Weird Recommendation of the Day; Zero Orders Tactics
Turn Based tactics, using environment changes to alter routes and intentions.
This is a complicated game despite not directly controlling your troops. It describes itself as a “puzzle” which, while technically true I suppose, seems inaccurate to me. It seems closer to a classic strategic turn based grid model with a twist. Why not both?
You are god and apparently you have favorites.
Sometimes the goal is to protect your citizens traveling along the main road to the castle.
Sometimes you are defending against aggressive enemies.
Sometimes you are the aggressor.
Multiple scenarios to challenge and overcome.
Each map is made of hexes representing a terrain type, forests, plains, water, mountains and swamps.
All of them have both a troop impact, like affecting line of sight or movement, or a subtle influence making it attractive or undesirable for travel. It may also offer some advantages. Ultimately as god all you can do is influence what your “free will” units decide to do, by shaping the world they live and fight in.
Thankfully they are simple creatures and easy to manipulate. Each unit prefer specific terrain, disdaining others types, changing their routes to avoid them. Mountains and water simply block a route. But the goal is to get them where they need to be to fight and defend your Citizens, who slow march one space at a time trying to reach the castle safely.
Once a round you will be able to Swap out troops. Often I set my riders out to make up ground only to switch to an archer or magic user to cause some damage from a nice safe distance once in the field, or let my Rogues loose through the swamps that others fear to tread, backstabbing on an epic level.
Three Acts, each about a dozen maps, along pathways of your choice.
Each Map has its own unique parameters and layout, with a specific number of Citizens you’ll be required to escort along the road to the safety of the Castle. Citizens move one hex a turn. You must keep at least one alive to continue. The more that survive the larger the reward. Do your best.
Often, like with chess, pieces are sacrificed for the greater strategy, except in this case destroyed units simply return to your hand to be played again. This is also true for units that travel off the board in their normal movement pattern.
You’ll quickly discover that sacrifice, unit swaps and terrain placements can all settle a turn in your favor. Luckily every turn is a new set of options. Just as long as your Citizens survive I’d suggest sacrificing everything every round just to move them one step closer. Long term strategy is fairly pointless, because Enemy units drop in unexpectedly every round often changing your route strategy on the fly.
What’s that saying; men plan god laughs?
Well who laughs at gods plans?
Other stuff to be aware of;
Every Map a Chest appears. Land on it and get a nifty reward, including new unit types. Prioritize if you can.
Blacksmith allows you to transform cards into other cards, gold or even Citizens
Archanist allows you to transform gold into new troops or terrain
Mysterious turns health + troops into new troops
There are ‘grab as many chests as you can’ Maps. Look for them as you choose your Act route.
Killing opponents and finding the chest will reward experience.
Experience points can be spent in chunks on the Skill tree, which expands your hand, adds more Citizens, or increases your Mana pool, allow for spells to be used.
After you lose your last Citizen the game ends and your chosen Hero (there are many to discover) will get experience, unlocking new spell and troop options.
Tech Notes;
Plays in Airplane Mode
Plays outside audio, like music or podcasts
Plays in Landscape
130.9 MB
Auto saves to last round if quick quitting
Notch covers information, rotation fixes this.
Fairly easy on the battery.
Took me a few tries before it clicked. Seemed too puzzly (it’s not) with outcomes being pre designed. But I was wrong. In a big way. Interesting troop mechanics, weird and helpful spells, strategic thinking with seat of your pants gameplay. Tiles swap adding another layer of depth, need a mountain, take a mountain.
There other subtle aspects to maybe consider, with movement and attacking eventually accumulating into extra attacks.
This is a full game that some will really enjoy, while I suspect some will not. It’s passive and clever and methodical but still random and frustrating, especially when you realize you lost rounds earlier. But I found the more I played the more the sublime aspects of troop movement seemed pretty damn cool.
Lots and lots of troop types, as well as spells to discover or unlock. Quests (achievements) will also unlock new spells and troops. Despite its small download size, this is a large game.