to defeat 3 tough enemy and then a further 1. Don’t even think about a no loss win, you’ll be lucky if half your troops survive.
– Real player with 300.7 hrs in game
Last Days of Old Earth
This is a turn based strategy game that works at two levels. Most of your time will be driven on the world map where cards determine the units you can put in play. There is a little mechanic where you decide whether to spend resources you need to bring cards to try and get more action points to use them (but if your AI opponent spends more you lose them). This strategy layer is well designed but unfortunately suffers from increasingly long wait times for the AI on larger maps. The second layer is a pretty basic turn based tactics section where units lined in two rows attack each other. This gets boring pretty quickly with few decions to make. The graphics at this level are also somewhat lacklustre compared with the world maplayer which is simple but has a certain style. Sound is OK. As others have said though the real killer is lack of content; the campaign is short, wrapped in a weak narrative that drip feeds you new cards/units until the final maps. Ultimately I gave up as the game was frsutratingly slow re AI waits and there just wasn’t the scenario or card variety to keep me coming back. Not recommended due to price/better games out there to spend your time on. Eador Imperium for example gives you a ton more content and is much more involving.
– Real player with 61.8 hrs in game
Writing a review for an EA title is always tricky. The devs announced many major updates for the game in the future. Most of the time that’s a good thing, but I saw EA titles change so much on their way to release that it was not the same game I played in EA anymore.
This review is based on my own experience in the game how it’s now on EA release date.
I do not take future plans into account or features which did not excist yet.
I’m original a board game player and changed some years (20 exactly) ago to PC gaming. I still love boardgames and I love boardgames ported to PC. As long as I play games I want them as complicated as possible. I want them to be full of content and that they all have endless replay value. There is one genre I really hate and that is casual tablet gaming.
– Real player with 30.4 hrs in game
Tank Battle: North Africa
Take command as the British Commonwealth and U.S. forces fight the Germans in the North African theatre and lead your battalion to victory in challenging tactical battles.
– Real player with 32.3 hrs in game
NOTE: I DID PAY FOR THIS GAME
Funny little wargame with the accent on game. It’s turn based. There are 7 campaigns for a total of 49 scenarios. Each scenario takes about 10-20 minutes.
Do not expect to play Panzer Corps or Company of Heroes, you do not keep your units from one scenario to another and it’s not real time.
PROS:
- The game mechanics are simple, yet smart (that is, the use of different kinds of units makes sense…actually more sense than in some overall better games: artillery behaves like artillery (hear that, Order of Battle), the game scale is coherent (that’s for you, my beloved Panzer Corps).
– Real player with 23.4 hrs in game