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| Wargroove | |
|---|---|
| Title | Wargroove |
| Developer | Chucklefish |
| Publisher | Chucklefish |
| Director | James O'Connor |
| Designer | Tom Cox |
| Composer | Jami Sieber |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 |
| Released | 2019 |
| Genre | Turn-based tactics, Strategy |
| Modes | Single-player, Multiplayer |
Wargroove is a 2019 turn-based tactics video game developed and published by Chucklefish. It combines grid-based combat with unit management, base control, and a map editor, drawing influence from classic strategy titles and indie contemporaries. The game features faction leaders, named commanders, and a narrative-driven campaign alongside multiplayer skirmishes and community-created content.
Wargroove's mechanics center on commanding diverse units and named commanders across hex-like battlefields, echoing design elements from Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, Panzer General, X-COM, and Final Fantasy Tactics. Players issue orders to infantry, cavalry, artillery, and naval units while considering terrain effects associated with locales like Forest of Ardennes, Saharan coastline, Alpine pass, Mongol steppe, and River Seine-style tiles; unit abilities interact with commander-specific powers reminiscent of abilities in Dota 2, League of Legends, Overwatch, StarCraft II, and Civilization VI. The game employs a turn structure comparable to Heroes of Might and Magic III, with capture-point and city-control objectives paralleling scenarios from Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Fog of war, unit experience progression, and permadeath options reference conventions seen in XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Fire Emblem Awakening, Valkyria Chronicles, Shining Force, and Disgaea. Resource considerations and production mimic systems in Total War: Shogun 2, Command & Conquer, and Age of Empires II, while the map editor echoes features from StarCraft, Warcraft III, Super Mario Maker, Halo Forge, and Civilization V modding tools.
The single-player campaign follows multiple factions and named leaders in conflicts that draw narrative tropes comparable to campaigns in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Advance Wars: Dual Strike, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Tactics Ogre, and Baldur's Gate II. Story beats incorporate betrayals, alliances, and political intrigue similar to events in Warhammer: Vermintide, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Persona 5, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Dragon Age: Origins. Missions vary from defensive holds to offensive sieges and escort duties, reflecting scenarios present in Company of Heroes, Europa Universalis IV, Mount & Blade: Warband, Kingdom Hearts, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The narrative structure uses character-driven chapters akin to Fire Emblem: Awakening, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, NieR: Automata, Mass Effect 2, and Persona 4 Golden.
Wargroove supports local and online multiplayer, turn-based skirmishes, and hotseat-style play reminiscent of modes in Advance Wars, Civilization IV, Into the Breach, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, and Frozen Synapse. The game includes a map editor and campaign editor that enable community-created content distributed similarly to user mods for Skyrim, Minecraft, Factorio, Stardew Valley, and Super Mario Maker 2. Ranked matches, custom scenarios, and co-op missions parallel features in League of Legends, Dota 2, StarCraft II, Halo 3, and Rainbow Six Siege. Cross-platform considerations and matchmaking draw comparisons to implementations in Fortnite, Rocket League, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and Overwatch.
Development was led by Chucklefish with a team influenced by designers from retro strategy scenes and indie studios such as Stoic Studio, Subset Games, Supergiant Games, Team Cherry, and Moon Studios. The art direction recalls pixel-art approaches from Into the Breach, Shovel Knight, Hyper Light Drifter, Dead Cells, and Celeste, while the soundtrack and audio design evoke composers associated with Undertale, Octopath Traveler, Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana. Development cycles included public playtests, community feedback, and alpha builds similar to practices by Minecraft's early development, Stardew Valley beta, and Hollow Knight pre-release testing. Localization and QA efforts mirrored workflows used for The Witcher 3, Dark Souls III, Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139..., Persona 5 Royal, and Divinity: Original Sin 2.
Wargroove launched in 2019 on systems including the Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, following release patterns like those of Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley, Cuphead, Celeste, and Dead Cells. Post-launch updates delivered balance patches, bug fixes, and DLC comparable to support for XCOM 2, Civilization VI, Monster Hunter: World, Destiny 2, and The Witcher 3. Physical editions, digital storefront presence, and limited-run merchandise paralleled strategies used by Limited Run Games, VBlank Entertainment, Devolver Digital, Annapurna Interactive, and Team17.
Critical reception referenced outlets and comparisons common to industry discourse, with reviewers likening its tactical depth and aesthetic to Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, Into the Breach, Civilization V, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Praise centered on its map editor, faction design, and accessibility, echoing sentiments expressed about Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, Celeste, Undertale, and Shovel Knight. Criticisms focused on balance, online stability, and campaign pacing, issues also noted in reviews of No Man's Sky, Assassin's Creed Unity, Fallout 76, Mass Effect: Andromeda, and Anthem. Awards consideration and year-end lists paralleled recognition trajectories of indie hits such as Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley, Celeste, Undertale, and Dead Cells.
Wargroove influenced indie turn-based tactics design by reinforcing community-driven content creation and accessible tactical mechanics, contributing to discourse alongside Into the Breach, Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, XCOM, and Civilization. Its map editor and scenario sharing inspired modding communities similar to those around Warcraft III, Skyrim, Factorio, Minecraft, and StarCraft II. The game's melding of retro pixel art with modern UI and online features informed aesthetic and design choices in later indie strategy titles from studios like Chucklefish collaborators and peers including Team Cherry, Subset Games, Stoic Studio, Supergiant Games, and Moon Studios.
Category:2019 video games